After getting pulled back into reality by my friend who got into setting up saltwater aquariums two years ago, I picked up a 125 gallon tank and a stand. I sent him off an email looking for info on what gear I would need to get a similar setup going. Im going to post his responses with his reasoning behind why hes suggesting certain items. Can anyone please give input on if this sounds good and/or if I should be going with something else??
Before I list that, here is the crux: Like a kid in a candystore, I've been racing through sites and books looking at fish/inverts and made myself a list of all the sealife out there I would most like to have. Clearly, its not going to happen based on the types of fish and compatibility, but its a start I guess. I mention this because it seems the two big setups are either Reef or Coral? My friend has been trying to disuade me of going coral since he said its going to be extra work for someone just getting into this hobby.
At any rate, here are his suggestions from his email to me:
"First off, don't buy cheap equipment. Especially when it comes to the pumps & powerheads. I probably have 30 pieces of equipment in my basement that either don't work or never worked properly."
Powerhead (probably 2) I use 2 Koralia 3 pumps in my tank. They are reasonably priced have worked well for me. You might want to get one with a variable speed if you want to use a wavemaker. (He suggested: Koralia Evolution 750 - 750 gph - 4.5W | Power Heads | Water Pumps & Power Heads | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com)
Filter I would go with a wet/dry (trickle filter) filter or maybe just set up a second smaller aquarium next to or underneath the existing aquarium as a refugium. You will also need to buy a pump that returns the water to the aquarium. (What type of pump that returns water is he talking about???)
Lights This really depends on what you put in the tank. Fish do not need high light levels but many SPS (small-polyp stony) & LPS (large-polyp stony) do. Clams also require high light levels to survive. From your list below you would probably be ok with a high-output T5 system. (He suggested: Nova Extreme Pro T5 High Output Lighting Fixture - 6 x 54W - 48 in. | T5 Lighting | Lighting Systems | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com)
Protein Skimmer Don't buy a hang-on the back type skimmer. I would grab an in sump or standalone skimmer. Expect to spend from $200 to $300.
Salt You will need to buy synthetic sea salt. Usually sold in around 5 gallon buckets.
Reverse Osmosis Unit Don't use tap water on your tank. (So what am I using??)
Heaters Get two instead of one. (He suggested: Aqueon Pro Heater 200 - 200W - 13 5/8 in. | Aquarium Heaters | Fish Tank Heaters | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com)
Chiller If you do not have central air in your house you probably want to invest in a chiller to keep the temperature from going above 82 degrees. Chillers are not cheap. (I do have Central Air..)
Test Kit You need to test for Nitrite, Nitrate, PH, Ammonia, KH (carbonate hardness) & Calcium. I use these:
KH Carbonate Hardness Test Kit | KH Test Kits & Refills | Test Kits & Refills | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com
Saltwater Calcium Test Kit | Calcium Test Kits & Refills | Test Kits & Refills | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com
Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit | Master Test Kits | Test Kits & Refills | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com
Live Rock & Live Sand I would put at least 80lbs of live rock in the tank and around 1-2 inches (3-4 if you have Jawfish) live sand on the bottom. Live rock will run you at least $3 a pound."
OK! So there are the items listed. Anything else he didn't mention? Any suggestions on brands/products? Now maybe it would help to understand what I want to put in the tank? As I said, I went nuts and looked around for awhile at a host of fishes/inverts I'd love to put in here. Obviously I cant get all the gang I want in the same place.
I will say this with everything: The fish that I am absolutely wanting to get:
Lionfish (Seeing as this guy can be problematic, I thought a dwarf version may be a better choice), Green Mandarin Dragonet (Seems like I'd need to have the tank going for a considerable time before one can even be added?), and a wartskin anglerfish.
Now those 3 types are the main ones. Thats in addition to wanting a black longspine urchin, purple lobster, Purple Linckia Starfish, fire shrimp, pink and black sea cucumber, Long Tentacle Anemone – Purple (he suggested holding off on this since its a bit more difficult to maintain), Bumble Bee Snail (Again, he said no as it can eat benefitial creatures in the sandbed), and a host of other fish: clowns, tangs, etc that I wont go into detail with here.
So that all being said, any input on the equipment? I'll do a thread later regarding fish and inverts..Thanks in advance for any/all help for the new guy!
Before I list that, here is the crux: Like a kid in a candystore, I've been racing through sites and books looking at fish/inverts and made myself a list of all the sealife out there I would most like to have. Clearly, its not going to happen based on the types of fish and compatibility, but its a start I guess. I mention this because it seems the two big setups are either Reef or Coral? My friend has been trying to disuade me of going coral since he said its going to be extra work for someone just getting into this hobby.
At any rate, here are his suggestions from his email to me:
"First off, don't buy cheap equipment. Especially when it comes to the pumps & powerheads. I probably have 30 pieces of equipment in my basement that either don't work or never worked properly."
Powerhead (probably 2) I use 2 Koralia 3 pumps in my tank. They are reasonably priced have worked well for me. You might want to get one with a variable speed if you want to use a wavemaker. (He suggested: Koralia Evolution 750 - 750 gph - 4.5W | Power Heads | Water Pumps & Power Heads | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com)
Filter I would go with a wet/dry (trickle filter) filter or maybe just set up a second smaller aquarium next to or underneath the existing aquarium as a refugium. You will also need to buy a pump that returns the water to the aquarium. (What type of pump that returns water is he talking about???)
Lights This really depends on what you put in the tank. Fish do not need high light levels but many SPS (small-polyp stony) & LPS (large-polyp stony) do. Clams also require high light levels to survive. From your list below you would probably be ok with a high-output T5 system. (He suggested: Nova Extreme Pro T5 High Output Lighting Fixture - 6 x 54W - 48 in. | T5 Lighting | Lighting Systems | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com)
Protein Skimmer Don't buy a hang-on the back type skimmer. I would grab an in sump or standalone skimmer. Expect to spend from $200 to $300.
Salt You will need to buy synthetic sea salt. Usually sold in around 5 gallon buckets.
Reverse Osmosis Unit Don't use tap water on your tank. (So what am I using??)
Heaters Get two instead of one. (He suggested: Aqueon Pro Heater 200 - 200W - 13 5/8 in. | Aquarium Heaters | Fish Tank Heaters | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com)
Chiller If you do not have central air in your house you probably want to invest in a chiller to keep the temperature from going above 82 degrees. Chillers are not cheap. (I do have Central Air..)
Test Kit You need to test for Nitrite, Nitrate, PH, Ammonia, KH (carbonate hardness) & Calcium. I use these:
KH Carbonate Hardness Test Kit | KH Test Kits & Refills | Test Kits & Refills | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com
Saltwater Calcium Test Kit | Calcium Test Kits & Refills | Test Kits & Refills | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com
Saltwater Master Liquid Test Kit | Master Test Kits | Test Kits & Refills | Aquarium - ThatPetPlace.com
Live Rock & Live Sand I would put at least 80lbs of live rock in the tank and around 1-2 inches (3-4 if you have Jawfish) live sand on the bottom. Live rock will run you at least $3 a pound."
OK! So there are the items listed. Anything else he didn't mention? Any suggestions on brands/products? Now maybe it would help to understand what I want to put in the tank? As I said, I went nuts and looked around for awhile at a host of fishes/inverts I'd love to put in here. Obviously I cant get all the gang I want in the same place.
I will say this with everything: The fish that I am absolutely wanting to get:
Lionfish (Seeing as this guy can be problematic, I thought a dwarf version may be a better choice), Green Mandarin Dragonet (Seems like I'd need to have the tank going for a considerable time before one can even be added?), and a wartskin anglerfish.
Now those 3 types are the main ones. Thats in addition to wanting a black longspine urchin, purple lobster, Purple Linckia Starfish, fire shrimp, pink and black sea cucumber, Long Tentacle Anemone – Purple (he suggested holding off on this since its a bit more difficult to maintain), Bumble Bee Snail (Again, he said no as it can eat benefitial creatures in the sandbed), and a host of other fish: clowns, tangs, etc that I wont go into detail with here.
So that all being said, any input on the equipment? I'll do a thread later regarding fish and inverts..Thanks in advance for any/all help for the new guy!