Hello everyone!

S

SJojo3377

Reefing newb
Hey,
We are new to the saltwater aquarium thing, but we are very excited to start. First, LOTS of research of course, we DON'T want any costly mistakes! :frustrat: We have done the freshwater thing, and that was cool, but now it is about time for something different.:D

Look forward to talking to you all,

Bye Bye
 
Hi, welcome to the site. Ask plenty of questions, post plenty of pics, and understand that any mistake was already made by any number of us, you're not alone.
 
Re: Hello everyone, the beginning of the questions...

So, we want to buy a 125 gallon saltwater aquarium......Of course this will be going in steps because of the money!! First the aquarium and stand, the top, the lights, sand, and so forth.....We are now just doing lots and lots of research. We want to have a reef tank with fish, possible a cortez ray, not sure yet....Can anyone talk to me about lights? How many different kinds there are? What they all do? Costs? Thx!!:D
 
For a 125 gallon tank, stardard size, you will need a 6 foot long light fixture. Your best bet will be to go with a MH (metal halide)/T5 combo because of the length and depth of the tank. What is your budget for lights? With a 6-foot tank you will end up spending a lot more for lights than if you went with a 4-foot tank.

Here is something on the cheap end (these are MH with PC (power compact), not T5):
Odyssea Metal Halide System

Here is something on the pricey end:
Aqua Medic Metal Halide + T5 Ocean Light Fixture w/ Ballast

(You would pick either the 72" 3 x 150 w MH or 3 x 250 w MH fixture).

The first link, Odyssea, is a cheaper brand. The Aquamedics are much more expensive, but much better quality.
 
A sting ray in a reef tank?A ray needs alot of open space with minimum rocks and a fine sandbed.Fish and inverts could become food so skip a ray in a reef system.

You basically have four types of reef lighting

Power Compacts(PC)-also called compact flourescents.Old technology,skip it at all cost.I can't think of any positive except maybe they are cheaper then(in general) then the other lighting systems.

T5-With the right amount of bulbs and individual reflectors will allow you to keep any coral,anemone and clam species.I would look into at least six banks and make sure they have IR's.This is really the most common reef lighting.Runs cooler,bulb choices and cost makes them a worthwhile choice.The negative is they don't penetrate deep tanks well,not a problem for your size tank.

Metal halides(MH)-alone or with supplimental actinic(T5,PC) works great for all corals,anemones and clams.Some of the benefits is SPS corals grow the best under them and they add shimmer.The downside is heat and electricity consumption.

LED-the latest lighting for reef aquarium.Some of the benefits is they give a shimmer like MH and bulbs generally last for years(some even say up to 10 years),run cooler as well.The downside is they are costly but may save you down the road from bulb replacement and electricity usage.

I list them in order of cost but that is not always the case.Most MH fixtures are more expensive then T5 fixtures.BUT there are high end T5 that cost more then MH.This and your protein skimmer will be the two most important choices,choose wisely.
 
Thank you Bifferwine and thank you Reeffreak! Okay, so I'm gonna warn you guys and whoever else is reading this that I have a TON of questions coming ya'll's way very soon. I think I'm going to move the rest of this convo to "New to Reefing." Because, that is exactly what I am. A huge NEWBIE!:D
 

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