New reef check list and questions. Thanks in advance.

Hey.

I'm setting up a 55 gallon reef tank over the summer, and I'd like some help if you can. Right now, all I have is the 55 tank. It was previously a freshwater tank and no medications were used inside the tank. How should I clean it or will the saltwater (plus it setting out for a month..) make it alright?

I'm unsure of what kind of lights to get, aside from T5.

Also, is there somewhere I can get these cheaper that you know of? I'd like to stay around $600 if at all possible.

I was told that I do not need a sump, and that it would (could?) mess up the reef tank in the long run. Is this true?

What are your favorite brands of these items?

Oh one last thing (i think..) if I buy the uncured live rock, and cure it inside the tank will it be a big mess? Here's what I have listed so far will all of this be acceptable for a 55 gallon tank plus a 20 refuge. Thanks for your time


20 Gallon Long. $70

Power center $31

Octopus DNW-110 Needlewheel Recirculating Skimmer w/pump 180.00

Visi Stealth Submersible Aquarium Heater - 150 Watt 30.00 (Would two smaller heaters be better?)

Testing Kits Around $50..

Refractometer Around 50-70.. (30ish on ebay)

Overflow box $20 - 80 .. diy or ebay..

Stockman Aqua-Silencer Overflow Model $20

Lace rock $70

Live rock, Timora Sea cured. 195 - 240. (30lbs, 40lbs with discount) (Uncured 170, 210)

(I'll also get live sand ro/di and pumps/power heads but I'm unsure about the amount.. any help is great thanks.)

 

best of luck on your new tank!

you could just wash out the tanks with hot water. dont use any house hold cleaners. although i have read about people using bleach.

If you can or are willing to, i would suggest getting your tank drilled and using a sump. It helps add water volume and hides some of the ugly equipment.

In terms of a big mess with uncured live rock... maybe. depends how much die off there would be on the rock. All the crap will be broken down eventually anyways. Hence the cycling you will have to go through.

I would also suggest not going with cheaper anything. It may help on your budget but it wont help you with your tank in the future.

 

By cheaper, I meant in terms of buying used if someone knew where or what to buy.

Also, I can't get my tank drilled as the glass is tempered. I'm willing to get a sump but I was told that it can harm a reef tank.. i'd like some opinions on it because I don't understand this.

My equipment was going to go into the 20 gallon as well.

 

A sump can not harm a reef tank... Sumps are very helpful actually. They hold extra water so the reef has more water. It is also a good place to put your equipment so it is out of the way.

 

You can get a 30 L for the same price as the 20. Make things easier for equipment placement.

As for cheaper. I am a huge fan of Current USAs refurbished lights. For 600 you can get their top end MH lighting.

 

As far as pricing goes, a 20L should not cost $70. I just bought one for $30. Also, you will need a bigger heater. I have two heaters, a 300w and a 200 w on my 55 and sump. Remember, you need to heat the water in the sump and refugium. Also, two smaller heaters are better than one large one, you also will have a backup in case one breaks.

As far as lighting goes, T5s are good. MH are another option, but more expensive, but you will be able to keep what ever you want. It depends on what you want to keep. I started with T5s, but I am going to go MH. I would very strongly suggest getting a good fixture now instead of going the cheapest route possible and end up spending more later. (Like in my case). Good T5 fixtures are Tek, ATI and Solara to name a few. The most important thing with T5 lighting is the reflector, so try to get a fixture that has at least individual reflectors. Lights are a lot of money, and Im just trying to help you learn from my mistakes. Many people go cheap or insufficient lighting for what they want, then are frustrated when they can't keep the sps they really want or the clam.

 

A sump can't harm the tank.. it just adds more water volume. this will help by allowing less impact on your tank parameters when something happens. so a dead fish or something (maybe bad example)

 

Thanks, I was just confused by what the person told me, they said a "wet/dry sump" also, my refuge will be in the sump not seperate

 

ok so help goes using a sump is good helps with a lot of things if you are going to use a refugium make sure and use caeto algae it will help protect you from getting cyanobactiera and other algae. Next I am currently curing live rock in another tank. To cycle my tank that I am using now I used semi cured rock I got from a LFS and that worked out perfectly fine. Depending on how much lace rock you are going to put in there also I would be careful on which one you put in there I got a really horrible care of cyanobactiera using dry rock... wish I didn't... but anyways.. be careful and if you don't mind the smell of uncured rock... and I will tell you it will stink really badly... and it will stink up the whole room.... I currently have my uncured live rock in a huge play room with a big window letting the smell circulate through the house it has been about 1 1/2 weeks and when you still walk in the room it still smells. Hope this helps you.

 

I was gonna ask who in the heck is charging that much for a 20L....?