Planning my first tank! How does my plan sound?

[Riyita]

Hi reefers,

I have been debating whether or not I want to enter this hobby, and I think I'm ready to make the jump. I've been doing a lot of research and here's my plan. I'd appreciate any feedback you may have to it!

SC Aquariums has an AIO 50 gallon cube set with included stand & sump on sale for $795. I believe that is a good deal? The website states it comes with all necessary plumbing. I am 19 and have no plumbing experience, so I would be asking my dad for help setting up the piping. Correct me if I am wrong, but I would only need a light, wave maker, and a heater, equipment wise? For the light I would go with a Prime HD+.

Once the tank is setup, I would add the live sand, dry rock, and the water. I would then add a bottle of Instant Ocean BIO-Spira Water Treatment to help speed up the cycling process. I would wait a week after adding the bottle, test my parameters and then I would add the first fish and go from there.

My only concern is the tank's filtering method. There's no filter socks, just a bunch of bio media. I assume I would change that out every few weeks?

If anybody has any advice for me, I'd appreciate it. Thanks!

http://www.scaquariums.com/product-p/sca-50gpnpb.htm

 

[Hitman]

Welcome to R2R!!!
Looks like a great starter set up. Personally I would ditch the bio media that comes with it and put a brightwell bio brick in there.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/xport-no3-biological-filtration-dimpled-brick-brightwell.html
I’m not a fan of filter sock so I personally wouldn’t worry about that. Get yourself a good heater like one of these from BRS.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/eheim-jager-trutemp-aquarium-heater.html
I would recommend the 150 watt one.
As for wave makers it all depends if your plan on adding corals or just fish. If you go fish only you will not need a ton of flow, I’m a fan of DC wave makers as you can control the flow just for example only
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vortech-mp10w-qd-propeller-pump-ecotech-marine.html
You can see all the different types of flow these can make. Several much cheaper options out there just wanted to share that like as it has a better description of what a dc one has to offer.
Your light choice will be great and if you choose to add corals in the future you cloudless add a second one and have plenty of light.
Just take it slow and steady as nothing in this hobby positive happens fast!

 

[Riyita]

Welcome to R2R!!!
Looks like a great starter set up. Personally I would ditch the bio media that comes with it and put a brightwell bio brick in there.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/xport-no3-biological-filtration-dimpled-brick-brightwell.html
I’m not a fan of filter sock so I personally wouldn’t worry about that. Get yourself a good heater like one of these from BRS.
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/eheim-jager-trutemp-aquarium-heater.html
I would recommend the 150 watt one.
As for wave makers it all depends if your plan on adding corals or just fish. If you go fish only you will not need a ton of flow, I’m a fan of DC wave makers as you can control the flow just for example only
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/vortech-mp10w-qd-propeller-pump-ecotech-marine.html
You can see all the different types of flow these can make. Several much cheaper options out there just wanted to share that like as it has a better description of what a dc one has to offer.
Your light choice will be great and if you choose to add corals in the future you cloudless add a second one and have plenty of light.
Just take it slow and steady as nothing in this hobby positive happens fast!

Hi Hitman,

Thanks for the reply! If you wouldn't mind explaining how the filtering system the SCA unit comes with works? Is it just a pipe that you put into that compartment and it filters by itself, or? I'm used to hang on filters, haha.

And I am assuming everything about my plan checks out? I wouldn't need to buy anything else?

 

[Hitman]

The tank will have a internal overflow, you plumb that into your sump you shared the picture of, I assume that one flows into the section with the media in the picture, then flows into the skimmer section, then into the center I assume on that one would be your refugium to grow macro algae, then into the return section where your pump returns water back to the tank to complete the water flow cycle.
I hope that’s what your asking about?

 

[Taxus812]

Hi welcome!
So I like your thinking. I did something similar. So I think they are referring to this as a plug and play system (PNP). You will have sump plumbing under the cabinet but it may come with it. That system looks like it has a media rack so you can add filter floss or a pad if you want but it is not always needed.



I have an all in one (AIO) tank made by RedSea the sump, skimmer etc is in the back of the tank not under it. Now my 45 is about $1500 so it is a bit more but comes with everything including the light (you still need a heater and the total volume is a bit less) if you really don’t want Plumbing or a sump.

 

[Riyita]

Hi welcome!
So I like your thinking. I did something similar. So I think they are referring to this as a plug and play system (PNP). You will have sump plumbing under the cabinet but it may come with it. That system looks like it has a media rack so you can add filter floss or a pad if you want but it is not always needed.



I have an all in one (AIO) tank made by RedSea the sump, skimmer etc is in the back of the tank not under it. Now my 45 is about $1500 so it is a bit more but comes with everything including the light (you still need a heater and the total volume is a bit less) if you really don’t want Plumbing or a sump.

Hey Taxus,

My local aquarium shop has the RedSea 45 with the light for around $1300. It would be only around $200 more than the SCA 50g when I add in the cost of the light. How much easier would you say a system like your RedSea with the built in sump in the back is to maintain vs a traditional like the SCA?

 

[OREGONIC]

Hey Taxus,

My local aquarium shop has the RedSea 45 with the light for around $1300. It would be only around $200 more than the SCA 50g when I add in the cost of the light. How much easier would you say a system like your RedSea with the built in sump in the back is to maintain vs a traditional like the SCA?

I have the Red Sea e170 (aio) I ran it with the rear chamber sump for about a year then added a traditional sump underneath. If I could do it again I would have just started with a tank with a traditional sump. You get more room for equipment, added water volume for stability, and easier to run a refugium or algae scrubber without the light bleeding into the tank and vice versa. I bought the actual red sea sump and converted the auto top of res into my algae scrubber, worked great and I only do a water change of 10% every month or two now. When I was running it as a aio i had to do a water change every week and still fought high nutrients. Just my 2 cents on aio vs traditional display/sump.

 

[Riyita]

I have the Red Sea e170 (aio) I ran it with the rear chamber sump for about a year then added a traditional sump underneath. If I could do it again I would have just started with a tank with a traditional sump. You get more room for equipment, added water volume for stability, and easier to run a refugium or algae scrubber without the light bleeding into the tank and vice versa. I bought the actual red sea sump and converted the auto top of res into my algae scrubber, worked great and I only do a water change of 10% every month or two now. When I was running it as a aio i had to do a water change every week and still fought high nutrients. Just my 2 cents on aio vs traditional display/sump.

Hi OREGONIC,

Thanks for the feedback! This is the AIO I will most likely be going with from SCA. It's a 50g system with an included sump. What do you think of this setup? What would be the things you buy aside from a light if any?

http://www.scaquariums.com/product-p/sca-50gpnpb.htm?CartID=1

 

[OREGONIC]

Looks like a good deal for a starter tank, everything except for a light to get you going. I see you were saying a prime for a light, you may want to go a little bigger or supplement with t5, or if you want all led at lest step up to a hydra 26 hd or one prime now and a second in the near future unless you only plan on soft corals. A screen top is a nice addition, BRS has a diy kit thats cheap and easy to put together. I have become a big fan of my algae turf scrubber, a refugium can be just as good from what I have seen but would probably require you modify the sump a little to give it a bigger area if you were to go the refugium route. It looks like it would be easy to modify. A algae scrubber is also super easy to make. You will definitely need an auto top off may even be the first thing you should get. The best thing you can get tho and they dont sell it at any store is patience. If you can resist the urge to not add any coral for a few months I believe it will pay off big time. Just add sand rock and water, and a small clean up crew and a fish (after the initial cycle of course) and let it run for a few months with little light to the display and start your refugium or scrubber during this time you will probably save yourself a ton of work fighting the uglies. Its hard and I by no means did this but will on any tank I ever set up in the future. Also I wouldn't use that bio media that is included, get something better like the britwell block or sechem matrix, or marine pure. Welcome to the addiction, and being broke lol.

 

[Taxus812]

Hey Taxus,

My local aquarium shop has the RedSea 45 with the light for around $1300. It would be only around $200 more than the SCA 50g when I add in the cost of the light. How much easier would you say a system like your RedSea with the built in sump in the back is to maintain vs a traditional like the SCA?

I see others have chimed in. I love my Red Sea as is. Maintenance is easy for me but I have issues with bending. Like it was mentioned it is harder to add to the system without converting. However the RedSea tank is built to do this. There are other perks like you mentioned for an AIO. No plumbing no gate valves etc (one of your goals I think). The tank itself is fantastic. The light is a very good one as well.

I don’t want to sound like I’m peddling a RedSea tank. I just wanted to give you an option since you said you didn’t want plumbing. If you want to see what I have experienced look at my build thread (link in my signature). I think you are doing great by writing out your goals. If buy a tank that hits those goals you should be happy.

 

[Riyita]

Looks like a good deal for a starter tank, everything except for a light to get you going. I see you were saying a prime for a light, you may want to go a little bigger or supplement with t5, or if you want all led at lest step up to a hydra 26 hd or one prime now and a second in the near future unless you only plan on soft corals. A screen top is a nice addition, BRS has a diy kit thats cheap and easy to put together. I have become a big fan of my algae turf scrubber, a refugium can be just as good from what I have seen but would probably require you modify the sump a little to give it a bigger area if you were to go the refugium route. It looks like it would be easy to modify. A algae scrubber is also super easy to make. You will definitely need an auto top off may even be the first thing you should get. The best thing you can get tho and they dont sell it at any store is patience. If you can resist the urge to not add any coral for a few months I believe it will pay off big time. Just add sand rock and water, and a small clean up crew and a fish (after the initial cycle of course) and let it run for a few months with little light to the display and start your refugium or scrubber during this time you will probably save yourself a ton of work fighting the uglies. Its hard and I by no means did this but will on any tank I ever set up in the future. Also I wouldn't use that bio media that is included, get something better like the britwell block or sechem matrix, or marine pure. Welcome to the addiction, and being broke lol.

I see. I wasn't trying to spend a truckload on a light, haha. I know they are important though. Would you have any advice on what parameters I would need to test when first cycling, and then once everything is settled in? Testing kits are a market themselves and can get pricey real fast. I believe starting out you test for ammonia and nitrates?

 

[OREGONIC]

I see. I wasn't trying to spend a truckload on a light, haha. I know they are important though. Would you have any advice on what parameters I would need to test when first cycling, and then once everything is settled in? Testing kits are a market themselves and can get pricey real fast. I believe starting out you test for ammonia and nitrates?

No need to spend much on ammonia test kit API is good enough, just be aware you may read slightly positive for ammonia even after the cycle with API kit. I always get a false positive with api but only like .25 ppm. . Ammonia is the big thing to test when cycling. Once your tank can process ammonia and you see nitrates you are ready to add a cuc and a small bio load of fish, 1 or 2. I wouldn’t worry to much about a nitrite test kit once your nitrates start going up you have bacteria processing nitrites. Alk will be the most important once you start adding coral, just go for a hanna alk tester. They have a slightly higher up front cost but are super easy and reagents are cheap. For cal, no3, p04, and mag any name brand will be fine. I personally use red sea for cal and p04 and salifert for mag and no3. Get a refractometer for salinity and make sure you calibrate it. Regular water changes alone at first will keep you parameters in check. I bought my rodi water from a store at first until I found a good deal locally on a used rodi filter. If you have a local area club you can probably find much of what you will need used with a little patience and asking.

 

[Riyita]

No need to spend much on ammonia test kit API is good enough, just be aware you may read slightly positive for ammonia even after the cycle with API kit. I always get a false positive with api but only like .25 ppm. . Ammonia is the big thing to test when cycling. Once your tank can process ammonia and you see nitrates you are ready to add a cuc and a small bio load of fish, 1 or 2. I wouldn’t worry to much about a nitrite test kit once your nitrates start going up you have bacteria processing nitrites. Alk will be the most important once you start adding coral, just go for a hanna alk tester. They have a slightly higher up front cost but are super easy and reagents are cheap. For cal, no3, p04, and mag any name brand will be fine. I personally use red sea for cal and p04 and salifert for mag and no3. Get a refractometer for salinity and make sure you calibrate it. Regular water changes alone at first will keep you parameters in check. I bought my rodi water from a store at first until I found a good deal locally on a used rodi filter. If you have a local area club you can probably find much of what you will need used with a little patience and asking.

Cool, so test for ammonia for the first two weeks(?) and once it reads 0, I should move onto nitrates and what should that range be? I read that the lower the better, but ranging from 30-40 ppm is acceptable. Once I show signs of nitrates, you mentioned adding a fish or two would be the next step? I planned on adding a bottle of Instant Ocean BIO-Spira Water Treatment to jumpstart the process too.

 

[SinkyShippy]

Have you tried that skimmer? How is it? Just bought it

 

[OREGONIC]

Cool, so test for ammonia for the first two weeks(?) and once it reads 0, I should move onto nitrates and what should that range be? I read that the lower the better, but ranging from 30-40 ppm is acceptable. Once I show signs of nitrates, you mentioned adding a fish or two would be the next step? I planned on adding a bottle of Instant Ocean BIO-Spira Water Treatment to jumpstart the process too.

You will need some sort of source of ammonia, dry live rock, ghost feed the tank, add a piece of fresh shrimp, or dose some ammonia (my preferred method). My reef took about 3-4 weeks for me to be able to dose ammonia up to 3-5 ppm and have it drop to 0 in 24 hours. I just tried to keep the level in that 3-5 range and tested daily and would adjust back to that level if it had dropped. I had already cured my rock for 2 months prior to getting my tank. Of you do decide to use ammonia make sure you get ammonia with no additives or scents. You can add a bacteria product to jump start but honestly Im not sure how effective they are. I shoot to keep nitrates 1-5 ppm. I had a long time where I couldn’t get them below 15-20 ppm but the solution to that was weird and stemmed from a lack of phosphates. You will have higher nitrates when your tank is young just do water changes.

 

[Riyita]

You will need some sort of source of ammonia, dry live rock, ghost feed the tank, add a piece of fresh shrimp, or dose some ammonia (my preferred method). My reef took about 3-4 weeks for me to be able to dose ammonia up to 3-5 ppm and have it drop to 0 in 24 hours. I just tried to keep the level in that 3-5 range and tested daily and would adjust back to that level if it had dropped. I had already cured my rock for 2 months prior to getting my tank. Of you do decide to use ammonia make sure you get ammonia with no additives or scents. You can add a bacteria product to jump start but honestly Im not sure how effective they are. I shoot to keep nitrates 1-5 ppm. I had a long time where I couldn’t get them below 15-20 ppm but the solution to that was weird and stemmed from a lack of phosphates. You will have higher nitrates when your tank is young just do water changes.

I've watched a few videos on cycling and the quickest and easiest seems to be buying a bottle of Dr. Tims "One and Only" alongside the small bottle of ammonia. You add both and the cycle should be completed within a week. I would do my first water change after the cycling is completed. I worry doing that water change however would screw up the parameters?

 

[OREGONIC]

I've watched a few videos on cycling and the quickest and easiest seems to be buying a bottle of Dr. Tims "One and Only" alongside the small bottle of ammonia. You add both and the cycle should be completed within a week. I would do my first water change after the cycling is completed. I worry doing that water change however would screw up the parameters?

If you are the same salt mixed at the same salinity water parameters should not be effected. Until you have a decent amount of stoney corals or a lot of coroline algae nothing will really be up taking the key elements and you will be able to survive on water changes to keep parameters in line. Once you have a have enough coral to up take the elements you can either start dosing or adding kalk to your auto top off water. Eventually kalk will not be enough and dosing or a calcium reactor will be required. You should check out Bulk Reef Supply youtube channel, there is tons of great videos on setting up tanks and other topics on keeping a tank stable, lightning, nutrient control... I learned a ton from watching their videos when I first started my reef 3 years ago.

 

[Riyita]

If you are the same salt mixed at the same salinity water parameters should not be effected. Until you have a decent amount of stoney corals or a lot of coroline algae nothing will really be up taking the key elements and you will be able to survive on water changes to keep parameters in line. Once you have a have enough coral to up take the elements you can either start dosing or adding kalk to your auto top off water. Eventually kalk will not be enough and dosing or a calcium reactor will be required. You should check out Bulk Reef Supply youtube channel, there is tons of great videos on setting up tanks and other topics on keeping a tank stable, lightning, nutrient control... I learned a ton from watching their videos when I first started my reef 3 years ago.

Hey, so I’ll be buying that SCA set this week and salt, sand, RO/DI unit, rock, Dr Tims bacteria bottle, ammonia bottle, refractometer, and testing kits. Plus, I’ll be buying a light. All this comes to around $1,300. Does that sound about right to you?

Also, do you have an opinion on quarantining? My LFS buys from breeders that quarantine and they also continue the same process once they get the fish. I didn’t want to start it right away since it would cost more money..curious to hear your two cents.

Thanks!

 

[OREGONIC]

Hey, so I’ll be buying that SCA set this week and salt, sand, RO/DI unit, rock, Dr Tims bacteria bottle, ammonia bottle, refractometer, and testing kits. Plus, I’ll be buying a light. All this comes to around $1,300. Does that sound about right to you?

Also, do you have an opinion on quarantining? My LFS buys from breeders that quarantine and they also continue the same process once they get the fish. I didn’t want to start it right away since it would cost more money..curious to hear your two cents.

Thanks!

I just got my first qt tank and have not used it yet. It is probably best practice to always qt but I have never done it before. I am very lucky to have a really good LFS that buys as much of their fish tank raised as possible. The only fish I have ever added that is wild caught is my leopard wrasse but my LFS had quarantined them for 3 weeks before selling them. I got lucky I guess I never have had any major issues. I do have aptasia and found one zoa eating nudi about 2 years ago. Moving forward I will always quarantine, to much invested at this point. Setting up a new tank I probably wouldn’t worry to much about quarantining the first batch of fish if you have patience to wait for a while to add coral. Also never medicate your display especially with copper.

 

[Riyita]

I just got my first qt tank and have not used it yet. It is probably best practice to always qt but I have never done it before. I am very lucky to have a really good LFS that buys as much of their fish tank raised as possible. The only fish I have ever added that is wild caught is my leopard wrasse but my LFS had quarantined them for 3 weeks before selling them. I got lucky I guess I never have had any major issues. I do have aptasia and found one zoa eating nudi about 2 years ago. Moving forward I will always quarantine, to much invested at this point. Setting up a new tank I probably wouldn’t worry to much about quarantining the first batch of fish if you have patience to wait for a while to add coral. Also never medicate your display especially with copper.

Interesting.. my LFS is Aquarium Care Center in NJ and they say on their website they buy from breeders and continue the same quarantine process as the breeder, so I wouldn't think I would get a sick fish.

Now for the light, I mentioned previously a Prime HD. The 50g tank is 24x24 with a height of 10 inches...you mentioned two of those would be sufficient, right? I was looking at a Hydra 26 HD, but would only have the budget for one of them. What do you think would be better coverage?