Discussion
i have "acquired" a 600 litre fish tank and after keeping tropical fish for years i felt that the only setup that would do a 600 litre tank justice would be an awesome reef setup.
I just have some questions to ask you guys, no doubt one or two of you have marine aquariums.
For a tank size of 2000 L x 600 H x 500 W how much live sand will be required for a bed of 2-3" deep?
I will be buying 5 kg of live rock from my LFS and the rest will be base rock - the LR will seed the BR over time, which is a good thing as I plan to let the tank cycle for 8 weeks or so (helps the wallet to recover too) or until the ammonia and nitrite levels get to 0.
I will probably be getting 25kg of BR taking the end amount of "live" rock (after the 8 week seeding process) to 30kg + live sand. I will also be using an external canister filter with LR rubble to create some circulation as well as a wavemaker and a Deltec MC 600 protein skimmer.
For the initial 8 weeks would you run the skimmer and wavemaker or just the filter while the tank is cycling? i have read mixed opinions on this one.
After the 8 weeks i will drop in a pretty large clean up crew and then take it slowly from there
Oh and if anyone knows where to get a decent stand for a tank that size, it would be much appreciated, otherwise its a DIY buil-your-own jobby.
Thanks in advance!!
I just have some questions to ask you guys, no doubt one or two of you have marine aquariums.
For a tank size of 2000 L x 600 H x 500 W how much live sand will be required for a bed of 2-3" deep?
I will be buying 5 kg of live rock from my LFS and the rest will be base rock - the LR will seed the BR over time, which is a good thing as I plan to let the tank cycle for 8 weeks or so (helps the wallet to recover too) or until the ammonia and nitrite levels get to 0.
I will probably be getting 25kg of BR taking the end amount of "live" rock (after the 8 week seeding process) to 30kg + live sand. I will also be using an external canister filter with LR rubble to create some circulation as well as a wavemaker and a Deltec MC 600 protein skimmer.
For the initial 8 weeks would you run the skimmer and wavemaker or just the filter while the tank is cycling? i have read mixed opinions on this one.
After the 8 weeks i will drop in a pretty large clean up crew and then take it slowly from there
Oh and if anyone knows where to get a decent stand for a tank that size, it would be much appreciated, otherwise its a DIY buil-your-own jobby.
Thanks in advance!!
Hiya
Nowhere near enough live rock, are you planning a deep sand bed system? Or a Berlin style system?
Personally I'd put 80 to 100kg of live rock in that size tank and keep the sand to around 1/2" deep.
Only use a canister filter for floss or chemical media, the live rock needs to be your biological filter.
I assume the tank isn't drilled?
You say it's going to be a reef tank. What lighting are you going to use?
Also, reef tanks require considerable water movement. What pumps will you have for this?
The Deltec skimmer you have is good, although a little undersized really.
Nowhere near enough live rock, are you planning a deep sand bed system? Or a Berlin style system?
Personally I'd put 80 to 100kg of live rock in that size tank and keep the sand to around 1/2" deep.
Only use a canister filter for floss or chemical media, the live rock needs to be your biological filter.
I assume the tank isn't drilled?
You say it's going to be a reef tank. What lighting are you going to use?
Also, reef tanks require considerable water movement. What pumps will you have for this?
The Deltec skimmer you have is good, although a little undersized really.
ryanjohnstott said:
Hiya
Nowhere near enough live rock, are you planning a deep sand bed system? Or a Berlin style system?
Personally I'd put 80 to 100kg of live rock in that size tank and keep the sand to around 1/2" deep.
Only use a canister filter for floss or chemical media, the live rock needs to be your biological filter.
I assume the tank isn't drilled?
You say it's going to be a reef tank. What lighting are you going to use?
Also, reef tanks require considerable water movement. What pumps will you have for this?
The Deltec skimmer you have is good, although a little undersized really.
^ ThisNowhere near enough live rock, are you planning a deep sand bed system? Or a Berlin style system?
Personally I'd put 80 to 100kg of live rock in that size tank and keep the sand to around 1/2" deep.
Only use a canister filter for floss or chemical media, the live rock needs to be your biological filter.
I assume the tank isn't drilled?
You say it's going to be a reef tank. What lighting are you going to use?
Also, reef tanks require considerable water movement. What pumps will you have for this?
The Deltec skimmer you have is good, although a little undersized really.
As for lighting, i have just installed a vertex illumina led system and am very impressed, but then for the price i should be. But when you have sun rise across the tank, thunder storms, moon cycles moving across the tank, any combination of dimming you want over whatever time period programmed wirelessly from your laptop, it knocks the socks off halide slow warm up but sharp off, or fluorescent flicker on. Then throw in they are only running at half power and my corals and anemone are colouring up nicely compared to under 2x250w mh
ryanjohnstott said:
Hiya
Nowhere near enough live rock, are you planning a deep sand bed system? Or a Berlin style system?
Personally I'd put 80 to 100kg of live rock in that size tank and keep the sand to around 1/2" deep.
Only use a canister filter for floss or chemical media, the live rock needs to be your biological filter.
I assume the tank isn't drilled?
You say it's going to be a reef tank. What lighting are you going to use?
Also, reef tanks require considerable water movement. What pumps will you have for this?
The Deltec skimmer you have is good, although a little undersized really.
Hey, great advice. Thank you.Nowhere near enough live rock, are you planning a deep sand bed system? Or a Berlin style system?
Personally I'd put 80 to 100kg of live rock in that size tank and keep the sand to around 1/2" deep.
Only use a canister filter for floss or chemical media, the live rock needs to be your biological filter.
I assume the tank isn't drilled?
You say it's going to be a reef tank. What lighting are you going to use?
Also, reef tanks require considerable water movement. What pumps will you have for this?
The Deltec skimmer you have is good, although a little undersized really.
I did think that 30kg of live rock was a little on the light side...... will probably order 3 x 25kg of the base rock. I am quite lucky in that i have plenty of time for it to be seeded by the small amount of LR, I am in no rush!
Yes i was going to go Berlin style, my LFS said that rubble in the external filter was the best filter media to go with.... hmmmmm what would you suggest as a suitable media, if any? Or would you suggest only using the filter for when I am adding chem and salt etc etc and just leave the filtering to the rock and sand?
Ideally i would like to go with a sump, but the glass isnt drilled and I dont really want to go with drilling it as I am not sure on the age of the glass. So a HOB skimmer is needed.
It eventually will be a reef tank yes, initially starting as a FOWLR then adding corals when the budget (read: SWMBO) allows.
I'm not sure on the lighting system on the tank already, it was originally a marine setup so i am hoping for a decent lighting system already in place, if not, any suggestions?
The specs on the Deltec say that for a normally stocked tank its good for 800+ litres? i dont forsee my tank being overstocked any time soon so I am happy enough to stick with the MC600 and if I need to put another smaller skimmer into the mix I can do that at a later date.
Sorry for all the questions, i want to get this right!
So much more to consider than a tropical setup I am a bit OCD so I'm loving all of the detailsViperDave said:
^ This
As for lighting, i have just installed a vertex illumina led system and am very impressed, but then for the price i should be. But when you have sun rise across the tank, thunder storms, moon cycles moving across the tank, any combination of dimming you want over whatever time period programmed wirelessly from your laptop, it knocks the socks off halide slow warm up but sharp off, or fluorescent flicker on. Then throw in they are only running at half power and my corals and anemone are colouring up nicely compared to under 2x250w mh
Something to look into..... thankyou.As for lighting, i have just installed a vertex illumina led system and am very impressed, but then for the price i should be. But when you have sun rise across the tank, thunder storms, moon cycles moving across the tank, any combination of dimming you want over whatever time period programmed wirelessly from your laptop, it knocks the socks off halide slow warm up but sharp off, or fluorescent flicker on. Then throw in they are only running at half power and my corals and anemone are colouring up nicely compared to under 2x250w mh
Oh and STUNNING Vipers Dave......
maybe one day!speed_monkey said:
Hey, great advice. Thank you.
I did think that 30kg of live rock was a little on the light side...... will probably order 3 x 25kg of the base rock. I am quite lucky in that i have plenty of time for it to be seeded by the small amount of LR, I am in no rush!
Yes i was going to go Berlin style, my LFS said that rubble in the external filter was the best filter media to go with.... hmmmmm what would you suggest as a suitable media, if any? Or would you suggest only using the filter for when I am adding chem and salt etc etc and just leave the filtering to the rock and sand?
Ideally i would like to go with a sump, but the glass isnt drilled and I dont really want to go with drilling it as I am not sure on the age of the glass. So a HOB skimmer is needed.
It eventually will be a reef tank yes, initially starting as a FOWLR then adding corals when the budget (read: SWMBO) allows.
I'm not sure on the lighting system on the tank already, it was originally a marine setup so i am hoping for a decent lighting system already in place, if not, any suggestions?
The specs on the Deltec say that for a normally stocked tank its good for 800+ litres? i dont forsee my tank being overstocked any time soon so I am happy enough to stick with the MC600 and if I need to put another smaller skimmer into the mix I can do that at a later date.
Sorry for all the questions, i want to get this right! So much more to consider than a tropical setup I am a bit OCD so I'm loving all of the details
I would use at least 75% live rock, non live rock will take years to become properly live.I did think that 30kg of live rock was a little on the light side...... will probably order 3 x 25kg of the base rock. I am quite lucky in that i have plenty of time for it to be seeded by the small amount of LR, I am in no rush!
Yes i was going to go Berlin style, my LFS said that rubble in the external filter was the best filter media to go with.... hmmmmm what would you suggest as a suitable media, if any? Or would you suggest only using the filter for when I am adding chem and salt etc etc and just leave the filtering to the rock and sand?
Ideally i would like to go with a sump, but the glass isnt drilled and I dont really want to go with drilling it as I am not sure on the age of the glass. So a HOB skimmer is needed.
It eventually will be a reef tank yes, initially starting as a FOWLR then adding corals when the budget (read: SWMBO) allows.
I'm not sure on the lighting system on the tank already, it was originally a marine setup so i am hoping for a decent lighting system already in place, if not, any suggestions?
The specs on the Deltec say that for a normally stocked tank its good for 800+ litres? i dont forsee my tank being overstocked any time soon so I am happy enough to stick with the MC600 and if I need to put another smaller skimmer into the mix I can do that at a later date.
Sorry for all the questions, i want to get this right!
So much more to consider than a tropical setup I am a bit OCD so I'm loving all of the detailsYou will need to 'polish' your water therefore I'd use filter floss in the canister to do this. You will need a phosphate remover as well, so you could also use the canister filter for this purpose.
If you aren't going to have the tank drilled then I'd not bother with a sump as overflow boxes can be a pain!
You say the tank is going to be fish only to begin with - this will give you time to save up for a top lighting system! Which is important for a really successful reef. Just be mindful of what fish you put in there bearing in mind it's going to eventually be a reef.
Flow flow flow! Get a couple of really good pumps before you start adding corals.
The Deltec specs are a little optimistic in my view but I've used these skimmers many times and they are good so it will be fine for now. You will probably end up upgrading your tank anyway, we all do!
ryanjohnstott said:
I would use at least 75% live rock, non live rock will take years to become properly live.
You will need to 'polish' your water therefore I'd use filter floss in the canister to do this. You will need a phosphate remover as well, so you could also use the canister filter for this purpose.
If you aren't going to have the tank drilled then I'd not bother with a sump as overflow boxes can be a pain!
You say the tank is going to be fish only to begin with - this will give you time to save up for a top lighting system! Which is important for a really successful reef. Just be mindful of what fish you put in there bearing in mind it's going to eventually be a reef.
Flow flow flow! Get a couple of really good pumps before you start adding corals.
The Deltec specs are a little optimistic in my view but I've used these skimmers many times and they are good so it will be fine for now. You will probably end up upgrading your tank anyway, we all do!
With regards to Flow I was thinking of two small(ish) powerheads with a wave machine..... Just love the natural look of soft corals "waving" in a current....You will need to 'polish' your water therefore I'd use filter floss in the canister to do this. You will need a phosphate remover as well, so you could also use the canister filter for this purpose.
If you aren't going to have the tank drilled then I'd not bother with a sump as overflow boxes can be a pain!
You say the tank is going to be fish only to begin with - this will give you time to save up for a top lighting system! Which is important for a really successful reef. Just be mindful of what fish you put in there bearing in mind it's going to eventually be a reef.
Flow flow flow! Get a couple of really good pumps before you start adding corals.
The Deltec specs are a little optimistic in my view but I've used these skimmers many times and they are good so it will be fine for now. You will probably end up upgrading your tank anyway, we all do!
Get a drilled tank, use a sump.
The skimmer can do in the cabinet and be hidden.
Use Tunze streams for water movement, they have a controller that makes pretty good wave motion.
Use live rock - if by base rock you mean ocean rock, discount it as live rock - it is not pourous enough to really colonise properly.
Lighting depends on what corals you want to keep.
The skimmer can do in the cabinet and be hidden.
Use Tunze streams for water movement, they have a controller that makes pretty good wave motion.
Use live rock - if by base rock you mean ocean rock, discount it as live rock - it is not pourous enough to really colonise properly.
Lighting depends on what corals you want to keep.
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