Lights, using WWM
I am new to the hobby and I'm about to purchase a 125g tank (72"x24"x17") I eventually want to keep all kinds of corals and clams. Also an anemone. I was just wondering how much light I would need and if you had any suggestions as to what. Also I will keep a fuge with live rock and sand in it and was wondering about lights for it too.
thanks
Mike Costillo
<Welcome to our site Mike... Please either use the Google search tool or the Indices there... Many articles and FAQs files for you to peruse... go there. Bob Fenner>

Establishing a Large Tank
Hi Guys,
<Scott F. your guy tonight>
As always, your responses are much appreciated.  Sorry, but my questions for you tonight cover a number of different topics.  I currently own a 55 gal. saltwater setup and recently purchased a used Oceanic 110 gallon system with trickle filter and skimmer.  The tank has been dry for approximately one year.
<Good patience on your part!>
All the equipment is in excellent condition.  The 100 lbs +/- of now 'dead' rock has a significant amount of dried green algae covering almost all of the rock.  Do you have any recommendations on removing the old algae?
<You could soak it in freshwater with baking soda, and scrub like hell! Or, you could use a mild bleach solution to help, then rinse it repeatedly, and soak it in water with Dechlor, then rinse again...I like the "scrub and soda" method myself>
Is it possible that algae that is on the rockwork (which has been out of the water for about a year) could somehow be dormant and then sprout back to life after being placed in the tank?
<Quite possible, but most likely, some of the algae material will decompose over time in the water, which could lead to algae outbreaks in the tank...Use aggressive nutrient export techniques to keep water quality high>
It seems to me that it would make the most sense to physically remove as much as possible before adding it to the new system.
<Agreed>
Since it is basically dead, does it need to be cured again?
<Not really "cured", but it does need to colonize new coralline and other beneficial life forms>
Next item, I have been researching your website regarding plenums, but have decided that I am not really ready to take this on just yet.  I'm a little confused regarding the differing opinions on sand beds, but do you see any potential problems with using a relatively fine grain aragonite sand for the bottom of my tank with a depth of about 1"?
<Plenums are a very useful tool, if constructed exactly to published concepts (a la Bob Goemans). As far as the one inch layer of live sand- don't do it...It's too deep to be fully aerobic, yet too shallow to foster complete denitrification. Really a sort of "no man's land; not beneficial for long-term maintenance. Keep the sand bed 1/2inch or less, or 3 inches or more!>
Instead of a plenum, I am considering removing the bio-balls from the trickle filter/sump and using that area as a refugium to grow some type of macro algae to help in the reduction of nitrates.
<Good idea! Use a good macroalgae, such as Gracilaria, Chaetomorpha, or even Halimeda.. Harvest them regularly>
Is there any rule of thumb to follow regarding how large a refugium should be in relation to the main tank?
<No set rule...In fact, I've seen tanks where the "refugium" was larger than the display!>
In my situation, I could probably hold about 12 gallons, with a footprint of about 2 square feet.  Although I would like to run the tank's raw overflow water into the skimmer first, due to the setup of the sump and under cabinet limitations, it appears as though I would have to have the refugium first, and the protein skimmer next in the 'flow line' followed by my carbon or chemical filtration before returning to the main tank.  Is this an acceptable setup, or is there a particular order that these processes must take place in?
<Sounds fine...You should put refugium where it gets raw, "unprocessed" tank water, as you could for the skimmer, too. Your setup will work okay, IMO>
For the refugium, is there any advantage to having a 4-5" sand bed to grow the macroalgae, or is there a better substrate (such as Miracle Mud) for rooting or growing the algae?  Should I have some small pieces of live rock in the refugium as well?
<Either is fine/ I like the idea of the DSB in the main system, and live rock rubble in the refugium...no hard and fast rules. BTW-Gracilaria and Chaetomorpha are free floating species, so no substrate is required for them to "root" in>
What are your thoughts about the addition of hermit or other small crabs or other life forms?
<I like them, but lots of people don't think that they belong in a refugium, as they could possibly munch on things that you're trying to provide a "safe haven" for>
What type(s) of macroalgae do you recommend for the refugium?
<As above>
Any relatively easy-to-grow types for the beginner that absorb undesirable nutrients without being a potential danger to the main tank?
<Ditto!>
Finally regarding refugiums - do they really work, or are they a type of system that requires vigilant attention with small margins of error to do what they claim to do, or are they a more forgiving, truly worthwhile component to incorporate?
<Certainly a worthwhile addition to the tank, both for their nutrient processing capabilities, and their potential to produce food for the tank>
And my last question is a very general one, why is it that aquariums fall into two categories: fish only and reef?  There doesn't seem to be many hobbyists that strive for some middle ground.  I would like to establish my new tank with a variety of corals, but also want to house a nice quantity of fish.  Even though I have never been to a real ocean reef, I always imagine it being populated by scores of different corals and fish.  So why do you think that there are reef tanks (which generally house just a few small fish) and fish only tanks (which generally house no corals) but we seldom see or hear about tanks with a good mix of both?  Just curious.
<Well, that's a good question. I think the main reason that we seem to delineate these types of systems is that, in a closed system, it's often difficult to provide ideal conditions for corals and a variety of fishes in the same tank. Sure, it's done all of the time, but there are many desirable fishes that will simply destroy corals. Plus, there are different types of "fish only" setups, such as the "fish only with live rock" (FOWLR) version, which embraces natural methods to keep a variety of fishes (and sometimes includes some hardy corals). Remember, in the limited space available in a closed system, water quality is of paramount importance, so having a huge population of fish and corals is almost impossible to achieve. Compromises and tradeoffs must be made...>
Sorry for the length of the email, I had really just intended it to be relatively brief, but my fingers just kept walking.
<I know how that is!>
Thanks again for all the help you have and continue to provide.
Dave
<And thanks for stopping by, Dave! Continued good luck with your efforts! Regards, Scott F>

First Foray into Saltwater
Ok, I think I have settled on the filter system that I want to get based on research at your site and others.  Please give me your honest opinion of what my possibility of being successful with it is.
<Will Do.>
Live stock.......I haven't decided on specifics here, but just assume no corals (FOWLR), a couple of shrimp, and 5 or less small to medium, non-messy, beginner type fish.
<Sounds good, nothing that gets too big.>
Tank....38g
<cool>
Lighting....Standard florescent (no heavy inverts)
<No problem here, the live rock might appreciate a full spectrum florescent bulb.>
Protein Skimmer....I originally thought Prizm (now no way!)
<I have not heard great things about the Prizm>
...then I thought Remora (still like this one, but...)
<I use the Remora, I am happy with it.>
...now I'm thinking CPR Bak-pak, since it is also highly thought of by many, HOT, AND has the extra bio-filter system.  How does the noise on this one compare to say an Emperor 400 filter?
<I have not used the CPR Bak-pak.  The noise level depends upon the technology the skimmer uses.  The Remora uses spray injection, so it is basically blasting the water into the skimmer which creates the bubbles and yadda yadda yadda.  The CPR looks like it uses a similar method, so you are going to have the sound of water being sprayed into the skimmer.  I guess it depends on what you consider noisy.  I would ask some of the folks on the message boards for their opinions.  http://wetwebfotos.com/talk/
The additional bio filtration would be nice if you did not have a lot of live rock.>
Circulation....Two Penguin 660 power heads firing across from one another for turbulence and aeration.
<sounds good.>
Live Rock....I'm going to use this, but the question is how much (I'll be using an Aragonite substrate, so I'm hoping some of the rock life will migrate into it.)?
<It will become live.  Keep the aragonite around 4inches if you want a DSB, or less than 1inch if it is just for looks.>
I've seen recommendations of 0.5#/g, 1#/g, and as much
as 2#/g
<All will work, more rock, more bio filtration. 2lbs per gallon is good for reef tanks.>
Other filtration.....Here's where I'm really stuck up in the air even after reading through your site extensively.  Some might say, that the above is fine w/o further filtration, especially with live rock, but some say another filtration source is necessary.  I have a Whisper 60 available.  Is this good enough considering the other equipment, live rock, and the bio-load?  Do I even need it at all? If I use it, is it best to use it with activated carbon, or should it just be a mechanical filter with floss (and maybe some bio-filter properties)?
<Additional mechanical filtration cannot hurt, and it would be a good place for carbon.  I like to run carbon all the time for water clarity.  A whisper 60 could work depending upon your fish load, I'd go bigger if you get some messy fish.  You do not really need the additional bio filtration if you go with 1 -2lbs of live rock, or the skimmer with the bio filtration.>
Thanks Again for your help and time!
Chris
< I think it is time to start considering which types of fish you would like to keep, sounds like you've got a good plan so far. -Gage>

In The Beginning...
I have a 125 F.O. tank. Live rock, live sand, base rock. For filtration (one of my questions) I have a wet dry, two H.O.T Magnum 250s', and (because I heard a lot of yes and a lot of no) two under gravel plates for a 55 gallon tank in the two corners of my tank, I have power heads running both of these. Until this morning I had the water flowing all in one direction. After reading some about circulation on your site I changed the output of my magnum to go in a different direction. Is that a good thing or a bad?
<I think it's better to have a more "chaotic" flow, which has currents going in different directions>
Is this enough filtration?
<Depends on bioload. For a tank that's not too heavily stocked, this should be okay. I'm not a huge fan of UG filters in marine tanks, becuase of their tendency to accumulate detritus and degrade water quality over long periods of time. But hey- they have been around for decades, and can work if maintained carefully>
Should I put another power head in the bottom of the tank to get circulation down there too or no?
<Can't hurt>
I decided to go with Lion fish to start up my cycle. Very pretty but too aggressive.
<Please don't cycle with fishes, even tough guys like lions. Much better (and more humane) to cycle your tank with the live rock and a dose of patience!>
What would you recommend for a good clean up crew?
<I like the "cleanup crew" packages that many of the online vendors offer. They have a good variety of snails, crabs, brittle stars, etc., in quantities suitable for various sized aquariums. Do a little searching and you'll find a lot of kits to choose from!>
Any and all help is appreciated. Thank you for your time. I am new to saltwater and will probably have a lot more questions to follow.
Bill
<All part of the fun, Bill! Don't hesitate to ask any questions that you may have, or to share your experiences with others. That's what Wetwebmedia is all about! Be sure to utilize the vast resources available on this site! Good Luck! regards, Scott F>

Beginning Marine fish setup - 4/9/03
Thanks for the response!  I have done quite a bit of research on your
website. (The amount of info there is actually quite impressive and
somewhat overwhelming.) <Absolutely. We want you, the visitor, to find anything you can possibly think to ask> I also read the article that you suggested and
found it quite helpful. <Very good> I think my biggest remaining questions are:
-Tank Size - Definitely going with to 30g or 38g for the length/surface
area compared to the 29g, probably the 38g <Very well>
-Primary Filter - for the tank size I am looking at would a Whisper 60 be
O.K.? <Could be but I am not too keen on this as the only unless the fish are very small>
-Protein Skimmer - Do I get one...I have convinced myself yes is the answer
to this one <Absolutely. Must have for any aquarium period>
                                   - Which one....I was leaning toward a
Prizm, but your site has steered me away from there....maybe the Remora? <I love AquaC and there is always the CPR BakPak (I employ the use of this one as well.>
-Would I need any other equipment past this (aside from test kits, heaters,
thermometers)?  Is this enough circulation/aeration? <Depends on your inhabitants for answers to these last questions>
-The use of Live Rock - Is this necessary in this type of set up, and will
it cause more complexity as far as caretaking of the aquarium. <Not necessary but useful. No additional upkeep than a normal marine setup, but again, depends on what you are going for in the way of inhabitants>
-Can I include Shrimp or possibly Starfish in this setup?  What extra care
do they involve? <Read on my friend. It is all here on the webpage>  They don't have to have the special lighting, right? <No. Again, all this can and is available for your use here at wetwebmedia.> Do
they need special filtration or water quality requirements. <See above>
-Finally (and the answer to this may help answer some of the above
questions), I'm not sure what would be some good "starter" saltwater
fish/shrimp to start out with for this set-up, and a newbie saltwater
aquarist?  Can you recommend...or did I miss that article on your site? <Many places to find this. I suggest "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert Fenner, John Tullock's book "Natural Reef Aquariums" as a couple of very good beginner books with info in them regarding your questions. Many sites (including this one) also outline various good beginner tanks and fish setups. Look through books and sites as well as our site, for fish that look interesting and what their captive needs are. Here is a link to the fish section on our site: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/fishes/index.htm A good place to start. Also use our google search tool a try "beginner marine fish" for a keyword. Sorry to seem like I am dodging your question as I do not mean to, but this is information easily found and there are a great deal of emails to be answered. Thanks for your question. Paulo>
:-)
Thanks Again for the Help! <My pleasure>
Chris

New Marine aquarist - 4/9/03
Crew,
I am an experienced freshwater aquarist, but I would like to try my hand at a fish-only Marine set-up. <A natural progression.>  I really have little knowledge on marine set-ups other than research I have been doing on the web for the past week. <Many more weeks to go then> Unfortunately that research has left my head spinning as it seems that every piece of information I read is contradicted by another. <Understood, but I believe you are doing the right thing. Try to find middle ground. Continue your search for knowledge>  I would like to set-up a relatively small Marine fish-only aquarium, probably 29, 30, or 38 gallons. <If I had my choice of the three I would choose the 38.>  I would like to do this for relatively cheap. <Can be done but be realistic.....See Anthony's wonderful article: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fw2mar.htm>  I know saltwater is not cheap and inherently more expensive than freshwater, but I was hoping to be able to piece together a system (tank, stand, filtration necessities, heaters, etc.....basically everything but decorations and fish) for ~$500. <Can be done>  First, is this reasonable assuming I want to be successful, and if not what is? <Well, again can be done but for you to figure what your max budget is based on what animals will ultimately inhabit your aquarium and what you plan to accomplish. If you plan on having nothing but fish and no corals then NO lighting is fine. (lighting taking most of the cost of a new marine tank next to various filtration techniques) Second, what are your recommendations from top to bottom, especially with filtration, skimming, etc. <Oh no you don't Mr. Busy. You need to make use of our site as there are many recommendations here. After you gather exactly what your plans are as to what will inhabit your tank, then decide tank size, lighting, filtration methods, aquascaping (sand and rock), water maintenance costs (salt, buckets, cleaning, dosing, test kits etc) and maybe some books. (not necessarily in that order) Make use of our site>  I am pretty busy, <So are we all> so I would prefer the DIY stuff to be somewhat minimal, but a little would be fine. <Well, that is up to you. After you determine the tank needs, then determine what it will cost to put that plan into action. At that point, if you are close to the edge of your budget, you may need to decide what you can build and what you can't. Knowledge is power my friend and you are well on your way. Good luck. Paul>
Thanks So Much in Advance,
Chris J. Rogers

Live rock and sand for a new tank
Hey guys,
<Don today, welcome to WetWebMedia>
Just a quick scenario and questions for approval.  Have a 55 gallon standard All Glass aquarium.  Looking to start with 60 lbs of live rock and 30 lbs of live sand, both from Gulf-View in Fl.  Is this a good place to start for a 55 gallon tank?
<You may want to add another 20# or so of rock down the road, but this will be an excellent start.>
I know more is better but funds are limited.  
<I can certainly understand that <G>
I also would like to mix the live sand with my current ag of crushed coral to give me a little more volume for the time being.  Is this a good idea or should I toss the crushed coral and just use the sand?  I just hate wasting.
<I understand the waste viewpoint, but mixing substrate with this much difference in size is not recommended. Actually the 30# may be just about right as you want less than 1" or more than 4" (better 6) of fine sand>
Another quickie, with the above scenario, do you feel I could dump the bio media in my wet dry sump or shall i run that as well once the rock is all in place?  
<If it were me, I would remove the bio media of the wet/dry>
There will be more equipment involved like multiple power heads and protein skimming.  
<Do not skimp on the skimmer, get the very best you can afford, or wait until you can. See here for more: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/bestskmrSelfaqs.htm make sure you follow the blue links at the top of the page to read other comments about skimmers.>
Organism choices have not been made yet.  That email for advice to follow.
<Research and narrow your list and let us know. Don>
Thanks as always,
Louis

Equipment List, Lighting and Water Flow
Good After noon from Sunny Florida !
<Back at you from sunny (at least today) Nebraska!>
I am putting together my shopping list for my first SW tank. I would like to have a fish and invert tank with a few green Chromis, 1 yellow tang, 1 lawnmower blenny and for inverts, brittle star, feather dusters, cleaner crabs, etc. Basically hardy fish and hardy inverts and a cleaning crew .  The following is my equipment list so far.
Standard 55 Gallon Glass Aquarium
Emperor 400 Power Filter
Remora Pro Protein Skimmer w/ Mag 3
<Excellent choice, look into the surface skimmer box, a worthwhile option>
2 Ebo - Jager 100 watt heaters
<I would go with 2 150W or 200W>
55 lbs Tampa Bay Saltwater Live Rock
2 ” of Aragonite Substrate
<Less than 1" or more than 4" is best>
Coralife 48 ” Aqualight 4x65 Power Compact Hood ( 2 - 10K & 2 - Actinic)
2 Maxi-Jet 900 powerheads
Can you give me your opinion on the viability of this setup and offer any area where I might make some changes?
The two areas that I am unsure of are the lighting and the water flow.
1) Is 260 watts too much for what I am looking to do ? My thought was that this would give me the option to try my hand at corals once my skill level increases.
<Enough light to see the animals is really all you need for FOWLR. Your listed lighting will be fine.>
2) Do I have enough water flow? Adding up the manufactures flow rate numbers, I get 970 gph .
<Yes, you may want to add some small powerheads down the road for 'spot' flow but only time will tell. All in all, with the above noted exceptions, I think you are on the right track. Sounds like a great setup.>
Your help would be greatly appreciated.
<My pleasure, let us know how you progress, Don>
David

The whole enchilada
>Hello all,
>>Greetings and salutations.
>I did my best to answer these questions by utilizing
your archives. It seems as though the answer to
finding the perfect filtration system depends on what
is to be kept and in what size tank it is to be kept
in.
>>Such is life.
>I've built smaller acrylic aquariums in the past
for friends (best to learn on their dime) and am now
building a 400 gal (long/wide rather than a tall) for
myself. One question about the tank, in reading
through your archives I noticed people mentioning a
center pre-filter, is this the preferred placement or
is it in reference to something completely different?
>>Having the prefilter (skimmer box) in the center means that you'll be dividing the tank up and it will simply affect/determine flow.  You could also go with two prefilters in either corner, or placed at the points where the tank divides into thirds.
>I've enclosed a picture of the type of Moray I want,
and was hoping you could help me with the taxonomy.  I've seen it referred to as Gymnothorax favagineus
(small spotted Tessalata), Gymnothorax permistus and
juvenile patterned Gymnothorax favagineus.
>>He's GORGEOUS!  However, this is the pic I've found as G. favagineus--> http://www.pharmakobotanik.de/allgemei/travel/2000-1/005.htm
and this (almost exact--note that the patterning is both differently sized and spaced) http://www.jjphoto.dk/fish_archive/aquarium_salt/gymnothorax_favagineus.htm
This one seems to be the correct identification--> http://www.center-reef.ru/54_16.html
>Along with the Moray I plan on housing a Golden or Ultra Golden
Puffer, Australian Harlequin Tusk Wrasse, Black Volitans Lion and (next question, not sure if they are compatible) an Undulated, Titan and Picasso Trigger.
>>I would say that, especially if starting out with juveniles, you should have few problems.  However, you know (if you've worked with many triggers) they'll doink you if they get a chance.  OUCH!
>If each has it's own structure and the Undulated is introduced last will it work?
The Undulatus and Picasso triggers, to my mind, are going to be your biggest trouble-makers, so, get them as small as you can, and just be sure that all others are well established.  The nice thing with triggers is that, should an individual prove to be troublesome, they're EASY to catch.  One must allow for individual personalities and all of these fish.
>What would be the perfect filtration system?
>>Massive flow, with a refugium and MAJOR foam fractionation.  More is better and better is MORE.
>My thoughts were a sump with live porous rock (what does cured denote?)
>>Cured means that the live rock has been placed back into water after shipping, and all dead/dying organisms have been cleaned/removed/allowed to decay, and the end result is that you will have zero readings of all components of the nitrification cycle.  The smell (which is awful with fresh, uncured rock) is another great indicator of the health of the rock's denizens.  
>one or two Euroreef protein skimmers, is there a preference to placing them in or out of the sump?
>>Most folks have their own preference.  My own advice is to ensure that no skimmate (of which there will be copious amounts) will get back into the system.
> A DIY fluidized bed filter and for the remaining Nitrates a DIY Coil Denitrator. I won’t over feed, but these guys are going to be fun at feeding time, so with the fecal frenzy that is sure to follow, will this set up be the best possible?
>>You could go with the Coil, or simply utilize a deep sand bed.  In a tank of your dimensions I would suggest a bed of 4"-5", using aragonite sand.
>I noted you mentioning wet/dry’s when ever heavy bio loads were
brought up.
>>Wet/dry filters will handle ammonia and nitrites, but you'll be left with high nitrates to battle.  A denitrifier, either the coil you've mentioned or a DSB, is the way to deal with nitrates.  A DSB can also be used very nicely in a refugium.
>Suggestions on extra circulation and aeration if needed?
>>Just be sure that you've got the motor to turn over approximately 10xtank volume/hour, and do stay away from Rio pumps--too many troubles and unexpected breakdowns.  Mag's seem to be quite popular.  You can search on http://www.reefs.org/library (there's a section on pumps, look in the archives or go to the forums and ask) as well.  Marina

New reefer - 3/24/03
Hello to all the crew-- <Hello Jill. Paul at your service>
I have "lost" many hours to your website, all of them enjoyable! <Me too! Love this website> I am researching my first foray into marine aquariums, <welcome aboard> and I have read much on your site and browsed the forums, but I am wondering if you'd be willing to comment on my setup. <Do my best>
First things first, the marine beginner's Library I am aiming to acquire (and do you have recommendations for additions?):
- The New Marine Aquarium, Paletta <have it and like it>
- The Conscientious Marine Aquarist, Fenner <Necessity>
- Aquarium Corals, Borneman <Also a necessity. I really find Anthony Calfo's book very complete with lots of very valuable information>
The less-than-ideal fact: I have a 30 Breeder to work with (36" x 18"deep x about 12" high-- weird footprint), so we're talking a small reef aquarium. <Yes we are, and remember that the smaller the tank means more of a chance for problems> But, I am a conscientious fishkeeper with lots of freshwater years, so I don't mind the time and diligence required.  I'll do my best! <Very good to hear. Sometimes, it is out of your hands. You just have too many issues constantly cropping up. Can be done, though!>   
Here are the general plans.  Please comment on anything that strikes you as especially good or especially amiss:
- 30+ pounds live rock <more live rock if possible>
- 1/2" live sand <Go deep! 4 inches of sugar fine or oolitic would be ideal here>
- 4 x 36watt power compact fluorescents <likely fine>
- Aquaclear 300 with carbon insert <likely fine>
- CPR BakPak2 <love it>
- CPR Aquafuge hang-on refugium, with LR and macro algae (should I add snails in there?)<you could but probably not necessary. Look into small types like Cerith snails if needed>.  Would the 12" x 4" x 12" size be sufficient for my small tank? <yeah..... but not sure if this the best way to go about a refugium but likely OK> would a 15 watt NO fluorescent be sufficient lighting for the refug.? <I think so but will need to change the bulb very often to keep PAR>
- I am unsure about circulation. <how much? Here is a link to help you out: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/circmarart.htm>  I have printed out your pages about the different kinds of circulation to read, but the list of the inverts I would like to keep are below if you could make any suggestions.
These are the fish I would most like to keep.  Can I keep them all (i.e., ok bioload, compatible, etc)?  If I could keep another fish, do you have any suggestions for complementary, brightly colored non-goby-shaped fish that my significant other might actually like?  The kind people think of when they think "saltwater"?  
- Neon goby (Gobiosoma oceanops)
- Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogon kauderni) <I like the Pajama cardinal fish (Sphaeramia nematoptera)>
- Purple Firefish (Nemateleotris decora)
- Shrimp goby/ shrimp combo <Definitely need a deep oolitic sand bed. See, more reasons for thick deep sand bed>
I am interested in keeping some of these inverts.  Could I keep them all, or could you help me eliminate some?  Any bad choices for a beginner?
- Blue Linckia starfish (Linckia laevigata)-- Can you suggest any other compatible starfish either in addition or substitution to this one? <Bad choice. Blue Linkia just don't fare well. Try a brittle star, with the exception of Ophiarachna Radiata (the green "brittle" star) but many others to choose from. You could also maybe try a Fromia sp.>
- "Blue/tuxedo/pincushion" urchin (Mespilia globulus)-- I really want this guy! I'll epoxy everything if I have to! <Probably should epoxy anyway. In any event, I have no experience with this echinoderm other than in the wild. Be sure to research much more before purchasing. Do a search on our google tool.>
Soft corals like:
- toadstools (Sarcophyton sp.)
- Xenia sp.
- Sea mats (Palythoa sp.)
- Button polyp (Zoanthus sp.)
- Ricordea floridae
- Green star polyps (Clavularia sp.)-- these are my favorite
- Yellow polyps  (Parazoanthus sp.)
I would welcome advice about shrimp and snails, or a direction to a good site about these little guys. <All coral choices are fine. Very good and all the corals you listed are very easily aquacultured (i.e.. GARF or Dr. Mac and Sons) for the satisfaction of helping the current stress on the ocean environment. As far as snails you wont need more than 1 Nerites, 2 Cerith, and maybe an Astrea or two. Again I would check with GARF or IPSF or even locally>
I also plan on having a 5 gallon bucket constantly circulating pre-mixed water, heated to the same temp as the tank, for regular water changes. <Good idea. We highly recommend this course of action>
Some odds and ends questions:
- Should my heater go in the small refugium or main tank, in your opinion? <Likely the tank. Put it toward the bottom and hide it behind the rockwork>
- I have read that you don't necessarily recommend a substrate for the refugium. <Not sure about that. Maybe confused with a quarantine tank? A refugium should be an environment that will promote macro algae growth as well as many benthic copepods and amphipod populations and their larvae. The only to do this is to simulate their typical environment (lacking predators of course)>  My concern is that my local water is very soft (0-2DH) out of the tap, and I was wondering if I should add some more buffering material to the refugium, either simply aragonite sand or some other calcareous substance. <Sure, see comment above, but again be sure to treat this before putting water into the tank. Also, be sure to use a very reliable test kit to measure DKH as well as all other necessary parameters >
- Can I set up the whole thing at once-- tank, refugium, LR (as long as it's fully cured), water-change water, etc?  Or do I need to wait to add the refugium? <I think you can add it all at once.>
I appreciate your time, and your diligent maintenance of your website, immensely. <We appreciate your diligence in searching for answers to your questions. Be sure to not only frequent our site but the many others out there that continue to support the great hobbyists and their aquaria. Also, be sure to get involved in your local saltwater club by either becoming a member or taking a more active role within the organization> Hope all is well in your world. <As well as it can be in these troubled times. Take time to think about the plight of many (not just the water world)>
Sincerely,
Jill Petersen <Paul Mansur>

Gravel, bleach, lights, and rock
Hi there-
Hope you guys are having a good day.  I've been playing around on your site
for a while now, and have a couple questions.
I've got an 80 gallon saltwater setup (48x22x18) with a wet-dry (Rio 2500),
300w heater, 8.3 ph, no ammonia, nitrates or nitrites with a salinity of
1.024.  I've got some coarsely crushed coral as the substrate and 16 pounds
of "dead" paradise rock.  Currently the only live inhabitant is a damsel.  I
was going to eventually get one, and I'm short on funds, so he is here to
keep me company while the set-up grows.  Eventually, I'd like to have about
80 pounds of live/dead rock, two species of dwarf angels,<I would only do 1 in this size system> a pacific blue
tang, and some small fish (clown, two or three blennies or other such little
guys).  Also, I'm going to get some invertebrates- Horseshoe crabs, abalone
snails, dwarf fans, some cleaner shrimp and crabs, etc- trying for a
low-maintenance aquarium.  My understanding is that live rock/sand and the
right invertebrates make this easy.  (I'm trying to keep coral an option,
but I need some hefty lights and a lot more experience before that.)
An unfortunate series of infections caused the untimely end of the cichlids
which were the previous inhabitants of the tank.  Through some research (too
late) I was able to identify a lowered immune system caused by contaminated
decorations, and a plant from hell that caused a worm, bacterial and two
parasitic infections.  Right now, I'm still in mourning for the other fish,
and am keeping all invertebrates out in case I have to throw formalin in.
(I realize that the chances of a parasite jumping from fresh to marine is
rare, but I'm paranoid.)
First question is about Protein skimmers.  I know you have an EXTENSIVE FAQ
section on these, but I'm having trouble figuring out exactly what I want to
know.  I read that a protein skimmer is useless if it is after any
biological filter, so my question is where to put one in a wet-dry.  Will I
have to remove the filter and bio-balls?  Or am I misunderstanding?  I had
thought about going out and getting a Rubbermaid bin to use as a refugium
and having the filter box fill it, and then from that, fill the wet-dry.  Is
this necessary as a first stage before the wet-dry for the skimmer?  I'd
love to have both, but is there any way to get the skimmer working in the
wet-dry without taking out the biological filtration?
Second question is about some gravel I have sterilized.  I used Muriatic acid
to sterilize the tank and equipment, and in an attempt to clean any
remaining bacteria/parasites/worms remaining in my gravel, I bleached it
about a week ago.  I left it in an old garbage can (not used for garbage or
cleaning) with a very strong bleach mixture.  I rinsed it, boiled it, rinsed
it again, and dried it in the microwave.  Is this enough?  I can detect no
more chlorine smell, but I'd rather not find out the hard way- especially if
I'm going to have invertebrates playing in it.  Is there a test for it I can
use?  The LFS suggested I spread it out in the sun for a day.  Will that be
enough?  It's about 40 pounds of crushed aragonite, and I'd rather not throw
away the $40 if it is at all possible- it would make a nice substrate of
live sand for a refugium. < You can plumb the skimmer in line before the wet dry or simply hang one on the back of the tank.   I would remove all the media from the wet dry and use it as a sump.  Then you can put live rock and a skimmer in there and you are set.  As far as the gravel goes you should be fine.>
Next question is about lights-  This is something I'm very lost on.  A
friend of mine has live rock in a 55 which is growing and transferring
throughout the tank and has been for about three months under generic
lighting that came with the aquarium.  It is my understanding that the
lights that come with an aquarium are too weak for live rock- is this
correct?  The LFS has suggested two lights- about $30 each.  Does this sound
right?<  This lighting will be fine but you will not notice as much growth as you would from stronger lighting.  The lights at your LFS are probably standard output for that price.  You should be able to get VHO or power compacts for a decent price and either of those would be better for the LR.  Check our sponsors for these lights. Cody>
Thanks again for your time-
-Brendan

Re: several reef equipment-related questions
>Hi. I'm new to the whole reef tank game, and I've got a few questions that I'll attempt to keep as short as possible. I've been researching the web and a few books for about 4 weeks now, attempting to collect as much info as I can before I take the plunge, so to speak..
>>Very glad to see someone taking the time to learn BEFORE they take the plunge, I expect you'll have a much better experience because of it.  Be sure to use several books from different authors to help round out your knowledge base.
>I have a 55gal (unknown vendor) glass tank measuring 48Lx12Wx24H. I plan on building a Berlin-style reef. I'm still collecting the equipment required for the job, so here goes...
>>A wee bit tall, but that just gives you room to have a good deep sand bed.
>1a. I'm looking at an All-Glass Aquarium 110W 48" Power Compact setup. It seems to have an electronic ballast driving (2) 55W PC tubes. I plan on fitting (2) of these PC hoods overtop my tank for a total of 220W of light. Do you have any experience with All-Glass as a vendor in terms of quality?
>>Personally, no, but you can go to sites such as ours and pose a query, or to www.reefs.org and pose a query there.
>I am aware that MH might be a much better solution due to the depth of my tank. Would 220W be adequate for hosting anemones and soft corals (perhaps not hard corals however) in this particular tank? Perhaps if the corals were placed strategically?
>>I see no reason why you can't go this route, though lighting requirements for anemone are peculiar to each species.  Many anemones require VERY intense lighting, much like many small polyp stony corals (SPS).  Go to http://www.wetwebmedia.com and look up lighting for invertebrate life.  
>>With the power compacts you'll have less of a problem with the display overheating, and they are overall a safer type of lighting to use.  I recommend staying with what you have (you didn't mention the Kelvin rating of the bulbs--look for 6,500 or better) until you're comfortable with what you have.  However, please do not mix animals such as anemones with other sessile invertebrates.  If you really want to have a tank with anemones for the classic clownfish-anemone display (I think that's what brings many of us into this endeavor) I will suggest you keep it to anemones only.  They tend to wander and they most definitely can sting the inverts that can't move about.
>1b. The lighting kit comes with GE 9325K tubes. I am more than a little unclear after several days of reading *Kelvin recommendations for lighting. Would these 9325K tubes be sufficient to provide light for a rather general array of reef inhabitants? Would I instead be better to swap out 1 or 2 of the 4 PC tubes for 55W Actinics?
>>No.  While a Kelvin rating of 9325 is a bit of an oddball (the numbers tend to be rounder) it seems perfectly acceptable.  Kelvin ratings are basically a comparison to the lighting "standard" for reef life--the sun.  The closer to actual sunlight a particular bulb is to the sun--both in terms of spectrum, wavelength peak, and lumens (intensity/brightness of light) the better.  However, this is not necessary for creatures from deeper realms, and may indeed be harmful.  Actinics are specific to a wavelength of 420nm (nanometers), and their usefulness is aesthetic only.  You may find that you prefer to have one or two actinics to bring out the fluorescence of certain creatures, and to "ramp up" and down lighting when beginning and ending photoperiods.  This simulates sunrise and sunset to a certain degree.
>1c. All-Glass recommends that these PC's *not* be run directly over water. I've been considering purchasing a glass top for the tank (and the PC's would run above them). I understand that glass is never recommended because it degrades light transmission -- but I am more concerned about oxygen-exchange. Will glass tops impede air-water gas exchange? Is there another solution for protecting the PC's from salt-water (I've been thinking egg-crate..) that won't impede gas exchange?
>>The reason the manufacturers want you to have something between the bulbs and the water is twofold--salt spray/creep, and them being directly splashed and possible causing a short circuit or worse.  Glass or acrylic will both work, and glass as a barrier really shouldn't degrade lighting terribly significantly.  The real issue (as you've sussed) is tank depth in regards to artificial lighting.  My own solution would be to enclose only the bulbs, allowing some space for fans (or openings at least) to allow this gas exchange.  Now, you haven't mentioned setting up with a sump or refugium, but you did mention wanting to set up using a Berlin methodology.  When utilizing these methods of filtration, gas exchange won't be nearly as much of a problem.
>2. Finding a watts-per-gallon heater recommendation is a little nebulous. So far I believe that anywhere from 200W-300W would be adequate for this size of tank. The recommendation is to run (2) 100W or 150W heaters simultaneously for failure-safe purposes. What I am concerned about is that the Ebo-Jager 100W heaters are rather short (12" I believe?). Since the heater would only be able to penetrate 10-12" of my tank, would it not be wiser to go towards a much deeper (single) 250W heater to ensure 'even' vertical heating? Is this even an issue with proper water flow?
>>First, I have been hearing TERRIBLE reports on Ebo-Jaegers.  There appears to be a thermostat problem.  I've used Visi-therms for years, and I believe Eheim makes heaters--Eheim products are always quality.  There is indeed a good rule of thumb for heating--2W-3W/gallon.  I am a HUGE proponent of not putting all your eggs into one basket, so what I do is use two (or more for larger systems) heaters.  For a 55gal system I would use two 100W heaters (assuming your locale doesn't get too terribly cold--otherwise bump it up), placing one in the sump/refugium and one in the tank.  Be sure to use fully submersible heaters, as well, not the hang-on types.  
>3a. I've narrowed my skimmer selection down to a CPR BakPak 2R after several hours spent making sweet love to the skimmer selection FAQs. Further comments or suggestions on this model (if any)?
>>I haven't used this particular model (I like your way of thinking ;) ), but I also hear great reports on the AquaC Remora as well.  Many folks do very well with either.
>3b. In addition to the aforementioned skimmer, would a second venturi-powerhead be helpful (in the 300 gph range) to promote flow throughout the tank for a reef system? Is this over/under-kill?
>>You can use another powerhead for additional circulation, it's difficult to be definitive since you haven't given information on your filtration beyond the skimmer.  If you set up the system turning over around 10x/hour, you should be golden.  IF you do decide you want additional circulation, stay away from the venturi.  It doesn't appear to harm corals, but it looks awful in the tank to have all those superfine bubbles in there, and it can cause problems for fish similar to the bends in humans.
>4. I noticed fine scratches on the narrow sides of the tank.. are these to be of concern when I fill it with water? When I run my fingernail over them, I feel a slight edge.
>>I will suggest filling the tank with freshwater just to be sure the nicks and scratches aren't visible.  Personally, I don't think they'll be too much of a problem until algae (coralline or other micro) sets in, then they'll be problematic to keep clean.  I cannot think of a good filler for glass, though it wouldn't hurt to experiment with cyanoacrylate (super glue) as a filler.
>yikes.. this is getting long.. luckily I've run out of questions.
I'd just like to say thanks to all the folks at wetwebmedia for providing an invaluable service to the marine community. This research would be next to impossible without your wonderful (if not sardonic) insights!  :)  Thanks again, Chris Lepine.
>>We, the sardonic minions, thank you, and are glad to be of help.  Marina

New reef tank setup.
G'day
I am starting to setup my first reef tank and have spent many hours researching on your website but still have a few questions.
The tank is  a 75 gallon glass 48*18*21 with no built in overflow. I would like a flow rate of about 800 gph and am concerned that the diy overflow I built will not handle that much. Its a siphon overflow rather than a gravity feed unfortunately made out of 1" pvc. What flow rate could I expect through 1" and would it be very noisy?
<Shop 1" overflows at our sponsors and see what flow rate they handle. It may handle 800 gph but it may be at or near capacity.
I doubt it will make much noise.>
Would adding another one or two overflow pipes help?
<Possibly, if the box itself can handle that volume. You may need a larger box with more tubes. I would also recommend you look into installing a venturi powerhead to pull the air trapped in the overflow tube in the event of a power failure or your feet will get wet. You hook it up to the valve at the top of the tube, see CPR overflows.>
The overflow is from a design at http://www.angelfire.com/ok/dog1/overflow.html do you see any problems with this design?
<Nothing besides looks.....LOL!>
I have a 20 gallon sump/refugium with a plenum which the overflow runs into, is the flow rate too much for a sump of this size? Will anything I try to grow in it such as Caulerpa or seagrass just be swept away? I am running a mag 9.5 as my return pump.
<I think this is a poor compromise for a refugium. Refugiums are best with a gentle flow and placed above the display to passively drain into main, not below main like a sump. I would stick with this being a sump, perhaps add some LR.>
I plan on having primarily LPS corals such as elegance, frogspawn, open brain, mushroom, bubble and xenia along with snails, shrimp and crabs. I am thinking of getting a CS Britelight 2 65W 8800K and a CS SmartLite 2 65W 10000 and actinic. Would this be ok for these corals?
<This isn't my favorite, esp. the wattage/output for this depth tank. As an example, I have a 60 with 1/2 lit by a CS 96watt SmartLight and it isn't enough light for the above corals, except the Xenia which is at or near the top of the water. This is more of a concern for some of these that live on or near the substrate (Elegance, Open Brain, some mushrooms) and the LPS which need more light. I would look into 175 watt MH's or the equivalent.>
I intend to have a 1" sand bed in the tank with about 90 pounds of live rock. I would like an Aqua C Ev 180 skimmer but do not think there is room in my sump for one.
<Perhaps a larger sump?>
Any advice on this setup would be greatly appreciated. Thanks
<That's what I have for now.  Let us know if you have any further questions!  Craig>

Lighting, flow, temp, etc.
Hi crew!
>>Hello Rich!
I have a question for you regarding lighting in my 135g tank.  I
currently have 2 55 watt 10k CF, 2 55 watt actinics, and one 36"
powerglo (in addition to smaller red and blue incandescent lights from 15 - 25 watt for evening and night time viewing).  All of the CF's and the powerglo are on for 12 hours/day, and then they taper off at the end of the day and ramp up in the mornings.
>>That sounds very good.
This is a FOWLR tank with about 150lb of live rock.  The bioload is pretty much at the limit since I have 2 small banded cat sharks and one small yellow stingray (in about 6 months to a year I'll be moving the sharks and ray to a bigger tank and making this one into a reef tank), but I have efficient enough filtration to keep the water chemistry in check (two sumps, refugium with Caulerpa, the live rock, DSB (and yes, this requires constantly refilling the pits that the ray makes with sand, but I never let him burrow too far))  I have two CPR overflows, and two return pumps providing about 1500 gph circulation.
>>Check, so you've got the filtration as though you're keeping reef (absolutely vital for primitive cartilaginous fishes, in my opinion), which figures out to 11.11 times the tank volume turned over/hour.  You might need to bump that up just a bit, but your parameters are the best indicator.
What I'd like to do is start the slow process of seeding the rocks with some of the more hardy reef life.  There are already some polyps and a couple sponges doing well on the rocks, and I'm most likely picking up some more polyps today.  I'm placing these, of course, on the top layer of rocks, which is about 8" from the surface of the water, where the sharks basically don't go.
>>Slow is best.
My concerns are the lighting and the flow.  I've designed the flow so that there are areas in the tank with more flow than others, and can put more sensitive things there, but the other areas do have considerable flow, especially near the water's surface.  
>>Sounds as though you've left yourself with some good flexibility in regards to placement.
Also, the lighting is done with 48" fixtures in a 6' tank, so I would have to put the more light-needy things nearer the center of the tank.  
>>That ought not be a problem.  All reef life is best acclimated slowly to the lighting we provide, with the situation you describe you'll have great flexibility in placement.
However, that does allow me some room on either side to mount additional lighting, perhaps MH's, in the future.  My concern there is that I currently have the tank at about 80 degrees, and the heater never turns on  :)  The lights do that job.  I'm afraid that without fans and/or a chiller, MH's would bring me up another few degrees, which would obviously not be acceptable.
>>Agreed.  You would have to utilize fans at the very least, but once you get to a certain point with lighting and temperature control you may have to invest in a chiller.  If you don't want to take the "wait and see" approach, then be safe and get the chiller up front.  We can be fairly certain that the MH lights will indeed bring the temperature up.
The heart of my question:  With my goal of slowly building a reef, what things could I put in with the tank as-is, and how would you suggest I proceed with my plan to evolve the tank into a reef over the next year?  What upgrades/changes?
>>Well, there are so many things you could put in your tank, for instance corallimorphs such as mushrooms; leathers, the polyps you mentioned (I have a fondness for green stars), possibly large polyp stony corals (LPS), though you may find that some will prefer to be placed higher up in the water column.
>>I can't really tell you that you need to make upgrades to the tank as it is.  I have a concern for the sharks and rays, but you said they're being moved in about 6 months time.  I'll suggest that you give them as much horizontal space as possible, and as broad a tank as possible.
>>As for corals and the like (assuming you're thinking also Tridacnids), you seem to have all the room you need for the additional lighting.  The metal halides may not produce so much heat if you go for a pendant instead of a hood installation, though you'll still need to keep an eye on it.
>>Your filtration is great, you're utilizing both DSB and refugia, though you didn't mention foam fractionation--I'm a huge proponent of this method of filtration.  I see no reason why you couldn't have a gorgeous setup as is, quite frankly (with the addition of an efficient skimmer).
>>For other ideas on what reef denizens to consider stocking with, please let me link you to our database/library here--> http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm
Regarding inverts here--> http://www.wetwebmedia.com/non-vert.htm
Lighting here--> http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marlgtganthony.htm
>>Besides our site, be sure to utilize the plethora of good information that is out there.  
Thanks in advance for your assistance!  You've already helped me
(directly and indirectly) so much with this passion!  Rich
>>You're quite welcome, we're glad we can help.  
Marina

Re: help with 90 to 150g new reef tank setup!
Dear crew members,
First of all, I would like to acknowledge the great job you all are doing.  You guys are awesome!  This website provides a wealth of information.  Here are my questions.  I am trying to set up a 90 to 150 gallon reef tank with about 100 lbs of live rocks to begin with.  Now, I need your recommendations on the things that I may need.  First, which protein skimmer do you recommend?  What size (and brand) sump do you think I need?  Do I need bio-balls for reef tank?  What about the return pump and plumbing?  Do you have any preferences on the return pumps?  As for lighting, I think I will go with Hamilton PC 4x96w hood, what do you think?  As for the water circulations, how many submersible pumps do you think I would need and which brand?  I understand that I would need 10 to 20x water circulation.  How are those of Maxi-jet 1200 pumps?  Is there a way to plan and design plumbing from the main return pump or any other pumps for that matter (in or out of the tank) to maximize water
circulation without compromising the scenery?  I was thinking that I would set up a horizontal outlet pipe along side in the back of the tank that would have multiple vertical outlets.  Hope I am making any sense to you.
In summary:
1. Recommended Protein skimmer (brand and model)
2. Recommended sump
3. Recommended return pump
4. Recommended lighting
5. Recommended submersible pumps for circulation
6. anything else???
Ideally, the cost is not a matter and would like to know the best products out on the market.  But realistically, I would have to compromise on some of the things.  I will deal with that later when I am ready to set up in near future (hopefully, within next few months).  Thanks a million for your help.
Sincerely, Kiwan
<There is a lot here Kiwan!  I recommend Anthony or Bob's book to help with these questions, there is much to consider here. Do read the equipment suggestions in Marine Set-ups for skimmers, pumps, etc. These must be matched to your inhabitant wish-list. The lighting should be upgraded depending on inhabitant list. Depth of water is a consideration, do look into MH lighting if you want anything more than softies/low light corals.  Manufactured sumps are not necessary, regular cheapo tanks, Rubbermaid containers, etc. work fine, depending on your taste/choice/wishes.  I highly recommend reading the marine set-ups pages on WetWebMedia.com.
There is a wealth of info there.  Craig>

Setting Up a 55g Tank  3/13/03
OK, my LR is due tomorrow...<Fun fun fun!> and I'm getting nervous.<Not so fun!>  To recap, setting up
my first tank since I was 5.  It will be a 55 gallon tank to be cycled with
45lbs of LR from Live Aquaria.
My questions:
1) Thanks for all your help so far!<No problem!!>
2) I see from the FAQ's and pages I have read that you don't believe in
dipping LR in high salinity water to get the pests to come out (Live Aquaria
suggests 1 minute in 1.035-1.040).<I don't see a need for high salinity dips, does more harm than good IMO.>  If I did do that dipping and stuff came
out... how long would it live in that water?<Not too long, depends on the salinity>  I figure by the time I put all
of the pieces in this water, it will have been a while from the first piece
to the last piece and I don't want to kill off any shrimp that I might want
to keep...  If I didn't dip, then how to I prevent bristleworms, etc from
infesting my tank?<IMO, bristleworms are ok.  Just remove any large ones you see.  I have a 9" one in my 29g tank, he does a great job w/ any leftovers.>   Do I set the PVC piece with small-holed end caps as a
trap and keep doing so during the cycling process?<You could or buy a Bait-Trap from your LFS.>  If yes, what do I bait
these traps with? Defrosted frozen shrimp (intended for human consumption)?  
Pieces of salmon I can get from the supermarket?<There sound fine.>  That may take care of
bristleworm, but what do I do about mantis shrimp?<This should get them too.>  I'm going to have fish
plus shrimp and snails, so I want to make sure it is clean of problem shrimp
now.
3) Are you for or against the PVC base?<I love them, my new favorite thing to tell people about!!>  I have seen some yea's and some
nay's in replies.  Since it is a long narrow tank (48x13x20), I am worried
about water flow and detritus buildup so I thought PVC would be good to keep
the sand bed clean.<Put a small powerhead against the back wall of the tank, this blows all the build-up out into the open so it can be removed by you or the clean-up crew.>
4) I am planning on using a .5 inch to .75 inch thick Florida crushed coral
sand bed - is this OK?<That's what I have on my 29g tank.  It's doing great for me.>  Paletta's book says to leave the substrate out until
the LR is done curing - do you advocate this also?<I don't, but other might.. everyone has a different answer for that kinda question.>  Won't adding the
substrate after the rock cover up portions of the LR, thus killing off
whatever was covered?<Yup>
5) Geez, I am nervous... thanks again for any help you can provide...<Don't be, you sound like you have everything planned out, I'm sure this tank will be great!>
6) In the reply below, can you tell me why I should only have one or the
other (pseudochromis bicolor or midas/bicolor blenny)?  I couldn't find
anything that said they were incompatible.<It's kinda an unwritten rule that blennies should not be housed together.  They feed on the substrate, so it's important that there is enough to go around.>
7) The # of clowns... I heard three was best cause one would be dominant,
and split her/its aggression between the other two.  Is two better because
they will pair off and not fight with each other?<I keep my Clown's in a pair.  I once kept 3 Clowns a while back, there was one who was always being picked on.  I returned him and the other 2 Clowns lived fine, so I think 2 is better.  But I've seen tanks w/ a "school" of clowns.>
8) When do you recommend adding snails to the tank?<Yes, IMO 1 per 5 gallons, maybe even more in time.>  At the same time as the
clowns?<Sure>  With the second addition of fishes?<IMO, add snails when there is enough algae for them to eat. Hope this helps!  Good luck! Phil>

Tank re-set-up
Hello there gentlemen,
Well first a huge thanks for responding a couple weeks ago to my 3 page
document of questions.  So amazing how you answer everyone.
Unfortunately i had a catastrophe yesterday in that my 2 year old emptied an
entire large can of Tetra flake food into my wet dry sump.  When I came home
last night from the office, "pea soup"!!  Yuck!!  What a mess and what a
smell.  Needless to say i was now forced to take apart my entire tank and
start over.  I was up until 3am this morning breaking down and cleaning.   
Good thing the tank was empty of any fish or live rock.  Just sitting and
waiting for me to move forward.  Now I must start anew.
<Dog-gone it. Time to put the stuff up high/locked>
the original plan was to purchase live rock and use the current tank to
cure, while simultaneously quarantining new fish and livestock, that way
when the 4 weeks were up from the rock curing I could add the new
inhabitants from the quarantine tank.  Thus completing the two processes
simultaneously and saving time.
<understood>
Now I think I have to cure the Rock first in the newly filled tank.  While
the rock is curing, seed my sponge filters for use in the QT. Once the
sponge filters are seeded in 30 days, I then can buy my new stock and
quaratine with my 30 day old sponge filters.  During this time the main tank
shall sit, though cured, and wait.  Am I thinking correctly here?  I am
looking at 6 to 8+ weeks total at this  point, starting anew.  Correct?  Am
I missing something or can you shed some light?
<I think you are on the right track here>
Also, after much review and advice from you and other it seems as if Walt
Smith is the way to go.  I have sent them several emails but the fail to
respond.  Do the sell direct to consumers or thru distributors only?  I was
going to buy from FFE but have just been made aware that they have merged
with Foster and Smith.  I don't know if Foster and Smith distribute Walt's
rock as they only list it as "Premium Fiji" rock.  Any advice here?  What to
do?  Where to go for my Walt Smith rock at a good price?
<Check the sponsors on our main page at www.wetwebmedia.com. Get the number and
give them a call. Never hurts to talk to someone>
Thanks as always!!!  I so wish there was a way to repay you guys for all of
your unselfish help....really.
<Learn and share, and you have done your part. Don>
Louis

Oceanic Reef Ready Tank Set-up
My wife and are novices to this aquarium thing.  We have purchased a 110 gallon Oceanic Reef Ready tank and the accompanying sump (glass - Model 2).
<Welcome! My first suggestion is to purchase a good book (or two or three) written about the inhabitants you wish to keep. WetWebMedia provides much information for free, simply type the subject in to the search engine at the bottom of the page and read the articles and FAQ's. These will be more than useful! I HIGHLY recommend doing this BEFORE you purchase any livestock.  Also, to save much time and pain, read about quarantine tanks before purchasing any fish or corals.>
We have no live rock but rather 5 gal of Aqua Chargers (Tropical Systems) in the sump bio filter  chamber.  We have purchased a Berlin Classic Protein (in-sump/submersible) Skimmer as well as 2 Mag Drive 700 pumps.
<Please read the marine set-ups pages starting here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm  I highly recommend you read about live rock and sand from the above link and the problems associated with bio-balls, media, etc. Nothing can replace live rock and sand in reef systems.>
Questions:
1.  What is the best way to set this system up?  We have read in the protein skimmer literature that it is best to have the tank water hit the skimmer before the bio filter.  This sump does not allow for this configuration.
<This depends on how versatile this system is. Best to read the marine set-ups pages and FAQ's to understand how to best use this sump and know if there is a way to set-up a skimmer box or compartment to hold skimmer and take drain water from main tank in order to control skimmer water level and skim tank water first>.
2.  The tank it on an Oceanic stand with canopy.  It sits in a wood laminate floor, and as soon as we turned the pumps on, it sounds like our dishwasher is always running.  The inlet hoses empty into the bio filter chamber and splash across the tray that distributes the water over the Aqua Chargers. Any ideas on how to quiet this system down so we can enjoy it?  It's not fun
right now. Thanks. Joel Millman
<Well Joel, I have to tell you I'm not a fan of this type of set-up, at least the bio-filter with no live rock or sand. To quiet this thing I would use a pad across the splash plate or a filter bag. Other than quieting it down, there is much more to read in the sump, set-up, skimmer, stocking pages, etc. Please go there before any further purchases!  We want you to be happy in this hobby!  Let us know if we can be of further assistance, there is much wonder to enjoy!  Craig>

30g Saltwater Aquarium Questions  3/3/03
crew,<Reporting for duty, sir!  BTW Phil here.>
I was just given a 30 gallon tank which I wanted to turn into a fish only
marine aquarium.<A nice sized starter tank.> I've conditioned and salted the water and started the
filtration with a Penguin 170 w/BioWheel. I've also placed 20lbs of live
sand, no live rock since I wasn't sure this was a good idea, is live rock a
good idea?<Liverock (lr) is a great choice for any marine aquarium.  Some tanks use only lr and a good skimmer instead of a filter.>  Lighting is a 14watt SunGlo fluorescent tube.<You may want something a little bit better than this.> I've ordered a
Fluval 204 canister filter and would like to buy a protein skimmer ASAP.<Protein skimmer's are a must, for a tank this size a "Bak-Pak" skimmer will be fine.> I
also placed a bubble wall at the back powered by a Rena pump (it seems to
fill the tank with micro bubbles when left on, is this a problem?)<I would remove this, more likely to cause more harm than good.> The
system has been up and running for about two days. This morning I checked
the ammonia and it was off the chart, I purchased a product called Cycle by
Nutrafin and this helped bring the ammonia down a bit (Is using this product
a good idea?).<I wouldn't use this, the tank is going through it's cycle period.  For the next 4-6 weeks ammonia, nitrate/nitrite will be sky high.  Test once a week and in a month or so the levels will drop to a safe amount.  Which BTW is 0!!>  Is this part of the maturation process?<Yes, see above> I've read a lot and
have become silently confused so I figured I'd write this email to the pros.<This should help you, remember to pick up a skimmer ASAP!!  They are worth the money!!>
Thanks for your time,<No problem!  Phil>

Re: New Marine set up.
Hello from Australia,
<Howdy from sunny southern California!>
Thanks for such a great informative site!
I am setting up a 60 gallon tank for seahorses, invertebrates and a Blenny or Goby the equipment was previously used for a freshwater set up.
We have a Eheim professional model 2229, I looked this up and it says it is a wet/dry canister filter, Is it suitable for this marine set up?
<Mmm, yes, can be used>
Also we have a Jager 300W heater you say some freshwater heaters aren't suitable, how do I know if mine is?
<This fine product definitely is>
We also have an aquaclear filter that hangs on the side of the aquarium but the LFS said I wouldn't need this as well.
<I would use it just the same>
Also we have gravel from the freshwater aquarium it is large grain 4-5mm If I am to have a Blenny or Goby would they need finer sand?
<Yes... and of a different "nature". Please see here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marsubstr.htm>
I am yet to find a live sand supplier here, Is there anything wrong with collecting sand from our local beaches? (very clean) or will I have to buy it?
<Can be collected from "clean" areas...  and further cleaned, isolated for a while (due to worries re "die-off" of the interstitial fauna)... please read over the "live sand FAQs" pages on WWM>
Also I have been warned about using live rock with seahorses because of the possibility of nasty crabs etc hiding in it, what is your opinion on this?
<Through a requisite cleaning, quarantining of the rock you should be able to detect if there are such crabs and remove them if so. I would use some LR>
Would some cleaner hermit crabs be suitable for cycling, if not what do you recommend?
<Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/estbiofiltmar.htm
and the related FAQs beyond>
Sorry about the number of questions but be warned I will have plenty more before I have my tank set up :)
Thanks in advance,  
Emma.
<No worries. Take your time. Bob Fenner>

My First 29g Saltwater Tank  2/27/03
Hey Guys/Gals.<Hey!  Phil here!>  I'm so glad I came across this website.<As am I, it's a wonderful place to learn more about a great hobby!!>  It's by far the
best I've found yet.<I agree!>  I've actually been searching FAQ's on the site and
found basically what I was gonna ask and a lot more, but I was wanting
your opinion on something too, and it's my next step with my new marine
tank.  I've had freshwater tanks off and on for a number of years, and
just set my 29 gallon (which is the biggest tank I have) for salt water.<A fine starter tank, I have a 29 and find it to be a good tank.  Not too hard to maintain and I have some choice in the fish I want.>
I'm really not interested in reef tanks, although I do want to add
enough live rock for the inverts and fish to hide in.<That's fine, I really don't suggest a reef tank to a new marine aquarist.>  What I'm wanting
in the tank is:  
1.  The biggest fish I can accommodate for a "centerpiece"<Could be a Pygmy Angel e.g. my favorite the "Flame Angel">
2.  Maybe two or so smaller fish (which I have 2 Damsels now cycling the tank)<Let's remove the damsels, more of a pain in the behind in the long run.>
3.  All the shrimps, crabs, lobsters? that I can have<Go w/ 1 or 2 Cleaner Shrimp and a Peppermint Shrimp.>
4.  I also would like to have a orange Goby (maybe) I like them!<Can you give me the "real" name as I have found a few different types of "Orange Gobies"  some which do not fare well in an aquarium.>
Whether or not all this is possible, I have no idea!  I really dig the
shrimps, hermit crabs etc.<Maybe go with an all invert tank?>  I'm asking your opinion what species of a
"centerpiece" fish, and how many of each different species of shrimps,
crabs, snails etc. can I have without crowding,<see above for the shrimp, IMO get 1 snail for every 3 gallons to start.  In 6-12 months you will know if you need more or less.>  Along with the two
Damsels I have now if they don't die before the tank finishes cycling!<Damsels make little terrors, please remove them if you would like a nice "centerpiece" angel.  IMO, damsels are kind of overrated fish.  Yes, they are very hardy but they are rather mean and good at reducing the number of livestock in a tank!>
The last time this 29 gallon tank was set up, it housed  one Oscar which
I thought would be a adequate size home....Boy was I wrong, it grew like
nothing I had ever seen before!  That was one of the hardest things I
had to do was to give it to a friend with a bigger tank.  I just don't
want that to happen again. Maybe I should have gotten a bigger tank
before I started this project.<Nah... read up on WWM and you'll be all set!>  When I decided I was gonna put the tank
back up, I went to the local pet store with intentions of starting
another fresh water tank, but they convinced me that 29 gallons was
plenty big for a starter salt tank. Oh well! That's why I'm asking your
opinion for "what" and "how many" to put in there.  Thanks in advance
for the info! Great site!<Thanks again for the nice comments!  I suggest getting Bob Fenner's book "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist"  it's a wonderful read.  Also try and pick-up Scott W. Michael's "Marine Fishes".  It lists the 500+ essential-to-know Aquarium species.  Another great book!!  Hope this helps and good luck!  BTW, welcome to the saltwater hobby!  Phil>

Upsizing in Oregon (02/25/03)
<Ananda here today....>
I recently acquired a 55 gal. from a friend, at a time I was contemplating on pulling my U.G. filter from my current 37 gal. system. (good timing huh! )
<Sounds like it.>
I am an avid reader of your site & from it have developed a game plan for making the switch. I would like to do this as stress free for me & my fish as possible. Could you please advise & correct where needed.
<Sure.>
Current system:( about 5 mo.s new)  37 gal., w/ UG filter, Emperor filter with bio wheel, Bak Pak skimmer with bio bale ( in tank 1 month ). approx 20 lbs Fiji & Tonga branch L.R. 2 power heads, 1 air bar, about 3 in. of crushed coral substrate with bristleworms. 4 fish. Yellow Tang, clown, &2 damsels. About 12 hermit crabs & 1 turbo snail. 1 24 in. 2 x 36 watt 10.000 k & actinic Coralife power compact light.  The new system will also be a FOWLR & I would like to stay away from the box of rocks look if possible.
<Eh, hard to do... Remember, "only Bad Things happen fast in saltwater tanks"....>
DAY ONE: 1. Clean out 55 with hot water, fill & check for leaks. 2. Put tank on new stand, and level. 3. Put in new substrate, either aragonite or live sand. 4 Fill with approx. 25 gal. of pre mixed, aged  R.O. water from local grocery store. 5. Areate with powerhead & bring to 77 degrees. Put in aprox. 15-20 lbs. of new cured L.R. and let set over night.
<Interpolating from #4: you are mixing saltwater, starting with aged RO water from the grocery store? I would have more water ready to go. Also, it will take the new sand some time to settle -- depending on the grain size, it could be up to a week before you can see through the tank. And that's without using a powerhead.>
DAY TWO: 1. Do P.H., ammon., nitrite & nitrate tests & if ok move on.
<The ammonia levels may not spike overnight, but might in a day or three. I would wait.>
2. Siphon 1/2 of water from old tank to Rubbermaid barrel. 3. Remove old tanks L.R. & other decor to new tank. 4. Remove crabs, snail, & fish to Rubbermaid barrel. 5. Siphon remaining water to barrel. 6. Switch filtration from old tank to new. 7. Add old water, fish & all to new tank. 8. Turn on filtration an adjust. Also adding an additional duplicate Coralife light for 144 total watts.
<I would suggest totally setting up the 55 gallon tank with sand, water, new rock, etc. first and let it stabilize. Then you could move the fish. I would move the clownfish first and let him get settled in for a day or three. Then move the other fish.>
QUESTIONS. 1. Will I be able to avoid recycle with this plan?
<Maybe, but maybe not. It depends on the live rock and sand you're adding.>
2. Should I continue to use the bio wheel & bio bale both & if so for how long?
<If you do not have high nitrates, you could continue to use them. The BioWheel will come in useful when you get new fish; you can use the Emperor filter on the quarantine tank.>
3. Will the new system recycle if using live sand?
<It might.>
Thanks, Randy.  
<You're welcome. --Ananda>

Sand and Tank Setup Question 2/23/03
Thanks for all the great information so far, it has REALLY helped me purchase what I think is a much better setup than what I currently have!  
<good to hear... enjoy>
I have a substrate question for you.  Since my tank has been up and running for quite a few years, I was wondering what I should do with my old substrate when I move to the new 90 gallon.  
<although I'm not one to waste... the media is likely exhausted. Rinse it well and use it outside to sweeten garden soil <G>>
The new tank will have a DSB of sugar fine aragonite ( 4 inches or so ), so I won't use the old coarse crush coral substrate from my 75 gallon on the main display.  
<agreed>
But I have a LOT of amphipods in my tank.
<just bait them nightly for a week in advance. Wrap a some meat (teaspoon) in a nice chunk of bonded filter pad and bait the tank nightly with it>
When I bring a flashlight out at night, its like the party is just getting started on the rocks.  Where ever you look, you see them.  There seems to literally be thousands.  
<all good... and it won't take many carried over to breed again>
The question is, do they live in the rock, or the substrate?  
<everywhere>
I read that the coarse substrate is beneficial for copepods and amphipods, <agreed> but I don't recall if they live in it, <true> or breed there, etc.   I was thinking of moving some of this old crushed coral to the new 30 gallon sump I will be using so as to not lose them, <no bother... or perhaps use the media in a refugium to grow 'pods> but if they live in the live rock, they will just move over in the transfer to the new tank, so I probably could discard the old substrate.  What would you do here.  
<not worry :) They will come with the rocks and grow as long as you don't add any new fish or predators to the system>
Also, a question of lighting.  I recently purchased two 175 W
Metal Halides ( 10,000K Ushio Bulbs ).  Since the tank is 24 inches tall, I figured from what I have read that they would be the best for getting light down to the bottom of the tank.  The bulbs will be somewhere in the 8 to 12 inch range from the top of the tank,
<all agreed... except a little closer for the lights would be cool (6-9")>
with two 4 inch ventilation fans in the canopy, one blowing across the water and the other pulling the air out. Again from what I have been reading in the FAQ's, this seems to be the best way to house most all SPS corals and some clams possibly?  
<agreed>
Plus, I will have the aesthetically pleasing glitter lines.  I might have one or two LPS corals, but they would be as far as possible from the SPS corals, and can be shaded under ledges, screening, etc. based on their lighting needs.  Does this seem on track?  
<very much so>
What would not receive enough lighting from this setup.
<nothing practically... even pom-pom xenia, Goniastrea brain corals and Porites can all be kept here in the top 8" of tank>
Also, do the halides need to run horizontally with the openings in the acrylic tank, so from left to right, or perpendicular to the openings, from back to front?  
<to be clear... the lamps should be horizontal (in contrast to pendant-pointing down) and they are to be lain with the top of each lamp perpendicular to either long side of the tank (pointing as if to make a T)>
Does it really matter since they light a 2 foot by 2 foot section.  
<the exact orientation of the lamp is of huge importance. Be sure to use a spider parabolic reflector too>
And should I use any extra bulbs with the halides, since I have VHO's and power compacts right now.  If so, what type, actinic, daylight, etc??  
<none are needed. Add only if you like the aesthetic of it (disk/dawn)
And will the extra bulbs cancel out the glitter lines?
<no likely at all>
Whew, always starts out as a short simple question in my mind, then by the time I am done rambling on, it becomes the Great American Novel!
<heehee... di niente to me. I studied Russian Literature in college. Now that is literature at length!>
Best wishes and many thanks again!
<best regards, Anthony>

Kick-Starting A Hobby!
Hello,
<Hi there! Scott F. with you today>
I am in desperate need of advice.  A few days ago, I inherited several fish from a military member who had to deploy.  He left me with a Powder Blue Surgeon (approx 3.5 inches), a Regal Tang (approx 2 inches), a Flame Angelfish (approx 2.5 inches), and 2 Blue Devils.  The problem is that my inheritance came in the form of a VERY small tank (2 X 1 X 1 ft).  I have never had an aquarium before, but based on my recent "crash course" study sessions on the internet, I think I can safely say that these fish will need a much larger home.  What size tank should I get to accommodate my new houseguests, and based on their size/age, how long do I have in order to save up the money for this?
<Well, I'd say you need to be looking at a 100 gallon tank, minimum...The tangs need a lot of room, and really high quality water to be happy in the long term. You could get a 50-75 gallon tank, but this would be a mere "band aid" until they really started growing; it might buy you 6-8 months...If it were me, I'd go right to the largest tank I could get...>
Also, the tank currently has several plastic plants, one live plant (not sure exactly what it is), a live rock (approx 1 pound), a bottom filter, an upper filter, and another air pump that just makes bubbles.  I feel like I am trying to learn 2-years worth of information in a week...Please...Please provide me with some quick advice on what I need to do to take care of these fish...it doesn't appear to me that the previous owner knew much about how to raise them.  Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks, John
<Well, John- it's virtually impossible to give you even a distilled description of the care required to do the job. The WetWebMedia site is a great resource in and of itself...I'd also recommend that you invest in a good basic primer, such as Bob's Conscientious Marine Aquarist, or Michael Paletta's "The New Marine Aquarium" ( a great beginner's guide). These books will give you a terrific overview of the basics, and a solid foundation for your success...Feel free to contact us again if you're confused about specific issues, and we'll do our best to clarify. Good luck...It will be an enjoyable experience for you if you read up and learn...Regards, Scott F>

New system for puffer lover (02/20/03)
Hello to all. First of all, thanks again for all of your help. Your wisdom is invaluable!
<Thank you for the kind words... Ananda here today...>
I'm currently in the process of setting up my first marine tank. 120 gal FOWLR. I initially planned on keep about 8 small to med sized fish. That was until I recently fell in love with the two puffers I saw at the LFS. One of them was a Dogface and the other which is my absolute favorite was a Solomon (Black with small blue spots!).
<I am still not sure which species this fish is. I think it may be Canthigaster jactator (aka Whitespotted Toby) or C. rostrata (aka Sharpnose puffer aka Atlantic Toby). Do check with your LFS to get a better idea of exactly which fish this is.>
I am so intrigued with these two fish I have rearranged my entire plan. Being that these fish get to be so large, I'm going to downscale my live rock from 100lbs to about 50lbs.
<A bad idea, in my opinion. Cutting your system's filtration capacity in half does not allow you to keep more fish!>
I'm also going to cancel all of the small fish that I wanted. My new group is:
1: Solomon Puffer (black with small blue spots)
2: Dogface Puffer
3: Red Volitans Lion
<If that Solomon puffer is the Whitespotted Toby, its fins are in danger of getting nipped.>
4: Bannerfish Butterfly (poor man's Moorish Idol)
<Ditto.>
5: I would like to keep a Porcupine but I've read that they won't work with a Dog.
<Dogs do tend to chase porcupines up trees, or at least until they get needles in their nose... oh, you mean the puffers! ;-) The porcupine puffer does get too big for this tank.>
6: Yellow Tang
My setup will be: Wet/Dry filter/Aqua Medic Turboflotor/Mag 9.5 return pump/4 x 65w PC light/ 50lbs LR,2-3 inch live sand bed.
<I would consider a different skimmer (search this site for "Turboflotor" comments) and a deeper sand bed, in addition to sticking with at least 100 lbs of live rock. The live rock and deeper sand bed would eliminate the need for the wet/dry filter.>
Do you see anything wrong with my setup that I might have overlooked?
<Wet/dry filters often become nitrate sources in marine tanks. This is less of an issue with a fish-only with live rock system, but the deeper sand bed and possibly a refugium would help keep the nitrates to acceptable levels.>
Also, am I right in assuming that I should downscale the liverock if I'm going to keep these large fish. I figured that they would need more swim room and also my wet/dry should be enough bio-filtration.
<Yes, they need more swimming room, but they need more filtration, too! Large fish eat a lot, and what goes in one end comes out the other end....>
Please help.
<I would consider waiting on the lionfish and butterfly until you can get another tank. With those two out of the tank, you might be able to include a few of the smaller fish you were considering in this tank. --Ananda>
Demetrius

Rock introduction followup... 2/16/03
This is like a phone conversation.... So the long and short is:<Hey there!  Phil here!>
1.DO Condition/Salt/Heat the water
2.DO Hook up the wet/dry/skimmer
3.DO Add all 160 lbs of rock for curing in bare tank 4 weeks
3a.DO leave the lights off during the cycle/cure process
4.DO Let tank cycle, and check curing
5.DO add aragamax bagged sand to floor after cycle and curing
6.DO wait another week or so and check levels
7.THEN I can add a cleaner crew, corals, inverts <May want to wait till more algae is present before adding the cleaner crew. e.g.. 2-4 months or so>
And these are yes/no:
1.Can I cure the rock in an un-cycled tank and use that process to cycle the tank?<Sure.. it may take a little while longer.>
2.Off topic here, 135 long, have one 350 watt heater with the house kept at 70F days, down to 62 at night for 8 hrs. Enough heater or get another? Lights will b 3x250 Ushio 10K + 2 VHO<I see no problem with a 350w heater.  Yo may want to add a 50w just in case of a problem.  I like to use a few small heaters vs one big one. eg.-two 150w heater instead of one 350w.>
I'm gonna leave you alone now...no more pestering.
<It's ok, I rather have you ask a million questions and setup this tank right.  Than you ask one question and fail!  Hope this helps and best wishes!  Phil>

Invert screen in big Australian tank - 2/13/03
Hi Anthony I have a 50g tank without a skimmer that I've just filled up and stocked with 2 adult Emperor Angels, Naso Tang, Titan Trigger, SPS, LPS and soft corals, and 3 different species of anemones.  
<heehee....>
There seems to be a lot of fighting and spots on all the fish, and oh yes, my six Harlequin Shrimp don't seem to be eating... what should I do?
<wait patiently while I go change my drawers. Ha!>
Haha, pick yourself up off the floor Anthony, it's Pete McKenzie from Western Australia, and I haven't really set up such a tank :).  
<Cheers, mate... goof to hear from you!>
Seriously though, some of the FAQs lately have been written by most uninformed aquarists and I cannot believe that people will try to argue with a person of your experience rather than admit they've made a oversight and now need to rectify the problem.  
<even more... its amazing how they cannot understand why it is inappropriate to put a fish that lives 20 or more years and grows to 2 feet long in a 4 or 6 foot long tank?!? If you put a dog that stands 3 feet long in a 6 foot long cage for its life... you'd be arrested! It boggles my mind that they try to rationalize it because The Naso or Sohal is small now and the tank looks "empty". Sheesh!>
I can see how it happens with all those pretty fish in the LFS just begging to be taken home, but wouldn't everyone (esp. the fish/invert!) be so much happier if some basic research (may only take minutes to establish suitability or not!) was carried out before purchase.  
<very much agreed, my friend. We all suffer the same impulse for these beautiful fishes... but it is only the truly empathetic and conscientious aquarists that admire them enough not to buy them when they do not have the means to keep them>
I have seen you criticized many times now for being short/rude/arrogant in your replies to such questions, however I'm sure the consensus among WWW readers is that you're right on the mark... the person in question needs a bit of a jolt sometimes in order to learn and change their ways.  Also important, it's VERY entertaining reading, so keep up the good work!!!
<heehee... as of late, I have been so fatigued (with Zo, Bob, Jas) in trying to navigate the new book to press that I have admittedly lacked the patience that I really should have with some folks in dire need of insight/schooling. But as Bob is likened to say... "beyond our perceived reality, there is what is." And a 8 Pomacentrus angels in a 300 gallon tank might "fit" now that they are 3-6"... but it ultimately is insane(!), not to mention cruel and a shameless waste of a precious living resource. I make no apologies for my sentiment... but am very aware that I need to finesse (tone down) my delivery <G>. Until then... some of the WWM readers can enjoy my role as the "aquarium-nazi" (Like the "Soup nazi on the US show "Seinfeld"). Ha!>
Now my real question :).  In our 600,000L display tank currently under construction,
<heehee... you see, now That's (!) an aquarium :) >
I plan to make a shelf under some of the upper windows to display shallow water corals.  This shelf will be about two meters wide and joined to the inside of the tank for approx. eight meters (total tank circumference = 36m).  Corals here will be two meters below the water surface maximum, perhaps less in places with aquascaping arrangements.
<sounds good>
The tricky part is, I'd really like to be able to display some of our magnificent local triggers, puffers, butterflies, angels etc, but there's obviously compatibility issues with corals and other inverts here, even in such a big tank.  So I'm thinking of a vertical screen reaching from the edge of the shelf to the water surface to exclude the larger predators.  
<sounds dreadful... it will be an algae-magnet and even harder to clean than a solid acrylic partition (treating the coral section quasi-separately>
I had thought of a fine stainless mesh that would allow the passage of smaller/harmless fish while excluding larger ones, although I'm a little concerned about the appearance of this and the possibility of physical damage to fish.  
<agreed>
Also a possibility is a perimeter of glass or acrylic that stops say 4'' under the water surface.  Larger fish would be unlikely to go over the top here into the coral section, but the gap would allow for water mixing with the rest of the display.  Indeed, it would be possible to increase the current speed within this section, perhaps with more variation of direction than the rest of the tank to suit the shallow-water corals.  
<yes... a better idea even though you will get the occasional big fish that jumps over (inevitable perhaps even with a partition to the surface>
May just require a little more cleaning...
<true... but you will likely have a diver in the tank daily for tours and general maintenance... this will be a quick cleaning>
Can you see any major problems or better alternatives here?
<I'm not sure I'm visualizing it all clearly. Do you want/need to see through that back part? (where you would have put mesh?). If not... what about a false rock/reef structure (fiberglass boulders) that allows small fishes, eels, etc to swim through to spare the need for cleaning a solid partition. Hmmm... you know what. Do e-mail me some pictures of the pane that you'd like to fix this two (inside and outside shots with an idea of where foot traffic will be and the layout of the tank). I'm sure we can come up with something. I was just consulting a US aquarium on a similar aspect>
Thanks again Pete    
<best regards, Anthony>

Turning 3 Tanks Into 1 System
I wrote an earlier e-mail about what to do with my 7 gal tank now that I have found your website, (I stocked with some things it looks like I should not have).
<Part of the common learning curve, unfortunately!>
Anyways, nothing is wrong in the tank as of now, but its only been a few months. I have a 10 gallon tank that is a little scratched that I can use as a sump, and I have a empty 40 gallon that I was thinking of moving my tank into.
<Bigger is always better, IMO!>
I plan on using a DSB 4 1/2"), 40-50# of LR, Protein skimmer (not sure of manufacturer), and an Emporer 400 for mechanical filtration.
<Make sure that you change the cartridges on the Emperor regularly to keep them from turning into a nutrient trap!>
I would like to keep beginner corals like mushrooms, and polyps, along with a couple clowns. My question is how and should I use the 10 gallon sump with both the 40 and the 7 gallon? Meaning how could I set up both tanks to the sump. Would this not work? Basically I like my 7 gal, and I think that other than the livestock that should be in bigger tanks, it could work out fairly
well. I just figured that with the added water with the sump and the other tank the water would be able to maintain better quality.
<Well, one idea would be to run the 10 gallon as a sump, and the 7 gallon as sort of a refugium, with more delicate fishes and inverts in residence. A drilled overflow from the 40 into the 10 gallon sump and into the refugium would work nicely. Do read up on the wetwebmedia.com site regarding sump/refugium setups and their integration into your system>
But like I said I have VERY good water quality as it is.. despite what I have read here... I use water changes weekly, my filter is 280 gph, and I have a lot of non-harmful algae plant life. I think this is why my ammonia and nitrite's are still non existent after 4 months. Nitrate is about 10, and calcium about 400, spg is at 1.021-1.022, and temp ranges from 80-81.
<Sounds like your doing it right. You could probably reduce the nitrate level even further if you build up that deep sand bed, and regularly harvest some of that macro algae for nutrient export...you'd be surprised what these simple procedures can accomplish!>
Anyways, let me know if this is a good idea and how I could set it up... $$ is an issue I have everything listed except the live rock.. so hopefully the investment will be minimal... I am poor starving college student!<You'd be surprised what you can accomplish with a few well-placed ball valves, overflows, and a lot of good creative thinking. Do look into the many great DIY resources on the wetwebmedia.com site for ideas on how to do this inexpensively and easily...Good Luck! Regards, Scott F>

First Set-up, Need Advice - 2/13/03
I am planning on setting up a saltwater tank in my now empty 20 gallon long.
<A bit on the small side...>
I have a wide array of questions, I apologize if I've missed stuff on the website (there is such a vast array). I have read through the article on biological filtration, some of the lighting....need to head to 'live rock' I suppose.
<Easiest way to filter a saltwater tank.>
I would like to use as much available equipment as possible.
<Hopefully you mean you want to use as much of your currently-available equipment as possible!>
What I would like to do is keep a fuzzy dwarf lionfish, dendrochirus brachypterus, as a sole inhabitant (although perhaps get a couple marine snails to pick up algae/bits of food). In my mind, I just wanted the lionfish,
<Too big for this tank.>
a few nice pieces of live rock,
<Better to go with about 20 lbs of Pacific rock or about 30 lbs of Caribbean rock.>
a couple fake coral/plant decorations, and substrate in the tank. (any thoughts on this? as far as what I would like to accomplish?)
<This would be a great quarantine tank.>
I have a UGF that I would like to use if reasonable. I have used ugf's with my freshwater goldfish tanks and been very pleased. But I also use them with regular flow powerheads. Currently, I employ penguin 1140's (rated 300 gph).
<Under-gravel filters are soooo 1980s for saltwater tanks... you'd be MUCH better off avoiding them entirely.>
I have already purchased crushed coral and a bag of seaflor Aruba shell.
<Not the substrate I would choose... this will be a horrible detritus trap requiring a lot of work. Can you return the unopened bags and exchange them for aragonite sand?>
I will shortly be picking up another bag or two of crushed coral (not sure about the Aruba shell yet). I am thinking that crushed coral would be an appropriate substrate for use with an under gravel filter, any thoughts here?
<Skip them both. Er, all, including the aruba shell.>
Next up, the hood I have contains a 20 (I think) watt fluorescent. I am fully willing to purchase a different tube for it...but I really don't want to change fixtures. Is this okay to use with live rock (assuming I get the right bulb)? Or is this simply not enough wattage?
<Here you'd be okay. You have no corals or macro algae, so you really only need enough light to be able to see your fish.>
I also intend to order a skilter filter to use in conjunction with the ugf/powerheads.
<Not my choice of filters. There are cheaper filters available if you just want something to hold carbon, and better protein skimmers available. An AquaC Remora would be my choice.>
From what I have found, dwarf fuzzy lionfish need at least a 30 gallon tank. But it seems to me after all my reading that the reason for this is so people will make sure they have enough bottom space.. could be wrong. I was hoping that the bottom area provided by a 20 long would be appropriate.
<I have both a 20 long and a 30 gallon tank. The bottom area in the 30 gallon tank is quite a bit larger than that of the 20 long.>
And if the fish does start to grow out of it, I will shortly have a 50 gallon available for a transfer.
<Wait it out, and set up this tank for saltwater.>
I know I don't have many actual written questions here.
<No problem, I'm happy to give blow-by-blow comments. ;-) >
I think my only questions really are: Do you think this set-up will work? Does anything I have written above send up red flags?
<Many red flags... but glad you wrote before buying some of the stuff>
Thank you, Kelly
<You're welcome. --Ananda>

Startup Questions...
Dear.................,
<Scott F today!>
Hey I have a few questions.
<Hope I have a few answers for you!>
I am starting a 75 gal s/w f/o tank (in about a week the tank will get in) and I have a 125 gal rated w/d filter and a protein skimmer (I don't know how many gal it is for...cost is $100 retail)
<An important detail...do a bit of research here...You need to know your equipment's capability>
I want to know if sand or crushed corral would be better? What are the advantages and disadvantages of each?
<I tend to favor finer grades of sand, particularly the finer "oolithic aragonite" sands, such as CaribSea's "Aragamax Sugar Fine Sand" or "Southdown". Both of these are ideally suited to support nitrate reduction processes in deep sand beds (4 to 6 inches). They also tend to dissolve more readily at higher pH levels, creating a natural buffering mechanism. Crushed coral tends to become a "trap" for detritus in many reef systems. There are certainly applications for crushed coral in marine aquariums, but the current trend definitely favors the finer grades, for reasons outlined above.>
Further- a friend is going to give me some of his crushed corral and water to start (his tank has been running for about ten years and is very balanced and stable.) Is this a good idea to help quicken the bio process in the new tank?
<"Inoculating" your inert sand with some healthy live substrate from an established aquarium is a god benefit!>
I have been reading some articles and they say  live rock is good for starting tanks out or putting into the w/d filter. Is there any truth in this?
<Sure- live rock has a lot of good biological advantages for your system, and is a vital component of any reef system. You can read a ton of information on live rock by using the Google search feature on the WWM site by typing in the words "live rock"...Much to read about!>
Also I need info on setting up a "sick tank" or a quarantine tank as well.
<Again- there is plenty of information on the WWM site about quarantine...If you need any clarification after reading about it- just let us know...>
Do I need a heavy duty filter for that too?
<For a quarantine setup- you could use a simple sponge filter or an outside power filter...easy, quick, and inexpensive!>
Thanks, Jeff
<My pleasure, Jeff...Keep reading up on these topics on the WWM site...you'll find lots of good stuff on these topics! Enjoy the research! You'll have fun, I guarantee it! Regards, Scott F>

Tank sizes: stunting or helping fish growth 2/14/03
I'm thinking of a "guideline" for minimum tank sizes based on the size of the fish:
 - the shortest dimension of the tank should be at least double the adult length of the fish
 - the longest dimension of the tank should be at least four times the length of the fish for less-active
species, or at least six times the length of the fish for active species This does rather fall apart for small fish.... but for the bigger fw fish and many sw fish seems to work.... comments?
<A very interesting idea... but it won't work especially with marine species. FW fishes growth is limited by hormones (water quality)... but marines have no such influence... they are limited by space (specifically tank length instead).>
Examples:
A Freshwater (FW) fish (trout, oscar cichlids, whatever) can grow to 12" long ina 12" long tank with an adequate supply of food and flushing water (I saw a fisheries experiment where trout were grown to full size and touching each other/not swimming just breathing (!) in an open system). For the record... FW fishes that are stunted may be permanently or temporarily stunted... depends on species. Some can resume normal growth when water quality (dilution) improves while others (Discus are a prime example) are stunted for life.
A Saltwater (SW) fish in a 6'long 100 gallon will grow much larger than the exact same fish with the exact same water quality and feeding, but in a 6' high (column) tank.
[follow-up]
And reading this response, I'm thinking I wasn't clear on a couple of things...  
<Actually... you were quite clear, my friend. My apologies for not answering your question directly. To answer it now... I don't like or agree with most rules of thumb. In this case, it could not possibly work IMO. If we have tank a) that has a 16" fish in a 4X tank by itself, and tank b) with a 16" fish in a 4X tank plus one ferocious domino damsel that keeps it at bay in a mere 12" of space, are both fish 16" fish housed adequately? Ultimately... I like your 4X adult size (minimum tank size) notion on premise... but we have to make case by case decisions for most aquaria. Blanket advice like that will let some turnip with six 16" fish argue they all have enough swimming space in a 125 gallon tank if the fishes form a conga line <G> Anthony>