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Introduction from a Fluval Edge 46L owner


pratishk

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Hi all,

So I have had a Freshwater Aquarium for a little while now and am about to make the jump over to a Saltwater reef aquarium.

I will be converting my Fluval Edge 46Litre FW tank into Saltwater and going to go for a nano-reef set up.

I have just spent all of Sunday reading through forums here and on other sites - so want to say thanks already for the great threads, advice and more importantly pictures to motivate me through my research.

I will be cleaning my tank up in the next few weeks - no fish, but a fair bit of algae to get rid of, as I have just left it running fishless for a few weeks as not had time to clean it up.

I thought it best to clean up once I get some of the things I need, eg sand/salt/etc

I am about to order the following, so any advice over the next few days before I do take the plunge would be helpful!

What I already have:
Fluval Edge 46Litre
Fluval's standard filter system for the Edge
Fluval's standard LED lighting for the Edge
Fluval 50W Heater
Sand as the substrate
And old driftwood as decoration

What I intend to Order:
D&D portable Refractometer
Fluval Sea Marine Salt
Fluval Sea Epoxy
CaribSea Arag-Alive Hawaiian Black Sand
Hydor-Koralia Nano Evolution 900 powerhead and pump

I can get all the above from Charterhouse Aquatics - used them before and like them here in the UK.

Questions:
1. Is the 900 powerhead enough - do I need to go for the 1600 for future proofing? I only have a 12G/46Litre tank

2. Lighting - I know I have to fork out for better lighting - but I thought I can get away with it for a little while whilst I still have to cycle the tank again, etc I know direct sunlight is bad for the tank - I need to move mine - as in the new flat I moved into - in the evenings - it gets a massive dose of direct sunlight - which also leads to high temperatures! Hope to move the tank to a more shaded spot and so will remove that risk. But does daylight affect corals and reefs?

3. Filtering - am I right in that I do not need the HOB filter from Fluval Edge anymore - ie the biogical/carbon and mechanic filters, or is it useful to keep just the mechanical and carbon filters going? I thought it would just allow another form of water flow - and possibly I can use it to add any other filter or maybe skimming unit in there in the future if I need to? Still learning about this side of things from the threads.

4. Temperature - what is the optimum temperature for a saltwater tanks (in Celsius please?) - same as tropical? Does not really say anywhere!

5. Any comments/thoughts on what I intend to order? or my plans..?


Thanks all,

PK

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Hello and welcome.

 

 

Most ppl who have no sump choose to use a hob filter to run filter floss, carbon, and when/if needed phosphate removing media.

 

Liverock is the biological filteration, you need about 1-1.5 lbs per gallon for your system.

 

Driftwood in a reef tank is not a good idea. It alters ph, has a tendancy to brown/yellow the water, and it breaks down in time, making a mess. It also softens the water which will lead to calcium and magnesium issues.

 

I have the black sand in one tank and fiji pink in the other, fyi: the black is a larger grain and detritus gets trapped. I vacuum my sand everyweek and its still traps alot of stuff.

 

Lighting. During cycling you need no lighting on at all- it will just aid in algae growth.

If you want corals the light will need to be upgraded if fish only than you're fine.

 

An aquarium near a window will cause not only temp fluctuations but additional algae issues. I have mine near a window but its closed and blacked out with blackout curtains. No additional light on the tank.

 

Temp should be between 78-80f which is 25-26c is best and stable temp is important.

 

You will need ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate tests to start to monitor the cycle.

 

Do a lot of research

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