Selecting the right equipment

[tru]

I'm getting ready to start a new salt water tank. I'm currently stuck with a 40 gal with a tank FULL of half dead live rock and some fish that I got from someone local for $100 and I thought I would make a move to build my own salt water tank but I would like to go with reef, So... I'm in need of help selecting good/great! lighting, wet/dry filter, protein skimmer for a 55 gallon. I been looking around for lighting and I dont know much about it so if anyone can help with where to buy good lighting online and what brand, wattage, ect.. I'll be good to go! Thanks!

 

[hillbilly]

Examples of good stuff for a 55gal. If you are going to use a sump a Euro Reef ES5-2 would be a good choice, around $228. A good hang on the back skimmer would be a AquaC Remora, about $160. Good lighting would be the PFO HQI mini metal halide pendant 250 watt. You need 2 with 10k or 20k bulbs. Around $315 each. A wet-dry filter is not needed on a reef tank. An easy way to get super circulation on a 55gal. is to use the Model 7310/2 or the 7410/2 Turbelle Electronic wavemaking kit from Tunze. With these kits the current is almost like the real ocean current. Great product! You only need one kit for a 55gal. $235 and $258. All these products can be purchased at marinedepot.com . You would then have a very nice 55gal. and would have quality equipment that will last for years.

 

[Arch01]

hillbilly's suggestions are pretty good. If you don't already have the 55 gallon, I would look into a 75, 90 or 120. They are all the same length but much easier to aquascape since they have more room front to back. Plus you could use the same lights!

Alex
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Turkish Forum

 

[MI0706]

Hillbilly and Arch are both right in their responses...

Now with the protein skimmers, I've had two different styles... I had a CPR Bakpak2 and it was merely OK... I'm now using an AquaC Urchin Pro w/ the mag drive 3 pump upgrade (it is the in-sump version of the AquaC Remora Pro)... I've been very happy with it...

Lighting is always a big topic of debate... But it is general consensus that MH is the way to go... But which MH (wattage, color temp, etc...) is always debated heavily here... I guess it comes down too what you want to run in your tank... If you were only going to have softies, then you don't need MH, you could go with PC or VHO... But if you want to get into SPS and LPS, then you are going to need MH, IMO... What I'm getting at, is first decide what all you want in your reef and then plan accordingly with hardware purchases...

Hope this helps you...