Planning a set up

[JoshuaBrun]

Hello.

I'm new to this site. I've read the forums for a while, but never posted, so heres my first.

I've been keeping (with great success) freshwater set-ups for a while now.
But I want to extend my experience and begin a reef tank in a few months. Money isn't necessarily an issue, as my housemates intend to go in on it with me.

So far, all I know is that we want 100-200 gallons. (I know I'll just want to upgrade in like, two months if I go below that) I want strong lighting so I can keep different types of corals. I want the set up to be as silent as possible. I want everything to be in sump. I want a deep sandbed. I also like the thought of a show refugium to house seahorses and the like, if possible.

I've been researching this for a while now, and I'm going to continue to do so, but I'd like opinions in regards to my aspirations. Any ideas as to what brands of equipment I should get, and what type of equipment I should get would be appreciated.

Also, would it be better to purchase uncured live rock and cure it all in the aquarium? Or would it be better just to purchase uncured?

Any thoughts/opinions would be appreciated!

Oh, and I'll be in Toronto, Ontario, if that makes any difference. :?

 

[mr_X]

purchase the rock that you like the look of best, and is the cheapest. you'll need to cure it either way.

what size tank will this be? you'll need to narrow that down a little better before people can pinpoint lighting and skimmers and such.
i suggest getting a tank that's very deep from front to back and not as deep from top to bottom. my tank is 30 inches from front to back and i wish i would have ordered a 36" deep tank. also, my tank is 25 inches tall, and it'a PITA trying to grab things off the sand bed. also, the shallower the tank, the less powerful lighting you'll need to hit the sand bed.
for lighting, i'd buy icecap or sunlight supply ballasts, and lumenarc or lumenbright reflectors. pick up some T-5 retrofit kits with individual reflectors for actinic suppliment.

skimmers, euro-reef, octopus, asm, aqua-c (ev series) are all decent.

 

[ChrisRD]

:welcome:

You've already got some good recommendations from X, just be forewarned that there's a significant difference (in both smell and effort :wink: ) between dealing with previously cured rock that is transported locally or overnighted vs. properly curing totally raw rock (like the transhipped stuff)...

Premium Aquatics is a very honest and reliable vendor that deals with both cured and uncured rock and they have some good info on their site about each:
Blurb on uncured rock
Blurb on cured rock

Something else to consider is using dry rock to build part of your structure which can be colonized with life by seeding with a few pieces of live rock. This will take a bit more patience but can save significant money with setup costs of a large tank.
For example: Eco Rox

If you're interested in a very quiet setup, consider the quieter, better quality submersible pumps like Eheim or Ocean Runner. If you go with an external, stick to the smaller fanless Iwaki models or something comparable.

Don't skimp on circulation - it's critical for a healthy reef tank. Closed loop setups or propeller pumps like Tunzes, VorTech, Koralias, etc. are the most common these days.

Also plan on a good RO or RO/DI unit so you have a steady, reliable supply of quality source water.

For lighting, www.hellolights.com is a good place to start pricing equipment...

HTH

 

[JoshuaBrun]

What about this for lighting?

http://www.premiumaquatics.com/Merchant ... =Giesemann

I know it's expensive. Not an issue. I really love love love the moonlight feature. Would this be enough lighting for any type of coral/clam, etc?

Pretend I'm going with a 200 gallon, rectangular.

 

[mr_X]

i think you can accomplish that for alot less money.
most of the fixtures now come with moonlights. i leave mine on around the clock...you and your fish/inverts/corals will only see them when the lights are off anyway.

to answer your question, yes. that would be enough.

since money is no object you can get a euro-reef skimmer for that 200. i'd suggest the RC-500. it's more than enough to handle a 200 gallon tank, and a large sump.
there are more expensive skimmers out there, but in reality, there's no end to the money you can spend.
if it was me, i'd go with an ASM g6. i'd do the recirc mod on 2 of those pumps and use the third to draw in water. bullet-proof!

 

[shavo]

it's been a while and i have been busy doing too much school work . I come back to check things out and X sounds like a scientist or something. I read it twice and still have no idea what I read! lol
just kidding but this guy got too good too fast. you know what you need!!!!

 

[atnixon]

it's been a while and i have been busy doing too much school work . I come back to check things out and X sounds like a scientist or something. I read it twice and still have no idea what I read! lol
just kidding but this guy got too good too fast. you know what you need!!!!

Ahhh....it seems in my absence also, X has this new role sorted well...LOL...