Returning to the hobby

Graffiti Reef

Graffiti Reef

Reef-itti Artist
Hello all, Im new here, nice to meet you all. I took a hiatus from the hobby after leaving home to go to college, the dorms/apts didnt allow pets so I had to sell my aquarium (and my awesome bad @ss fish) which was basically an aggressive marine tank. Im returning to the hobby with the intention of making a reef aquarium but it's a completely new ballgame opposed to what I had, a fish only tank with a few "living" rock structures. Ive been doing research but I feel Im experiencing information overload with everything thats out there. I still have to buy my tank (looking for 150-200g) and am confused with everything I need. Im also confused as to what filtration system would work best for what Im wanting to do. Does anybody have a list of what they would recommend, (i.e. equipment, brands, preferred filteration set-up) Im a little intimidated and not looking for something too complicated, I graduated with a degree in psychology not physics :P Any hel.advice would be appreciated and thanks for taking the time to help. Your awesome!
 
Ahhh! Another Michigander.. Welcome to the site.

I'm not going to get into specific models, but here is essentially what you need.

1. A Big ass tank.
2. A skimmer. (Reef Octopus are popular)
3. Heater(s) (2 for redundency)
4. A sump. (tank that goes under your display tank)
5. 1-2 lbs. of live rock per gallon of water.
6. Lights. (The selection of lighting is important depending on what you plan to keep)
7. Powerheads (you want at least 10x the flow of your tank per gallon.
8. A return pump to push water from the sump to your display.
9. Plumbing.
10.Patience

If there's anything I can do to help you out, let me know. I'm about 10 minutes from you.
 
PRC said:
Ahhh! Another Michigander.. Welcome to the site.

I'm not going to get into specific models, but here is essentially what you need.

1. A Big ass tank.
2. A skimmer. (Reef Octopus are popular)
3. Heater(s) (2 for redundency)
4. A sump. (tank that goes under your display tank)
5. 1-2 lbs. of live rock per gallon of water.
6. Lights. (The selection of lighting is important depending on what you plan to keep)
7. Powerheads (you want at least 10x the flow of your tank per gallon.
8. A return pump to push water from the sump to your display.
9. Plumbing.
10.Patience

If there's anything I can do to help you out, let me know. I'm about 10 minutes from you.
Click to expand...

Hey PRC! Thanks for the info, Im still saving up and searching for a large tank, do you recommend any particular brand of pumps? Im wanting to keep corals and anemones along with some other small crustaceans and fish, what type of lighting do you recommend? Im a little nervous in building my own sump and hope I can find an aquarium that comes with one, however, Im still a little confused with the sump in general, like the sump IS the filter right? When I had my older tank, I only had one of those filters that hang off the top of the tank. The sump is completely new to me. So what filter media should I use. Ive seen stuff like bio balls but I want to know whats the best. Also, cant I put the heater in the sump? Ive seen that done and really like it since having it hang in the tank is kinda ugly. Since your a fellow Michigander, do you think a chiller is necessary? I have central air and dont think I would need one. Thanks for your help as well as everybody elses' Maybe when I get my tank running Ill take up up on your offer in I need help.
 
If you want to keep corals, clams and nems you are going to need a nice set of life. These lights will let you keep anything you want: Aquarium Lighting for Reef Systems: Current Nova Extreme Pro Saltwater T-5 Fixtures

Having good lights is very important, especially if you want to keep nems down the road. They are the hardest animal to keep in this hobby, requiring pristine water conditions and higher lighting that corals require. We dont recommend anyone keep one until their tank is a year old because tanks younger than that dont provide enough stability for their success. And if they die, they can kill everything in your tank from the toxins they release.

The live rock in your tank will provided you filter for your tank. The sump allows you to increase your water volume, give you a place to put equipment (like heaters and skimmers) and you can put a fuge in there. A fuge is a place where you let macro algae grow to filter the water. Or you can put an algae scrubber down there.

You dont want to use bioballs or mechanical filters, unless cleaned every 3 or 4 days they will release nitrates back into your water which is bad. Besides the live rock, you can add protein skimmers, fuges, or algae scrubber, plus reactors for additional filtering if you need it.

And almost no one needs a chiller. If your tank does run hot, a fan blowing across the top of the water is usually more than enough to get it back to the right temp.
 
little_fish said:
If you want to keep corals, clams and nems you are going to need a nice set of life. These lights will let you keep anything you want: Aquarium Lighting for Reef Systems: Current Nova Extreme Pro Saltwater T-5 Fixtures

Having good lights is very important, especially if you want to keep nems down the road. They are the hardest animal to keep in this hobby, requiring pristine water conditions and higher lighting that corals require. We dont recommend anyone keep one until their tank is a year old because tanks younger than that dont provide enough stability for their success. And if they die, they can kill everything in your tank from the toxins they release.

The live rock in your tank will provided you filter for your tank. The sump allows you to increase your water volume, give you a place to put equipment (like heaters and skimmers) and you can put a fuge in there. A fuge is a place where you let macro algae grow to filter the water. Or you can put an algae scrubber down there.

You dont want to use bioballs or mechanical filters, unless cleaned every 3 or 4 days they will release nitrates back into your water which is bad. Besides the live rock, you can add protein skimmers, fuges, or algae scrubber, plus reactors for additional filtering if you need it.

And almost no one needs a chiller. If your tank does run hot, a fan blowing across the top of the water is usually more than enough to get it back to the right temp.
Click to expand...

I see, so stuff like the activated carbon granules, dont use those? I only ask because I was reading that they help in water clarity and odor. If you do recommend those, do they go in the sump? Also, what about using a filter sock? Oh, and what about an overflow? The tank I was looking at is just a regular glass tank with no extra holes drilled, Ive read not to use the kind that hang on the outside so do I even need one? Since Id be using a sump, when hooking up the plumbing for the pumps, do I need to drill holes or is there a way around this? I dont have the equipment to drill and stuff but I still want it to look nice. Any suggestions on that? Thanks once again.
 
If you dont want to drill your tank (or cant if its made of tempered glass) an overflow that hangs off the side works just fine. Many of us use them. If you can drill but dont want to do it yourself, many glass shops can do it for you.

And filter socks work great for helping collect stuff, but like everything that stays within the waterflow, they need to be cleaned every few days. Most people just get a bunch of extra filter socks so they can change then and wash them.

And many people will run activated carbon for 3 days out of every month to polish the water. And you can do that in a regular mechanical filter. Any longer than that and they really have lost all their ability to remove particles. I would not run activated carbon all the time. First its annoying to have to change out the media, and second it has been implicated in HLLE. And if your tank is running properly, your tank shouldnt stink.
 
little_fish said:
If you want to keep corals, clams and nems you are going to need a nice set of life. These lights will let you keep anything you want: Aquarium Lighting for Reef Systems: Current Nova Extreme Pro Saltwater T-5 Fixtures

Having good lights is very important, especially if you want to keep nems down the road. They are the hardest animal to keep in this hobby, requiring pristine water conditions and higher lighting that corals require. We dont recommend anyone keep one until their tank is a year old because tanks younger than that dont provide enough stability for their success. And if they die, they can kill everything in your tank from the toxins they release.

The live rock in your tank will provided you filter for your tank. The sump allows you to increase your water volume, give you a place to put equipment (like heaters and skimmers) and you can put a fuge in there. A fuge is a place where you let macro algae grow to filter the water. Or you can put an algae scrubber down there.

You dont want to use bioballs or mechanical filters, unless cleaned every 3 or 4 days they will release nitrates back into your water which is bad. Besides the live rock, you can add protein skimmers, fuges, or algae scrubber, plus reactors for additional filtering if you need it.

And almost no one needs a chiller. If your tank does run hot, a fan blowing across the top of the water is usually more than enough to get it back to the right temp.
Click to expand...

THANKS :mrgreen:
 
little_fish said:
If you want to keep corals, clams and nems you are going to need a nice set of life. These lights will let you keep anything you want: Aquarium Lighting for Reef Systems: Current Nova Extreme Pro Saltwater T-5 Fixtures

Having good lights is very important, especially if you want to keep nems down the road. They are the hardest animal to keep in this hobby, requiring pristine water conditions and higher lighting that corals require. We dont recommend anyone keep one until their tank is a year old because tanks younger than that dont provide enough stability for their success. And if they die, they can kill everything in your tank from the toxins they release.

The live rock in your tank will provided you filter for your tank. The sump allows you to increase your water volume, give you a place to put equipment (like heaters and skimmers) and you can put a fuge in there. A fuge is a place where you let macro algae grow to filter the water. Or you can put an algae scrubber down there.

You dont want to use bioballs or mechanical filters, unless cleaned every 3 or 4 days they will release nitrates back into your water which is bad. Besides the live rock, you can add protein skimmers, fuges, or algae scrubber, plus reactors for additional filtering if you need it.

And almost no one needs a chiller. If your tank does run hot, a fan blowing across the top of the water is usually more than enough to get it back to the right temp.
Click to expand...

I gotcha, so do you recommend any protein skimmers or algae scrubbers? Ive seen some people put live rock in the sub itself, anybody else recommend that? Also, I would like to have coral and raise it, possibly frag some. Do I HAVE to have a calcium reactor for that? Thanks!
 
I personally run an algae scrubber and i love it! You can find out some more information on them here:
https://www.livingreefs.com/mega-powerful-nitrate-and-phosphate-remover-diy-t16734.html

and this one is a shortcut to the most current recomendations how to build one
https://www.livingreefs.com/build-algae-scrubber-t32422.html

But protein skimmers also work very well and you dont have to build it yourself. They are more expensive because of this. Be wary of cheap skimmers, they are a "you get what you pay for" product. Always get one rated for twice your water volume. But the best ones for the money are the reef octopus skimmers.

And i highly recommend putting rock and macro algae in the sump, you are increasing your filtration, and it improves you water quality by having the macro. Plus it give pods and other beneficial microfauna a place to live and breed in peace before being washed out the the main tank. Generally that section of the sump is referred to the refuge, or fuge.

You dont need a calcium reactor to have corals. Very few tanks require calcium reactors. Regular water changes will keep you from needing to dose your tank except for in a few select cases. But those are not situations you are going to experience as a new reefer.
 
I just PM'd you some info on a great spot to look for a tank...I buy stuff there all the time, but this site is much cooler for info.
 
PRC said:
I just PM'd you some info on a great spot to look for a tank...I buy stuff there all the time, but this site is much cooler for info.
Click to expand...

Thanks PRC, I was trying to pm you back but I guess I gotta get my post count up, i joined the forum and browse around a little bit, looks like I can save some bones by checking out the forum and craigslist, thanks once again!
 
little_fish said:
I personally run an algae scrubber and i love it! You can find out some more information on them here:
https://www.livingreefs.com/mega-powerful-nitrate-and-phosphate-remover-diy-t16734.html

and this one is a shortcut to the most current recomendations how to build one
https://www.livingreefs.com/build-algae-scrubber-t32422.html

But protein skimmers also work very well and you dont have to build it yourself. They are more expensive because of this. Be wary of cheap skimmers, they are a "you get what you pay for" product. Always get one rated for twice your water volume. But the best ones for the money are the reef octopus skimmers.

And i highly recommend putting rock and macro algae in the sump, you are increasing your filtration, and it improves you water quality by having the macro. Plus it give pods and other beneficial microfauna a place to live and breed in peace before being washed out the the main tank. Generally that section of the sump is referred to the refuge, or fuge.

You dont need a calcium reactor to have corals. Very few tanks require calcium reactors. Regular water changes will keep you from needing to dose your tank except for in a few select cases. But those are not situations you are going to experience as a new reefer.
Click to expand...

Thanks LF, so with the live rock in the tank, live rock and macro algae in the sump, the algae scrubber, and protein skimmer, thats all going to provide all the filtration I need right? With all this going on, how often and what percentage of volume water change should I be doing? I also looked at some overflows that hang on the back, what do you guys think about the CPR overflows?
 
As far as a scrubber and a protein skimmer are concerned, you really only need to run one or the other. You should base your decision on what you want to have in your tank as an algae scrubber may not be suitable.
 

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