Decisions, Decisions.

[moofish]

Hi guys!

I've only made a few posts on here.

I've been a member on several other sites for about 3 years but they keep just gradually dieing off. But I've been browsing around here for sometime.

 

Anywho.

 

I currently have a Nano Cube 12 DX.

It's been up for about 2 years.

 

I've done fish keeping since I was old enough to feed them it seems.

Within the last few years I really got into freshwater planted tanks. You know with the co2 injection daily ferts. And just garbage. It's a load of work.

All the while I've kept the basically low tech saltwater tank that has done just amazing. Since I've started saltwater I've only had one specimen die. Luck mabey, but i have to be doing something right.

Just recently I set up a 58 gallon show tank for my freshwater. It's been up about 6 months. And I just getting tired with it. It's always the same stuff. Same fish, same plants.

 

I was considering buying a new nano to quench my SW needs. but my brother being the one who got me into SW to begin with mentioned turning the 58 into SW.

After all It Is a 58 gallon Oceanic Saltwater tank. haha.

Plus this means I don't add another tank to the weekend chore list.

 

So, being as this would be my first large SW tank I decided to ask you guys.

 

First off I should say that as far a Water changes go, I'm pretty religious.

every weekend and I've only ever missed a few times.

But I would like to keep this pretty low maintenance.

 

I want to keep more than what in my current Nano DX.

I would like to step up a bit.

You know keep some different polyps, soft corals mabey clams. Not incredibly demanding things. But still a step up.

 

Right now I have a 96 watt custom light fixture from AH supply. And an Eheim 2217 classic filter with inline heater.

 

I know the light fixture isn't enough for saltwater.

But would I be able to use that filter? Doubtful I bet.

And I would probably be dumb to not get a protein skimmer right?

 

but do I really need a refuge? or a calcium reactor?

 

basically the idea behind this is to save money over buying an entire new nano system and just cut some cost by using what I already have.

 

what would I need for what I want to do?

any guesses on what I would end up paying to do this?

 

thanks

-matt

[Esper]

you definetely don't need a 'fuge to start, add one in a year or something if you want to. don't bother with a calcium reactor yet, either. ditto for the canister filter (although you could use it for brief periods to clean up the tank of particulates floating around).

 

protein skimmers make your life easier, but aren't necessary if you do water changes like you said. they remove a lot of what becomes food for corals (but also most of the waste that you want to get out). the protein skimmer is your main form of "automated" export (live rock is where the bacterial cycling occurs...not really export)

 

for lighting, save yourself the trouble and just get metal halides. PC's suck and most people really enjoy the shimmer. if you run a sandbed you might want to look at 250w, if you run barebottom & lots of flow then you can get by with 150w. either way you might want actinic supplementation. watch out, most people will suggest waaaaay more light than you need.

 

you haven't mention water flow....this is critical. look into the hydor koralia pumps at marinedepot or drsfostersmith (where i got mine)....they produce very random, wide currents, which are better than the jet-like currents of maxi-jets. good luck! go for it!

[Withers]

Ditto to everything said above, except that I would scratch the calcium reactor altogether. Unless you're planning on having an SPS dominant tank, I don't see how you would ever need to have a reactor. Dosing a2 part solution, or using a kalk reactor (much much cheaper) would be a better bet.

 

As far as a protein skimmer goes... on a 58, I'd highly recommend having a good one. It'll allow you to be lazier with water changes and it'll be good for the overall health of the tank. Are you planning on running a sump?