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Hi
I just had a few questions about marine tank set ups.
What lighting would be sufficeint for fish and coral?
What filtration would be best for a us 55 gallon tank?
What would be a suitable protein skimmer for the tank?
And what is the mix ratio with the salt in the water?

Thankyou

Last edited by marine_race at 14-Dec-2005 02:50

Ok, as far as lighting goes it depends on what kind of coral you would like to stock, there are the basics that dont need as much light as the others, which are refered to as "softies" these are things like zoanthids, mushrooms, ect. There is "LPS" which need more light im pretty sure, and "SPS" which i have heard two sides, one side is that you NEED metal halide lights for these but i have also heard that you can just use ALOT of compact flourescent, VHO, or other light. You can use PC lights or VHO, and there might be a few others if you just wanna keep softies and LPS.
In saltwater you dont really need a filter, the Live Rock will be your filter, the live rock doesnt need light, but if you want corals on the LR you need the right lighting, but a general rule is 1 lb of LR per gallon, but you will probably end up wanting alot more so you can get hte right rockscape that you want. What you really need is alot of water movement in the water and the LR and your set for filtration.
Im not sure about what protien skimmer you should use as im not using one on my nano reef, so i dont know the good brands, someone else will have to tune in and help you out with that.
Finaly, for salt, you have a tool, called a hydrometer, (or if you need really percise mesurements, you would use a refractometer) this tool you put in the water and it tells you your specific gravity, a good range for specific gravity is 1.020-1.023, this will also very depending on the stocking of the tank and the corals in the tank. You need to keep the salt level as stable as possible, and you just add the amount of salt needed until you get the right SG after all the salt has disolved into the water, heres is an example of a hydromemter.
[link=http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=ES00877]http://www.marinedepot.com/md_viewItem.asp?idproduct=ES00877" style="COLOR: #FF0000[/link]
just remember, to do ALOT of research before starting your tank, with research you will have an easier time with the tank and it will save you alot of money in mistakes. and remember, to HAVE FUN WITH IT, and stock it with fish that YOU want not with what people tell you to stock it with. but you can always ask for sugestions.
~mark~

its me sk8freak20...i need to get premie so i can change my name back

Don't forget that there are adavantages to having a sump/fuge on your tank. This involves having a predrilled tank or a tank with overflow boxes in which water will drain to a containment unit below the tank where it can be filtered by many different process. One of the great things about sumps and fuge's is that it increases the water volume. There are other advantages too.

With the skimmer, you basically can't over skim a tank, but what i've read from many others, avoid the prizm, there are others to avoid too but i do not know which. hopefully you can talk to Liana (ferretfish) or nate (Dark realm overloard, they can point you in the right direction.

Nick
"Impossumable- unable to play dead"

What lighting would be sufficeint for fish and coral?
What kind of corals are you looking to keep?

Fish dont really care what kind of lights they have. If you're going to have only fish, then you just need light that is appealing to you.

Soft corals can get away with low light, as can non-photsythetic ones. LPS need stronger light, and SPS need intense light. If you get metal halides, you can keep anything you want.

What filtration would be best for a us 55 gallon tank?

What kind of set up do you plan on doing? If you're going to do reef or FOWLR I'd def. just get a really good protein skimmer. If you want the extra biological filtration, or if you want to be able to run carbon or something, then get a good HOB like an AquaClear or something.

FYI, 55 gallon tanks make bad FOWLR/reef tanks IMO. They're so narrow, you dont have much room to work with. You cant get a very nice rockscape because there isn't enough space from front to back. You're much better off going with even a 40 breeder as opposed to a 55. Better choices, that are still 4 feet long, would be a 75 or a 90. If you're willing to go bigger, 125's are nice as well.

What would be a suitable protein skimmer for the tank?

My opinions for protein skimmers are almost always the same. I like AquaC EV's and AquaMedic Turboflotors.

And what is the mix ratio with the salt in the water?

Depends on the salt brand. I forget the standard rule...but I kinda just go with the flow and figure it out as I'm mixing. You get really good with it over time. This is a hard question to ask, because everyone has a different number they like to keep their salinity at. For example, my tank is kept at 1.027, and that's high. Most pet stores keep it much lower.

HTH a bit...


-Ferret [img src='/images/forums/halo.gif' border=0]

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

What would be a suitable protein skimmer for the tank?

My opinions for protein skimmers are almost always the same. I like AquaC EV's and AquaMedic Turboflotors

Ill add to that list

LifeReef
ASM
EuroReef
BubbleKing
Grotech

It all depends on how much money you want to spend...but a skimmer is not something that I would skimp on trying to save money.

As far as the salt mix ratio...it does vary depending on the salt mix you are using, the temp of the water, etc. Once you get use to a salt brand you can normally mix up a batch to the salinity you want it at pretty fast.

And Liana....Why is your salinity at 1.027?

1.023-1.025 is an acceptable level...although there are some of us that keep SPS that keep it a tad higher like Liana does for specific reasons.