jakepen Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 I've been browsing the forum, trying to find a thread that has it all. I want to be able to read a thread, than set up a tank (theoretically). If that thread is pinned out there, or just known, please let me know. Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 I've been browsing the forum, trying to find a thread that has it all. I want to be able to read a thread, than set up a tank (theoretically). If that thread is pinned out there, or just known, please let me know. This will get you heading in the right direction but this is a hobby where lots and lots of patience and research will pay off in the long the run. The thread I linked you 11 years old but it has lots of good information to help you get started. There are many things to consider before setting up your tank such as: size, filtration method, livestock compatibility, lighting, etc and it would be in your best interest to spend a few days researching the many aspects of reef keeping and understanding what setup would work best for you and your budget. Link to comment
jakepen Posted February 2, 2016 Author Share Posted February 2, 2016 This will get you heading in the right direction but this is a hobby where lots and lots of patience and research will pay off in the long the run. The thread I linked you 11 years old but it has lots of good information to help you get started. There are many things to consider before setting up your tank such as: size, filtration method, livestock compatibility, lighting, etc and it would be in your best interest to spend a few days researching the many aspects of reef keeping and understanding what setup would work best for you and your budget. Thank you. I have an idea, fusion 30l, looking at Kessil lighting system. Have a couple other ideas, just not educated enough to begin. Or even know where to begin ha. Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Thank you. I have an idea, fusion 30l, looking at Kessil lighting system. Have a couple other ideas, just not educated enough to begin. Or even know where to begin ha. The best way to go about it is to decide what your goal is for the tank and then you can research what would be required to create that environment. For example, when I upgraded my 29g to a 75g my goal was to be able to keep mainly SPS corals while being able to only do water changes once a month yet still have pristine water conditions. So far for the first month I have accomplished this yet what is important is whether or not I can maintain this for years to come. Link to comment
rturiak Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Do lots and lots of research on here and other websites and YouTube. Learn what alk, calcium, and magnesium are in the reef tank and how they correlate. Understand PH and specific gravity. Know the difference between live rock and dry rock, live sand and regular sand. Know what a cycle is and how ammonia converts to nitrite to nitrate, what phosphates are and how to control them and what causes them. Link to comment
fishfreak0114 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Reading members build threads, even just the first bit, is a good way to see how different people have set up there tanks for different livestock goals. Link to comment
chipmunkofdoom2 Posted February 2, 2016 Share Posted February 2, 2016 Thank you. I have an idea, fusion 30l, looking at Kessil lighting system. Have a couple other ideas, just not educated enough to begin. Or even know where to begin ha. I can sympathize. I knew I wanted to set up a reef aquarium when I was younger, but I hadn't started my research until I actually had the money. My head was spinning in short order, believe me. As counter intuitive as it may sound, the one thing I would keep in mind in this hobby is that there are no hard and fast rules. There are certain principles to which all reef tanks must adhere, such as basic water chemistry parameters (salinity, pH, calcium and alkalinity, etc). But, the way in which you meet those principles varies based on your equipment, your livestock, your budget and time constraints, and so on. Additionally, some methods in which you meet the basic principles on one tank may not translate well to others. There are accounts on the Internet of coral-only pico reefs (< 3 gallons) that are sustained by near 100% water changes per week. This takes care of excess nutrients while maintaining water chemistry. This, however, would not work for a 100+ gallon reef with many fish, corals and mobile invertebrates. The sheer act of mixing that much saltwater becomes nontrivial, never mind the cost of the water and the salt mix. It's much more cost effective for large tanks to filter the water better and to dose minerals that are absorbed by the tank inhabitants. That's an extreme example, but I feel it illustrates the diversity of methods by which hobbyists can maintain tanks. Another more realistic example is around the method of nutrient export. There are many ways to get excess nutrients out of your tank. Some people choose to do water changes more frequently than is the norm. Others skim heavily. Some people choose to go a more natural approach and simply rely on plants like chaetomorpha: these plants use the nutrients as food, then you can remove the excess algae that grows as a result, effectively removing the nutrients. Some people do all three of these. Very seldom do you find someone doing only one, or none, but in some cases that's the best solution for the tank. I would try to forget the notion of a checklist of simple steps or procedures to do for guaranteed success. What works for others may not work for you, and what works for you may not work for others. It all depends on many factors that are hard to quantify with any certainty. I would start by finding tanks that you like (the Featured Tanks section on this site is a great place to start). See what these hobbyists do to maintain their tanks. Learn about the equipment they use and how often they test or perform maintenance. When you see a word or term you don't understand, Google it. Keep Googling until you can understand everything that these people do to keep their tanks in good running order. This will get you up to speed on the current methods of keeping a reef tank. Also familiarize yourself with common water quality parameters, as well as common problems and how to solve them. TL;DR: read as much as you can, and take it slow. Nothing good happens fast in a reef tank! Link to comment
jakepen Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 Thanks for the replies, and reassurance guys. I Know how expensive this hobby can be. So I'm going to start keeping an eye out for some hardware. Mp10 is a definite, also considering starting with a Kessil 360w. I plan on purchasing a fusion 30l, would the 360w work over the tank? Link to comment
Rural Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Thanks for the replies, and reassurance guys. I Know how expensive this hobby can be. So I'm going to start keeping an eye out for some hardware. Mp10 is a definite, also considering starting with a Kessil 360w. I plan on purchasing a fusion 30l, would the 360w work over the tank? check out my thread, mine is from day 1! make sure to read advanced aquarist and be skeptic of the "research" people report on forums... at best they are very limited application case reports that cannot be externally validated. Link to comment
Simulated Fish Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 I've been browsing the forum, trying to find a thread that has it all. I want to be able to read a thread, than set up a tank (theoretically). If that thread is pinned out there, or just known, please let me know. Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Thanks for the replies, and reassurance guys. I Know how expensive this hobby can be. So I'm going to start keeping an eye out for some hardware. Mp10 is a definite, also considering starting with a Kessil 360w. I plan on purchasing a fusion 30l, would the 360w work over the tank? If your willing to spend that much for a light I would look into NanoBox. It's a really great LED and has tons of features plus Dave is very supportive on this site. Not to mention the kessil is more for penetration of a deeper tank. Link to comment
jakepen Posted February 3, 2016 Author Share Posted February 3, 2016 If your willing to spend that much for a light I would look into NanoBox. It's a really great LED and has tons of features plus Dave is very supportive on this site. Not to mention the kessil is more for penetration of a deeper tank. Haven't heard of it. Who makes it, also does it have enough spread for a 30inch tank? Link to comment
Simulated Fish Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Haven't heard of it. Who makes it, also does it have enough spread for a 30inch tank? http://www.nano-reef.com/forum/169-nano-box-reef/ Dave is a member and sponsor here. His work is amazing and I have never seen a negative comment about his lights. If I didn't have a baby boy I would have bought one without a second thought but I am a super budget reefer Link to comment
fishfreak0114 Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 If your willing to spend that much for a light I would look into NanoBox. It's a really great LED and has tons of features plus Dave is very supportive on this site. Not to mention the kessil is more for penetration of a deeper tank. I just got a nanobox retro, not installed yet but I am really impressed with the quality of it already. Very well put together and Dave is very helpful Link to comment
CronicReefer Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 Haven't heard of it. Who makes it, also does it have enough spread for a 30inch tank? As others have said it is made by a great sponsor of this site. You will be looking to get something like this light here. I do realize it's about 50% more than the Kessil but if your going to buy a pure LED light I think the NanoBox is the way to go right now. Link to comment
chipmunkofdoom2 Posted February 3, 2016 Share Posted February 3, 2016 If your willing to spend that much for a light I would look into NanoBox. It's a really great LED and has tons of features plus Dave is very supportive on this site. Not to mention the kessil is more for penetration of a deeper tank. +1. The Nanobox LED boards use some quality diodes, and especially if you're into a little DIY, the value cannot be beat for what you're getting. As for coverage over a Fusion 30L, I don't know how well one LED light of any kind is going to cover that tank. I'll admit, my LED knowledge may be a bit dated, but the tank in question is three feet long. It's going to be difficult to find a single pendant of any type of lighting (aside from maybe MH or T5s) that covers the whole thing. Link to comment
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