New to the hobby so much help needed!

[Reefdiver77]

Hi and thanks for having me!
Being new to marine is starting to worry me after trying to digest so much info from many websites I have decided to turn to you guys in order to move forward. I will be buying a tank around 180 gallons with a 60 gallon sump with a weir and combs and all pipe work pre drilled and fitted I am fortunate to have the apace for this large tank. Now at this point I am not sure what to buy first and how to calculate what equipment I need and the quantities of rock sand livestock etc. I appreciate this will be a large setup and probably quite costly but I would like to do it properly as a hobby not just something pretty to look at. I will have to spread the cost and build slowly to ensure it is done correctly. I must add that I have kept freshwater fish on and off for many years on a not too serious basis.
Where do I start? Please help. Some have already mentioned the preference of live rock and a sandbed but going right back what do i do about water, mix my own or buy?:squigglemouth:

 

[canadian reefer]

Get 1 to 2 lbs of live rock per gallon of water. Live sand is optional. Mixing your own water is cheaper then buying some. Do you know what cycling your tank is?


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[Reefdiver77]

Hi canadian reefer ok rocks quantities sounds good what do you mean by cycling? sorry if thats a daft question.

 

[canadian reefer]

when you mix your own water there is no "good bacteria" to eat waste (uneaten food, poo) which is ammonia these bacteria would turn it to nitrite and then to nitrate which is way less harmful.
Most people put a cocktail shrimp in the water to start the cycle which will create an ammonia spike. When the spike happens the good bacteria will show up and do their job. Usually a week or so after this spike there will be a nitrate spike and an algae bloom. These are good signs that your tank is almost done cycling. After this all you need to do is wait for your water parameters to drop ammonia 0 nitrite 0 nitrates are fine in small quantities but you should do a water change to keep it low.
You can google it. It'll probably be more detailed


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[Reefdiver77]

ok cool so going to basics i have bought the tank which came with a combed weir all pipework going down to a sump within a cabinet, glass sliding lid and a hood. what would be the very next thing to buy? i assume i would fill the sump with media and get a pump? if so what media in which chamber and what sort of pump ? (any recommendations) and then a skimmer? (also any recommendations) then lights? (also any recommendations) then powerheads (also any recommendations) then water, then sand, then rock, then cycle to the levels mentioned above then fish, then corals is the this the correct basic pattern to follow? Sorry if i sound so dumb i just need to know the order to make the purchases as i will not be able to buy all this in one purchase. I really appreciate your help!

 

[canadian reefer]

ok cool so going to basics i have bought the tank which came with a combed weir all pipework going down to a sump within a cabinet, glass sliding lid and a hood. what would be the very next thing to buy? i assume i would fill the sump with media and get a pump? if so what media in which chamber and what sort of pump ? (any recommendations) and then a skimmer? (also any recommendations) then lights? (also any recommendations) then powerheads (also any recommendations) then water, then sand, then rock, then cycle to the levels mentioned above then fish, then corals is the this the correct basic pattern to follow? Sorry if i sound so dumb i just need to know the order to make the purchases as i will not be able to buy all this in one purchase. I really appreciate your help!

You don't sound dumb haha you're just starting out. Might a swell ask questions and get it right than not ask and kill everything. Some people use bio balls in there sump. Others just use more live rock and live sand. Either way it'll be good.
I bought my stuff in this order.
Stand
Tank
Heater
Refugium
Protein skimmer
Powerheads
Live sand
Live rock
And then did the cycle
Fish and inverts
After your tank has been doing well for 2-3 months with fish you would probably be ok for easy corals

My powerheads are maxi jet and koralia
My skimmer is by eshops
My lights are by aquaticlife(highly recommend)
Heater by fluval
If you live in Canada you can get man made live rock for 2.50 a pound but the only downfall is there will not be any copepods or amphipods on the rock
I cannot help you with the sump since I do not have one.


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[Reefdiver77]

awesome help i appreciate the time you have given me and i am cool with it all just a couple of things

what is the refugium?
do i purchase water and fill the tank before or after sand and rock?

oh and by the way i live near london england! bit far to go canada for the rock lol

 

[canadian reefer]

A refugium is basically a sump that is used to grow algae so less grows in your tank. It's not needed but I use it as a prison tank lol. It'll probably be less messy if you put the sand in. Then water and then your live rock. No problem. I was new also a few months ago but once you start it becomes so much easier


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[Reefdiver77]

thanks for all your help i will update as i go along. i am sure it will get easier but as you said best to get it right from the start!

 

[canadian reefer]

Good luck bud


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[Reefing Madness]

#1-Dry Rock, there are a few hitchhikers on Live Rock that people want to stay away from, so they opt for using Dry Rock, or Dead Rock. Macro Rock is a good place to start looking for that. Either way you go you will need a minimum of 1lb per gallon. You can use Fully Cured Live Rock, and have the tank cycled in just a few days also. Other way is to use just a couple of pounds of Live Rock and the rest Macro or Dry Rock.

#2-Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon (if you get a filter) Which is really not necessary.

#3-Multiple Power heads (2 or 3) 10x your water volume for just a Fish Only With Live Rock, and at least 20x your water volume for a Reef Tank. So lets say your going reef, and you have a 100g tank, you would need flow in that tank at minimum of 2000gph, or 2 1000gph power heads.

#4-Protein Skimmer, rated at 2 times your water volume. Unless your tank is under 30g, in which case you can do 10% water changes a week to rid the system of detrius. But, you'll have to watch the water parameters close, if things go haywire, you'll have to do more water changes.

#5-Saltwater Test Kits. Reef Test Kit. Test for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, Phosphates, Calcium, ALK and Magnesium.

#6-Saltwater fish food. Mysis Shrimp, Squid, Cyclopease, Algae Sheets, Romaine . Flake food is not really a good food to feed your marine fish.

#7-Aquarium vacuum. This one is iffy. Most don't use one, if you have enough flow in the tank you won’t need one

#8-Rubber kitchen gloves

#9-Fish net

#10-Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon buckets

#11-Aquarium thermometer, digital being the best.

#12-Brush with plastic bristles (old tooth brush) - needed for cleaning the live rock if you don't get Fully Cured Live Rock.

#13-Power Strip, possibly GFCI outlets by the tank.

#14-Optional but definitely recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis or RO/Deionization filter for the make-up water, and a barrel for storing the water.

#15-Possibly a Quarantine Tank for your new fish. They sit in here for a few weeks to kill off parasites and bacteria, to keep it from getting in your main tank

#16-Heater rated for your size tank.

#17-Saltwater Mix. Marine Salt. Instant Ocean is the cheap Salt that beginners and Advanced use alike.

#18-Saltwater Hydrometer or even better a Refractometer, which is more accurate. There is also a Digital Meter that is way advanced if you have the cash.

#19-Aquarium filter (not absolutely necessary if running with adequate amounts of live rock, but nice to have if you need to use a mechanical filter or activated carbon, or GFO and such)

#20-Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed coral. Some go bare Bottom, others choose the 2-3" bottom, others, more advanced will try the Deep Sand Bed, which is over 6" deep.

http://znnea.rmuvx.servertrust.com/default.asp

www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Nitrogen_Cycle.html

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=aquarium+heater&_sacat=20754&_odkw=power+heads&_osacat=0

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=power+heads&_sacat=0&_odkw=salt+water+refractometer&_osacat=0

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-0-10-Salinity-Refractometer-Salt-Water-Aquarium-/251140605905?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3a792587d1

http://www.marcorocks.com/

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/bulk-dry-live-rock.html

Live Rock and Live Sand: Live Saltwater Aquarium Rock and Sand

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fish-supplies/aquarium-substrate/ps/c/3578/9805

http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/Aquarium_Lighting.html

http://live-plants.com/

http://successfulreefkeeping.com/learn/what-your-coral-needs/

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=t-5+lighting&_sacat=0

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=cree+led+aquarium&_sacat=0&_odkw=t-5+lighting&_osacat=0

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/fish-supplies/saltwater-aquarium-salt-water-mix/ps/c/3578/4685

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=15473

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4749

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=4145

Melevsreef.com | Acrylic Sumps & Refugiums

 

[Eggs]

do i purchase water and fill the tank before or after sand and rock?

You may want to buy an RODI unit to make your own water since you have a larger tank. You can buy water, but it will become a pain real quick.

 

[Reefdiver77]

This is all superb advice and I am going to use it.
One more question, if the sump has three chambers what media and equipment do I put where

I.e. chamber one = water from weir
So what else goes in here

Chamber two what goes in here

Chamber three return water to tank and what else goes in here

Little steps and I will get it right with your help



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[Reefing Madness]

First chamber, if your able, Skimmer, heaters if they fit.
Second- Macro Algae, Marine plants, heaters if they fit
Third- Skimmer, if it won't fit in first chamber, heaters if chamber is big enough.
In a nut shell, it doesn't matter. Nowadays, you put it where it will fit, unless you are making your own, then you can make the chambers big enough for you to put things where you want them.
You can put the media into any chamber as long as its in a sock form, you just want most if not all water to pass through it.

 

[Reefdiver77]

Thanks

Ok so do you mean a heater in each chamber or one heater in whichever chamber it will fit

Also what is the macro algae?

Do you recommend carbon or use live rock and a bit of sand as media


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[Reefing Madness]

I do'nt use carbon, ever. You can run it to clean up the water from time to time, but not all the time.
You only need to have a heater that big enoug for your tank, only need it in one chamber, I basically threw out there that you could place it anyhwere.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Marine Plants, you can use any of this stuff, most going with Cheato.
http://live-plants.com/

 

[Reefdiver77]

Thanks for clarifying all that I will take it all on board I am so excited to start just have to wait for the tank to be delivered!


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[Reefing Madness]

 

[jtomasi]

If you are going to use all dry rock/bleached/acid dry rock (which i recommend), you MUST MUST MUST cycle it in a tub by itself. I cant stress this enough! Even if the person you are getting it from says that it wont leach any phosphates or anything into your tank dont trust them, its not worth it - especially with such a large tank. Imagine getting everything set up and then having to do multiple 30% or 40% water changes just to get the phosphates out?!!

I actually recommend doing the entire system dry at first and putting in M7 bacteria or something of the like with a thick piece of coralline algae. Yes it will take the system longer to cycle and mature but its worth it in the end. Youll soon realize from reading peoples threads that it is much much easier to start out correctly then to fix things on the back end. ALWAYS DIP, ALWAYS INSPECT WITH A magnifying glass...and no I am not joking at all. I painstakingly have always done this and (knock on wood) am absolutely pest free. I have even thrown out entire frags that I got from people after opening the package and finding unwanted guests...