New ARC member - Advice for setting up my first reef tank

[goodfortune]

I picked up my 58 gallon Oceanic RR tank today (Much thanks to Shaheen for the deal!!!). Though I am excited about setting it up, I would like to get some of advice about lighting, skimmers, and sand, from those who are in the know, before I buy these items

Lighting: I am interested in having mushrooms, soft corals, and LPS corals. I am thinking of installing 2X96 W PC's for lighting. Will this be enough light for these corals to not just live, but thrive? Also, can one have success with SPS coral using only PC’s?

Protein Skimmer: What features in design/construction separate “good” skimmers from “bad" skimmers? From everthing I have seen, read, and heard, it seems that the only way to tell a "good" skimmer from a "bad" skimmer is how much it costs.

Sand: I've read that a plenum (open space under the sand – Monaco System?) should provided to aid in denitrification for DSB’s. I haven’t seen much discussion about DSBs with plenums on the posts that I have read. Are there any drawbacks to providing a plenum under a DSB? Do most people with DSB’s employ a plenum?

Any and all comments and information will be greatly appreciated. Feel free to let me know if anything I wrote while asking these questions is in error, or is inaccurate. Thanks to all!

[sally]

goodfortune: I can just tell you what works for me. I have a 72 with 4x96 PC. I keep mushrooms, soft corals and LPS. Everything thrives. I have not had luck with SPS, but I suspect chemical warfare (with so many leathers) is the culprit there. There is much controvery of the plenum issue. When I set up my 55 gallon 6 years ago the Jaubert (plenum)system was happening. So far it has worked for me. If I had to do it over, I would probably skip the plenum and just put in a deep sand bed. Hope this helps and keep asking questions!

[georgiajams]

Oh boy. First, welcome to the club. Second, welcome to your first dose of- "nothing is black and white in this hobby." Also, after this thread you may be more confused than when you started, but you will be more educated

So, with that said:

Lighting: The lighting you mention should be ok for the shrooms, leathers, etc. I'd personally, bump it up to 4x96 PC (or Metal Halide) for anything other than that. Not to say nothing else will live, but you did use the word 'thrive'.

You don't *have* to use MH for SPS/LPS. In fact, I know people in ARC who will tell you that they think their SPS grows faster under PC. But, I will tell you that this is typically in shallow tanks, or they've put the corals closer to the top of the tank.

For SPS in your tank, I'd say use MH. Maybe a 2x175 with 2x96 actinic supplementation over the 58. Or maybe, 2 x 250 with a higher K bulb. There's no magic formula here, just a suggestion.

Examples- For my 75g SPS/LPS tank, I have 2x250W MH plus 2x96W PC actinic. I have a 10g nano with 1 x 55wPC that has only softies in it. I had a 37g with 4x55 PC. I did keep some very hardy SPS (e.g. Bali green slimer) at the top of that tank, and it did just fine, although growth was not fast.

Skimmer: I don't know exactly how to answer your question. Just follow suggestions and reviews you hear on the boards. A good skimmer can make a big difference in your water quality and how much bioload your tank can handle.

I'd tend to gravitate towards a Beckett or downdraft based skimmer. I had a venturi based CPR BakPak on a 37G once, and it did fine. But, I'd hesitate using it on a 58g (would depend on if you have much fish bioload). You can get a club discount on the myreefcreations.com skimmers, which I can wholeheartedly reccommend. A MR-1 would work for a 58g... and could also be used on your next, bigger tank as well

Sand: Personally, I've been into bare bottom tanks for the last year and a half or so. See the "THINK TANK" forum for extensive discussions on the merits of this. I'll let someone else address plenums, as I have zero experience with them. To me, they seem like more trouble than they are worth.

Other comments: Go slow. Read lots. Don't buy any animals without researching their behavior and needs. Don't overfeed. Do your water changes. Ask more questions. Read again.

[Dragon]

Let me start by saying WELCOME TO THE CLUB!

Ok if money's not an issue I'd go with Metal Halides, especially if your thinking about SPS. Skimmer, there are a lot of good skimmers just do some research. I like the AquaC skimmers. I've also heard good things about myreef skimmers. Add a refugium! Every since I add a refugium, my water parameters have been near perfect. I'm sure more people will jump in with their advice as well.

[goodfortune]

Thanks for your quick responses!

For metal Halides, my concern is not so much $$$ (though always a consideration) as it is heat. From what I understand MHs are pretty much the same thing as the Halogen lamps you may have in your office or dorm room. While they are very bright, the also give off a lot of heat. I just didn't want to deal with so much heat that I would have to consider getting a chiller.

I want to design a refugium, and I will have some questions about Live Rock as well. I just want to read and research a little more, and save these questions for a later post.

Thanks once again; keep the comments coming!

[georgiajams]

For what it is worth, don't underestimate the heat from PC lamps. I find, for equivalent wattage, the difference is neglible.

I think the vast majority of us do not use chillers, even with MH. Sort of a factor of how warm your room is and whether your tank is open top.... A little fan over the sump is usually sufficient to keep the temp down a few degrees.

[georgiajams]

Note that I said "equivalent wattage." Where people get tripped up is when they go from 110w PC to 350w of MH and complain that MH is hotter than PC. Well, 350w is way more than 110w, so yeah it is going to be warmer.

But put 350w of PC over the tank, and compare that to 350 of MH... you might find the difference is neglible, if not cooler, since there is potentially more air movement around MH.

[goodfortune]

Thanks georgiajams for the details about PC vs. MH lighting!

I figure that either sort of lighting may generate a considerable amount of heat. The tank will also have an open top, as the previous owner had a custom-made canopy, which sat about 18" or so off of the water surface (I'll include a picture of the tank when it was set up, later)

The previous owner was running 2X96W PCs and a 175W MH in the canopy, and provided a fan to cool the water in the sump.

While it was/is my intention to duplicate his lighting scheme (or upgrade to 250W MH), I am concerned about heating because I have an older house ('50s ranch) and my HVAC system may not be as efficient as the one in the previous owner's newer house.

[georgiajams]

Cool. Then, I'd say start with your 2x96 and see how you like the softies. If you get bit with "the reef bug" you may find yourself wanting "bigger everything," at which time you can re-evaluate your equipment needs based on the corals you want to keep.

[goodfortune]

Thanks again georgiajams!

I think what I will do is install the 2X96W PC's, as well as a 175W MH, when I start cycling my tank. In addition to the usual parameters, I will especially keep a close eye on temperature.

Since it will take at least a good 6-8 weeks for the tank to cycle, and because we will be at the beginning of the hot and humid season around that time, I should know whether my home HVAC system can hold the down temperature in my house (living room) to where heat generated by lighting will not be a concern.

Concerning skimmers, I guess what I really meant to ask is:

1. What exactly makes, say, a Red Sea Berlin Turbo better than a Seaclone?
2. What makes a Seaclone better than a $20 model at your local general petstore?

I have read about venturi skimmers and wood air stone skimmers, and the need to enhance the contact time of the water with the bubbles inside of the skimmer for effective waste removal.

I have to admit I'll have to read-up on and research "Beckett." As always, any and all comments from anyone will be welcome. Don't be afraid to chime in!!!

[wildemon]

During the cycle, you want the light minimized to prevent [yeah right] the algea bloom. Lots of nitrates/phospates during the live rock adjustment phase = plant fertilizer. Same with water changes and skimming, you need to keep the water clean for a while until the system microfauna get into gear.

A becket skimmer uses an air/water mixing nozzle to produce foam, derived from pond fountain technology, and uses big pumps with lots of water flow. A venturi sucks air into the water stream based on the pressure differentials created by water pump presssure. Berlin needs tweaking to run well, as do most of the others, but once dialed in are trouble-free. Air stones use air pumps, need cleaning and replacement, and are largely ignored by reefers.

You might do best financially to watch for someone upgrading and buy their first skimmer. You also might want to investigate calcium reactors and auto water top off devices.

[goodfortune]

Included is a picture of the tank, when it was up and running in the previous owner's home.

Wildemon, thanks for bringing up the point about the release of nutrients during the cycling process; nutrients + light = algal overgrowth . Going to the other extreme of the conversation, would it be best for me to hold off installing any lighting until the cycling process is over?

Sorry if I sound like am obsessing about the lighting/heat issue. There is no reason that I have to make a decision any time soon, and I plan to take my time reading and learning more so that I can make a more informed decision when buying the items I need to make my reef tank a success.

In any case, keep the responses and comments coming everyone! I appreciate the information I have received so far.

[DrRichP]

Welcome to the club Good Fortune! I'll throw my humble opinions into the rink for what its worth.

Lighting: I use Custom Sea Life PC's w/ Moon Light. They work great! I have anemone's, shrooms, leathers, etc. I like the 7 watts per gallon formula on lights.(http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...49309&tc=photo)

I also highly recommend the Coral Life power center/wave maker. I can't say enough good things about this product.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...89913&tc=photo

Protein Skimmer: I like 'em powerful! I have a 75 and I use the a Reef Devil. However the MR-1 from myreefcreations.com looks very similiar. You can read skimmer reviews at: http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/pro...umpskimmer.htm

Sand/Rock etc: I have had great sucess with Tampa Bay Saltwater's The Package. Just be careful of hitch hikers
http://www.tbsaltwater.com/package.html