Starting a Reef Tank

[fattrainman]

Hi!
We have finally decided that we will be starting a brand new reef tank. We've never done this before so it is totally new. We purchased a Top Fin Aquarium Starter Kit 20 gallons from Petsmart. It's still in the box. We are going to go with just a 20 gal. to add some beauty to our home and to keep the cost down since a larger tank will require more items and I understand this can be a costly hobby. I would like to pick your brains as I am sure you are very knowledgable and may be more honest with me than a salesperson. The tank will consist of live rock, corels, clams, etc., and have some reef friendly fish. What items, name brand and where to purchase from, of equipment and live items do we need to start this tank and what is the timeline for setting this up, ie. first do this and this and wait this long, etc. We really don't know anything about a reef tank, so no abbreviations please. I'm sure the items included in the starter kit are probably not the best to get a reef tank going. So please just start from scratch and don't assume we know anything, because we don't. If you were going to start up a new 20 gal. reef tank, what would you get/do? I know this is a big question and I very much appreciate any help you can give me to make sure we are doing this right. Thank you very much.
Marie

[Reef-Keeper]

i would start with getting the tank cycled. add RO/DI water and mix in the salt to the desired specific gravity (level of salt in the water, use a hydormeter or refractometer to test this), and add about 40 lbs of live sand, and let it cycle for 4-6 weeks (testing every day or every other day to make sure everything is going normally).

that is where i would start. while it is cycling ... you can research and ask questions around here all you want.

[loubee]

Hello Marie!

This is how I suggest to go about setting up a reef tank:

1. Use RO water and a suitable good quality salt designed for use with RO water (I use Tropic Marin Pro Reef). RO stands for reverse osmosis, which is a way of making almost pure water (so that means no chlorine or heavy metals ect.) You can either buy a RO unit to make your own purified water or, what may work out better- as it is a small tank, buy your RO from a local fish shop.

2. Fill the tank, get the pump & heater on & get the salinity right (I recommend 1.024 for reef- & a refractometer is much more accurate than a hydrometer or digital salt reader)

3. Leave the tank running for at least 24 hours then when the temperature & salinity are right you could start adding some live rock, maybe start with about 10 kilos (you could always add more later). I find having a few large peices is much easier than loads of little peices. Make sure you turn the live rock when you put it in the tank a few times to get rid of any air bubbles, then place it corraline algae facing outwards.

4. Leave the tank for four to eight weeks before adding any livestock, the longer you let it mature the better!

5. Testing the water: While you are waiting to stock, you could keep a weekly diary of your water parameters. I use Salifert Profi test kits & have found them to be very reliable. Test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH & KH for now, & keep an eye on the temperature (it should be around 24-25°C) Later on you may want to also test calcium, magnesium & phosphate too.

6. Also while you are waiting do pleanty of research, like you already are, to find out what fish you would like to keep, how big they grow, whether they are compatable with each other & in a reef, & in what order they should ideally be added into the tank (least territorial first & hardiest first).

I started out with red leg hermit crabs, then a week later a couple of cleaner shrimp, then another week later 2 tank bred percula clownfish... build your tank up slowly week by week like that & ask loads of questions!

Welcome to a fantastic hobby,
Lou

[numan]

a tank that small will also require more attention than a larger tank

[zero186]

do you have any questions on filter,heater,powerheads,skimmers, etc. i would have all of that stuff handy for you start

[JennM]

Welcome to TRT!

To add to what's been said so far, please make sure that the filter with your starter is adequate for saltwater. Those starter kits are geared toward freshwater. The main difference is that you will want to turn the water over 8-10 times per hour for saltwater, but for fresh you only need 4-5 times turnover, so you *may* need more water movement. You can achieve this with either adding a protein skimmer (recommended - CPR Bakpak and AquaC are good - avoid Red Sea Prizm and Sea Clone at all costs!). You may also add a powerhead to move more water also.

The lighting that comes with that tank will not be sufficient for corals, check into Current USA's T-5 and Compact Fluorescent fixtures.

Once you start cycling with live rock, it's hurry up and wait for a while - so you'll have time to research lighting and skimmer options further.

Good luck on your new addction - er, journey

Jenn

[zero186]

i dont know if this really matters but what shape is it

[numan]

Good luck on your new addction - er, journey

an addiction is what it is

[Chef Choy]

Getting the tank cycled is the most important part...........once that is achieved, you can begin adding the livestock that you want. I defiantly recommend a protein skimmer, and to keep corals and clams, you are going to have to spend a good chunk of change on lights.........so start shopping for that, but for now, get the filtration to what you need.

[lfduty]

A i ask is that you do your homework on the fish you get, and if your going to have clams you beter get some good light's

Originally Posted by loubee

Hello Marie!

This is how I sugge, st to go about setting up a reef tank:

1. Use RO water and a suitable good quality salt designed for use with RO water (I use Tropic Marin Pro Reef). RO stands for reverse osmosis, which is a way of making almost pure water (so that means no chlorine or heavy metals ect.) You can either buy a RO unit to make your own purified water or, what may work out better- as it is a small tank, buy your RO from a local fish shop.

2. Fill the tank, get the pump & heater on & get the salinity right (I recommend 1.024 for reef- & a refractometer is much more accurate than a hydrometer or digital salt reader)

3. Leave the tank running for at least 24 hours then when the temperature & salinity are right you could start adding some live rock, maybe start with about 10 kilos (you could always add more later). I find having a few large peices is much easier than loads of little peices. Make sure you turn the live rock when you put it in the tank a few times to get rid of any air bubbles, then place it corraline algae facing outwards.

4. Leave the tank for four to eight weeks before adding any livestock, the longer you let it mature the better!

5. Testing the water: While you are waiting to stock, you could keep a weekly diary of your water parameters. I use Salifert Profi test kits & have found them to be very reliable. Test for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH & KH for now, & keep an eye on the temperature (it should be around 24-25°C) Later on you may want to also test calcium, magnesium & phosphate too.

6. Also while you are waiting do pleanty of research, like you already are, to find out what fish you would like to keep, how big they grow, whether they are compatable with each other & in a reef, & in what order they should ideally be added into the tank (least territorial first & hardiest first).

I started out with red leg hermit crabs, then a week later a couple of cleaner shrimp, then another week later 2 tank bred percula clownfish... build your tank up slowly week by week like that & ask loads of questions!

Welcome to a fantastic hobby,
Lou

[wannareef]

that 20 would be a nice sump for a 75! which is the smallest tank i will ever do for saltwater. the smaller tanks are much harder to maintain water parameters and to keep things alive.

[dobejazz]

Congrats on your new set up!

[fattrainman]

We just found this in a hardware store ad - would this work for our 20 gal reef tank? We also have a 75 gal tank that we decided to keep fish only, instead of making it into a combo tank.
Reverse Osmosis Water Filtration System sale $139
Deluxe under counter four-stage water purification system. Removes rust, sediment, lead, nitrates, chlorine, cysts like cryptosporidium and giardia, mercury and chromium. Includes a three gallon pre-charged tank.
Marie

[skeety]

Not sure if you've seen this yet...but a great place to start:

http://thereeftank.com/forums/faq.ph...les#faq_sywart

RO/DI units are (IMO) a MUST in this hobby! not to sure about the one you're talking about. Might be good enough, don't know for sure.

Welcome aboard. Take your time, do lots of research before tossing your money out the window, and be patient.

it's WELL worth it in the end!!!

[fattrainman]

very much for the link. We have a lot to think about and learn. I don't want to spend money on corals, etc. that are not going to make it because the tank is not set up right and we are not sure what we are doing.
Marie