New guy, advice appreciated...

frayedend · 08/07/2014, 06:24 AM

Hi,

I just recently bought a 90 Gallon aquarium and stand for a great deal. I plan to make a reef aquarium eventually. I've done some research online and on another forum but it's not super active. Anyhow, I have a BS in Biology. I understand water chemistry fairly well. I did have a salt water years ago but it didn't last because I didn't have the time.

I've drilled my tank for 2 X 1" bulkheads, one at each end. I debated drilling a 3rd for the return but decided to go over the top for the return. I plan to use pvc to make an overflow pipe connecting the 2 returns, with a cut along the pipe. I am currently looking in to sump options and hoping I can find a 40 gallon to turn in to a sump, or another suitable used sump. I am also looking for a good deal on a protein skimmer.

My plan is a FOWLR to start and move toward reef. In researching fish I like mostly semi-aggressive species. But my wife wants a clown and anemone as well so I need stuff that will be reef safe and fairly safe for the inverts I have before corals as well (CUC, anemone).

Any advice is welcome!

thegrun · 08/07/2014, 07:05 AM

Welcome to Reef Central! Keep up the research and always feel free to get a second or third opinion here before you make any decisions, it may save you money and grief in the long run. The clown(s) don't need an anemone to host in, but if your wife wants the anemone be careful on your fish selection. Many of the semi-aggressive fish are messy and inefficient eaters (they produce a lot of waste) and anemones require pristine and stable water conditions (along with high intensity lighting), so you may need to stock your tank lightly as far as fish goes to keep the water quality high.

aquaticaddict · 08/07/2014, 07:16 AM

Welcome to Reef central. Try Petco they sometimes have that $1 a gallon sale going on you can get a 40g breeder for $40. Just about any other question you have can be answered here by members or searching in the archives of old post. This place is a wealth of information and has helped me tremendously just reading other posts.

08/07/2014, 06:24 AM	#1
frayedend Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2014 Posts: 6	New guy, advice appreciated... Hi, I just recently bought a 90 Gallon aquarium and stand for a great deal. I plan to make a reef aquarium eventually. I've done some research online and on another forum but it's not super active. Anyhow, I have a BS in Biology. I understand water chemistry fairly well. I did have a salt water years ago but it didn't last because I didn't have the time. I've drilled my tank for 2 X 1" bulkheads, one at each end. I debated drilling a 3rd for the return but decided to go over the top for the return. I plan to use pvc to make an overflow pipe connecting the 2 returns, with a cut along the pipe. I am currently looking in to sump options and hoping I can find a 40 gallon to turn in to a sump, or another suitable used sump. I am also looking for a good deal on a protein skimmer. My plan is a FOWLR to start and move toward reef. In researching fish I like mostly semi-aggressive species. But my wife wants a clown and anemone as well so I need stuff that will be reef safe and fairly safe for the inverts I have before corals as well (CUC, anemone). Any advice is welcome!

08/07/2014, 07:16 AM	#3
aquaticaddict Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2014 Posts: 98	Welcome to Reef central. Try Petco they sometimes have that $1 a gallon sale going on you can get a 40g breeder for $40. Just about any other question you have can be answered here by members or searching in the archives of old post. This place is a wealth of information and has helped me tremendously just reading other posts. __________________ -75G SW FOWLR-30G SW Reef tank-55G FW Planted community -55G FW Semi planted community-30G FW corner tank 1 Oscar -10G FW driftwood & pond minnows-95G outdoor pond goldfish & turtles

08/07/2014, 07:05 AM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Welcome to Reef Central! Keep up the research and always feel free to get a second or third opinion here before you make any decisions, it may save you money and grief in the long run. The clown(s) don't need an anemone to host in, but if your wife wants the anemone be careful on your fish selection. Many of the semi-aggressive fish are messy and inefficient eaters (they produce a lot of waste) and anemones require pristine and stable water conditions (along with high intensity lighting), so you may need to stock your tank lightly as far as fish goes to keep the water quality high.