New tank, need help....

[Aleks]

Hi! I just bought 5 years old 65 gallon tank with 80 lbs live rocks. I saved all water from the previous owner. I want to have reef tank, with soft corals, anemones.... I have 2 clown fishes and 2 zebra demsels. Ph 8, nitrates and nitrites 0, ammonia 0, kh 6, salinity 1020. Temperature is 85F. I have overflow and sump with 780 gallons per hour pump.... Inside active carbon, some live rocks, I don't know what else....

1. I need your recommendation for the light. Now I have 2 t12 6500k coral life bulbs, but I know it isn't enough. I was looking something like this:
Nova Extreme T5 HO Light Fixture, 2x 460 nm actinic blue lamps and 2x 10,000K ultra daylight lamps and
Nova Extreme Pro T5 HO Light Fixture but with 2 cooler fans and 6 t5 bulbs....
What do you think about it? Is LED better solution?

2. I think I also need a protein skimmer and I want to bye a average one. Also I need recommendation from you.

3. I don't know what kind of circulation pumps I need and how strong they need to be?

I don't want to waste my money. I need good advise what I really need and what I don't need. Thank you and sorry for my bad English, accent is even worse :flower:....

 

[KathyC]

Your English is fine

Welcome to MR !

I only have time for a quick reply (need to get to work..:bunny, so I will address only a couple of points...and mostly ask you more questions

1- you need to lower the temp as 85 is too warm. Is the tank in a room with A/C? Best bet is to purchase a clip on fan and set it up so it is blowing water either across the surface of the DT (display tank) or the sump to lower the temp by a few degrees.

2- any chance of posting a pic of the set up? (you need 5 posts before you can post pics here)

3- Did those fish come with the tank when you purchased it?

4- If you don't have any test kits for Ca & Magnesium - you will need to purchase those as you must have stable parameters before you start adding corals!

5- You need to bring the salinity up to 1.024 - 1.025 before corals can be added. 1.020 is ok for fish only, but not corals.

6- Any idea what kind of pump came with the set up that you are using as a return pump?

7- Either of the ligh fixtures you mention are fine for a softie tank. LED's cost a lot of $ but they will help your tank to run cooler without needing a chiller to keep the temp down.

8 - What are the dimensions of the tank?

Let's start there and I'm sure others will jump in with additional info/questions

 

[Aleks]

Thanks a lot for your help! Tank dimensions are:L36xH25xW18. Fishes came with the tank. Return pump is Pondmaster UL model 7, 700GPH.
I am planning to order new light for the tank and also circulation pump Hydor Coralia 1400GPH. I read that circulation pump is good enough for 65G tank. Should I buy 2 or one is enough?

 

[fishman1069]

Get two smaller circulation pumps instead of one big one. You can go with 2 hydor 750s and put them on opposite sides of the tank

 

[Awibrandy]

Hi! I just bought 5 years old 65 gallon tank with 80 lbs live rocks. I saved all water from the previous owner. I want to have reef tank, with soft corals, anemones.... I have 2 clown fishes and 2 zebra demsels. Ph 8, nitrates and nitrites 0, ammonia 0, kh 6, salinity 1020. Temperature is 85F. I have overflow and sump with 780 gallons per hour pump.... Inside active carbon, some live rocks, I don't know what else....

1. I need your recommendation for the light. Now I have 2 t12 6500k coral life bulbs, but I know it isn't enough. I was looking something like this:
Nova Extreme T5 HO Light Fixture, 2x 460 nm actinic blue lamps and 2x 10,000K ultra daylight lamps and
Nova Extreme Pro T5 HO Light Fixture but with 2 cooler fans and 6 t5 bulbs....
What do you think about it? Is LED better solution?

2. I think I also need a protein skimmer and I want to bye a average one. Also I need recommendation from you.

3. I don't know what kind of circulation pumps I need and how strong they need to be?

I don't want to waste my money. I need good advise what I really need and what I don't need. Thank you and sorry for my bad English, accent is even worse :flower:....

Been a while since you posted the above: How's the tank coming along?