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well, i am definetiley getting somekind of new tank on xmas just not sure wha to make it into. I really want to do a saltwater reef because i have been admiring ones in magazines and on the net for years. I just want to clear up a few things before i star planning for SW again.
1-Refugume or no refugum?
2-is live arogonite good for reefs rather then live sand since live sand is alot more money?
3-1-1&1/2lbs of live rock per gallon. Depends on the type though. I really like the looks of fiji.
4- filter or no filter?
5-wet/dry filters are not acceptable for use in saltwater reefs if live rock is used.
6- 1 inch of fish for every 5 gallons in a reef.
7- A protien skimmer is necasary for a reef.
8- you can use live rock to cycle. (cured or not cured?)
9-water paremeters-ph-8.3,ammonia,nitrite-0ppm,nitrate-up to 5ppm, temp.-75-80,sg-1.023-1.025.
10- a reverse osmosis filter is neccasary for good water suppyly.(i measured the nitrates in my water and it is at 10ppm, so it is a must.)
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I will post about lighting, tank size, inhabitants, elements and everything else later.

[span class="edited"][Edited by clownloachfan 2004-07-23 11:02][/span]

OK I will try to answer as best I can here

1-Refugume or no refugum?
* Without question you should have a Fuge/sump running.

2-is live arogonite good for reefs rather then live sand since live sand is alot more money?
*SAND SAND SAND! You don't need live sand just get normal sand. The stuff off your Live rock will turn the sand "live" after a while. Live sand just speeds up the process. a 3-4 inch sand bed is prefect. It helps with filtration and I love the look.

3-1-1&1/2lbs of live rock per gallon. Depends on the type though. I really like the looks of fiji.
* This is about right. It depends on the type of rock and the type of setup you want.

4- filter or no filter?
*Filter early on while the tank is cycling and developing. Pull it later because you wont' need it. Once your LR and sand bed get going this will provide your filtration.

5-wet/dry filters are not acceptable for use in saltwater reefs if live rock is used.
*Wet/Dry filters are on the way out in my opinion. Your sump/LR provides this function and does it better.

6- 1 inch of fish for every 5 gallons in a reef.
* Yep this is about right. Experienced reefers will stretch this quite a bit. I know I do. But also keep in mind that this is just a rough estimate. Many Marine fish have more specific requirements.

7- A protien skimmer is necasary for a reef.
* YES YES YES. I used to not think so. But after running one for a couple weeks and seeing what it pulls out of the tank I am sold on them.

8- you can use live rock to cycle. (cured or not cured?)
* Yes you can. In fact it is the recommended way to cycle a tank. Use Cured. Uncured is going to cause LOTS of problems and smells.

9-water paremeters-ph-8.3,ammonia,nitrite-0ppm,nitrate-up to 5ppm, temp.-75-80,sg-1.023-1.025.
* Temp should be about 78-80. SG depends on what you have. Fish only can be lower like around 1.022-1.023 for a reef you want 1.025-1.028


10- a reverse osmosis filter is neccasary for good water suppyly.(i measured the nitrates in my water and it is at 10ppm, so it is a must.)
* I would suggest you use RO water. I use strait tap water without even Decloring it. But this isn't a good thing to normally do.

So i can just buy the regular cheep sand like they sell in 25lb. bags? Will this sand still buffer the ph? I know alot of people use sand from the hardware store but i feel much safer using stuff made specifically for aquarium use.
How can you possibly use tap water without dechlorinating it? what kind and brand of filter should i use? I hear you should only use mechanical and chemical filtration. Is this right?
THANKS FOR YOUR HELP SO FAR

Yeah I know. I am terrible for that. However my tank has been doing fine. It actually didn't occur to me till the other day that I was doing it wrong. Not sure why I had a 5 month brain slip.

And yeah the sand you get at the pet store in 30lb bags is fine. it runs anywhere from 25-30 bucks depending on your location. The only difference between this and life sand is that the live sand is packed wet and has all the good bacteria already in it.

WHen I first set up my tank I ran an Aquaclear 300 on it. for filtration. I used the sponge and carbon for about 3 months then just the carbon for another 3 months or so. Then it came off that tank and is currently on my 46 Gallon FOWLR tank doing the same thing. Eventually it will come off there as well. Now I just throw a bag of carbon in the sump for a week or two every month.

I always get confused when pople talk about their sumps. Is this where they keep all of heaters, filters, etc? Cant it overflow say if you would turn it off or the power goes out?

If you have it set up wrong then yes it will overflow. However the overflow box or built in overflow of a tank are made so that the water only drains a bit and then stops. THe return pump can cause problems as well. However a simple ball valve will solve this problem. If the power goes out it will keep the water from siphoning into the sump.

1 inch of fish for every 5 gallons in a reef.

I think thats a bit ambitious, without even considering the type of fish or its swimming habits but that is just my opinion.

[font color="#800080"]p.l.u.r[/font]
Matt

Cake > Pie

of course you cant go by that rule all the time because i am sure you cant put a 20 in. grouper in a 100 gallon. This is just a general rule.