1st sw, 29gal with 10gal sump

[swnoobie]

been reading up on sw for awhile now..i have 4 fw tanks and i figured i would jump over to the sw side..yayy me

anyway..goin with a 29gal with 10gal sump

have 2 coralife t5 fixtures for lighting
koralia 1 for powerhead..may add another one
instant ocean salt
cc and sand for sand bed..will add live sand and rock when its filled and ready to go
10gal sump..4 chambers
little giant mag return pump..470gph
seaclone 100 skimmer..i know i know..thats all my budget can allow at this time
we still have to plumb everything for the sump and build a canopy before i can start filling with water
does it sound like im on the right path for a decent sw tank?
here are a few pics

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[IMG]http://i34.*******.com/2wc2kux.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i37.*******.com/j7rr0y.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://i37.*******.com/fogcr4.jpg[/IMG]

[matt880305]

look good to me but i would replace the bio balls with live rock. i always ask if you see bio balls floating in the ocean? and just to clear your veiw up alittle move that heater into the sump that way you dont have to look at it in the dt. one last thing you wont need any more flow so i would scratch that last koralia. but other then that good job for the first time.
Matt

[swnoobie]

Originally posted by matt880305
look good to me but i would replace the bio balls with live rock. i always ask if you see bio balls floating in the ocean? and just to clear your veiw up alittle move that heater into the sump that way you dont have to look at it in the dt. one last thing you wont need any more flow so i would scratch that last koralia. but other then that good job for the first time.
Matt

thanks for the quick reply
yeah i know about the heater..i just stuck in there after i cleaned it out..will be moved once everything is running
so what would i put in the first chamber then when taking bioballs out..i wouldnt think puttin rubble in there..or would i?

[ILoveReefer]

Lose the bio-balls, I think a small amount of rubble would work well in there, It is a somewhat high flow area. Other than that I think it looks pretty good. What do plan to keep in this tank?

[ILoveReefer]

Welcome to RC btw.

[xpxdx]

you def. want more than just a koralia 1 in there, i have 2 seio 620's in addition to a k1 and my return in my 29... and you can do better than the seaclone for a skimmer..

good luck..

[Bonneville08]

Which filtration method are you interested in? You still have some options on this. I think the rock or bioballs in this high flow area are going to create nitrate. The live rock in the tank filters by diffusion through the pores of the rock from aerobic to anoxic areas. High flow will not allow anoxic areas to form. Its not to late to do Berlin, Jaubert or Ecosystem methods. All three methods are worth looking into for nitrate free filtration. Take your time and do this right the first time. Your FW experience will serve you well, but this is a whole new ball game for filtration, lighting etc. I was in your position about eight years ago, and if your like me, you'll be looking at some soft corals soon. Start your aquarium like it will be a reef tank, and it will be easier to make it one. Good luck

[swnoobie]

thanks for the replies everyone..really appreciate it

as for the method of filtration..my buddy made the sump for me just like his on his 55gal..and his seems to be doing just fine..so i dunno..ill see how it does

as far as the seaclone skimmer..i know i can do better..but when you are on a small budget for the time being u get what u can while u can
and the same buddy mentioned above is using the same seaclone 100 on his 55 and its working just fine as well

there will be ls and lr in the sump eventually..so hopefully that will help me out as well

yes i do want to start with soft corals..i like shrooms and frogspawn
as far as fishies..2 clowns..royal gramma..maybe gobies..not sure yet tho
and also like to get a few cleaner shrimp along with the regular cuc that will be added

[royaldude]

Hi, As for the seaclone, when you get a chance to replace it you should. Until that time there is a thread on here with called "help for sea clone users" it has some mods and you can google some other upgrades/mods for the sea clone which may increase the performance of the skimmer.

[BeesGoneWild]

Before messing with the seaclone skimmer test it out first. Not every seaclone is a waste, just the majority of them. I got lucky with mine, it runs better then some remora's ive seen.

[customcolor]

i would remove the filter pad too unless you plan on cleaning it every 3 days. it will fill up with junk and the junk will decay and reaise your nitrates faster. just like a filter sock if you dont clean it on a regular basis

[swnoobie]

thanks i will deff. check out the mods for the seaclone

customcolor..take out the filter pads? thats just gonna let more junk goto my return pump and back up to the dt.
and not to mention clogging up my return pump filter..its not a big deal to clean a filter pad every few days..only take a few mins to do that

[Johnny C]

looks like a good setup... good luck & welcome to RC!