[[email protected]]

hello guys, i have been following this forum and finally decided to become a member im also new to this hobby so bear with me...

so heres the thing i would like to start my first 15g reef tank, i have very basic knowledge about what will i be needing but what i need from you guys is to help me choose the spec to help me get the tank up on running...

so far i have purchased:
15g AQ-world tank (60x30x35)
Hydor Koralia nano 900
digital thermometer

next thing im getting is:
T5 Lighting 3x24w hi output (any suggestion?)
eheim jager 100w
FILTER is what im confused about should i get HOB filler or canister filter, i was thinking of getting either eheim Classic 2211 Canister Filter or 2213
im also putting 2ichs of sand and live rock (no live sand) and ill be preforming 5g water change weekly im thinking of keeping 2x clown fish, 1x gobby watchman and cleaning crew shrimp and anemone coral for my clown fish...
please any help would be appreciated

 

[EAndrews]

Looks like a good start, how much live rock are you looking at for balancing the bioload from the fish?

Aquatic Life has a nice fixture that would work.. not sure about the 60" though..

If you are planning on growing coral I would consider a HOB overflow box and going down into a sump.

 

[Chad]

For a fish only tank a canister or HOB filter would work just fine. But they produce nitrates so if you plan on having corals at all they aren't recommended.

For a reef tank most of us use what's called the Berlin method. You can read about that here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berlin_Method.

To that I add a nice skimmer and growing some chaetomorpha algae in the sump.

So for me rock, skimmer, cheato, are my filter.

 

[[email protected]]

thanks for your quick response... i believe you referring to the background of the tank, if so ill be painting or putting a blue background as for the filter am not going to put a sump as i don't have space in my room ... also when i went to my local fish suppler he recommended to use canister filer, he said corals require clean water and HOB filter wont do it....

 

[[email protected]]

also im getting 2 pounds of live rocks per gallon as i read....

 

[Chad]

...he said corals require clean water and HOB filter wont do it....

A canister won't either.

Canisters create nitrates but can't get rid of them. Corals don't like nitrates. So to really keep corals you need a way of getting rid of the nitrates, which is live rock. A canister simply can't (no matter how good it is) get rid of them but actually creates them.

 

[[email protected]]

hmmm...so i don't know what to do now? all my specs are fine but my filtration true?
also i was thinking of getting dry rocks and eventually they'll turn into live, is that a bad idea?

 

[Chad]

Dry rock will eventually turn into live.
Though you do miss out on some of the fun things that come with live rock, like sponges, worms, tunicates, etc.

 

[[email protected]]

you menstioned that filter trap nitrate but wouldnt weekly water change keep my nitrates level low and also live rock/sand brake down this element? thanks

 

[Chad]

The filter doesn't trap nitrates. It creates them. Of more specifically the bacteria in the filter does. The bacteria in live rock can take that nitrate and convert it to nitrogen gas which leaves the tank entirely. So live rock removes nitrates but a canister just creates them.

So yes, you can do water changes but the filter will just create more. We always have to do water changes of course for various reasons, but why do more work than you have to?

 

[[email protected]]

so what are you suggesting? btw i appreciate your help, i know i could be pain in the ***** >.<

 

[Chad]

I am suggesting using live rock as your filtration if you plan on having corals. If you don't, then the canister is just fine. Fish can handle low level nitrates.