Hello from West London, England!

Hi everyone !

I've been lurking for a few days now and found this to be one of the best sources for information.
I'm completely new to Reefing!
I've recently been offered a free marine aquarium (juwelrio Rio 180) but I'm going to spend weeks researching before I even start to buy anything.

I would like to know two things in particular

1) I currently have a filter/tank/protein skimmer / heater (all came with the tank)
Do I need anything else ? There's so many things everyone says I need but I am only planning to keep a few fish and possibly soft corals later on.

2) anywhere in particular in London to buy livestock/equipment and if there are any reef clubs or enthusiasts please say hello !

 

Welcome to 3Reef!

You will need test kits, Salifert are usually preferred. Initially you will need Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate.
I recommend a refractometer to measure your salinity. Not too much more than a hydrometer and way more accurate.
I would suggest an RO/DI unit. You can buy water but an RO/DI will pay for itself in no time.
Some type of Auto Top Off (ATO). There are lots of options with this but I would say it is one of the best ways to keep your salinity steady.
Patience. Only bad things happen fast in this hobby.

Not sure on reef clubs near you but a google search i would think should help out there.

 

Hi and welcome.

I looked this thing up and it apparently has room for two t5 bulbs. You may eventually want more light.

I didn't see a stock protein skimmer. What do you know about the skimmer you have?

Other than that, the next question is what filtration method do you plan on using. If you want to keep it simple and its a good skimmer, you're fine but don't add too many fish. Alternatives include biopellets, vinegar dosing, adding GFO to a basic system, Zeovit, blah, blah. It's good to make some up front decisions about how you want the filtration to work. Once you're set on a plan it's much easier to decide what you need.

 

@mdbostwick Thank you for your reply, I will start ordering and collecting the equipment and test kits over the next few weeks! I'm not planning to keep a sump in the tank although I do have an external filter for my old 55 gallon freshwater if I needed extra filtering (providing it's okay to use after purchasing new filter media), so not sure if I can have an ato.




@Servillius Thanks for looking into it. I was told that there are 2 t5s already in the tank although I have no idea how good t5's are and if they are okay for corals.
It has a protein skimmer but I only just found out what a skimmer is , might need to look into how good it is and if it needs to be changed, general reviews say it's okay for this tank. With this size tank ( 180 litres) how many fish is a realistic idea to aim for?

 

It's hard for me to give recommendations on number of fish. I have no idea what the rules are any more. My gut says start with about 3 smallish fish in your 180 liter until everything is settled and stable (a year or so in).

T5s are fine lights. I use them. I think 2 is not enough for corals, but it's too early to worry about that.

An auto-top off is definitely a good investment as are md's ither recommendations.

 

Hello from North West London, Ontario, Canada and welcome to the obsession.

 

Oh, don't use the external filter. Not necessary. You can have an ATO even without a sump. It just requires that you mount the float/level switch in the tank.

 

@rayjay hey! Thanks buddy!

@Servillius 3 for one year is fine by me! Someone at my Lfs said he had 15 in his tank and it's identical to mine!

Just had a look into ATO's and reverse osmosis systems. Sounds like a good investment haha

 

Welcome!The more animals/ you add the harder it will be for you to maintain water quality.My advice to new hobbyists is to keep your expectations within reason and always remember there is alot less water in the tank then its listed size/dimensions once its full of rock, fish,equipment and corals.Fish/inverts are dirty animals to clean up after.
Damselfish are great for beginners and are quite bulletproof.There are also Dottyback species that do quite well in this sort of system.It is not really the number of fish but the species that make the biggest difference.This is a good place to browse fish and get a general understanding of diet and requirements.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/
Rayjay is a great resource.
Heres the link for your setup so others can help too.
http://www.juwel-aquarium.de/en/Products/Aquariums/Rio-Line/Rio-125-black.html
The fixture should be fine for soft corals provided the fw daylight bulbs are replaced with quality sw bulbs.

 

@Vinnyboombatz Thanks a lot ! Some great resources for me to browse through, will definitely take all of that into consideration ! Much appreciated