25g cube - first reef -- Help!!

DeepDiverKohTao · 01/30/2014, 02:36 PM

Hey guys, I have been following several forums for roughly 6 months now.. The descision has been made.. I diving in head first! A slow dive I might add lol..

I haven't bought anything yet.. This week I will be picking u the cube from a LFS - here is a rough outline of my plan which will surely change quite a bit as I progress and also a few questions I would very much appreciate some feedback on!

- 25g MarineLand 18x18x18 rimless cube - I will be drilling for an overflow which I will soon be ordering from glass-holes.com

- Homemade stand to accommodate sump and everything that goes with it

- 10 to 20g gallon sump, most likely homemade aswell.. Depends on what I decide to do stand-wise as space is a concern!

- Lighting I'm on the fence - nothing too expensive or big.. Room and a clean look is a big concern - considering the AI nano , as it seems to be the best choice for what I need to grow sps while keeping a sleek look.. Any suggestions are welcome!

- skimmer and pump I have not decided yet, but performance will be the main factor as I plan to stock mostly sps acros once my system is up and running! Suggestions welcome!

- I will most likely go with a dry rock setup and a few pieces of LR to kick things off, mainly because I have a very picky attitude when it comes to scales and I want to make something very unique with maybe a small arch and a cove or two along with a few shelfs for my acros to grow on.

- Fishwise I won't be doing anything tricky.. A few nemos.. Maybe a frogspawn for them to call home if they decide, blue chromis, a goby or 2.. Snails, crab, shrimps .. The regular clean up crew... Again, suggestions are welcome!
I want to keep this as simple as possible for my first of no doubt many setups, I know that Acros aren't the easiest coral to grow and keep healthy, but both my wife and I just absolutely love the look of them so that's what I'll stock - while I try to keep the rest simple and within budget!

I am not in any rush at all the fill it up - mind you I don't even have it yet but I will soon.. There is a budget in place and I tend to stick to .. Hopefully between now and a few months I can start putting water in if I'm ready..

Which leads me to one of my questions - Water.

- as I mentioned space is an issue.. We are in an apartment and the tank and stand will be going in the living room.. I could hook up a small unit under the sink in the kitchen.. My question is , is it absolutely necessary? There must be some simple way to make your own ro water on demand without having a complicated 4 canister setup and the works.. I'm very open to criticism and suggestions here,, if anyone has anything they are using or have used please share!

- regarding tank placement, see the 2 pictures below..

Option one is to the left of the tv (would always keep that half of the curtain shut to keep the sunlight out.

Option two is in place of the Buddha head between the fire place and the window - again, Curtain closed for sunlight issues..

Thoughts?

More questions to come ! Baby just woke up !!

DD

DeepDiverKohTao · 01/30/2014, 02:39 PM

Can anyone also tell me how to post more then one pic at a time?

Second picture -

thegrun · 01/30/2014, 02:58 PM

Lighting: I would save up a little more money and either go with the AI Hydra or Eco Tech XR30wG2 fixture. Both contain red and green emitters that will bring out more colors in your corals and fish. They would also both allow you to upgrade to a larger tank in the future.
There are a lot of nice small sized skimmers on the market now. Reef Octopus and CAD Lights would be my choice. I'm a huge Eheim Hobby Pump fan, they make great, quiet, efficient pumps. A 1250 would be my first choice.
High quality water is an absolute must to me, especially if you intend on keeping SPS corals. You can get a simple faucet adaptor that would allow you to hook up a RO/DI unit to your sink and then store it elsewhere when not in use. The other option would be to purchase premixed saltwater at a local trusted store, but making your own will be cheaper and assure you of quality.

DeepDiverKohTao · 01/30/2014, 04:09 PM

Thegrun - looking into the lighting options you mentioned as we speak.. One definite selling point on the extra expense is that I will be able to transfer them to a bigger tank in the future... As far as water goes, the faucet adaptor option seems the way to go in my situation, plug it In a few hours or however long necessary before my water changes and away we go.. This would also allow me eventually set up a small ATO with a reservoir in my stand.. Thanks for the suggestions!

What do you think would be the better option for tank placement according to the pics I posted? The fireplace will not be an issue regarding temperature.. The thing barely puts out enough heat to knows there's a fire in the room lol... Regarding light spilling and whatnot.. I'm leaning toward the furthest away from the tv as possible?

DeepDiverKohTao · 01/30/2014, 05:23 PM

The only other spot would be here in the corner where my daughters toys are piled up .. To the right of the door.. See picture

01/30/2014, 02:58 PM	#3
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	Lighting: I would save up a little more money and either go with the AI Hydra or Eco Tech XR30wG2 fixture. Both contain red and green emitters that will bring out more colors in your corals and fish. They would also both allow you to upgrade to a larger tank in the future. There are a lot of nice small sized skimmers on the market now. Reef Octopus and CAD Lights would be my choice. I'm a huge Eheim Hobby Pump fan, they make great, quiet, efficient pumps. A 1250 would be my first choice. High quality water is an absolute must to me, especially if you intend on keeping SPS corals. You can get a simple faucet adaptor that would allow you to hook up a RO/DI unit to your sink and then store it elsewhere when not in use. The other option would be to purchase premixed saltwater at a local trusted store, but making your own will be cheaper and assure you of quality.

01/30/2014, 04:09 PM	#4
DeepDiverKohTao Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2014 Posts: 6	Thegrun - looking into the lighting options you mentioned as we speak.. One definite selling point on the extra expense is that I will be able to transfer them to a bigger tank in the future... As far as water goes, the faucet adaptor option seems the way to go in my situation, plug it In a few hours or however long necessary before my water changes and away we go.. This would also allow me eventually set up a small ATO with a reservoir in my stand.. Thanks for the suggestions! What do you think would be the better option for tank placement according to the pics I posted? The fireplace will not be an issue regarding temperature.. The thing barely puts out enough heat to knows there's a fire in the room lol... Regarding light spilling and whatnot.. I'm leaning toward the furthest away from the tv as possible?