I have chosen a tank <span style="font-family: Arial;"><span style="font-size: 13px;">Perfecto 220gal tank black 72x24x30 . now i need suggestions on what equiptment to buy for it. i know nothing so what do i buy? lights, filters, skimmers, chilers, etc... this is going to be a reef tank with corals and i want to build it right. </span></span>
what to buy for my build ?
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skriz
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There's a lot of bad advice here, so let's go over a few things:
Sump-get the largest sump you can fit/afford. A commercially built sump will offer you the ease of simply purchasing it. It will also be correctly designed and built for best performance. You can build something yourself, but you'll have to decide what you are wanting to accomplish with the sump and which materials you are confident with working with. The easiest diy sump would be a rubbermaid container; not the prettiest, but it does work. If you've never worked with acrylic before, I wouldn't build a sump as your first project; it's just not worth the risk.
Skimmer-there isn't a better and more easy way of nutrient export than a good protein skimmer. The above advice of going skimmerless would only apply if you are planning on massive water changes, or you're planning on buying the crappiest skimmers on the market (some are just not worth wasting your money on). A good qaulity skimmer is worth it's weight in gold; it will make your tank more enjoyable as you'll have to do less work to keep the water clean.
Your life support system on the aquarium is going to be the single most important component; it is what keeps your fish and corals happy.
Books and test kits. Take your time and get some good books. Not only are they good reading, but they will really teach you a lot about the jounrney you are about to embark on. There's a TON of information out there and even more misinformation; good books will give you a solid foundation that will help you determine which info is what.
The number one thing to get right now is PATIENCE. Nothing good comes from rushing into things with this hobby. The number 2 thing to get is an ARC membership
Saying "I don't believe in skimmers" literally means you don't think they exist. I'm sure that wasn't your meaning.
What it really says to any reader with any reading comprehension skills at all is "I don't believe they work" or "I don't believe they do what they are intended to do".
Considering the cups full of crap they remove from the water, I don't get where that statement comes from.
If you mean you think there are better ways to do the job, that would at least be a fair statement. Very few here would agree with it, but at least it isn't misleading.
EDIT:
Let me be fair here... after reading the first line I quoted, I was so frazzled I lost track of your post. I went back and read it again, and I see you clarified this.
I still think it's worth focusing on because many readers would do just what I did... see the first line and react.
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Skriz;373495 wrote: There's a lot of bad advice here, so let's go over a few things:
Sump-get the largest sump you can fit/afford. A commercially built sump will offer you the ease of simply purchasing it. It will also be correctly designed and built for best performance. You can build something yourself, but you'll have to decide what you are wanting to accomplish with the sump and which materials you are confident with working with. The easiest diy sump would be a rubbermaid container; not the prettiest, but it does work. If you've never worked with acrylic before, I wouldn't build a sump as your first project; it's just not worth the risk.
Skimmer-there isn't a better and more easy way of nutrient export than a good protein skimmer. The above advice of going skimmerless would only apply if you are planning on massive water changes, or you're planning on buying the crappiest skimmers on the market (some are just not worth wasting your money on). A good qaulity skimmer is worth it's weight in gold; it will make your tank more enjoyable as you'll have to do less work to keep the water clean.
Your life support system on the aquarium is going to be the single most important component; it is what keeps your fish and corals happy.
Books and test kits. Take your time and get some good books. Not only are they good reading, but they will really teach you a lot about the jounrney you are about to embark on. There's a TON of information out there and even more misinformation; good books will give you a solid foundation that will help you determine which info is what.
The number one thing to get right now is PATIENCE. Nothing good comes from rushing into things with this hobby. The number 2 thing to get is an ARC membership
:up:
Hmmm...my tank without a skimmer...well i would have no life other than doing water changes every 12hrs...Not to mention that gets expensive...plus skimmers up the oxygen...but then again who really needs oxygen b/c oxygen in life is auctually quite meaning less too right along with skimmers...
Get a very highly overrated skimmer if your system is 300 gallons i would say get one rated for 500gallons....get a monster sump with a large place for a refugium
Get a very highly overrated skimmer if your system is 300 gallons i would say get one rated for 500gallons....get a monster sump with a large place for a refugium
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Lighting: MH with T-5 supplementation.
Filters: Very large fuge and plenty of liverock with flow!
Skimmer: The absolute best you can afford. Reeflo or MR4, you have a large tank.
Chillers: Get a combo heater/chiller. Although if put together properly you might only need a heater. Many may disagree but unless you have a lot of SPS your LPS and softies will thrive with 3-4 degree swings from day to night. SPS will do much better with 2 degree swing or less. Slightly higher temps will promote faster growth with less color, lower temps will produce tighter, denser and much more colorful new growth.
Tell us what you plan on growing in your tank. Coral, fish only etc. we can easily go from there and give you options to look at and research for your benefit.
Seems like you are already going in the right direction by asking questions first. Another thing-store sponsors offer an ARC discount. Welcome and happy reefing
Seems like you are already going in the right direction by asking questions first. Another thing-store sponsors offer an ARC discount. Welcome and happy reefing
I do plan on joining the club. I cant believe this because i always said i would never do saltwater onl would do freshwater but somehow i caught the bug! right now i am just putting together a plan and will slowly pick up my equiptment as i can afford it until i have everything i need , this could take me up to a year to collect everything due to the cost but i want to do it right! I want many corals and fish and i know the larger the tank the more stable it is right ? I may tone it down to a 125 but I dont want to regret my tank size choice as i only want to do this once.
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In the tank size I would go with the largest one I had room for. When I started 2 years ago I thought that a 150 would be great for at least a few years, But I was wrong. Before the year was up I had to get a 210. And now I wish it was bigger. The reason is it looks huge with out anything in them but once you put the sand, rocks, and some corals in and they start to grow it feels up fast.
As far as the lights go I have 8 T-5's over mine with the 660 ice caps. At times I think it is too much light for some of the things I like to grow. At other times it is not enough. So I think it is totaly a what you like thing when it come to lights.
I have an ASM 400+ skimmer for my tank and it works great. I only have a 75 gallon sump under my tank. I do believe in there shold be plenty of live rock in the tank to help with keeping everything in line. Also for flow I have 3 korlia4's in my tank.
I am in no way an expert at this reefing thing but this is what I have so far and everything looks to be happy. But a tank is like a woman great one min. and pissed the next. So happy reefing to you and good luck.
As far as the lights go I have 8 T-5's over mine with the 660 ice caps. At times I think it is too much light for some of the things I like to grow. At other times it is not enough. So I think it is totaly a what you like thing when it come to lights.
I have an ASM 400+ skimmer for my tank and it works great. I only have a 75 gallon sump under my tank. I do believe in there shold be plenty of live rock in the tank to help with keeping everything in line. Also for flow I have 3 korlia4's in my tank.
I am in no way an expert at this reefing thing but this is what I have so far and everything looks to be happy. But a tank is like a woman great one min. and pissed the next. So happy reefing to you and good luck.
It is only a matter of time before the problems begin and when they do we will say I told you so.
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dawgdude;374211 wrote: Ill compare your 300w to Darrens previous 90g cube with dual 150w any day.
As far as your "protein" argument. Unless fish started feeding through osmosis then you are supposed to enrich food with HUFA and feed the fish with it. You said that the purple tang was cured due to the excess nutrients in the water? I dont understand how this could be the case since no one REALLY knows what causes HLLED. If you can explain to me how fish feed off of the dissolved organics within the water column that foam fractionation is able to remove then I will believe it. Until then Ill keep skimming and soaking my food in selcon. From my experience, excess nutrients in the water are only beneficial in low light softie tank with corals such as mushrooms, kenya tree, zoas and leathers. Any other corals I know of prefer low nutrients and conditions much like the ocean they came from.
....BOO-YAH!!!!!!
sorry...
I use a kent nautilus venturi driven on mine - and it does a good job - I have not tried the Skimmers that are air pump driven could the variance of opinion be from the experience of different types ? or is fo those that like to run a refugium ? bu ti have seen designs that use both
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