advise needed from newbie tank setup.

Hi Bro&Sis,

Below is the tank setup that i just purchase. And planned to buy equipment. Appreciate if you can give some pointer on my setup, equipment and things to buy as i cant figure out out to use....lolz.

Tank set 4x2x2 overflow system with an 3x1.5x1.5 sump

RO/DI for fresh water topup an etc.

Return pump - Aqua medic OR2500
Protiein skimmer - Deltec SC1350 internal
Chiller - Hailea HC 300A

Intent to buy or must buy

Mix salt, theres price different on market any to reckon?

Live sand and rock.

Refractometer which brand will u recommend?

Also any idea what's the different between brand to brand for kh, calcium and magnesium test kit?

Once tank are ready what i had in mind was some mushroom rock to act as an indicater for my water quality. Should i?

Apologies if i'm being to long winded this is the last thing i had to say.

Intend to have an juvenile emperor angel. I had no idea what fish should i keep....lolz.

Regard
Art

Opps double post Mod please help close thread.

Thank alot

Regard
Art

[KaLiB]

Welcome to the salty side of the fishingkeeping hobby. You can have a look at this thread to gain an overall understanding of this hobby.

A 4x2x2 with sump is a good size tank to start off with as it gives you many choices.

Are you planning for a fish with liverock or a reef tank? What you need to buy would depend on the type of setup you have in mind.

If its a fish with liverock setup, you don't need a chiller. If its a reef tank, you need to have a chiller as well as suitable lights. You can look into using either LEDs or High output T5s.

For saltmix, I'm just using coralife & redsea brand salts. Their cheap and good IMO. If your really particular about the quality and composition of the saltmix, there are more costly brands like Tropic Marin.

Unless your really particular about the specific gravity of the water, it isn't necessary to get a refractometer. A hydrometer from the LFS would usually be sufficient.

The main difference is usually the accuracy of the test kit. Salifert brand is the popular choice amongst hobbyists.

The most accurate indicator of water quality would be to either use testkits(Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, Calcium, kH, Magnesium) or eletronic equipment like pH pens or probes. It is not recommended to use livestock as a test of water quality.

For a 4x2x2, you can keep an emperor angelfish but it has to be the last fish to be introduced into the tank. If it is introduced first, it can take over the tank and make it impossible to introduce new fish. You can have a look at this thread to get some ideas of the other possible choices.

Originally Posted by KaLiB

Welcome to the salty side of the fishingkeeping hobby. You can have a look at this thread to gain an overall understanding of this hobby.

A 4x2x2 with sump is a good size tank to start off with as it gives you many choices.

Are you planning for a fish with liverock or a reef tank? What you need to buy would depend on the type of setup you have in mind.

If its a fish with liverock setup, you don't need a chiller. If its a reef tank, you need to have a chiller as well as suitable lights. You can look into using either LEDs or High output T5s.

For saltmix, I'm just using coralife & redsea brand salts. Their cheap and good IMO. If your really particular about the quality and composition of the saltmix, there are more costly brands like Tropic Marin.

Unless your really particular about the specific gravity of the water, it isn't necessary to get a refractometer. A hydrometer from the LFS would usually be sufficient.

The main difference is usually the accuracy of the test kit. Salifert brand is the popular choice amongst hobbyists.

The most accurate indicator of water quality would be to either use testkits(Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, pH, Calcium, kH, Magnesium) or eletronic equipment like pH pens or probes. It is not recommended to use livestock as a test of water quality.

For a 4x2x2, you can keep an emperor angelfish but it has to be the last fish to be introduced into the tank. If it is introduced first, it can take over the tank and make it impossible to introduce new fish. You can have a look at this thread to get some ideas of the other possible choices.

Hi KaLib, thanks for the advise and thread link.

I was thinking of putting some mushroom coral (do i need to use chiller if not my chiller will be sitting around for good) with live sand and rock and maybe just 1 or 2 fish inthe tank. So beside have an angel i got no ideal what to have. Anyway is this consider an reef setup or? Do i need to use

Think i wil get both hydrometer and refactometer and also an ph monitor.

As for lighting, its always an big problem for me. On choosing the right light for my setup. Is there any formula for me to calculate or an rough gauge on light out put?

Once again Thanks.

Regard
Art

[wenzhong]

If u going to setup a reef tank(means tank with lots of coral）is better to invest a chiller.. But if u intend to keep angels.. It might eat yur corals.. I think u better invest a OR3500.. Or2500 is not enough... And if can invest a deltec APF 600 will be better... Since wht u write are using all high end staff,, why don't u invest a Artica or Teco chiller??? Will ensure u that u will safe more electric bill.. Hope u understand my simple English...

Originally Posted by wenzhong

If u going to setup a reef tank(means tank with lots of coral）is better to invest a chiller.. But if u intend to keep angels.. It might eat yur corals.. I think u better invest a OR3500.. Or2500 is not enough... And if can invest a deltec APF 600 will be better... Since wht u write are using all high end staff,, why don't u invest a Artica or Teco chiller??? Will ensure u that u will safe more electric bill.. Hope u understand my simple English...

woh... nvr knw i marine tank needs and high out put from pump to skimmer. change an bigger pump wont cost too much but getting another set of bigger skimmer and chiller is gonna killing bro...lolz. but thats recommended by u all, there's always an reson behind. deltec APF 600 is an external or internal skimmer? what horsepower for chiller will u recommend?

Regard
Art

[wenzhong]

Originally Posted by Arthur Lim

woh... nvr knw i marine tank needs and high out put from pump to skimmer. change an bigger pump wont cost too much but getting another set of bigger skimmer and chiller is gonna killing bro...lolz. but thats recommended by u all, there's always an reson behind. deltec APF 600 is an external or internal skimmer? what horsepower for chiller will u recommend?

Regard
Art

For me,,, is better to be over kill... Singaporean may... He he... The APF 600 can be put external or internal provided yur sump got space... And last time when I kept marine, use to have a resun CL650.. in the end upgrade to DIY air-con compressor for my reef and is 1000 BTU due to the noise from the chiller,and I oso can't believe I save $50 per month on electric bill.. Think 1/2 hose power will do... Why I am using high end staff is bec it can last longer and their power consumption will be more accurate..

[KaLiB]

Just mushrooms + live sand + rock isn't quite considered a reef setup. A setup is typically considered a reef setup where there's a community of fishes and a variety of soft & hard corals.

Choosing the right light setup would depend greatly on the type of setup that you have in mind. For example, a fish with liverock setup, you can get away with simple fluoroscent tubes(1 or 2 tubes would do). A setup with soft corals would typically need more light, like 2x54W T5s. Hard corals would need even more light, like 4x54W T5s or even 6x54W T5s for small polyp stony corals.

You can have a look at this site for some ideas of marine fishes. It depends on your interest, whether you want just 1 or 2 large specimens in the tank or a community of fish. Large angels can be kept in a 4x2x2 but they are likely to nip at your corals and you might have aggression issues due to the tank size if mixed with other smaller fish.

looks like i will go for just live sand and rock plus afew fish for now. gotta wait till i get better skimmer and chiller. than will slowly go in to corals.

bro, Wenzhong your hardcore! diy your own chiller. i dont think i wannatry something like that. but i might wanna DIY my own LED lighting.

Thanks bro KaLid, that site was of great help.

also i notice ppl mix their light with blue color too. any particular reaason? or just better presentation?

any site or link that can give me indepth calculation or reading for recommended light for different setup?

appreciate for the much help.

Regard
Art

[KaLiB]

Your welcome.

Mixing blue with the light servers two purposes, first it provides the blue colours of the light spectrum as well as help to bring out the colours of the fish and invertebrates in the aquarium.

You can have a look at this two sites for information on marine aquarium lighting.

Site 1 and Site 2. Althought pretty old, the information on provided in the reefs.org link is pretty detailed and in depth.