Newbie Looking for Help setting up 55gal

[waterdogg]

I'm new here and to Saltwater. Have been doing Freshwater for about 15 years and want to start SW. I'm looking to setup a 55gal with what I have. I have Skilter 250 with protein skimmer, Fulval 304/404(have to check). I have dolimite, crushed coral for the bottom and about 50lbs of coral that I purchased 10 years ago to start this project. I would like to use this stuff and not spend alot of money with the startup. I figured that I would need to get a power head or 2 but not sure what size. My skilter is rated for a 55 gal and skkimmer up to 125 so I think this shoud be good. Was looking to use the Fluval as added filteration. If I use the Fluval what kind of media should I put in it. Do I need charcoal or anything like that. I want to start with Fish only and will will go slowly to adding a reef. If all works ok then I will setup my 125 and start a fish and reef tank.
Thank,
Phil

 

[Anonymous]

Whew, Phil, you asked a mouthful.
First off, I'd recommend you grab John Tullock's Natural Reef Aquariums and Robert Fenner's The Conscientious Marine Aquarist. These two books will help you get an understanding of the how and why of reef tanks.
I have heard many a bad thing about Skilters. I wouldn't use one, but that's my opinion.
The Fluval will be handy while your tank is Fish Only (FO). Once you try and go reef you may want to remove it, as these types of filters can be nitrate factories unless cleaned very often.
I used crushed coral in my old 55. I wish I didn't. Too much garbage gets trapped in there, and I had poor water quality as a result.
One school of thought these days is to use a Deep Sand Bed (DSB) of aragonite sand. At least 3" are recommended. Since you're in NJ, you may be able to find Southdown Tropical Play Sand in your local Home Depot. This is the stuff many folks use for their DSBs.
Combine a DSB with about 55 pounds of live rock (LR), and you're ready to handle the biological filtration of your tank. You should be able to remove the mechanical filters. Get a better skimmer (IMO), and you'll have great water quality for your reef.
Good luck. This hobby ain't cheap, but bargains can be had - especially if you can get quality used equipment. Your local reef club is usually agood source for used stuff, and for good advice on a personal level.

 

[Len]

It's probably not what you want to hear, but the skilter really is not a good skimmer and is grossly over-rated by Danner Supreme. I would say it's suitable for aquariums up to 20 gallons. Getting a better skimmer now will not only save you money in the long run, but it'll possibly save lives and save you headaches as well. Unfortunately, this hobby is an expensive one.

Dolomite/crushed coral is also not the preferred substrate medium. Some like going bare-bottom while others use fine-sized aragonite and live sand for their sandbeds. Crushed coral isn't evil, per se, but its particulate size is too large for good population or denitrification. A lot of stuff will get trapped in there, like Magilla said.

Two Maxijet 900's is what I'd buy for powerheads for your 55 gallon. Some day, a wavemaker would be a nice addition.

As for the fluval, I'd either run it empty or with some good carbon. Two Little FIshes and SeaChem Matrix are the best IMO. Using cheap charcoal will actually make your tank worse off. Using mechanical filtration like sponges in the Fluval is okay if you can clean it constantly. No need for extra bio-filters as live rock and sand is more then adequete for reef tanks. I'd get a box (~45lbs) of live rock, even if you're going fish-only. It will make your tank much healthier. Use of dead "curio" coral is discouraged by most people.

 

[waterdogg]

I looked in HD for sand and they had to types on said Tropical play sand but on the package read not recommended for Aquariums. Is this that same as Southdown Tropical Play Sand that you talk about. The other was quikrete play sand. Which one if any of these is the right one. I want to go tomorrow and get it.

 

[Mikef1]

I think all the packages of sand say this, even the south down

 

[waterdogg]

Does it say Down South on the label? What should I look for?

 

[Reno Guy]

First off, I'd recommend you grab John Tullock's Natural Reef Aquariums and Robert Fenner's The Conscientious Marine Aquarist.

Fenner's book is the first one I purchased. Awsome read! Worth the $45 bucks, it's a huge wealth of info.

 

[WannaBeReefer]

I purchased both books and reference them all the time. I also have a skilter 250, BUT! I use it on my QT, it definately will not cut the mustard for anything bigger than my 10 gal QT IMO... The skilter was one of the I should have asked about it first purchases. it does a half way decent job on the QT so I guess its not a total loss.

It's probably not what you want to hear, but the skilter really is not a good skimmer and is grossly over-rated by Danner Supreme.

Len's 100% correct.