Lots of Equipment Questions for a 55 gallon startup....

[SJojo3377]

Hey everyone!
(I didn't know if I shoud post this here or New to Reefing, if you need to move it, please do)

So my husband and I are def going to get that 55 gal setup with a 20 gal long for the sump at our lfs. (thread was titled is this a good deal? in the new to reefing section). It's going to be a sweet Christmas present! :bounce:

So, I now have LOTS of different questions. I have been doing a ton of research, but I want to hear the expert's opinions on things as you all have been doing it much, much longer than us!!!:D

1. Powerheads. Should we buy 2 or 3? We either want to get the Koralias or Maxijets. We just don't know which ones to buy as there are a lot of different models out there.

2. Dry rock/live rock. We were going to buy 100 lbs of dry rock and have 1 rock that is going to be live. That way, all of our rock will be live within 6 or 7 months time. Is this too much or not enough rock?

3. RO vs RODI water. We are probably going to Wal-Mart to buy RO water in their 5 gallon jugs. The RODI unit just seems so much a pain in the ass, slowness, etc. How is RODI water better than RO?

4. Salt. We will be using Instant Ocean for salt. But, do we buy one 15 pound bag of salt or more?

5. Mixing salt and water. We will be using 5 gallon home depot buckets. Do I just place a powerhead in there to mix the salt and water? If I do, how long does the water have to mix?

6. Lighting. We will have a canopy and glass tops with our aquarium. We are thinking about the Marineland LED's. Is this a good choice? Also which ones would be best for a 55gal? We will be doing fish, invertebrates, and soft corals. No hard corals.

7. Sump questions: We will be making our own sump. I was going to buy 3 fiberglass baffles and use aquarium safe silicone glue to glue them. Also, we are going to place some rock rubble in the middle portion along with the chaeto.

Is there a certain height that I need to glue them?
Also,how do I place my chaeto so it won't get caught up in the current and clog up my return pipe? (The chaeto is going to be in the middle portion of the sump.)

8. Heater. Prob going to buy a Eheim Jagar heater (will buy 2 just in case :D
Which model to buy?
Also, should it go in DT or sump?

9. Protein Skimmer. (will go in sump) Prob going to buy a Reef Octopus 110. Is this a good one for our system?

10. UV sterilizer. Is it worth it? What are some brands that you guys use if so?

Thank you soooooo much for helping us out. As I said, it was ALOT of questions!!!:shock: Will have more questions later on......

 

[BL1]

Hey everyone!
(I didn't know if I shoud post this here or New to Reefing, if you need to move it, please do)

So my husband and I are def going to get that 55 gal setup with a 20 gal long for the sump at our lfs. (thread was titled is this a good deal? in the new to reefing section). It's going to be a sweet Christmas present! :bounce:

So, I now have LOTS of different questions. I have been doing a ton of research, but I want to hear the expert's opinions on things as you all have been doing it much, much longer than us!!!:D

1. Powerheads. Should we buy 2 or 3? We either want to get the Koralias or Maxijets. We just don't know which ones to buy as there are a lot of different models out there.
I would go with 3 to give you more random flow patterns. The Koralia 550s should be good.
2. Dry rock/live rock. We were going to buy 100 lbs of dry rock and have 1 rock that is going to be live. That way, all of our rock will be live within 6 or 7 months time. Is this too much or not enough rock?
That sounds perfect, you generally want 1-2 pounds per gallon. I don't think it'll take you that long for your rock to all become live though. It'll be more like 2-3 months.
3. RO vs RODI water. We are probably going to Wal-Mart to buy RO water in their 5 gallon jugs. The RODI unit just seems so much a pain in the ass, slowness, etc. How is RODI water better than RO?
It's virtually the same process to get the water, make sure to test the water you buy though because a lot of those stores don't change their filters as often as they should. RODI may seem like a pain since the water is so slow but, those trips back and forth the the store will start to add up when you're buying water.
4. Salt. We will be using Instant Ocean for salt. But, do we buy one 15 pound bag of salt or more?
You're going to go through a 15 pound bag pretty fast, I prefer to buy the buckets because they usually end up being cheaper plus it gives you a moisture free place to store the salt.
5. Mixing salt and water. We will be using 5 gallon home depot buckets. Do I just place a powerhead in there to mix the salt and water? If I do, how long does the water have to mix?
You'll want a powerhead or pump and a heater when you mix the water. I would give the water at least 24 hours after adding all the salt to make sure everything has completely dissolved.
6. Lighting. We will have a canopy and glass tops with our aquarium. We are thinking about the Marineland LED's. Is this a good choice? Also which ones would be best for a 55gal? We will be doing fish, invertebrates, and soft corals. No hard corals.

7. Sump questions: We will be making our own sump. I was going to buy 3 fiberglass baffles and use aquarium safe silicone glue to glue them. Also, we are going to place some rock rubble in the middle portion along with the chaeto.
I wouldn't get fiberglass, I'd worry about the fibers coming apart and getting into my tank. Use acrylic sheets instead.
Is there a certain height that I need to glue them?
Also,how do I place my chaeto so it won't get caught up in the current and clog up my return pipe? (The chaeto is going to be in the middle portion of the sump.)
The height you make them will depend on your tank. Your first section will need to be high enough to keep enough water in the section for your skimmer. Other then that, you can make them as high as you want, you just need to make sure that there is enough room to accommodate extra water from your DT if your pump were to stop working.
8. Heater. Prob going to buy a Eheim Jagar heater (will buy 2 just in case :D
Which model to buy?
Also, should it go in DT or sump?
Place it in the sump, that's the whole point so you won't have an ugly heater in your nice display.
9. Protein Skimmer. (will go in sump) Prob going to buy a Reef Octopus 110. Is this a good one for our system?
That one will work, just make sure the dimensions fit into your sump.
10. UV sterilizer. Is it worth it? What are some brands that you guys use if so?
The jury is still out, most people don't use them and they're pretty expensive just to try out.
Thank you soooooo much for helping us out. As I said, it was ALOT of questions!!!:shock: Will have more questions later on......

Good luck!

 

[wontonflip]

+1 Brian...definitely make sure your octopus will fit the sump. Mine is huge. Luckily I have a very open sump layout.

 

[little_fish]

+1 Brian

But on questions 6, you really shouldnt have a solid top. It will get salt on it blocking light, restrict gas exchange and keep the heat in. All 3 of these things arent stuff you want to deal with. If you do want to have some sort of a lid, then check out the DIY section for all sorts of easy to make, nice looking and most importantly, not solid tops.

 

[SJojo3377]

Thank you Brian, Wonton, and Little Fish. Little fish, are you saying that we shouldn't do the canopy either? We will prob do a DIY screen too just to be safe. Thank you for all of your input as it is GREATLY appreciated! Also, I noticed there was no answer on the Marineland LED lights. Do ya'll just don't use them? Can't wait to bring this tank home! :^:

Thanks again,

JoAnna and Allen

 

[little_fish]

A canopy is fine, just make sure the back is open or put a little computer fan on the sides to allow for air to move in and out

 

[BL1]

A couple of people here are using the Marineland LEDs and so far they're doing ok. But, they're using them on much smaller tanks, and I'm not sure how they'll do long term with higher light corals.

 

[SJojo3377]

Thank you everyone for your imput. :D
But I was wondering:
Heater. Prob going to buy a Eheim Jagar heater (will buy 2 just in case :grin:
Which model to buy?

and

How do I place my chaeto so it will not get blown all over the place and clog my return pipe?

Thanks again,

JoAnna