I'm trying salt

First topic message reminder :

I have been trying to learn more about salt water and corals and such..... but I think to learn I need to do....
I'm thinking of doing a tank with mostly corals and stuff and possibly one fish.... some relatively hardy stuff to start with.
I need help deciding on a good tank size, I have 10, 20g, 20 long or 30 available for this. I will probably go the cheaper route and seed base rock. Not sure when this will happen but I would like to know how involved a tank like that would be. I'm sure I could get a few low end frags and a bit of live rock to start with. This would be a slow tank, no rushing I want to learn as I go. I know I will need to spend a bit on lights and a skimmer...... and what else would be needed for a reef tank? and what size would be best to start with, I need a balance of cost and stability size.

Do you mix your own water?
I work at a fish store and am trying to learn the salt stuff as I go....

yup. We have one of the de-ionizing systems that we use to make the fresh water and then add in the salt and test the salinity. I make about 5 gallons at a time and make it fresh for each water change. I also make the water about a day ahead of time so that it has time to get to room temperature so it doesnt change the temp of the tank too much

Ok whats a de-ionizing system? Is it necessary? How much do they cost roughly?

I know at work we run it through and RO......

I didnt use a de-ionizer just a r/o filter and had no problems. Always mixed my own water.

sorry...thats what im thinking of...its been awhile since i bought it and its hidden away. All i see are the two hoses coming out. Thanks for the correction.

Ok I went into work and picked my coworkers brain for a good hour. I'm going with a drilled 40g breeder on a metal stand and I will have a sump/refugium on it. I will go with an in sump protein skimmer rated for an 80g or so tank. I will probably start with all live rock and sand. I will probably start with pulsing zinnia and mushroom type stuff till I get the hang of it.
I got the stand ordered and have the boss man digging the tank out of storage for me. I can get RO water from work.

I have a few powerheads to start with, I will probably swap out to the korilina fan things in time.
I need to see whats available as far as used lighting......
I also need to find a spot that stays fairly cool in the house to put the tank...
Am I forgetting anything?

Looks like I'm really gonna do this!

shrooms, xenia and gsp are great beginner corals but can also spread like crazy.Palythoa and zoanthids have great color and are fairly hardy.Alot depends on your lights as far as corals go,some like the suns need no light at all ,just have to feed .
I got some 400w 14k off of ebay for about 150 shipped ,had that on a 58g reef, had awesome growth.

When I'm done with them I can take them in for store credit and get the cool corals that I truly want.
I know I will also need hermit crabs and snails and such.
I'm gonna have my coworker help me out in the lighting department.

Oh also what fish and or inverts will eat bristle worms?

Arrow crabs will eat bristle worms,but the worms are actually good for your tank,great detrivores ,I always just left them alone.

as for light fixtures fern!!
Dont Cheap Out!!!!
Lighting and Flow are the Most Important things wen it comes down to reefing!!
start off slow and just get some zoas and palys!!
then in a cpl weeks wen ur tank matures u can start adding the good stuff like clams (clams do best under Metal Halide fixtures, a clam under anyother type of lighting would be considered tortured!) and other nicer corals!!!:)

i NEED to get a new camera!! mine took a dive into the pool!!:(

Ya, I do know to get the really good lighting, but used fixtures are 1/2 the price of new So if we have something suitable at the shop I will be getting used!
Ya I'm really liking the zoas and palys! I may just do those! The colors seem the best in em!

LOL just wait till you see the Rainbow Acans!!!!
u will want them!!
but their SUPER EXPENSIVE!!!!!!!!

Oh yes I have seen them... and many many other really nice and expensive ones!
Look up 'limited edition corals' Its pure coral porn, the stuff you really want but could never afford.....

lol iv seen em!!
im more of a clam persone!!!
i want one SO BAD!!!!
i kinda put one on lay-o-way:)
120$ of pure awsomeness:)!!!!!!!

here it is!! its a blue Maxima Clam!!! its my baby!!! dude at the LFS is kool enuff to hold it for me!!

That is one AWESOME clam!!!!!

yeah it is!!!!

very nice!

thanx:)
just waiting for my Metal Halide light fixture so i can finally get the dang thing lol!!!
CLAMS ARE AWSOME!!!!!!!!!!
ill post pix of it wen i get it and wen i get a new camera:) hehe

Ok I got my light! Its a 36" dual satellite power compact with an actnic and day light (10,000K) bulb in it, its even got a lil led in the middle.
My stand should be in tomorrow, I will need to give that a coat of rust-oleum.
Then I need to get my sump / refugium thing and my protein skimmer.... I have an in line UV already and I was told I should use it.......
Any equipment I'm missing?

I never used UV or a protein skimmer just had a refugium full of cheato.

I was told a UV helps add ozone to the water..... I would also guess it will kill free floating nasty's the same as it does in fresh. I got it for free and have only used it once when I had a really bad out break of ich in one of my tanks when I was still kinda new to fish. If it would be good to use it in my salt tank then I may as well use it......

Doesn't a protein skimmer help keep the tank cleaner in a sense? Like take out the extra crud......... and like improve water quality and cut down on algae.....?

I'm guessing cheato is a macro algae?

I was told not to use a uv because it also kills beneficial micro-organisms. A protein skimmer I cant really say because never used to one I bought.

Cheato is a macro algae grows like a green brillo pad and is very fast growing .So I used it to soak up nitrates and protein leaving little for the growth of algae in the display tank.

svaha wrote:

I was told not to use a uv because it also kills beneficial micro-organisms.

I was kind of thinking that too, but I was told there was more benefits than harm.... I may hold off on it, I can always tie it in later if needed.

Ok is cheato one of the kinds that you need to leave the light on the refugium 24/7? I over heard that some macro algae you have to do that with or it will throw spores.....

Good luck on that salt tank!! hope everything goes well..

I always left it on 24/7 but chaeto will not go sexual and create spores. You can also run refugium on a reverse photo period and will help stabilize PH. I just kept it simple ,refugium ,chaeto, refugium lights 24/7, never any nitrate probs after original cycle.

Ok the refugim lights.... do those need to be all high tech too or will just basic plant bulbs be good?

I also just got a koroline fan thing, its a big one so between that and a power head I should be good on the flow rate needed.......