Checklist Questions

[skalla99]

Hi everyone,

I hope this hasn't been asked 100 times before, I looked through the forums but really didn't see any answers. I've ran a couple of FOWLR tanks in my time with a lot of success, but have not had a tank up in a while (10+ years). I was lucky enough to recently buy a RedSea MAX-S 400 and I am pretty excited for it to get here. At any rate, I make lists, I like to be prepared, I have been putting together what I need, etc. The goal is to have another FOWLR tank. I know I need, salt, water testing/metering materials, live rock, sand, and a ton of patience (which I have). So the question remains, what things (stuff, hacks, must haves) are really important to get when you are basically starting over, which in a sense I am. I'm looking for things you all feel are necessities, like maybe elbow or longer rubber gloves, a periscope arm with a claw, things you might not think about right away, but have become necessary as you go forward.

Thanks in advance for your help.

[hkgar]

Test kits, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Have you read the sticky for Newbies?

[SFish]

Do u want to run HOB stuff or use a sump?

[SFish]

A heater and power heads come to mind

[davehead86]

Get an Auto-Top Off ASAP. It will save you a big hassle with water changes.
You've been out for 10 years, things have changed. Read the stickies up top to figure out how cycles work and what kind of filtration / maintenance equipment we use now and how that works.

That kit comes with a powerful set of lights. As a FOWLR tank your not going to need 5 VHO T5 bulbs running on the tank. Figure out what kind of bulbs you actually want in the tank to get the color you want, otherwise you'll have crazy algae.

Its got a skimmer, learn how to use it and clean it. You wont need to run it for a while since it wont really do anything without any fish in the tank.

You've got a return pump with the system but some people upgrade them, figure out if you want a quieter return pump than what comes with the system.

Figure out what powerhead you want in the tank. What kinds of features do you want, space considerations, style, etc.

Figure out if you want an APEX / ReefKeeper to control aspects of your system and report problems. Or if you just want some digital timers / temperature controllers to make sure your tank doesnt fry from a broken heater.

Dont spend a ton on heaters (IMHO). They need to be replaced often. I get cheap AQUEON heaters from the pet store / online and replace once a year so I dont kill my tank.

Get SALIFERT Test kits. You bought a really nice tank, dont cheap out on the test kits. API suck for accuracy. SALIFERTS / HANNA CHECKERS are great (a little more expensive) but they tell you what you need to know accurately.

[skalla99]

Thanks guys, and I was probably not being as clear as to my intent. I have read the newbie sticky and I will have all my necessary equipment, test kits, etc.

I was more looking for anything that was isn't there that maybe people use. For instance, some guys I knew swore by using shoulder length gloves that petroleum or oil workers used to protect yourself and your tank from each other. Additionally, one of my friends swears by keeping a digital camera right there at his setup to immediately be able to snap a picture of something weird (this is moot now with camera phones). I would give more examples, except that if I had them, I wouldn't need the list

[JZinCO]

tongs, pee cups (I use them for coral, so you may not need them), one more 5 gal bucket than you think you need, a QT tank, an extra powerhead, heater, return pump, a good siphon (maybe use an extra pump with hose instead), I like the ammonia badge as an oh-sh*t meter (but it's not precise), latex gloves (the FDA banned the powder so no worries there),... hmm what else..a light for your sump, maybe containers for ATO or pre-mix saltwater, an algae scraper

[davehead86]

Originally Posted by skalla99

Thanks guys, and I was probably not being as clear as to my intent. I have read the newbie sticky and I will have all my necessary equipment, test kits, etc.



I was more looking for anything that was isn't there that maybe people use. For instance, some guys I knew swore by using shoulder length gloves that petroleum or oil workers used to protect yourself and your tank from each other. Additionally, one of my friends swears by keeping a digital camera right there at his setup to immediately be able to snap a picture of something weird (this is moot now with camera phones). I would give more examples, except that if I had them, I wouldn't need the list

I have a towel holder and paper towel holder in the bottom area of my tank. Screwed into the door so I can wipe my hands after working easily.

Turkey Baster. One with a removable bulb so it cleans easily.

Stainless steel tongs for everything!


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[SFish]

Welcome back and have fun