Need A Little Advice....

bbailey231 · 12/29/2014, 09:41 AM

I haven't had a saltwater tank in quite a few years and need a little advice.

I have just set up a 100 Gal tank using live sand and saltwater from a previously established tank. Added about 100 pounds of rock (about 1/2 live and 1/2 base). I want to eventually be able to use this as a reef tank and not just fish.

What I need help with is equipment...testing equipment, monitors, etc. I would like to buy an RO unit, electronic monitoring/testing equipment, possibly auto dosing or whatever else there might be that would help me in maintaining my tank properly. Unfortunately, I don't know what different equipment there is and what would be decent.

Would someone mind giving me a few pointers on these different types of equipment? Much thanks!

FraggledRock · 12/29/2014, 09:52 AM

Welcome back!

I would start with gettin a good test kit. Red Sea or ELOS. (API is not as consistent).

I also use an Iphone App called IAquarium to log my test results. I have tried a few this is the only one that has an easy to follow table format to vertically analyze parameter shift.
http://www.apppicker.com/apps/862340738/iaquarium-pro

Are you drilling the tank/ is it drilled for overflow? How many holes? I personally have a Bean Animal Overflow and wouldnt have it ANY other way. it is almost guaranteed fail-safe(nothing is 100%) and easy to setup.
http://www.beananimal.com/projects/s...ow-system.aspx

APEX by Neptune Systems is a great electronic monitoring and electronics management controller.
https://www.neptunesystems.com/

bbailey231 · 12/29/2014, 10:03 AM

Yes, the tank is already drilled (2 holes)...one hose goes to the 37 gal sump, the other to the pump. I have a huge protein skimmer and appropriate LED lighting etc. I got everything for the tank, except the testing supplies and live stock.

FraggledRock · 12/29/2014, 10:07 AM

I trust the ELOS kits and my LFS which is Manhattan Aquariums/Ny Aquarium Service (http://www.manhattanaquariums.com/) also use them as their main testing tools.
http://www.elos.eu/productlines/test.../products.html

For corals you if you are far from Manhattan (I don't see a location for you)

visit:
http://www.uniquecorals.com

whosurcaddie · 12/29/2014, 10:09 AM

Do you have a sump and does your tank have an overflow because that makes a big difference in the kind of equipment you will be buying. If it doesn't have an overflow I would recommend using a hang on back and installing a sump. The type of equipment that you can install in a sump is always of higher quality than what hangs on the back.

skimmer should be your next decision. Get the best skimmer you can afford that's rated for twice the size of your tank.

Next thing should be lighting This is far to broad a subject to explain in this post so I would do some reading in the lighting section of the forums.

For testing I use Salifert testing kits nothing else to me is as accurate or easy to use. They are a little pricey but I'm ok with it because I know I am getting an accurate reading.

Dosing pumps can handle dosing for you. I do everything by hand but a lot of people like to have it automated. There's units like this http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-2-...er-minute.html that will handle a single chemical for you but they also make units that will dose everything you intend to add.

Next... Water flow this is dependent on what you intend to keep if its a soft coral only tank anywhere between 35 to 40X turnover is what your looking for. Thats how many gallons your powerheads will output in an hour. So say wanted 35x turnover in 100 gallons you would need your powerheads total output to be 3500 gph. If you want lps 55x turnover and sps dominate you want as much flow as possible sky is the limit. If it were me I would start with two rw-8's from jebao and work up from there once you decide on what you like and want to keep. https://www.reefbreeders.com/shop/jebao-rw-8/ There are more expensive pumps on the market like the ecotech pumpshttp://ecotechmarine.com/products/vortech. For my money though the RW line is hard to beat.

Another thing to look for is a reactor but its not a deal breaker its not mandatory but it can help with lowering phosphates for algae control.

Last thing is a controller again not a necessity but you listed monitoring equipment so I would look into the Apex controller. It can control and automate almost every part of your reef including lighting dosing too many to list but I would give it a look.

Good luck man and welcome to Reef Central.

Shawn O · 12/29/2014, 10:27 AM

With one drain and one return you are running a high risk of flooding your house, unless the drain line is 3~4x the diameter of your return line, which is not likely. Best to drill a couple more holes for overflow drains before you fill it with livestock. Check out the threads here on the Bean Animal and Durso systems, I believe they're in the D.I.Y. forum.

FraggledRock · 12/29/2014, 10:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Shawn O

With one drain and one return you are running a high risk of flooding your house, unless the drain line is 3~4x the diameter of your return line, which is not likely. Best to drill a couple more holes for overflow drains before you fill it with livestock. Check out the threads here on the Bean Animal and Durso systems, I believe they're in the D.I.Y. forum.

I linked him to that thread up top =)

whosurcaddie · 12/29/2014, 10:31 AM

For an RO system this is IMO the best unit for the money. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-4-...m-75gpd-1.html It has a flush valve, pressure gauge, auto shutoff and pre and post DI tds meter. Units with all these extra features usually run in the 250$ range.

bbailey231 · 12/29/2014, 10:41 AM

I REALLY appreciate all the great input and help!

The drain is at least 3-4x the size of the return. BTW, I'm a "her"

12/29/2014, 09:41 AM	#1
bbailey231 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 3	Need A Little Advice.... I haven't had a saltwater tank in quite a few years and need a little advice. I have just set up a 100 Gal tank using live sand and saltwater from a previously established tank. Added about 100 pounds of rock (about 1/2 live and 1/2 base). I want to eventually be able to use this as a reef tank and not just fish. What I need help with is equipment...testing equipment, monitors, etc. I would like to buy an RO unit, electronic monitoring/testing equipment, possibly auto dosing or whatever else there might be that would help me in maintaining my tank properly. Unfortunately, I don't know what different equipment there is and what would be decent. Would someone mind giving me a few pointers on these different types of equipment? Much thanks!

12/29/2014, 09:52 AM	#2
FraggledRock Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: New York, New York Posts: 2,185	Welcome back! I would start with gettin a good test kit. Red Sea or ELOS. (API is not as consistent). I also use an Iphone App called IAquarium to log my test results. I have tried a few this is the only one that has an easy to follow table format to vertically analyze parameter shift. http://www.apppicker.com/apps/862340738/iaquarium-pro Are you drilling the tank/ is it drilled for overflow? How many holes? I personally have a Bean Animal Overflow and wouldnt have it ANY other way. it is almost guaranteed fail-safe(nothing is 100%) and easy to setup. http://www.beananimal.com/projects/s...ow-system.aspx APEX by Neptune Systems is a great electronic monitoring and electronics management controller. https://www.neptunesystems.com/ __________________ “For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it.”― Jacques-Yves Cousteau MarineBio.org Current Tank Info: 40 Gallon Breeder w/ Bean Animal Overflow 20G Sump, Mixed Reef.

12/29/2014, 10:07 AM	#4
FraggledRock Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: New York, New York Posts: 2,185	I trust the ELOS kits and my LFS which is Manhattan Aquariums/Ny Aquarium Service (http://www.manhattanaquariums.com/) also use them as their main testing tools. http://www.elos.eu/productlines/test.../products.html For corals you if you are far from Manhattan (I don't see a location for you) visit: http://www.uniquecorals.com __________________ “For most of history, man has had to fight nature to survive; in this century he is beginning to realize that, in order to survive, he must protect it.”― Jacques-Yves Cousteau MarineBio.org Current Tank Info: 40 Gallon Breeder w/ Bean Animal Overflow 20G Sump, Mixed Reef.

12/29/2014, 10:03 AM	#3
bbailey231 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 3	Yes, the tank is already drilled (2 holes)...one hose goes to the 37 gal sump, the other to the pump. I have a huge protein skimmer and appropriate LED lighting etc. I got everything for the tank, except the testing supplies and live stock.

12/29/2014, 10:09 AM	#5
whosurcaddie Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,354	Do you have a sump and does your tank have an overflow because that makes a big difference in the kind of equipment you will be buying. If it doesn't have an overflow I would recommend using a hang on back and installing a sump. The type of equipment that you can install in a sump is always of higher quality than what hangs on the back. skimmer should be your next decision. Get the best skimmer you can afford that's rated for twice the size of your tank. Next thing should be lighting This is far to broad a subject to explain in this post so I would do some reading in the lighting section of the forums. For testing I use Salifert testing kits nothing else to me is as accurate or easy to use. They are a little pricey but I'm ok with it because I know I am getting an accurate reading. Dosing pumps can handle dosing for you. I do everything by hand but a lot of people like to have it automated. There's units like this http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-2-...er-minute.html that will handle a single chemical for you but they also make units that will dose everything you intend to add. Next... Water flow this is dependent on what you intend to keep if its a soft coral only tank anywhere between 35 to 40X turnover is what your looking for. Thats how many gallons your powerheads will output in an hour. So say wanted 35x turnover in 100 gallons you would need your powerheads total output to be 3500 gph. If you want lps 55x turnover and sps dominate you want as much flow as possible sky is the limit. If it were me I would start with two rw-8's from jebao and work up from there once you decide on what you like and want to keep. https://www.reefbreeders.com/shop/jebao-rw-8/ There are more expensive pumps on the market like the ecotech pumpshttp://ecotechmarine.com/products/vortech. For my money though the RW line is hard to beat. Another thing to look for is a reactor but its not a deal breaker its not mandatory but it can help with lowering phosphates for algae control. Last thing is a controller again not a necessity but you listed monitoring equipment so I would look into the Apex controller. It can control and automate almost every part of your reef including lighting dosing too many to list but I would give it a look. Good luck man and welcome to Reef Central.

12/29/2014, 10:27 AM	#6
Shawn O Registered Member Join Date: May 2014 Location: People's Communist Republic of Massachusetts Posts: 1,474	With one drain and one return you are running a high risk of flooding your house, unless the drain line is 3~4x the diameter of your return line, which is not likely. Best to drill a couple more holes for overflow drains before you fill it with livestock. Check out the threads here on the Bean Animal and Durso systems, I believe they're in the D.I.Y. forum.

12/29/2014, 10:31 AM	#8
whosurcaddie Registered Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 2,354	For an RO system this is IMO the best unit for the money. http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-4-...m-75gpd-1.html It has a flush valve, pressure gauge, auto shutoff and pre and post DI tds meter. Units with all these extra features usually run in the 250$ range.

12/29/2014, 10:41 AM	#9
bbailey231 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 3	I REALLY appreciate all the great input and help! The drain is at least 3-4x the size of the return. BTW, I'm a "her"