New to Saltwater and Reef

KJ · Apr 17, 2021

Welcome to R2R!!!

Jimbhoy13 · Apr 17, 2021

Welcome to R2R. Nice tank. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here who will support and advise you when needed.

G Santana · Apr 17, 2021

Welcome to R2R

maceto · Apr 17, 2021

Welcome!

Jeffcb · Apr 17, 2021

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

MandS · Apr 17, 2021

Thank you all for the stupendous welcome .
Now for an update. After careful consideration we have decided to go to a bigger tank with sump filtration. We have a tank in mind, but what would the best sump system to get? We're going with a 120 gallon tank. What recommendations do you have moving my rock and 2 clown fish from the old tank to the new? I obviously know I will need more rock. First thing is the best sump system for the money. Thanks.

Uncle99 · Apr 17, 2021

If it can keep nitrates from building, yup, that works.
Mechanical filtration is good as you pull stuff before it breaks down, but, must be kept clean so stuff don’t rot, then it become a “nitrate factory”.
Used an Aqua Clear for years. Exchanged sponge weekly. Never an issue.

MERKEY · Apr 17, 2021

Hello and welcome to R2R!

vetteguy53081 · Apr 17, 2021

You'll have to clean the canister literally weekly. Add a pouch of chemipure blue which will help keep water polished and keep nitrates in check which canisters are guilty of in the reef hobby. They provide good water movement and oxygen. Clean regularly changing or cleaning filter foam along with weekly water tests and you should be ok.
Speaking of test kits- Buy the best you cannot afford. . meaning it is critical with the canister units to go with a good brand and Not API brand.

vetteguy53081 · Apr 17, 2021

CMMorgan · Apr 17, 2021

MandS said:
Thank you all for the stupendous welcome .
Now for an update. After careful consideration we have decided to go to a bigger tank with sump filtration. We have a tank in mind, but what would the best sump system to get? We're going with a 120 gallon tank. What recommendations do you have moving my rock and 2 clown fish from the old tank to the new? I obviously know I will need more rock. First thing is the best sump system for the money. Thanks.

Well, that was fast.... need a bigger tank fever bites hard. It is less about which brand sump and more about how you plan to run it. There are lots of factors, like size, cost and functionality. As a rule of thumb, it is always better to have the biggest volume sump that fits your budget. In regard to functionality, this is where it gets personal. Do you want to run an algae scrubber, will you be adding a protein skimmer (say yes), do you want socks or a fleece roller? What about a built in refugium? Will you want dosing holders?
I have been running an older Aqueon Pro4 for several years. My biggest complaint (besides socks) is that my return pump and skimmer used the same chamber. So every time my skimmer bubbles over - it goes right into my DT. Not desirable. I got a "rep of the year" bonus at work, so I put that cash into a new sump for my new build... a Trigger Systems Sapphire.
The positive is that it fits my stand, holds a lot of water and it moves my skimmer to the section after the socks but before the fuge, leaving the return chamber solitary. The downside is that the idiots at Trigger decides to needlessly make the skimmer 1/2" bigger by squishing the socks into ovals. That eliminates the possibility of using filter cups.
At the end of the day, there are dozens of different sumps. They all do essentially the same thing. The differences are in what you want to incorporate. You may want to start out with a 40 gallon breeder from Petco and order sump partitions from one of the many folks that make them on Amazon or Octo Aquariums. That is a hybrid DIY solution that works very well for many reefers.
Alas, my answer may have given you more questions. If so, ask away.... that is why we are here.
Happy reefing!!