new reef guy with questions

[nobody]

I have had a 55 gallon fish only saltwater tank for years and now am starting a minor reef tank, but i have some questions.

1) i am reading that when you have live sand and live rock (which i do) that this is all the bio filtration you need....the only other filter you need is a protein skimmer. I have a fluval 305 canister filter on it now ........is this good enough should i take off the caniter...and i kept hearing about a AquaC Remora protein skimmer.is this the one to get


2) I have a 196 watt power compact with a 96w 10,000k and a 96w atinic......i only want live sand/rock.......hardy corals........and anemmones........is this enough light.......according to most websites it is, but doesnt hurts to ask

3) i am adding purple-up and trace elements.......is there anything else i need to be adding to the tank........i do not have corals yet.......but when i do what should i add then as well

4) and well last any other advise out there

[javafish]

#1 you can keep the fluval on for water flow and for when you want to run carbon as far as skimmers im not up on the latest things i run an old red sea terbo and i run it dry on about 250 gal system

#2
your lights are ok for your rock and sand most soft corals some Lps and maybe a sps or two placed up high but i would not try any anemmones some one will say yes you can but most will tell you no go. you might keep it alive for a few weeks maybe even a year but more likey than not it will die

#3
Dont add anything to your tank you don't test for. most things are replaced when you do your water changes. so do them @ 10-20 % a week and you will be fine. that is till you start adding a lot more hard corals (after you upgrade your lights) then you might have to start to add things
in the meantime you can use lime water for you top offs it will keep your ph,cal and alk up

[Geoff]

Welcome to TRT!!



i would not recommend the red sea turbo. it just is not powerfull enough. you would end up buying a better skimmer shortly anyway. if you are looking for a hang on skimmer than i would suggest the Remora by AquaC. the CPR hang on is also a good choice, but people prefer the Remora.

adding suppliments without being able to test for them is a dissaster waiting to happen. your Ca and/or alk levels can get seriousl skewed and the only correction would be a near 100% water change. this can be difficult to do just in the logistics of getting that much water in and out of the tank.

all i run is a skimmer, nothing else.

G~

[nobody]

ok i will stop ther purple - up additive.....the lighting i will upgrade in the future........its just so **** expensive......i order the agua c remora so i am good with the skimmer......do people really run a tank with no filter............this just sounds so weird because i have always been a fish only person.......are the live sand/rock that awsome??????

[Geoff]

the LR/LS are not any more awsome now than they were. it actually does not even need to be LR in the beginning either. it is all about the surface area of the LR/LS. i actually do not even have any sand in my system i totally rely on the LR and the skimmer.

G~

[BGJ223]

YOu are going to run into alot of debate about whether or not you can keep an anemone and other corals with the lighting that you have. My suggestion would be to do some research on your part.
My recommendation to you would be to upgrade your lighting system if you want to keep an anemone. THere are several option out there that are not that exspensive.
Example
VHO
MH
PC
T5

All of which have their own pluses and minuses.