Getting started--what am I looking at here?

[PufferGuy]

a sump isnt 100% required, but without it, all the equipment you need (heater/skimmer/etc) will be in your main tank which will clutter it up and also reduce the amound of water you have.

i also have a maxi jet for my tank and have no complaints about it, even though i have been told the Koralia pumps are better

 

[daugherty]

i have maxijets in my tank and like them but i would rather have vortech or hydro k's
as maxijets have no comparison to the vortech pump that you have maybe that is why you think they are junk?

 

[dustin_P74]

i have maxijets in my tank and like them but i would rather have vortech or hydro k's
as maxijets have no comparison to the vortech pump that you have maybe that is why you think they are junk?

i also have koralias, but im just saying that they are junk because the take for ever and a day to actually get assembled properly and then i didnt think they had a very good output of water. but then again i only bought it to keep the water in my trashcan moving so it would stay heated.

 

[chazzbo77]

A protein skimmer is one of those things that mix the water with bubbles and it takes all of the gunk out of the water right? It makes that cyclone type thing in the tube? Does that take the place of a freshwater filter or do you need a filter as well? Also, is your sump sort of like your filter (or at least your filter is in your sump)?

 

[PufferGuy]

yeah thats what a protein skimmer is. You dont need a filter for a saltwater tank if you have liverock. The liverock acts like a biological filter for your tank, all you have to make sure of is that the water gets circulated thought the live rock and the rest is taken care of. The sump does kind of play like a filter but thats because you need to put live rock in the sump.

hope this helps.

 

[daugherty]

not all skimmers make a cyclone and the seaclone one is a peice of crap. and yeas it helps to take organics out of the water. in salt water the main filter is your live rock and sand. in my fuge sump i have almost 200 pounds of rock in there and about 60 pounds of sand plus what is in the tank. so you do not need a canister filter but they do come in handy sometimes to put carbon or GFO in them and run them a couple time a month

 

[chazzbo77]

Ohh ok I'm ALOT more clear on sumps now. How does cleaning go? Same old siphoning like there is with freshwater? If so, how do you prevent the sand from being sucked into the siphon?

 

[Bifferwine]

You don't change all the water at once. People usually change out 10 to 20% of their tank's volume once a week or every other week.

 

[chazzbo77]

You don't change all the water at once. People usually change out 10 to 20% of their tank's volume once a week or every other week.

Thank you, but I'm aware of that much. I've been keeping freshwater fish all my life but have finally decided to try saltwater and experience all its beauty.

 

[Bifferwine]

Oh. Sorry. In that case, you just remove water from the top.

 

[chazzbo77]

No problem. Is there any danger of anaerobic bacteria growing in the sand?

 

[Bifferwine]

Anaerobic bacteria do flourish in sandbeds, but the sandbed has to be pretty deep - at least 6 inches. But in saltwater, this is a good thing. People try really hard to get active DSBs (deep sand bed) to increase their anaerobic bacteria populations. The anaerobic bacteria convert nitrates to harmless nitrogen gas. I have a 35 gallon remote DSB that's 9 inches deep connected to my tank.

 

[chazzbo77]

Ok, so I have the tank, the heater, the hood. What I'm lacking is the lights, live rock, live sand, protein skimmer, sump?

Is that all I need or am I overlooking something.

 

[dustin_P74]

dont forget testing equipment

 

[chazzbo77]

dont forget testing equipment

Ahh, very very true. I'm making a list for when I go to pick up all these things. Thanks alot!

 

[dustin_P74]

you also need a thermometer and either a refractometer or a hydrometer

 

[chazzbo77]

Forgot the mention I have the thermometer. Hydrometer, I don't have so I'll need one of those too.

 

[Oscarsdad608]

I would get the refractometer they are a lot more accurate.

 

[chazzbo77]

I would get the refractometer they are a lot more accurate.

Will do. Thanks.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yeah, refractometers run $40 to $50. Hydrometers run around $10 to $20. But you have to replace the hydrometer every 6 months, and they can be very inaccurate. You'd be much better off buying a refractometer.