About to create saltwater quarium

J

johnnystorm

Reefing newb
Hi Guys,

i am going to purchase all gear needed to create a saltwater setup this coming saturday,

just joined here to get some questions answered :)

i currently have a 280 litre (I know you guys go off galons ill jump on google and do a conversion if you like) freshwater setup which i have had for about a year,

I always wanted saltwater but wanted to test my self with keeping freshwater first as it's easier to mantain ive been doing tons of research as it is but just want some thoughts from the pro's on here,

it is a 280 litre tank with a trickle system filtration (where it runs along top of the tank) nothing underneath)

i am really friendly with the guys at the local aquarium shop which helps, and they have advised i need to upgrade my lighting to white and blue? change filtration and purchase live rock and sand which i will keep in for 6 weeks before adding fish?

just wondering what your thoughts are on filtration ammount of live rock needed? depth of sand?

and starter fish / inverts once cycled?

thanks guys

p.s. its 75 gallons
 
Last edited:
sounds like your o n the right track. i would get around 100 pounds of live rock, the lights he was referring to are most likely t5s. i would recommend you getting a 4-6 bulb fixture. your gonna want to focus on cycling it before thinking to add livestock, youl want to add it too fast:)
 
Hello and welcome to the site...glad to have you aboard. Eventually, you'll want 1-2 lbs of rock per gallon, and about 1-2 inches of sands in the tank, which both will provide your primary filtration. Underneath the tank, you may incorporate a sump/refugium.
 
Hello and Welcome!

You also dont need to buy all live rock. Its much cheaper to buy dry rock (I recommend marcorocks.com ) and then just a couple lbs of live rock. After your cycle, it will all be live and you have more cash in your pocket for fish and corals!

Also freshwater is very different from salt and the filter you have is much better suited to a freshwater tank than a saltwater one. A good protein skimmer ( i recommend the reef octopus skimmers) will do you much better. Be wary of cheap skimmers and i suggest buying one online. Ive never seen a quality skimmer for sale in a store. Also you want to get one rated for twice your water volume.

Nano has you covered with the lighting, and once again, that is probably something you are going to want to buy online.

Sand bed depth is really up to you as long as you keep it under 2 inches. You can also save money again by buying dry agronite (sp?) sand. It will also be live in a matter of weeks.

Once your tank is cycled, clowns are some great starter fish. Also mushrooms, zoas, leathers, and other soft corals are great starter corals. As long as you have light for them, they should do just fine! They are easier than fish IMO
 
Thanks guys,

I wasnt aware the live rock would seed the dead rock, ill put some photos up of current set up, as i have dead coral rock in there now

with a protein skimmer:

so i would have current filter plus a skimmer?
 
here is some of the current rock:

tanktij.jpg
 
If you have been using tap water, i would get all new rocks. The rocks you have could have absorbed a bunch of nitrates and phosphates which will give you endless algae issues.

And i would just run the skimmer, your rock is your primary and most powerful source of filtration.

But thats a good looking tank!
 
thanks for all you help guys,

so on saturday when the tank is completely empty,

im adding sand and rock, then applying (sorry dont know technical name) the ceramic tubey things to my filter along with pads,

then when i purchase a skimmer where does this go and how is it plumbed? as my tank would be hard to hang things due to how the light fitting and filter works along the topthere is 2 gaps a the back on right and left hand side i should be able to incorporate into this i think

(anyone have knowlege with trickle filters?
 
I would get rid of the filter anyway, you wont need it with the skimmer and liverock. if you are hanging it on the back of your tank they really dont need much room, most of the room they need is on the backside of the tank, it iwll come with evrything you need to set it up. for a powerhead I would really look into one that has a magnet back, IMO the suction cup dont hold well over time..
 

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