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new setup advice...


nickos

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Hi All!

 

Im new here, Nick 28 Leicester, kept tropical a few years back but no marine experience.

 

Basically ive been given a bare 60L tank thats been used for tropical, tropical fish seem to be quite boring and have no personality so ive decided to use the tank for marine.

 

Ive done quite a lot of extensive reading over the last week, noted all the pros and cons and decided to go ahead with a 60L nano but am just after a few pointers.

 

So with a 60L tank im looking at around 7-8kg of rock and 10kg live sand.

 

Ive managed to pick up a powerhead off ebay.

 

Ive ordered a Eheim Jager 75w heater, refractometer and an API saltwater master test kit.

 

Ive looked at an external filter, is this necessary or will the bio filter from the rock and water changes be enough? http://tinyurl.com/extfilter

 

My LFS, maidenhead aquatics in leicester, sell premixed saltwater at 25p a litre which i will use for the initial setup as its sold with an SG 1.023 and i will purchase an RO unit soon.

 

My question is, have i missed anything??

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Hi All!

Welcome to Nano-Reef.com! Do you plan to keep coral in addition to fish?

 

seriously? 46 views and no one has a view?

Sometimes you just have to be a little patient. ;)

 

So with a 60L tank im looking at around 7-8kg of rock and 10kg live sand.

So just under 16 gallons with about 1lb of rock per gallon. I usually determine the depth of sand (about an inch is typically what I shoot for).

 

Ive ordered a Eheim Jager 75w heater, refractometer and an API saltwater master test kit.

Not a bad test kit for those tests; however, don't purchase their phosphate kit (as it's a high range kit and not appropriate for reef tanks). However, I would still get a good low range phosphate kit. Once you add hard corals (and/or get coralline algae), you will also need to monitor calcium and alkalinity. If you find that you need to dose alkalinity and calcium, then you'll need to monitor magnesium as well.

 

Ive looked at an external filter, is this necessary or will the bio filter from the rock and water changes be enough?

It isn't absolutely necessary, but having a power filter can be handy. It provides another source of flow, allows you to use floss (for a mechanical filter), and gives you a place for chemical media (like Seachem SeaGel).

 

My LFS, maidenhead aquatics in leicester, sell premixed saltwater at 25p a litre which i will use for the initial setup as its sold with an SG 1.023 and i will purchase an RO unit soon.

That specific gravity is fine for fish, but corals will do better at 1.025 to 1.026. If possible, consider getting a RO/DI unit so you can make your own water.

 

My question is, have i missed anything?

There always seems to be something. Do you have a light that's suitable for a reef tank?

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I'd say you're in pretty good shape with what you have so far. If you want to run a hang on back filter i'd recommend ordering a aqua clear 70 or 110 if you can get your hands on one, form there you could make into a small refugium or just run some filter media like chemi pure elite and some filter floss.

 

You technically could run the tank filter-less if you keep up on water changes but depending on what type of water movement and how you plan to stock the tank, i'd just have a aqua clear filter to help with filtration if it was me though. Also have you thought about a light?

 

Welcome to Nano-Reef btw!

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