Brat
Delta Sigma Theta
Okay, I have been looking and searching the forums but have truly been unable to find exactly what I am looking for. Okay, I have kept freshwater fish for several years and it will be a few years before I start my dream of having a 300 gal. tank. It was 180 gal. but 300 gal. was my original goal and I'm going for it. Okay, since this will be a big and expensive project I want to make sure that what I initially buy is top of the line. Even if I may not need it in the beginning if it's easier to include it in the initial setup of the tank I'd rather do it then and be prepared. I just would like your opinions and advice on what I have been looking at for my tank as well as books. If you have any advice on what else to look into I would love to know. The more advice I get the better even if all the advice is different.
Books to read so I can daydream about my tank:
The Reef Aquarium Vol I
The Reef Aquarium Vol II
The Reef Aquarium Vol III
need more recommendations for books especially dealing with species of fish and types of coral and invertebrates
Tank:
300 gal. (96x24x30) Acrylic tank w/ built in overflow stand and canopy
320lbs. of live rock
4-6in Deep Sand Bed(DSB) containing live sand and a little oolitic sand
Equipment:
2x 48 inch Giesemann Moonlight Infiniti 2x250W HQI + 4x54W T5 Light Fixture 1432watts total which is about 5w per gal.
1x Euro-fil 360 acrylic Sump for tanks up to 360gal. 36 X 12.5 X 20
1x protein skimmer for sump (not at all sure what type to get or anything)
2x return pumps not sure what type or anything
1x chiller not sure what type or anything
I want my filtration system to look sorta like this http://www.vividaquariums.com/filterGeneral.asp
2x hang on refugiums am not sure if I should get them with a protein skimmer or not
1x Maxxima RO/DI 50GPD Unit
wavemaker am totally lost on
2x EBO-JAGER Aquarium Heater 250 watt (one placed on each end of the tank)
Quarantine tanks:
1x Aquapod 12gal. 54W compact fluorescent for fish
1x fission nano skimmer
1x 50w Hydro Theo heater
1x Hagen Thermometers w/ suction cup
1x Aquapod 24gal. 150W HQI Metal Halide for coral/invertebrates
1x fission nano protein skimmer
1x 100w Hydro Theo heater
1x Hagen Thermometers w/ suction cup
Species interested:
feeder shrimp
pistol shrimp
other shrimp
snail
reef cleaners
anemone (red bubble tip)
sand shifting star fish
variety of corals LPS, SPS, mushroom ( I really like bubble coral)
sponges
fan worms
urchins
Tridacna clams
Chromis
reef-safe wrasse
dartfish
gobies
jawfish
Pseudochromis
Anthias
2 tangs (1 powderblue and one more)
clownfish
What I am worried about the most is my lighting system. I am afraid there won't be enough light for the clams or anemone. I like how the lighting system I chose is easy to set up and it has all those nifty features but I want to make sure that my animals thrive in my tank. I am also totally lost on what is the best way to produce a strong random current in the tank. I would at least like to be able to configure it to have a night time current, daytime current and slow down the current when I feed the animals. About the refugiums, I plan on using them to grow food for many of the animals as well as another source of biological filtration and I like the hang ons. Should I get the ones with the protein skimmer?
I read the articles on protein skimmer here and I am still confused on what type is best. I hear that berlin protein skimmers are pretty popular so I am thinking of going with one of those. Does what I am thinking about getting sound good so far. I can't think of everything I want to ask right now but if I have more I'll post them in this thread.
Books to read so I can daydream about my tank:
The Reef Aquarium Vol I
The Reef Aquarium Vol II
The Reef Aquarium Vol III
need more recommendations for books especially dealing with species of fish and types of coral and invertebrates
Tank:
300 gal. (96x24x30) Acrylic tank w/ built in overflow stand and canopy
320lbs. of live rock
4-6in Deep Sand Bed(DSB) containing live sand and a little oolitic sand
Equipment:
2x 48 inch Giesemann Moonlight Infiniti 2x250W HQI + 4x54W T5 Light Fixture 1432watts total which is about 5w per gal.
1x Euro-fil 360 acrylic Sump for tanks up to 360gal. 36 X 12.5 X 20
1x protein skimmer for sump (not at all sure what type to get or anything)
2x return pumps not sure what type or anything
1x chiller not sure what type or anything
I want my filtration system to look sorta like this http://www.vividaquariums.com/filterGeneral.asp
2x hang on refugiums am not sure if I should get them with a protein skimmer or not
1x Maxxima RO/DI 50GPD Unit
wavemaker am totally lost on
2x EBO-JAGER Aquarium Heater 250 watt (one placed on each end of the tank)
Quarantine tanks:
1x Aquapod 12gal. 54W compact fluorescent for fish
1x fission nano skimmer
1x 50w Hydro Theo heater
1x Hagen Thermometers w/ suction cup
1x Aquapod 24gal. 150W HQI Metal Halide for coral/invertebrates
1x fission nano protein skimmer
1x 100w Hydro Theo heater
1x Hagen Thermometers w/ suction cup
Species interested:
feeder shrimp
pistol shrimp
other shrimp
snail
reef cleaners
anemone (red bubble tip)
sand shifting star fish
variety of corals LPS, SPS, mushroom ( I really like bubble coral)
sponges
fan worms
urchins
Tridacna clams
Chromis
reef-safe wrasse
dartfish
gobies
jawfish
Pseudochromis
Anthias
2 tangs (1 powderblue and one more)
clownfish
What I am worried about the most is my lighting system. I am afraid there won't be enough light for the clams or anemone. I like how the lighting system I chose is easy to set up and it has all those nifty features but I want to make sure that my animals thrive in my tank. I am also totally lost on what is the best way to produce a strong random current in the tank. I would at least like to be able to configure it to have a night time current, daytime current and slow down the current when I feed the animals. About the refugiums, I plan on using them to grow food for many of the animals as well as another source of biological filtration and I like the hang ons. Should I get the ones with the protein skimmer?
I read the articles on protein skimmer here and I am still confused on what type is best. I hear that berlin protein skimmers are pretty popular so I am thinking of going with one of those. Does what I am thinking about getting sound good so far. I can't think of everything I want to ask right now but if I have more I'll post them in this thread.
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