Wanting to start a reef setup! Need help!

[alex higgins]

Hi guys/girls

Been in the hobby several years now but only ever kept fish and live rock. Enjoyed the various types of Fish that don’t do well with coral and critters.

I fancy making the jump to beginning a reef setup but I’ve never attempted it before.

I need to know,

Do I need any fancy equipment I.e the trident setup to garuntee success?
What’s the best beginning corals
How do I maintain and care for the corals
Anything else you guys/girls think I need to know

My tank is 5x2x2 (feet) and a 100litre sump. Basic sump setup, through the socks, through various media, protein skimmer, return pump, through the UV and back into my tank.

Thanks guys and happy Easter!

Alex

 

[aquatrack]

Hi Alex! Welcome to the reef side of the hobby. That's a nice sized tank for a reef - you're going to have a lot of fun with it.

Equipment:
No you absolutely do not need fancy equipment like a Trident to have success. There's a lot of nice-to-haves in this hobby and that's one of them. Your sump setup sounds like a good starting point. Some additions that you'll need are:

1. Proper reef lighting
2. Reliable test kits for alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium
3. A way to maintain these parameters (either dosing or calcium reactor eventually)
4. Good flow throughout the tank

Beginner Corals:
Start with some softies and maybe some hardy LPS:

- Mushrooms
- Leather corals
- Duncans
- Candy canes
- Frog spawn
- Pulsing Xenia

Maintenance:
Having stable parameters is more important than hitting the perfect number. The goal is to keep these parameters within their acceptable range and avoid any large swings which negatively affect your livestock. Make sure that you're regularly testing (once a week for alk, calcium, magnesium). Do small and frequent water changes (5-10% weekly rather than larger monthly ones). Add your livestock gradually and make sure you research each coral's needs before purchasing.

Happy Easter to you too, and enjoy the journey! Happy Reefing!

 

[WalkerLovesTheOcean]

Hello and Happy Easter!

You definitely won't need the fancy equipment to guarantee success. Some good corals to start with are Leathers, mushrooms, xenia, and Clove polyps. But be careful! Some of these are invasive. I'd reccomend investing in good quality test kits like Hanna and Salifert.

 

[alex higgins]

Hi Alex! Welcome to the reef side of the hobby. That's a nice sized tank for a reef - you're going to have a lot of fun with it.

Equipment:
No you absolutely do not need fancy equipment like a Trident to have success. There's a lot of nice-to-haves in this hobby and that's one of them. Your sump setup sounds like a good starting point. Some additions that you'll need are:

1. Proper reef lighting
2. Reliable test kits for alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium
3. A way to maintain these parameters (either dosing or calcium reactor eventually)
4. Good flow throughout the tank

Beginner Corals:
Start with some softies and maybe some hardy LPS:

- Mushrooms
- Leather corals
- Duncans
- Candy canes
- Frog spawn
- Pulsing Xenia

Maintenance:
Having stable parameters is more important than hitting the perfect number. The goal is to keep these parameters within their acceptable range and avoid any large swings which negatively affect your livestock. Make sure that you're regularly testing (once a week for alk, calcium, magnesium). Do small and frequent water changes (5-10% weekly rather than larger monthly ones). Add your livestock gradually and make sure you research each coral's needs before purchasing.

Happy Easter to you too, and enjoy the journey! Happy Reefing!

Thank you for the reply!

I’ve had rations before on a previous tank so will likely go back towards using them again unless there’s something else out there to your knowledge that’s now better?? I know my LFS pushes the whole eco tech range pretty hard.

I have the large JBL test kit currently with all the necessary testing vials ready to go. I do smaller weekly water changes currently and not had an issue so far (touch wood) for nearly 2 years now.

I’ll keep my eyes out for a dosing system and start looking at the advised corals!

Thanks again for your help

 

[alex higgins]

Hello and Happy Easter!

You definitely won't need the fancy equipment to guarantee success. Some good corals to start with are Leathers, mushrooms, xenia, and Clove polyps. But be careful! Some of these are invasive. I'd reccomend investing in good quality test kits like Hanna and Salifert.

Thank you very much for your help! Can’t wait to get started.

 

[aquatrack]

The EcoTech products are excellent quality but there are definitely other options out there from brands like Jebao, Kamoer, or even BRS that can work perfectly for a fraction of the cost. You could always upgrade later if you feel the need to.

Your testing and water change routine sounds solid. Hoping everything develops nicely!

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Seems like all you need is a light and some corals. Go for it