- Location
- Staten Island
Hey guys, every time I log on the message board encourages me to post my first post, So I will. Anyway, I am beginning my own reef tank but i'm not new to marine husbandry. I started about 3 years ago with a 46 gallon bow front, that I ran on a 10 gallon 2 chamber sump with bio balls, protein skimmer and T5's. Livestock includes Flame Angel, 2 fire gobies (I believe they are a mated pair if that's possible), false clown, and a few feather dusters. I had about 80 lbs of LR in there, but now I have it filled with more I bought for my new set up, so its stuffed to the gills between the tank and the sump (temporarily), substrate was crushed coral.
So as I alluded to above I decided to step up and got a 150 gallon 6 ft Marineland dual overflow tank. I am still in the process of getting my start up ready. I plan on doing a reef system and any advice would be appreciated. So far I have the tank described above, a reef octopus RPS 3000 recirculating skimmer, RO/DI filtration system. I am building a 2 chamber sump with about 30 lbs of live rock in a 40 g breeder no sand bed. I have about 180 lbs of well cultivated live rock ranging from Fiji, Florida, Caribbean, and pukani rock ready to go.
Things I need (please make suggestions if you think I need anything else) include:
External pump: Thinking about a blue-line,any recommendations?
Substrate: I was thinking pink Fiji live sand, I dont want sand that is too fine because I dont want it getting all over the place, but I also would like to have sand sifters such as certain types of gobies, and I wanted to do about 1"1/2 - 2" sand bed, how much sand do you think I need? I figured about 160 lbs. Ive been told and have read the Pink Fiji is not too fine or course and just right for what I am trying to accomplish.
Lighting: I was looking at the radions, all generations of radion want my first born for a down payment lol. So I was thinking about the maxspect razor. Do i need the pro edition, is it worth it? What size and how many units do I need for a 6 foot tank (with a monterey canopy)? This is a tough decision and one I really need help in. I know I need the 16 watt but thats about it, my tank is 27" deep, will I get enough penetration with the maxspect?
Heaters: need recommendations for a system this size.
So thats my story and what I believe I need to get started, please offer any advice and guidance you feel is appropriate. I would like to keep things reasonable financially if possible, but I would not skimp on crucial components. How long should I cycle before I introduce my existing livestock? What are your feelings on used equipment? I dont have any yet but I would consider used gear if it worked well and saved me a significant amount of money. Anyway guys, thanks for reading my post and offering any advice if any.
Ed
So as I alluded to above I decided to step up and got a 150 gallon 6 ft Marineland dual overflow tank. I am still in the process of getting my start up ready. I plan on doing a reef system and any advice would be appreciated. So far I have the tank described above, a reef octopus RPS 3000 recirculating skimmer, RO/DI filtration system. I am building a 2 chamber sump with about 30 lbs of live rock in a 40 g breeder no sand bed. I have about 180 lbs of well cultivated live rock ranging from Fiji, Florida, Caribbean, and pukani rock ready to go.
Things I need (please make suggestions if you think I need anything else) include:
External pump: Thinking about a blue-line,any recommendations?
Substrate: I was thinking pink Fiji live sand, I dont want sand that is too fine because I dont want it getting all over the place, but I also would like to have sand sifters such as certain types of gobies, and I wanted to do about 1"1/2 - 2" sand bed, how much sand do you think I need? I figured about 160 lbs. Ive been told and have read the Pink Fiji is not too fine or course and just right for what I am trying to accomplish.
Lighting: I was looking at the radions, all generations of radion want my first born for a down payment lol. So I was thinking about the maxspect razor. Do i need the pro edition, is it worth it? What size and how many units do I need for a 6 foot tank (with a monterey canopy)? This is a tough decision and one I really need help in. I know I need the 16 watt but thats about it, my tank is 27" deep, will I get enough penetration with the maxspect?
Heaters: need recommendations for a system this size.
So thats my story and what I believe I need to get started, please offer any advice and guidance you feel is appropriate. I would like to keep things reasonable financially if possible, but I would not skimp on crucial components. How long should I cycle before I introduce my existing livestock? What are your feelings on used equipment? I dont have any yet but I would consider used gear if it worked well and saved me a significant amount of money. Anyway guys, thanks for reading my post and offering any advice if any.
Ed
