Suggestions Needed

[judochop]

Well I have a 180g tank that I am installing as an in-wall aquarium. I need suggestions for the equipment list. I have no idea what I need for lighting. Maybe someone can suggest a couple good books? I plan to have corals eventually but not until the tank has matured for atleast 6 months or a year.

So far I have the 180g tank, 55g sump, mag drive 1800GPH return pump, ASM G-3 skimmer, 200w heater, 2 SEIO 2600s and thats it. I plan on having 200 lbs. of LR in the main tank and some in the sump.

Will I need more powerheads?
Is there an all-in-one lighting kit?
Do I need a UV sterilizer?
Do I need a Reefkeeper 2 as a beginner?

I am new to this hobby so let me know what else I need to get a GOOD start.

Regards,

Matt

 

[vettesarebest]

I do not think you need a UV sterilizer because they kill unwanted things in the water but also things that you want in the water to feed the corals. I would get one more powerhead and have two in the front and put one in the back behind the rocks. that is working great in my 75 gallon. As far as good books definatly the book called The Reef Aquarium Book 3 by J.C. Delbeek and Julian Sprung. Dont think there is an all in one light kit. What kind of corals fo you want to evetually have?

 

[tsciarini]

I would definately say yes on more flow...

You can get away with 3x 250W MHs but 400s would be better (also alot hotter and more expensive to run). The cheapest setup would be retrofit and mount them yourself.

I agree that the UV is not necessary.

I definately reccomend the RK2 (especially if you havent bought a bunch of timers already. They really do make life ALOT easier.

You may also find that after setup it's possible that you might need a chiller. Just be aware as its a pretty hefty expense.

 

[mojo]

Ditto on what Tony said:

Don't get a UV sterilizer - it's not necessary and you'll just add heat to the tank.

RK2 is a great investment from the beginning. I happen to have a new in box one for sale for $250, if interested; just PM me.

Tony is right with the lights- you can get an all-in-one unit, but it's typically better and cheaper to do a retrofit kit.

 

[jessezm]

I'm gonna go ahead an say that I think your skimmer is a little underpowered for your water volume. I would look into trading up to an ASM G4x if you can swing it. Reef Octopus also makes good recirculating needlewheel skimmers for a decent price. I just think it's better to start with what you need instead of having to get it after you're having problems, and having to rearrange all your other equipment to retrofit it into place. If you don't have that much clearance under your stand, there are a lot of other skimmers that will fit, like an aquamedic T5000 shorty for example... Just my thoughts...

For corals down the line, you may also want to invest in a calcium reactor.

RK2 is definitely a good investment, whether your a beginner or not.

And a chiller may prove to be necessary as well, but you may want to wait and see unless you can afford one right off. Placement will be important as it should be in a well ventilated area and will put off a lot of heat.

 

[jessezm]

Oh, I would also get a second and third 200w heater as back up...

 

[schwaggs]

When you build the opening in the wall, make sure you make the opening big enough so that you can access the tank from the front. This will make maintainance A LOT easier.

 

[kevin]

Schwaggs wrote: When you build the opening in the wall, make sure you make the opening big enough so that you can access the tank from the front. This will make maintainance A LOT easier.

I completely agree.... I have seen some in-wall aquariums that you can't access from the front which can make maintenace awkward

 

[jmaneyapanda]

Everytime you guys say RK2, I envision a giant skimmer, and think, "those guys are crazy, he doesnt need a 8' skimmer!' Then I remember you're talking about a reefkeeper 2.

You will absolutely want more flow if you want corals. In place of powerheads, look into a thing called Wave2K. They look really effective at moving water, and are reasonably priced comparatively.

 

[mojo]

jmaneyapanda wrote: Everytime you guys say RK2, I envision a giant skimmer, and think, "those guys are crazy, he doesnt need a 8' skimmer!' Then I remember you're talking about a reefkeeper 2.

An 8' skimmer would be awesome! No such thing as overskimming (says the guy with a 6' skimmer...)!

 

[broreefr]

I completly DISagree with you guys on the UV sterilizer, I tend to put it in the absolute purchase catagory, but thats my opinion and another reason I guess why we have forums, to get differing points of views.

One poster reported that the sterilizer will kill possible coral food in the water. Now I am not exactly sure that is correct though.

 

[tsciarini]

I think the UV has its place... but IMO adds too much heat and expense (bulbs) to the system.

Ozone is a fantastic alternative

 

[broreefr]

tsciarini wrote: I think the UV has its place... but IMO adds too much heat and expense (bulbs) to the system.

Ozone is a fantastic alternative

Point taken ~ but if the system is on the edge enough to where an additional 18 or 36 watt bulb will push it to overheating, perhaps the design and ventilation of the whole system needs to be examined. imo

 

[tsciarini]

I agree with you as well... I'm not trying to say one is better than the other, they just have different applications. Ozone has its risks and a high initial cost. UV adds a significant ammount of heat for such a small bulb and the reoccuring costs of bulb replacement. Simply throwing something out there

 

[judochop]

Thank you all so much for the information. I definitely appreciate it! I have the tank on top of the stand (man it was heavy) and filled with tap water to test for any stand or tank problems. So far so good!

 

[kevin]

We are crossing our fingers for you... good luck