Reef aquarium setup please help

[Nathan1234]

Hi I have had loads of freshwater aquariums over the years and would like to try a saltwater aquarium the one I have found is https://www.completeaquatics.co.uk/...unt/d-d-reef-pro-900-package-options-5-saving

And I have a couple of questions about it and I will really appreciate it if you could answer them please

1. I would like coral in the tank preferably somthing easy to look after but anything a little harder is fine i would like an anenome and zoanthids but please can you give me other suggestions please and tell me what lighting I need for the aquarium from the drop down menu

2. For the live stock I was thinking
-A pair of clownfish
-4 banggai cardinalfish
- triggerfish (please can I have suggestions please)
-1 mandarin fish (I know the harder to look after but I would like a challange)
-8 chromis
- 2 fire goby
-5 royal gramme
- dwarf angel
Please can you give suggestions for a couple other nice fish please maybe an eel if its reef safe and also let me know what's compatible and what's not and also the order to introduce things

3. In the refugium could I have a chocolate chip starfish, a couple of fire shrimp and cleanup crew like Snails and hermit crab

4. In the top up tank could I use it as a coral frag tank with maybe 1 or 2 fish and if so what equipment could I use for it or how could I connect it to the rest of the sump

5.From all the equipment from the drop down menu on the link can you suggest what would be the best to get and is there's things that I don't dor example I'm not sure about the fridges or some of the other things

6. Can you explain what each of the pieces of equipment do to help me better understand how a saltwater aquarium works

Thank you for anyone who has answered any of the questions I really appreciate the help and I am excited for the possibility to setup a saltwater aquarium and sorry about all the questions and rambling but any help is appreciated

 

[lapin]

Hi I have had loads of freshwater aquariums over the years and would like to try a saltwater aquarium the one I have found is https://www.completeaquatics.co.uk/...unt/d-d-reef-pro-900-package-options-5-saving

And I have a couple of questions about it and I will really appreciate it if you could answer them please

1. I would like coral in the tank preferably somthing easy to look after but anything a little harder is fine i would like an anenome and zoanthids but please can you give me other suggestions please and tell me what lighting I need for the aquarium from the drop down menu

2. For the live stock I was thinking
-A pair of clownfish
-4 banggai cardinalfish
- 2 fire goby
-5 royal gramme
- dwarf angel

I was thinking more like this
A pair of clownfish
-4 banggai cardinalfish
- 2 fire goby
-5 royal gramme
- dwarf angel

Please can you give suggestions for a couple other nice fish please maybe an eel if its reef safe and also let me know what's compatible and what's not and also the order to introduce things

No eel. They are messy feeders and your tank is too small for the bioload

3. In the refugium could I have a chocolate chip starfish, a couple of fire shrimp and cleanup crew like Snails and hermit crab

Skip the starfish. It will starve to death

4. In the top up tank could I use it as a coral frag tank with maybe 1 or 2 fish and if so what equipment could I use for it or how could I connect it to the rest of the sump

The top up tank is fresh water not salt water

5.From all the equipment from the drop down menu on the link can you suggest what would be the best to get and is there's things that I don't dor example I'm not sure about the fridges or some of the other things

6. Can you explain what each of the pieces of equipment do to help me better understand how a saltwater aquarium works

Thank you for anyone who has answered any of the questions I really appreciate the help and I am excited for the possibility to setup a saltwater aquarium and sorry about all the questions and rambling but any help is appreciated

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean...

www.reef2reef.com

Beginners Guide to Acclimation and Quarantine

Beginners Guide to Acclimation and Quarantine Your beautiful new display tank is up and ready for fish. You have come up with your stocking list and you are finally ready to buy your first fish but you aren’t confident on how to proceed. I am going to walk you through a basic acclimation and...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Nathan1234]

Thanks for you help a couple more questions
1. Why is the top up fresh when the rest is saltwater
2. My ideas was to not use the top up for its intended purpose and use it as a frag tank with maybe 1 or 2 fish
3. Is the stock for the rest of the refugium alright
4. Out of intrest why would the starfish die could I not just target feed it
5. For the fish stock what about chromis, mandarin and trigger or is it to much bioload
6. How do I setup a sump (forgot that question at the start)
7. Coral suggestions

 

[lapin]

Thanks for you help a couple more questions
1. Why is the top up fresh when the rest is saltwater

Water evaporates salt does not so when your tank gets low you add fresh water not salt water

2. My ideas was to not use the top up for its intended purpose and use it as a frag tank with maybe 1 or 2 fish
3. Is the stock for the rest of the refugium alright
4. Out of intrest why would the starfish die could I not just target feed it

Because it can measure up to 15 inches in diameter once it reaches maturity, the chocolate chip starfish is best kept in larger aquariums
Chocolate chip starfish aren’t suitable for reef aquariums, as it eats corals, sponges, and other starfish as well.
They require meaty supplements, and the best choices in this category are mussels, squid, or pieces of shrimp.

5. For the fish stock what about chromis, mandarin and trigger or is it to much bioload

Toooooooooo much

6. How do I setup a sump (forgot that question at the start)

How to Plumb a Sump - Plumbing Diagrams For Your Aquarium Sump

Learn how to build and plumb a sump that is specifically designed for you and your tank.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[Nathan1234]

OK thanks a few more questions
1. What about stock in the refugium
2. Can I use the top up as a frag tank
3. Can you suggest a suitable starfish
4. Also can you give me a couple more combination for fish in the tank feel free to use fish I haven't suggested
5. Suitable corals

 

[Onewolf]

OK thanks a few more questions
1. What about stock in the refugium
2. Can I use the top up as a frag tank
3. Can you suggest a suitable starfish
4. Also can you give me a couple more combination for fish in the tank feel free to use fish I haven't suggested
5. Suitable corals

1. Why? Maybe something useful like Chaeto or Copepods?
2. 'Top up' tank is fresh RODI water. So no, it can't be a frag tank unless you repurpose it entirely. As a frag tank it would need good reef lights and good plumbing/filtering. You probably want an ATO system. Worry about 'frag' tank later on.
3. No. No starfish.
4. Your initial stocking plan was 3X more fish than your tank should support. No Mandarin, no Trigger'
5. Your tank is many months away from supporting coral.

Baby steps. You are a toddler who is just learning to walk.

 

[Nathan1234]

1. Ok what is the basic order of how to startup a saltwater tank can you just give me a basic summary
2. for the refugium stock I ment cleanup crew like hermit crabs and shrimp
3.why are starfish a definite no is there absolutely no way I could have them
4. Could I connect the top up tank to the refugium because by frag tank I ment grow out small corals

 

[Uncle99]

Step one.
Tank + Sand +Saltwater +Rock +Heater +ATO.
Add bottled bacteria like Fritz, Dr.Tim’s, Seachem Seed.
If you use the bacteria, no need to test for Ammonia.

In a week, 50% water change and OK to add first fish or two.
Let that mature for a month or two, weekly 10% water change.
Test weekly, Salinity, Temp, Nitrate and Phosphate and work towards getting these numbers to stay constant.

As an example, here’s my numbers.
Temp 77-78.5 (1 degree flux)
Salinity 1.026 (no flux, use an ATO)
Nitrate 5-10ppm
Phosphate 0.05-.1ppm

Once you have your tank mostly stocked with fish and the import/export of wastes balanced, you can add first softies.
Softies will take up some nitrate and phosphate from your system so make sure you don’t bottom either or both of them or then you may see, Cyano, Dino and/or Diatoms.

At this point you may be 6-9 months int the build and likely you’ll have a good handle on water chemistry.

Now we can safety add LPS and SPS, but with that comes managing CA, ALk, and MG.

Now we have to keep those three things stable as well.
As an example
Alk 9.5-10dkh (this puts me 2 dkh + or - in the safe range 8-12dkh
CA 440-465
MG 1350-1420

May some of that will help you.

 

[Jekyl]

Agreed that your stock list is waaaayyyy too big. My 90 gallon is over 3 years old and still only have 8 fish. You're trying to be on step 25 instead of step 1 with the coral idea. Get your tank wet. Get a couple fish and wait a couple months. Try some easy coral at that point. Once you can keep them alive and your parameters in order try some harder ones. You're probably at least a year away from even thinking about fragging.

 

[Nathan1234]

Okay when I finally get to corals what would be some easy corals and can someone answer the questions from the last post