A New Beginning
Hi- <Hi! Ryan with you today>
What a great website I found here! <Thank you> I graciously ask for your expert advice
on my new aquarium. <No problem!> I haven't set up a marine tank since 1982, and I'm
amazed at how this hobby has advanced and matured.  Six days ago, I set up a
new 29 gallon minireef.  I want to have mostly invertebrates and maybe one
or two fish (grazers).  After everything was stable, I added 20 lbs of Fiji
LR cured by an excellent fish shop in my town.  I plan to add another 15 lbs
next week.  The rock has lots of red coralline algae that I'd like to
maintain. <Great> Three days ago, small algae started popping up everywhere and
it's starting to cover the coralline algae.  Can I put some snails in this
early, or should I let things run the course? <Go ahead with the snails...a nice mix would be good.> (ammonia = 0.24 ppm, nitrite
= 0.3 ppm, nitrate = 2.5 ppm). The algae looks like short, 1-3 mm hairs.  I
see green and reddish-brown varieties. 0 <Are you skimming?> I'm hoping to avoid have my nice
coralline algae go extinct.  Here's some other background on my setup:
The initial water was run through r/o plus deionizer; final gravity = 1.024;
Light = 12 hours/day of HO fluorescent (58 watts daylight + 65 watts
actinic).  Temp is 78-81.  SeaClone protein skimmer is beginning to collect
foam.  Millennium 2000 filter.  Magnum 350 canister - using carbon
filtration, running constantly.  Powerhead for extra circulation. <How much?  Your total circulation should be 10-20 times volume per hour.>  250 watt
titanium heater.
My other concern is with temperature.  I want to keep is stable and lower,
like around 76 or 77.  It's summer in Portland and our air-conditioned house
stays around 75.  My tank heater never kicks on, but the tank hovers around
80.  I'm planning to put a 3 inch fan on my canopy and put a Coolworks Ice
Probe (plus temp controller) on my external filter.  Does that sound like a
reasonable approach? <Yes, certainly.  Great solution.>
Thanks a million for your thoughts!
<I think you may benefit from these articles: Happy reading!
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/estbiofiltmar.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/algaeconMar.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marscavart.htm
Thanks for writing in, Ryan>
Tim

- New Brand on the Block -
Hey Bob/Crew,
I had a quick question about a brand/product I have recently been looking into to. It is Finnex, they make protein skimmers, lights, air pumps and a few other things. I am interested in almost all of their products but am curious to know if you have heard anything about them? <I'm sorry to say that this is the first I've heard of them... hard to tell much about them looking at their stuff on the net. Would need to handle/inspect the goods by hand and actually use them to give you a good answer.>
I would greatly value your input, Thanks,
Andrew
<Cheers, J -- ><<Here's a link to their website: http://www.finnex.net/>>

New System Questions
I am new to fish keeping of any kind. I know just what I have read on the web after I got my tank.  A lot of conflicting info but would like to go with a proven but modern method for keeping a low maintenance tank. I have 3 week old 55gal (48"x12.5"x21"?) with 30lbs of live rock, 100lbs of live sand (2-3"), a CPR Bak-Pak 2, Fluval 304, grounding rod and a 200 watt heater. The tank is almost finished cycling with Damsels and temporarily houses a Spiny Blue Lobster that received a death sentence for eating snails by it's previous owner.  
<Yikes>
Also have 1 red leg hermit, 6 Astrea snails, and 1 emerald crab.  Fish currently have Ich (I think- trying to treat with Kick Ich supplementing with Garlic Extreme. Took charcoal out of Fluval temporarily).
<Hope that you can beat it!>
Working towards a reef tank with fish and inverts that is very diverse in makeup.  Of course, I would like a colorful tank.  My problem is that I am having trouble developing a comprehensive list/plan of what to buy and when.
<That's the fun part>
What is the best way to add sand to an existing tank without Shocking the fish?  Should I turn off the Fluval and Bak-Pak to let everything settle?  Put the fish in a bucket with an air stone temporarily?
<Well, you can get a large diameter PVC pipe, and simply pour the sand down the pipe section. This creates minimum dispersion of sand (i.e.; minimum mess!).>
What is the best way to plan for a mixed tank?  Where can I go for a suggestion on selecting the proper mix of corals, snails, shrimp, crabs, anemone, small-med fish <4", clams, Nudibranch, starfish, live plants..... you get the idea and what order to introduce them to the tank.  I am reading starting The New Marine Aquarium: Step-By-Step Setup & Stocking Guide by Michael S. Paletta. Is this a good reference for someone who wants to use a DSB?
<It is a great reference from a top-notch aquarium hobbyist. Another good book would be John Tullock's "Natural Reef Aquariums" and Bob's "Conscientious Marine Aquarist". And, of course, do make use of the vast amount of information that we have on the WWM site!>
What water parameters should I keep up with once the tank is cycled?
<Again- this is a much more comprehensive topic than I can properly address in the confines of this response. Do take a look in the WWM Marine Aquarium section. There is tons of good stuff on the topic of water quality parameters>
Are there accurate and reliable digital meters available for these same parameters?  Where can I purchase them?  I was planning on a
refractometer for salinity, getting a digital pH and CA meters if I can find/afford them.
<These are all excellent pieces of equipment, and they are available at many different etailers' sites>
Should I add a refugium?  Do I really need to set up a hospital tank? If so, how big.
<Gosh- a really basic question that can be answered through thorough research on the WWM site and with the above-referenced resources>
Thanks in advance.  Hope I didn't ask too many questions!?
Steve
<Sorry I couldn't answer many of the questions as thoroughly as you'd like, Steve. The answers are all available here in much, much more detail than I could ever hope to provide in this email. Just do a little reading, and you'll have all of the answers that you need. Good luck! Regards, Scott F>

SVB's new marine tank setup - HELP
Hi!!!  
<Howdy>
I have been in FW for 20+ years but have gotten the bug to venture into SW.  
<Welcome to the dark side :) >
I plan on having a mixed reef setup (soft and stony corals).  Have put no thought into fish load as of yet and actually not concerned with it as of now.  The following is what I envision having in this setup.
Tank
125 All Glass aquarium.  Will either put in 2 corner internal over flows or one central over flow (have to drill them myself).  Either case there will be two 1.5" bulkheads for drain and two 1" for return.  Suggestions on central versus corner over flows?
<All personal preference or whatever would be easier to plumb into the sump.>
150 lbs live rock.  this enough?
<That should be fine. More or less would also be good.>
Can live rock be placed on sand or should the rock be put down first and the sand around the rock?
<I've favored the method of first putting down 1/2" of sand and then start to stack the larger rocks down on the sandbed. Once these rocks are in place, add the rest of the livesand down. This should hold some of the bottom rocks in place and will prove quite efficient with fish that enjoy digging.>
Sand bed at 2" depth.  Have heard of issues with sand getting a "crusted" surface not enabling gases to escape?
<If you have a well aerated aquarium, I wouldn't worry about this.>
Will have a PVC pipe (w/ holes in it) behind live rock at back of tank and one bulkhead at each side of tank to create closed loop system for circulation.  Not sure how will direct flow as of yet or placement of intakes.  Any suggestions?
<The Ampmaster 3000 would make a great pump for your closed loop. If you have the cash, you may want to consider buying one or two 1" SeaSwirls to create a "Wave-like" motion in the tank. Each SeaSwirl will rotate 90 degrees which provides for excellent water motion and gas exchange.>
Filtration
For the closed loop circulation plan on using pump that has a working volume of 20 times tank volume.  This sound reasonable?
<Yep.>
Will use a 55 gallon for sump / refugium.  Can I build a combo like this?  
<Yep.>
Will use a plenum with sand.  How deep of a thickness?  
<A plenum wouldn't be needed in this situation. I would aim, instead, for a 4"-5" livesand bed (Also known as  Deep Sand Bed, or DSB) which will act as a major part of your biological filtration.>
Plan on putting macroalgae in there also. How much flow should I have going from sump to tank?
<Depends how much your overflow can handle.>
Calcium reactor, Skimmer, Ozone
<Sounds nice. Quick suggestion for the skimmer; I'm quite fond of Euro-Reef and ETSS skimmers. They're both extremely high quality products.>
Lighting
Will be making own light hood w/ 3 MH @ 250 (or should they be bigger), 2 VHO (what size), 2 blue actinic and moon lighting.
<3x 400wt bulbs would be nice on that size of aquarium, although the 250's will be sufficient and "get the job done." As for the VHO's, it depend on the size of the aquarium. Assuming that your tank is 60" long, 2x 140wt VHO's would be nice for that size tank.>
2 cooling fans built into hood.  
Will use PC on refugium and cooling fans.
Any and all suggestions, comments, or criticisms welcomed.
<Do as much research as you can and buy the best equipment you can! Also, be patient. Success usually does not happen overnight. Take Care, Graham.>
Thanks
Jim Mc

Startup Advice (and how!)
To help me get where I'd like to go I'll let you know where I've been. I am the nurse manager for an orthopedic unit at a large hospital in Philadelphia. We were fortunate enough to have an aquarium donated to the unit approximately 4 months ago. Since I was new to the hobby we decided to go the tropical fish route - KISS (keep it simple - stupid...)
<Good approach>
It is a 75 gallon tank with a Fluval 404 filter, UV sterilizer. Our generous benefactor spared no expense. Very basic and easy to maintain (by me) - so far. Cycled well, lost 1/3  (7-8) of "starter fish" over first 2 months - 1 over the last 2 months. It looks GREAT! Our patients and visitors absolutely love it. Our family waiting area has never been utilized so much. Now I have the bug - BAD. I'd really love to do a marine tank at home. I've patiently been doing my homework, (great website-Thank You) but it can be overwhelming when your a novice. Due to space constraints I'll have to start out small (45-55 Gal.). I have realistic budget constraints but I want to do it right "the first time".  I like the idea of Live rock and Coral with a small amount of fish - NEMO of course for my soon to be 3 yr. old son. If you were in my shoes exactly what would you purchase? I realize everyone has their own opinions and preferences. I was just interested in yours.
Sample Questions-
Size Tank?
#s' of Live Rock per gallon?
Type of rock?
Type/amount of coral?
Substrate? - how much?
Must have Equipment?
Filter and or Protein Skimmer?
Lighting?
Best Fish to eventually consider.
Anything else?
I'm sure I've overlooked something but I'm typing this with a 3 yr. old on my lap....I would really appreciate your feedback so I can narrow down my options and really focus on getting started.
              Thank You,
               Bill Quick
<Well Bill... you were well named (Quick)... how to respond to you... Would you like it if you could have all "great" music compressed into an hour, a minute so you could "have it all now?". Simply put, there is no ONE set of responses to your call for input above... too much, well, all depends on starting at some point... let's say with the types of livestock you'd like to keep... or the size/type of tank... and then winnowing down your choices/options (many) from there. My real advice is to "start this journey" slowly (calm yourself)... gather information, enjoy the process... read through WetWebMedia.com, maybe spend a few enjoyable hours with a/some "complete" marine aquarium books... writing in your copy/ies and sending your queries to us, bulletin boards... I suspect from your mail and occupation that you are likely very busy... but maybe even take a look about and share your addiction with a local marine club/society (there are many about)... and count some of this time/resource as "personal enjoyment" or "learning". We will be here for you as a sounding board, cohorts... again, enjoy the process... it is a/the better part of the end result. Bob Fenner>

Re: Startup Advice
Bob,
Thanks for the reply. You made me laugh. Anal retentive, Type "A" personality
inherent of most of us in the medical profession. Even my wife thinks I'm
a "spaz"? I'll try to calm down. Please empathize though. When there are so
many options it can be overwhelming, especially when you are dealing with an
expensive hobby such as this.
<... it's overwhelming and bewildering even after decades in it! Sort of like trying to understand my blood pressure med.s...>
You're right, I am quite busy at work - all the more
reason I'd benefit from this hobby.
<You will my friend. Very involving, enjoyable, distracting, fulfilling...>
I'll do as you suggest and touch base from time to time. I'm slowly gathering
more information and enjoying your witty responses to questions. I'll have to
hold off for now anyway because I have to paint the room that the tank will be
placed in and I fear the fumes could be harmful.
<Might be>
                                Thanks Again,
                                    Bill
<You're welcome. Excelsior! Upward and onward! Bob, with a small cape on>

Re: Startup Advice
Afternoon Bob,
Just starting out if you recall. If this isn't Bob I'll summarize. New to
hobby. Keeping a 75 gal. FW tank at work (Jefferson Hospital, Philadelphia)
for 5 months now and everything's going great. Have the bug and want a SW
tank at home. Somewhat limited budget but want to do it right the first
time. I've done a little research and I think I'm ready to make some
start-up purchases pending your input. Here's what I'm thinking so far:
Tank - Perfecto 56 Gal  30x18x24 - need the 30" width.
<A good size/shape to start>
CPR Bak-Pak Protein Skimmer
Emperor 400 power filter
2 Penguin 660 powerheads-place in opposite corners opposing each other?
Ebo-Jager 200 watt therm.
40lbs Arag-Alive Pink Fiji sand -enough for 1" ??
<S/b close, maybe another ten pounds later>
*********************
Will order 45lbs Select Fiji Premium Live Rock from FFE.
To re-cure in garage and eventually utilize to cycle tank.
Approximately how long would this take to cure?
<Four to ten weeks... mean about six, standard deviation about two weeks>
I don't want to stink out my
family room. The misses is already apprehensive to a degree - another reason
I'd like this to go well.
<I understand... the product is quite variable, and the shipping factor is another unknown... that affects initial quality>
I'll probably purchase another 20lbs of "dead" rock for the base.
*********************
What type of lighting would you suggest?
<Power compacts>
Would a Coralife Aqualight compact fluorescent strip be something to
consider?
<Sure>
*********************
Right now I'm thinking  I'd like to do a couple of Perc. clowns, a domino
damsel, possibly a couple blue-green Chromis and a neon blue goby. What do
you suggest as far as maximum inches of stock taking into account what I'd
like to put in rock wise?
<Just hold off... wait till the rock is cured... no ammonia, nitrite, some detectable nitrate... likely a bit of algal growth and try the above animals, sans the Domino... too mean... limiting going forward>
Is this too much and if not what would you suggest
compatibility wise?
I probably have a few months to nail the live stock down between set-up and
cycling the rock and then the tank. Eventually will add a clean up crew as
funding permits down the road.
**********************
Any suggestions?
"Ortho Bill"
<Reading when you can>
PS: If you ever need a Hip or Knee replaced drop me an e-mail, I'd be happy
to return the favor (advice).
<Thank you. Bob Fenner>

Re: Startup Advice
Hello Everyone "Ortho Bill" here,
<Graham at your service.>
    Bob will be happy to hear that my anxiety level has dissipated a great
deal since our last conversation. Reading/learning as much as I can re:
setting up my first SW tank. Have visited many LFS in area and have seen some
of the best and unfortunately the worst. I found what I believe to be a very
knowledgeable individual at a local LFS who is extremely helpful with my
quest. He has a variety of smaller tanks 15-20 gallon up and running that just
blow you away. I seriously thought about diving in as they are package deals
but I am apprehensive about such a small tank. He assured me he'd "hold my
hand" but I still think I need to go bigger as almost everything I've read
suggests doing so.  The live stock plan has not been finalized but with
cycling time etc. I still have plenty of time. His selection is impressive
from fish to corals and everything else. I know I want a couple tank raised
perculas and eventually will try some soft corals etc. and maybe next year a
anemone but that's down the road a ways. I will understock just to be
cautious.
Here's my plan, please critique.
<Sure>
37 gal. All-Glass  -    30 x 12 x 24
AquaC Remora Prot. Skim w/ Maxijet 1200
<That will work good -- A BakPak skimmer may also be another option, however, both will work fine.>
Aqua Clear 200 Power Filter
<Not very necessary. If you do decide to use it, I would take out the sponge and simply run the carbon that comes with it.>
Power Compact Moon Light (from FFE) - (10000K Premium-Daylight, Ultra Actinic
and independently operating Moon Lite)
60 lbs. Sand Mix      40 dead /20 live
30 lbs Live Rock maybe another 10 lbs dead (base)      To total approx. 4" DSB
150 watt Visi-Therm Deluxe Heaters
<Sounds good. If you're not planning this already, A sump would be ideal to house all your equipment which would otherwise be in the main aquarium and can often be distracting when viewing your aquarium. There are many articles here at WWM about making your own sump which I would highly recommend looking at if this is something you're interested in doing. There are also plenty of DIY sump ideas at google. Also, consider adding a few powerheads for the main aquarium for added current along with a thermometer. Otherwise, it looks good. Take Care, Graham>

Refugium, Kalkwasser use, WWM
Mr. Fenner,
<Les>
I currently have a seventy five gallon marine tank. My system crashed over the valentines day weekend.   My Icecap ballasts did not survive a power surge , it short circuited , pop the breaker in the panel and shut down my pumps for three days.
<Unusual the electronic ballasts went... do look into putting all on a GFI circuit>
All but one fish died , and about ten purple mushrooms. Before the crash I was investigating  the  " refugium filters ".
I am interested in learning more,  where can you direct me?
<Either to a recent book by myself and Anthony Calfo or the extensive materials on the subject stored on our site: WetWebMedia.com>
What's Kalk trick?
I drip Kalkwasser is that the trick?
<Umm, no. Please see WWM re these issues as well. Bob Fenner>
thanks     Les

Brown-nosing Newbie Needs to Know!
>Hello,
>>Greetings.
>For the past 2 weeks, I've been surveying your site and have found a wealth of knowledge.  I've learned more about marine aquariums from your site alone than from any other source.  You've obviously put a lot of work into the hobby as well as this site and you should be commended for it.  I have a few questions for you and I hope you have the time to indulge me a bit.
>>I think I can see my way clear.  ;)
>Now, since the obligatory brown nosing is out of the way, here's my situation.  
>>OH!!  Well, that's a perfunctory brown-nosing to me!  <chuckling here>
>I'm a freshwater hobbyist of about 18 years and I've finally decided to take the plunge into marine life.  I've attempted a Fish Only marine tank once, but an unfortunate accident from an uncaring roommate left my fish all floating at the top.  I've done some research on systems and the care for them and I was hoping for a little guidance and/or suggestions to the setup I'm about to choose.  As you know, it can be quite the expensive startup and I want to be sure that it's money well spent.  Plus, I have to justify the money to the Mrs. =)
>>Absolutely understood.  I just purchased my first digital camera, and I got physically ill when I hit the submit button for payment.  (I'm a rather.. frugal woman.)
>I seem to be leaning towards the SeaClear II 50 Gallon Aquarium system in hopes of setting up a nice small reef tank.  This system has a built-in-the-back wet/dry system of which I was thinking of hanging a Prizm Deluxe protein skimmer into.  
>>Prizms do not have such a good reputation.  But, before we get into any of these specifications, have you decided WHAT you wish to keep?  If you haven't done that, I STRONGLY suggest you make that decision BEFORE you go an buy anything.
>The lighting to me seems a bit lackluster, but that could always be upgraded later.  
>>For the most part, however, I'll suggest that you register at http://www.wetwebfotos.com/talk and ask about people's experiences with these "all-inclusive" systems *first*.  Another couple of excellent sites to ask about personal experiences are www.reefs.org and www.reefcentral.com - learn from others!
>I plan on cycling the tank by culturing live sand and live rock before I add the first marine critter to the tank.  
>>Um.. you plan on making your own live rock and sand?  Or do you plan on CURING these in situ?  If so, know that there is a big difference between "cycling" (the culturing of nitrifying bacteria colonies) and "curing" (getting all creatures through the die-offs that all live rock experiences post-shipping).  Many folks get these processes confused.  Live rock *already* has nitrifying bacteria present, therefore, curing is first in order, then encouraging growth of nitrifiers already in situ is what's next (this is best done with a bit of raw shrimp allowed to decompose).
>Eventually, I'd like to have a few modest corals like the beginner's pack listed on LiveAquaria.com and maybe a few mushroom corals.  I'd like to see some clownfish play in anemones in the tank, possibly a couple of damselfish, a bicolor angelfish, and perhaps a blenny or goby.  
>>Then I can already tell you the tank/setup you describe will not be sufficient.  You will be better off going with a 75-90 gallon tank.  Anemones are among the more difficult inverts to keep - they'll need lighting, pristine water conditions, and feeding.  Do be careful as to what species you choose (I'll encourage bubble tip and rose anemones because they're currently being well-cultured in hobbyists' tanks).  Be careful what species of clownfish you choose as well.  As for filtration methods, I will strongly encourage you to go away from the wet/dry and reconsider instead utilizing a refugium.
>Of course, I also thought about the obligatory detritus attackers like starfish and the like.
>>To the best of my knowledge, Archaster typicus would be your best obligate detritivores.  Again, a 75 gallon or so system would be best.  Be careful when purchasing sea stars of all kinds, salinity and pH shock kill many (another sensitive invert).  Do NOT buy Ophiarachna incrassata!  (Large green brittle star)
>Now the questions.  Being as this is my first attempt at a reef aquarium, should I research a bigger tank to help combat the changes in the water by a simple equation of ppm?  
>>I don't really understand the question as phrased, but would encourage larger as better simply because larger bodies of water are less prone to experience the drastic changes in temperature and chemistry that kill.
>Aside from what the many faq pages say about care and maintenance, is there anything that is usually just "known" between marine hobbyists that doesn't always translate into faq pages, to watch out for? (I don't mean basic care or maintenance as I've researched that, I just mean anything that most people do in a new setup that is taken for granted by experienced hobbyists.)
>>The first thing that comes to mind is the cycling vs. curing thing, but honestly, even experienced hobbyists get that stuff really messed up.  Other than that, know that when considering issues such as nitrate reduction through water changes, bigger at once is FAR better than many small over time.  Proper aging of the water..  it's difficult to say without knowing what you've absorbed already.  I strongly suggest you invest in some books, reefs.org has an EXCELLENT suggested reading list based on needs.  Yours would come under the beginner heading.  
>Does this seem like a viable and relatively care-free setup?  About lighting, will a HO fluorescent light on a glass canopy do, or is it suggested to go with an open topped setup?  
>>You can do quite well with even normal output fluorescents if you keep it to soft corals, large polyp stonies (not all, but plenty), and for tridacnids I can personally recommend T. derasa.  I would actually recommend going with power compacts for lighting, price for wattage/spectral output they're a better and easier deal.  Know that once you get into stony corals calcium, alkalinity and the like become bigger issues.  As for care-free, not so much so with a wet/dry as it would be with a refugium from which you'd only need water changes, top-offs, and regular pruning of whatever macroalgae you choose to grow.  Research the foam fractionation better.  If you invest in a Euro-Reef, for instance, I would be willing to wager that it would be the LAST skimmer you buy.  This cannot be said for the Prizm.
>I don't really have the budget to invest in an RO system just yet, how detrimental can this be if I rely on dechlorinators now instead of RO water?  
>>Generally, reefers don't go with RO only, they go RO/DI.  It would largely depend on the source water itself, and most would say that you're better off at least buying RO/DI instead of risking tap.
>And finally, am I correct in assuming that when water evaporates from the tank, the salinity in the water stays, so therefore the water that you're topping off with should be fresh?
>>Absolutely!  The "salinity" doesn't stay, the salts do.  That means that the salinity will actually rise.
>I apologize for the long list of questions, I just want to make sure that I'm on the right track before I head down this path.  The last thing I want to do is fail at a marine tank and kill off some species because I didn't plan accordingly.
>>Better to be safe than sorry, thusly the prophylactic brown-nosing, yes?  (Lord I love a little good-natured chop busting. <giggle>)  Research some more, go to the sites I've listed for you, ASK, people are very willing to share, but know that there are as many opinions as hobbyists, and this is where those books will save your butt (and your wallet).  Marina
>Thank you, Dave Horvath

Bigger, Better Box o' Glass
First of all, I have to say that I have learned so much from your website.
<First of all, I have to say Hello! Ryan Bowen with you today>  
Thanks for the great work! <Welcome> I have a couple of questions for you. <OK> I have a
55 gallon all glass tank that is currently set up for fish only.  I would
like to move my existing fish out of this system (into a larger tank) and
want to set up the 55 gallon with live rock and smaller "reef fish".  I
don't want to add any corals, anemones, etc. - just live rock, some fish,
and a clean up crew. <We all started this way...be careful! ;)  >
My main concern is lighting for this tank.  I have the
standard all glass hoods (2 hoods, single tube) and don't want to have to
change to different hoods if I don't have to.  Is there a bulb I can use
that will support most of the life on the live rock? (currently using triton
bulbs) <Some nice fluorescent tubes will be fine, if you are not supporting photosynthetic life.>
My second question is concerning a larger tank I will be purchasing.
  I am thinking either a 125 or 180 gallon all glass tank with corner
overflows.  What do I need in terms of filtration in addition to the
overflows? <Many routes to entertain...start here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/filtration/marineFiltr.htm> This tank will be fish only with a Picasso trigger, a saddle
wrasse, and possibly something else down the road. <Nice selection> I'm really new to
saltwater and I'm afraid to go into anything too difficult.  (The prospect
of having a sump is very scary to me) <Don't be scared!  A sump ADDS water volume, thus increasing your tank's capacity to maintain better water conditions.  If you're doing well with a 55 gallon tank, a 180 will be easier once properly established.  Good luck, Ryan> Thank you so much for helping an
inexperienced newbie get into the hobby! <Anytime.  Keep us updated. shoot us a pic once it's setup!>

-To buy retail, or not to, and which one?!-
Hi, <Hello, Kevin here>
I am just in the process of researching setting up a salt water
aquarium. I have been interested a long time, but this has really
blossomed since buying my teenager a 10 gallon fresh-water tank this past Christmas. Since then, I have read Paletta's books, Calfo and Fenner <Eh, these guys are bums, don't believe a word they say, muhahaha...>, Reef Life, Marine Fishes, Sprung's book on Corals,  and have read articles on this site and Aquaria Central. <Excellent, glad to see how enthusiastic you are about this!>I have decided on a Flat-Back hex tank 72"X 30"X30" :  about 275 Gallons. <Sounds cool>
I have shopped and talked EXTENSIVELY with two merchants: one has been established in the area for a long time, they seem very knowledgeable and their animals and invertebrates seem in very good health. <Excellent> They have been very free with advice. They also seem very into selling a lot of equipment and suggest many accommodations to the tank such as a dedicated RO/DI source directly to the sump/refugium for water changes and evaporative loss <I do that latter, for evaporation loss, it's really quite a timesaver. The water change one is a little much, it's not quite that big of a deal to do manual water changes unless of course you're incredibly loaded.>, and having a floor drain cut into my basement floor. <?!?! Although that would be nice, that does seem a little extreme. I take it they deal with strictly high-end clientele> Others I have talked to say they know their stuff but are quite expensive. Comparing their prices to websites and the other merchants I have spoken with bears this out. <Internet pricing is always going to be lower, but you're not taking into account all the time these guys have spent getting you started. You can't just look at the bottom line.>
I will call the above merchant: M1. They strongly suggest a refugium with Caulerpa or Halimeda <A refugium is an excellent idea>, protein skimming, calcium reactor <I'd wait on that, you may not need one if you don't plan on keeping many fast growing stony corals.>, live rock (they only partially cure?) <It's better to get it fresh and uncured so you can cure it yourself and make sure it's done right.>, a complete combination of all types of  lighting, heater, chiller <I assume he has specified metal halide lighting as the way to go (anything less isn't going to cut it for a 30" deep tank) You may not actually need a chiller if you appropriately cool the aquarium and lighting with multiple fans.>,  and at least monthly water changes of at least 10% <Frequent partial water changes are always best.>. They tell me to expect a evaporation loss of 12 gallons a day. <Maybe with a Boeing jet engine blowing across the tank's surface and 0% humidity in the room, otherwise it's impossible to speculate on this. With this size of a tank, the amount of evaporation should warrant an automatic top-off device as mentioned earlier.> They strongly suggest glass, but are more than willing to sell me a custom made acrylic tank that alone will cost over 2000.00. <Acrylic is nice in that size because it's so clear, but then you have to deal with how they make the top access holes and scratching. If money is no object, I'd go with starfire glass since it's just as clear as acrylic and incredibly strong.>
The other merchant I will call M2. He was started in the hobby by the owner of M1. He has had his own shop for about 9 months He has been in the hobby 10 plus years. His shop is spotless and seems very well thought out. All his tanks are acrylic which he strongly suggests. He says worrying about scratching is not nearly the issue that it used to be. <Try telling you that when you get your first scratch :) I find choosing between glass and acrylic to be a very biased area, your best bet is to see well established tanks. Personally, I'm a glass man, and I'll be one forever :) >
All his systems seem wonderfully self-contained. He uses and suggests using (under the display tank) A protein skimmer, a single 2700 gph external pump, an 80 gallon sump with a wet/dry trickle filter with bio-balls. <This puzzles me, with all the information out there, here is another recommendation of an aquarium fully stocked with live rock and sand, supplementally filtered by a trickle filter. You won't need any supplemental biological filtration, trade that trickle filter in for a 'fuge. Perform a quick search on this site for "bio balls" and you'll have more information than you can handle about why you don't need/want them.> He maintains that his "ecosystem/refugium" is eventually developed within the display tank itself along with a little less than a pound/gallon of completely cured Fiji live rock <Well, you won't get quite the thriving diversity found in a predator-less refugium, after all, this tank is going to have fish in it.> ( I have seen the curing room). and about a 3" aragonite sand bed. He says that ONLY power compact fluorescent lighting (half blue/half white) is necessary and certainly if his own tanks are any example I would think anyone would agree. <IMO, the tank will look and do much better with metal halide lighting (I'd suggest 250-400w lamps). PowerCompacts just don't have the "punch" to handle a 30" deep tank, much less a standard 24" one. Check out our FAQ's on lighting and you should find more than you will need.> He agrees that M1 is very good, but reluctantly agrees that do seem intent on selling many different pieces of equipment. He says that he only changes water twice a year, and rarely has evaporation problems. <I would suggest frequent partial water changes to dilute all that stuff that we don't test for.> He was dumbfounded when I mentioned a 10 to 12 gallon a day replacement need. Within a day of talking to him the first time he was able to give me a quote that included tank (by Clarity Plus), custom cabinetry, Pump, skimmer, sump, wet/dry trickle filter with bio-balls, 200 pounds of completely cured Fiji Live rock, 200 pounds of aragonite sand <The trend now is to go for a deep live sand bed, although there's much debate about that. 200lbs of sand won't give u much more than an inch (if that) of bottom cover. This is an area that you should research further.>, lighting, custom hood, 75 hermit crabs <That's kind of a ridiculous amount of hermits to get started with>, and 25 Mexican turbo snails <Most of these guys will have starved to death by the time you actually get some algae growth.>, and delivery, and set-up fee. He eschews the need for either a heater or a chiller stating that the pump underneath and the lighting above consistently will keep the temperature between 78 and 80 degrees. <You do need to at least put heaters in the tank, I wouldn't count on the pump to heat the tank 24/7 keeping in mind that the lighting is only on for about half the day (PC's also do not run very hot) I seriously doubt he can figure out exactly what temperature the tank will run at just by what pump is on the tank!!!> ( I did explain that my basement is quite cool even when the A/C is off during the height of summer)
Both M2's  reef-tanks and fish-only tanks are beautiful. He says
chemically they are completely stable and rarely have to be fooled
with. He only adds Ca++ about twice a month, but says they stay about 400 ppm. <He may not have many fast growing stony corals, the amount of calcium depletion depends on the critter load.> Needless to say his prices are much, much cheaper than M1s. <The actual prices of the components or the total price of his method?>
I am not in any rush, and realize that for this size tank I will end up spending somewhere in the neighborhood 7500.00 to 10,000.00. So I certainly don't mind doing some more research yet.  By the way;  two months later and I still only have an idea from M1 of what they want $$-wise for the tank alone. <Have you asked him for a price quote?>
I would very much like your opinion of M2's methodology and how
realistic it is to expect that (should I go ahead with M2)  I will not have to add all the other gizmo's that M1 wants to sell me.
<I think M1 is quite a bit more knowledgeable and up to date than M2, although he tries to push lots of equipment on you. Should you set it up M1's way, I'm sure you'll be very successful. M2's use of a trickle filter sends up red flags in my mind (i.e. he hasn't opened a book in a while; even back in '94 when The Reef Aquarium Vol 1 came out, they dedicated an entire chapter to explaining the removal of supplemental biological filtration from tanks with live rock and sand).>
From my reading I realize that there is no one perfect way, but usually the KISS method works well for most things. I give anesthesia for a living so I am quite used to and comfortable with noting details and making changes accordingly. I am also comfortable with complicated equipment ( I would guess that an anesthesia machine is at least as involved as some of the aquarium equipment, but I'm not sure)<Haha, anything that complicated probably doesn't belong on your tank anyway!>. What I'm saying is that please make your answer as detailed as possible, I would be interested to hear all your thoughts regarding this.
Thanks so much for your time, forgive me if this letter is somewhat long-winded. <That's ok. Final thoughts: I think you've got a lot of out-of-store research to do. I think M2's setup sounds better to you because he says you barely need any of the expensive equipment of M1, but this isn't necessarily the case. You can get away without some of the stuff M1 is trying to sell you, but I think that he knows (hopefully!) what he's talking about (well, at least from a tank setup view). I encourage you to search our site about the following topics: lighting, sand beds, and trickle filters. Also, poke around the many reefkeeping forums and see how people are running their tanks, check out the "tank of the month" on many of the different sites, and see if you have a local reef club to join. I hope this helps, because my fingers are very tired :) -Kevin>
Dave Harvey
Mason, MI

Ready to Convert to Salt (2/2/04) 
It has been a year since I wrote y'all regarding my saltwater tank obsession. Finally, it is coming together after a year of reading reading reading about saltwater tank biology. <Time well spent.> I am on a first name basis w/Jim the Fish Guy at my local fish store. I have made most of my purchases...I have an Ebo Jager heater, a Bak Pak 2 protein skimmer. a Penguin filter that I plan to replace <with what?> as soon as the funds become available, Instant Ocean, aragonite sand, a hydrometer (?)I have given away my cichlids, emptied and thoroughly cleansed my 50 gallon tank and now I am pondering my final step....lighting. I have one Coralife 20,000K light which has that beautiful sun rippling effect. Can I use that light or should I buy a new one? <IF no photosynthesizing inverts, light choice is purely a matter of aesthetics--choose what you think looks best.> Which one would be appropriate for my tank? Any specific suggestions? <I'm quite satisfied with standard-output fluorescents over my FOWLR and power compacts over my reef.> 
Also, I want to have some clownfish, some damsels and a blue tang. <This Tang needs 125 gallons> Will they get along? <No> I have my eye on those striped damsels but I have heard that they are too aggressive...is that true? <Yes, Damsels are notorious. The only one I'd consider is a Yellow-Tailed Blue as it tends to be less aggressive than most. In your small tank, I'd suggest max one clown, an ocellaris, to minimize aggression. No Damsels. Look to other fishes like the Royal Gramma, firefish or Dartfish, shrimp gobies, fairy or flasher wrasses, among others. Hope this helps. Steve Allen.>

Equipment Selection 
I have been researching a new SW tank for several months now. I am new to the hobby and I can't stop reading this site. 
<Hey- we have a lot in common. I'm not new to the hobby, but I still can't stop reading this site!> 
I want to research now before I buy. 
<Excellent!> 
My local fish store is planning to set me up with a custom fish tank. 35" x 45" x 20" LxWxH. Approx 150 gal. I have been looking online to find out about the equipment he wants to sell me but I haven't come up with much. Please let me know if 
1. You know of these items 
2. If they are any good. 
<Will give my opinion- but remember, that's just MY opinion...> 
I am just looking for different opinions here, so please comment. 
A. Gen X Water pump G/X 2M ?? ( I don't know what GPM) 
<Quality pumps, rather quiet. I am partial to Iwaki: Not he most quiet, but virtually indestructible, IMO!> 
B. G/X ("G Skimmer") I believe it is by All Seas? (Again, I don't have much info) 
<I think it is a Euroreef "knock off". I have several friends who use these "G" skimmers, and the seem to do just fine> 
Also, the lighting he recommended for this setup was a retrofit by Hamilton with 2- 96 watt compacts and 1- 250 MH. 
<I'd go for two metal halides and two PCs> 
I will have a 30 x 12 x 16 sump below. (How many gal is this?) 
<Roughly 25 gallons> 
Please let me know what you think of this setup and especially about the pump and protein skimmer. 
Thanks is advance. Dan 
<I think that they both sound fine. Do consider using two halides in your retrofit, though. Good luck! Regards, Scott F.>

Tank Equipment setup
I am building a 90 gallon plywood glass tank but I want to make sure I do the plumbing overflows etc correctly and I have not seen that discussed when it come to building your own. And also what equipment is mandatory and what is optional.. I plan on a fish only with live rock and then to evolve in to a reef tank so I do not want to have to completely redo everything to accommodate this. Basically I need a dummies guide that goes like this...  Water in the tank needs to exit the overflow and go to the _______<Sump/refugium, or filter... or pump...> (fill in the blank) and then from there the water is moved to the ________ <skimmer and return or calcium reactor, skimmer and return... or skimmer, UV sterilizer, calcium reactor and return... etc.> you get the idea I do not know what order these things need to be done and I do not want to ruin what I have so far ..(just a tank ..no holes, no overflow ..just plywood ,glass, canopy & stand.) I think I could use a 40 gallon aquarium underneath for a sump divided off for a future refugium) but I am lost about what I need.. so for the time being I have a 64X18X18 plywood glass pool in the living room.
Thanks for the help.
Sincerely, Jeff Brown
<As you might now surmise, there is no one "cook book" formula/way to set up your filtration/circulation... Best to spend time studying the articles and FAQs archived on www.WetWebMedia.com OzReef.org... books, magazines, your LFS's, hobby club friends... pulling and putting together what the many options are for what you intend to keep. Bob Fenner>

Do over? 1/26/04
Hi Anthony,
Thanks for the I.D.  Will keep an eye on him (the keyhole limpet,  actually there is a junior now too) and the coralline.
<ah, good... and likely little to watch/worry about>
If you (or whomever is manning the turret today) have the time, couple of other questions.
<sure... I'm actually answering from temperate San Diego now... working on (Bobs) images for our next book>
Taking all of my vast experience (6 months :o) and all of the incredible input from you and the rest of the crew and the site, have requested and received permission (the wife) for a  "do over" on my tank set up.  New (wider) tank, sump, stand, plumbing, sand bed.
<she's a keeper... buy her flowers and think about marrying her again>
More importantly, want to take a slower approach.  Have had an assortment of what appear (from daily reading of FAQs) to be the typical newbie problems,
<yes... alas, yes>
learned a lot from them, and realize now that there are structural problems with my setup that I can either address now or struggle with/be annoyed by forever.
<OK>
The go slower part is based upon the realization, which probably comes to most a lot quicker, that a saltwater tank takes a looong time to really become stable/conducive to housing verts and inverts, and the things you do in the beginning have a lasting impact on how difficult the tank will be to maintain and how good a home you are going to be able to provide the critters.
<all true. Some of the best tanks were started by patient aquarists that did not add a single fish or coral form the first 6-12 months. Instead planning for the long haul and enjoying a remarkable evolution in the tank with the live rock, sand, etc in the process.>
Although I started this slower process and the new setup a several weeks ago, by setting up a second tank (55g) with live rock, oolitic sand, and a detritivore kit from Inland Aquatics (and leaving this tank alone for at least 5-6 months),
< you will not regret it my friend... some fresh live rock too>
it was all crystallized for me by an article I read that was linked in the daily FAQs.  The link is here, for any newbie that missed it:   http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-01/eb/index.htm
<thanks for this>
Especially Myth 15, about cycling, stocking, and nitrification.  Don't know if you agree with all of the points made here, but it really hit home for me and thought that anyone new to the hobby should at least give it a read.
Enough running my mouth.  Time for questions (if you are willing).
One of the things I struggled with in my existing setup is trying to get all this turnover in the tank, relying primarily on my return pump (don't want powerheads).  My question, how much circulation do you really need through the sump, versus total circulation that can be delivered through a closed loop?
<ahhh... you have hit on the quandary exactly... folks often confuse the circulation needed with the turnover through the sump. They are/can be two entirely different things. The display needs 10-20X turnover which can include any combination of in tank/closed loop pumps and/or sump return pumps. But the sump itself has no requirements for flow if its acting simply as a sump>
I read an article stating that anything more than what you skimmer will process is not necessary, and the rest of the 15x to 20x that I am shooting for can be provided through a closed loop.  
<I could live with/agree with that>
Right now I am trying to push about 1,500 gallons per hour through the sump (100g display), but the skimmer will only process about 300 gallons per hour.
<if all water goes through a skimmer chamber/partition... then you can run more than 300gph through>
With all this flow thru it is difficult to put in any kind of settling chamber, set up any sort of in-sump refugium (if I go that way), too much plumbing (and associated salt creep) with all these overflows (5), and various and assorted other problems.  Are there other benefits to getting more circulation via the sump/return pump (any more than the skimmer can
handle),
<nope>
vs. a closed loop with your teed manifold?  
<a better choice>
Am I missing something?
<beer>
That's it for now.  Don't want to abuse (more than I already have) what is truly a privilege.  You guys and gals are the best.
Jim
<wishing you the best my friend :) Anthony>

LR or Crushed Coral (1/23/04)
   I am a novice marine aquarist <Welcome to the hobby.> with a 55g tank that has been running now for 3 weeks.  I have a book on Marine aquariums that is about 15 years old. <Hmmm. My patients would run screaming from my office if I were using such an ancient book for my medical practice. Get something modern. Much has changed.> I am currently running an undergravel filter w/ 2 powerheads (because I only recently found other alternatives after finding your great site) with a small Skilter.
   I have crushed coral over my undergravel, about 20 lbs of live rock (more to come), and (4) 1" damsels to cycle my tank. <I recommend against cycling with fish. There are better ways that do not stress/kill fish.> I have purchased a Remora AquaC skimmer <Excellent> and a JBJ retrofit deluxe 4 x 65w lighting system to go in my hood, but haven't received them via mail yet.  My question is, should I cut my losses now, get rid of the undergravel & crushed coral and get live sand? <I would in your shoes, but many still make UGF work. Search the FAQs or start a thread on WetWebFotos to learn how.> How will this affect my tank?  My tank is mid cycle (ammonia is coming down, nitrates are still high). <Will disrupt things a bit.>
   How long should it take before I can add inverts and larger fish? <Zero ammonia, Zero nitrite. Add slowly and follow these numbers.> Would it hurt to keep the crushed coral and still run the undergravel? <No. More maintenance though.> Other than the Remora skimmer, do I need any other filter if I do pull the undergravel? <Nice to have some way to provide mechanical/chemical filtration. Without a sump, I'd suggest you consider and external power filter such as a Penguin.> Thanks so much for your time. <No problem. Steve Allen. BTW, check out Bob F's The Conscientious Marine Aquarist and Michael Paletta's The New Marine Aquarium."> Rick

New 55G Set-Up (1/21/04)
Hello, <Aloha. Steve Allen tonight>
 I currently have a 29 gal FOWLR with Eclipse 3 hood, Red Sea Airlift 60 skimmer, a Helix 9watt UV.  Everything has been great. 0 ammonia, 0 nitrite, 0 nitrate and now I am looking into setting up a FOWLR 55 gal tank (I'm hooked!).  My wife thinks that I've lost it. <Most certainly not. In fact, I'd suggest you consider a bit bigger 75-80 G. Same with, just taller and sticks out a bit more from the wall.> Every night for the past two weeks I've been on WetWeb looking for info and searching the web for equipment.  I'm really hooked!
   The occupants of the new tank would be 1 Percula Clown, 2 Green Chromis, 1 Spotted Cardinal, 1 Hi Fin Goby, 1 Chocolate Chip Starfish <High initial mortality>, 1 Turbo Snail, 3 crabs, 1 Coral Beauty, 1 Yellow Tang <needs at least 75G>, and 1 butterfly <If you want a butterfly, pick a hard one and have a bigger tank>.  Possibly down the road I would add some corals.   The original filtration plan was for a AquaClear Pro 75 W/D all in one unit, 80# of live sand, 61# of live rock.  I thought that I had everything planned until I started doing some research about wet/dry filtration at this wonderful site. You guys rock!!!!!! <Thanks> I have read that about 3-5 years down the road it is very likely to encounter nitrate problems. <Likely much sooner with heavy bioload you anticipate.> So, it looks like from what I have read on WetWeb that a sump would be the way to go <much better> but I am a little confused.   I want to make sure that this is set up correctly. <Always easier to do it right than fix it later.>
Here is the new plan.
80# of live sand, 61# <No need for such Spock-like precision. 60-65 lbs> of live rock in the main tank.  (would I need 80# of live sand?) You need however much it takes to have 4-6" of sand. The rock foundation should be on the tank bottom, not the top of the sand.> Use a 16.5 to 18 gal Rubbermaid tub as the sump, install a AquaC Urchin skimmer in the sump and use a Marineland Emperor 400 (comes with the 55 gal tank) without the bio-wheels in the sump as mechanical filtration <Not needed. Use a floss bag on the pipe that drains from the tank into the sump. Change & was (no detergent) a couple of times per week.> along with the heater and add the UV later on. <Not really needed. If you do use it, hang it on the tank and feed it with a powerhead, which will also increase your overall circulation.> Could I have all this stuff in the 18 gal sump? <Should work. If you want it to be a refugium, there should be a separate compartment with rock and sand for the amphi- and copepods to grow on/in. How about algae and lights? I suggest you read the refugium section in Bob & Anthony's Reef Invertebrates book and search more info on WWM, elsewhere.>
  Or would it make more sense to put a smaller tub  (maybe 5 gal) with a 1" bulkhead that would be elevated in the 18 gal and put the skimmer in this so that the skimmed water would have only passed through the siphon overflow (any suggestions for a quiet siphon overflow? <I wish> The local pet stores do not drill tanks. <Too bad; the risks are way overrated.>
Another question would be can I have the siphon overflow hose just run into the sump or do you need I guess what is called a drip plate?  <No> Could this hose be below the water line? <Yes. DO read more about sumps and look at some pre-made ones. Check out DIY sites like Ozreef. There's also a nice diagram at www.inlandreef.com>
Thanks, Doug R <Hope this helps.>

Check out the new Aquarium!
Each of you contributed in one way or another to my new 75 gallon fish tank.  Well, I have finally made a website detailing the new system!  Please check it out if you get the chance, and thank you so much for your help and advice during the construction of this new home for my fishes!
<Very nice, congrats. And that Chloe is indeed cute. Bob Fenner>
http://www.mbgz.com/pets/

- Modifying An Eclipse -
Hi, I was really impressed with your advice and your site so I thought you could help me out. I have a 29 G eclipse that I am ready to throw the hood away. I was thinking of adding a lighting fixture of 2x65W PC. would those be enough? <Enough for what? The amount of lighting has the most to do with what you plan to keep in the tank.> If no what would be my limitations. <Limitations? I don't see any if you throw out the hood... really only limitation is your wallet.> I also wish to add a skimmer. I saw that the AquaC was very highly recommended so I was wondering whether I should go for the Remora or the Remora Pro? <Regular Remora - the Pro would be oversized for your tank.> I have about 50Lbs of Live Rock and 30Lbs of Live sand. This displaces my water to I wanted to add a refugium/sump to increase water volume. Problem is I am a beginner in this hobby and I don't know these work exactly. <Consider purchasing the book, Reef Invertebrates by Bob Fenner and Anthony Calfo - has a whole chapter dedicated to refugia. Also, there are many articles on the Wet Web Media site that reflect the same philosophy.> I know their function but not how to make and install one. I am a college student and am trying to stretch my dollars as far as I can. I have another 10G tank empty. Would this be suitable and what do I have to do to it to make it work underneath my aquarium. <It would work, but really the name of the game in general is water volume - if you choose to use this as a sump, then you can plan on only getting about five gallons out of it. I'd really consider losing some of that live rock - 50 pounds in a 29 gallon tank is excessive.> It's is completely bare with no partitions. I also don't know what an overflow is. <Well... your tank doesn't have one - you'd need to drill the tank or purchase a siphon-overflow to get water out of the tank and into the sump/refugium.> Thank you for all your help and time. Your site is incredible and its what inspires newbie like me to believe I can still make it in this expensive but fascinating hobby.
Thanks again.  Naim
<Cheers, J -- >

- Combining Tanks -
Hi there,
Thanks for all your efforts, your site is a blessing.  I have read and read and read your site, and found much of the information I need, but was wondering if you could offer your insights on my particular situation. Most of this is just a rambling brain dump, my questions are italicized.
I started with a Fish-Only 120 gallon with wet/dry + skimmer.   Two things happened, Wife and I fell in love with 2 of our fish (both puffer fish, not reef compatible), and the tank was always cloudy and covered with red slime algae, most likely due to lack of any natural nutrient reduction coupled with less than religious water changes.
About a month ago, I purchased a previously established 150 gallon reef. I built it into the wall, with a "fish room" behind it. No equipment space limitations!
- 175lb LR, 2" aragonite sand (fine, but not sugar grade), several corals, several fish, anemone, snails, starfish, urchin, etc.
- Basic sump, w/ pre-filter, skimmer, and carbon.  Mag 12 (1200gph) return pump.
- Decent circulation with powerheads, planning on converting to manifold return (as described on your site) and doing away with powerheads.  Do I need to up-size the pump to make this effective?
- 700W Metal halide (2x 150W 5-7,000K lamps (??), and one 400W 10,000K lamp) + 200W power-compact 50/50 actinic/10,000K, all on for 10-11 hours  Should I make any changes to my lighting?
- I am buffering top off water (RO/DI), and dosing tank alternately w/ liquid and powdered calcium, 10% water change once a week with RO/DI water.  I'm thinking of replacing buffering and calcium dosing with Kalkwasser until I can afford a calcium reactor).  Can I accomplish this by adding Kalkwasser to my top off water, and if so, how much per gallon? <You can, but you will still need to buffer the water... Kalkwasser offers little if anything in the buffer department.>
- I have a just barely measurable ammonia spike, accompanied by nuisance green algae on the glass that I have to clean every day.  Nitrate level is at or very close to 0.  Can I assume this is a normal reaction to moving the tank, having stirred up some organics settled into the substrate and/or under live rock, or is this something I am going to have to deal with by more aggressive skimming, or a NNR of some sort (I'm thinking a refugium with a DSB and macro-algae)? <Probably just the result of the tank move... something to keep an eye on, but not a major cause for concern.>
- I am currently, for the most part, not feeding corals or fish (tangs get some dried seaweed twice a week, anemone gets a chunk of krill when the puffers in the other tank eat). <Do try and feed those fish a little more often.> I need to read up on what type of food / supplements my corals, fish, and inverts need. <More on that here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/feeding.htm and here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/fdreefinverts.htm >
Here is why I am really writing.  I am planning on building a 55 Gallon tank (size based on space constraints ? current puffer tank is in another room and needs to go away) into an adjacent wall in the same room, for the Puffers (both about 8" long). <That is rather cramped quarters for two 8" puffers.> I have ordered 2x96W Power compact 50/50 lighting for this application.  What I would really like to do is plumb the new tank into the reef system (separate pump, perhaps increasing the size of the sump) for simplicity, to increase the overall water volume, and perhaps to utilize the natural nutrient reduction capability of the reef system to avoid problems I have had in the past.
- Is this a good / bad idea? <It's a good idea.>
- Would your answer to the previous question change if I had LR in the puffer tank and/or added the refugium described above, and/or did some other thing I'm not thinking about. <No, it's still a good idea... just one that most folks can't take advantage of. Takes much planning, execution time.>
- If I end up with live rock in the puffer tank, (or even if I don't) what type of substrate do you recommend (I have plenty of medium grade crushed coral, or should I switch to the same sand I have in the reef)? <I'd stick with the medium-grade crushed coral - much easier to clean/vacuum with those messy puffers in there.>
- If I make it all one big system, what other things do I have to consider, what would you do? <Perhaps a large sump for all systems to drain into.>
I know you must be very busy, but any insight you can offer would be much appreciated.
Thanks!  Aaron
<Cheers, J -- >

- What Else Do I Need? -
I just got a 120 gallon marine tank with an Amiracle SL-250 wet/dry for xmas. I used crushed coral for a base with about 70 lbs of live rock (will get more). I have 8 damsels (mostly very small)-3 dominos, 2 yellow-tails, 2 humbugs and 1 large tomato clown-and also, one snowflake eel-they all cycled the tank. I would like to get several triggers, a lionfish, an angel fish and possibly another eel - I would rather have less fish and have them be larger than have many fish-is this an ok amount? <You didn't actually list an amount - I saw the word several in there... best to under stock any tank, regardless of size. You can have several triggers, but not much else; two eels and a trigger, but not much else; the lion and the angel, perhaps one trigger... not much else. You will get better mileage out of any mix if you under stock.> I can lose the damsels if I have to-but I wouldn't mind keeping them if they don't get eaten. <The lionfish would make short work of the damsels... the eel likewise will probably get to them sooner or later.> I have never had a tank this big and its been awhile since I've had fish - what else do I need for my tank? <I'm not sure, what else do you have already? Do you have a protein skimmer yet? Do you have a quarantine system yet?> I have people telling me I should get a skimmer and ozone and/or UV sterilizer-do I need both? <I'd go with just a skimmer for now... perhaps ozone later if you budget allows.> I was looking at the Turbo-twist UV sterilizer by Coralife (since I can put it outside the sump) is this good? <Mmm... I'm not really a fan of UV on main systems. Good for quarantine systems, but really unnecessary if you follow good quarantine protocol.> I am primarily interested in keeping fish, although I do have a few "feather worms" on my live rock I would like to keep if the triggers don't get them. <Triggers will likely get them if they're within reach.> I was going to get an Amiracle skimmer in the sump-will this be enough? <Pool the money you were thinking about spending on this and the UV and buy a better skimmer like an AquaC or EuroReef.> I don't see any info. about them on your site - What is the difference between this and the Euroreef you keep talking about? <Design, build quality.> Would I be better off with that? <That? You mean the EuroReef? Yes.> I am a little overwhelmed with all this stuff. Any help you could give me would be much appreciated! Sorry about the novel.  J9 in Massachusetts
<Cheers, J -- [formerly from Massachusetts]>

Taking The Plunge!
Hey there,
<Scott F. here with you tonight>
I just found your site tonight.  WOW!  Overwhelming....I've been reading for the past 3 hours and feel like I could read for days.
<Actually, you could read it for months!>
Amazing amount of info...what a thrilling experience for the newbie.  I have limited experience with saltwater tanks.  I have a 35 gallon reef tank for the past 5 years...fairly successful.  
<Well, let's make you spectacularly successful with marine!>
My new adventure is converting my 225 gal (6ft long x 2ft wide x 30 inches deep) freshwater to salt water.  At first I'm planning on only live rock and fish.  I'm not comfortable with what supplement and how much I would need of what in order to have corals, anemones, mushrooms, clams, etc...(I'm too new to know what other stuff I'm referring to.)  The tank is through and through in a wall between my living room and formal dining room.  Encased in a 8 foot tall oak cabinet.  Very nice.  
<Does sound nice.  I'll be over for dinner tomorrow! heh! heh!>
Now to my questions/problems (please advise me as if money was no object....I'll save now so as to not regret it later.  I want to be on the side of overkill rather than actual kill)
<Great attitude to take and good for the economy, too!>
First problem is I was sold on a bunch of stuff from the local pet supply store before reading your site.  I purchased a CPR 3000 wet/dry (up to 400 gal tank it says), a CPR 102 overflow box, Aqua C 240 skimmer powered by a Mag 12 pump, 2 Quiet One 4000 HBH (roughly 750 gph with my head pressure), 2 Rena 300 watt heaters, a Rio 3100 power head inside the tank with filters, an Aqua UV light (57 watt), (2) 4 foot PC lights with each having 2x96 watt bulbs in each (1 blue and the other 10,000k white) and 200 lbs of live sand.  Anything I'm missing?
<First of all, if you can have your tank drilled professionally and install an overflow, it would be much, much better and safer than to use a "over the side" overflow box. Drilled overflows are less prone to failure, and aesthetically nicer.>
I purchased 200 lbs of Walt Smith(?) premium Fiji live rock that will be delivered next Tuesday.  Is this enough rock?  Is that  good rock?  Is one type better than other (only live rock not base)?
<There are many schools of thought as to how much rock is enough.  "Conventional" reef tank wisdom states that you should use 1-2 pounds per gallon. However, I personally run, and have seen many gorgeous reef tanks that utilize one pound or less per gallon.  It all depends on bioload, your aquascaping goals, and most importantly, the needs of your animals.  Yes, Walt Smith has set the standards for the industry for many years in terms of quality and variety.  As far as one type of rock being better than the other, I favor all live rock.  I personally would not try to skimp and try to save a few dollars by purchasing inferior quality rock for the base. I think you get a better result in the long run by utilizing high quality rock throughout.  I'm speaking from experience as someone who has purchased low quality rock in the past and reaped the "rewards" for it (nuisance algae, Aiptasia, mantis shrimp, etc.>
I started the tank yesterday (using Kent sea salt) and was told to add 10 poor damsels to the tank to start the cycling before my rock comes in next week. I lost 3 damsels today already. Is this right?
<Personally, I think it's a lousy practice and inhumane.  There are plenty of nutrients available on the live rock to help cycle the tank without sacrificing any fish.>
Anything else I should do?
<Cycle it with rock and return the damsels to the store or give them to a friend with an established tank.  No sense in rushing things here.>
My tank is currently 78 degrees, 1.023 salinity.
Is the wet/dry system a bad idea?  
<Not a bad idea.  They just tend to be "victims of their own success."  In other words, they are so efficient in processing ammonia and nitrite that nitrate begins to accumulate.  Personally, I would run the sump without bio balls or plastic media and simply let the coral and live rock do your "filtering." Natural is always better, IMO!>
Should I just get rid of the bio bale?
<I would.>
Is the skimmer big enough?  
<Yes, your skimmer should do the job.>
It's running right now.  An Aqua C rep told me it has a "break in" period and should run from day one.
I read different on your site.  What should I do?  Turn it off now?
<I would run it from day one, but that is just me.  Use your own discretion.>
It's producing a ton of micro bubbles all over the tank (told this is normal for a week until live rock starts to cure).
Do I need a chiller ( I hope not due to no more room under the tank...would have to go above it in the attic)?
<Depends on how hot your system runs.  Lights, pump, etc. all contribute to heat.  My house is in the low 60's during this time of the year, however, my chiller does come on periodically.  If you want stability, which is essential for success with corals and many other animals, a chiller is, unfortunately, a vital component.>
Will fans over the top of tank cool it at all?  
<Fans do provide some cooling, but every tank and situation is different.>
Any other suggestions for making sure it doesn't get too hot in there.  I'm in So Calif and I'm worried the AC unit will have to be set at 80 degrees maximum at all times through out the summer or I may fry the fish.
<Well, as another So. Cal. reefer, I can tell you that having the AC on can help a bit, but again, it really depends on the tank itself and its systems (lights, pumps, etc.)>
The 2 quiet one pumps are pushing roughly 1400-1500 gal/hr. They are coming in on one side of the tank while the overflow box is on the opposite side.  Do I need the Rio in the tank at all?  I was told it's a good idea for current. (I was actually told to add 2 more Rio 2500's inside as well!) Or should I tee off the 3/4 inch tubing to make 4 or more inlets all coming in on one side (keeping in mind they can only be added to the side opposite of the overflow box because of room constraints with the tank in the wall.)
<Tons of ways to go here.  It all depends on personal preference and the needs of your animals.  You may want to consider current generating devices such as the Sea Swirl, or the SCWD.>
I ordered a Precision Marine calcium reactor as well.  Is this good/bad?
<Excellent unit!>
I just don't want to be constantly dosing with calcium or running to the pet store to buy this over priced chemical.
<Well, it works, speaking from experience, but it does require some monitoring and testing of your water.  A reef tank is a lot like a garden. It requires attention and the adherence to proper techniques in order to thrive.>
How do I know if the tank has enough oxygen in it?  Can you test for this?
<Yep, there are oxygen test kits available.  Look in any e-tailer's catalogue.>
Do I need metal halides?  I was told to buy a 5 foot fixture with 3 MH lights in it at 400W each.  I want to be able to keep good stuff (such a newbie, generic term I'm sure) at any given point. This is why I was told to buy this fixture and run it with the PC's...seems like a ton of light to me, and would get very hot in the wall.
<Well, halides are arguably the best lighting for many reef tank applications.  They are not essential for success. However, they provide optimum flexibility for a variety of reef systems.  Having such lights gives your the ability to keep a wide variety of demanding animals and not be "caught short" without the proper lighting.  You can always start with the halides and use one or two of the lights, and ramp up the lighting as needed.  They do run hot and you must have adequate cooling as mentioned above.  Also, consider the operating cost.  If you are SoCal Edison or LADWP, electrical cost can be demanding and be taken into consideration.>
I may need to vent it out through my roof or to the outside to let the hot air escape.  The hot air can seep out of the cracks in the cabinet door, but I'm not sure it is enough.  Any suggestions on good fans?
<Check a local hardware store and/or air conditioning contractor to do it right.>
What are good strong, hardy fish to start with?  After the cycling period when should I add my first fish?
<There are many hardy types of fish.  I am going to leave that fun decision with you.  Make use of the massive resources we have on fish selection on the Wet Web Media site, or buy a copy of Bob Fenner's "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" or Scott Michael's "Marine Fishes."  Heck, get 'em both!  You can never have enough reading materials.>
I only feed my FW fish once a week.  Are SW fish ok with that?  What about corals and such?
<Again, it all depends on the specific animals that you intend to keep.  Add Eric Borneman's "Aquarium Corals" and Anthony Calfo's "Book of Coral Propagation" to your shopping list.  Hey, you said money isn't an issue, right?!>
Should I convert my 35 gal reef tank now into a quarantine tank?
<I would, remember it's not a permanent feature.  Read on the WWM site on this topic.>
I've never quarantined a thing.
<Silly boy!  Change your ways now!>
What should you have in it for filtration, lighting, decor, etc.  Should it be running at all times?  Should all additions be in there for 4 weeks?
<See this link:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/QuarMarFishes.htm>
Given my set up, how many fish or inches of fish would be safe?
<This is a basic question, and can be answered by making use of the WWM site's resources.>
I don't want any messy eaters or large fish.  The only must have for my wife are tangs and clowns.  I don't have any must haves yet.
Lastly, please tell me anything else I could add/do to make my life as simple as possible and to minimize the risk to my new living buddies in the future.
<Yup, join one of the local aquarium clubs:  Los Angeles:  MASLAC at www.maslac.org, Orange County:  SCMAS at www.scmas.org, or San Diego:  SDMAS www.sdmas.org.  All are filled with many experienced fish nerds that are willing to help you out.>
Anything I can buy, I will at some point.  
<Just do some reading, and more reading, and then read more, before taking the plunge for more equipment.  Slow down and enjoy it.  It's a marathon, not a sprint!>
This is an expensive hobby but I'm in 100%!   I just don't want to have to worry about anything but monthly or bimonthly water changes.
<Monthly?!  Good heavens man, I'm a water change junkie!  I recommend two 5% changes a week, but that's me, and I have been known to be a little off the deep end. =)>
Incredible site....thanks again and sorry for so many questions all at once....Dave Boswell
<My pleasure Dave.  Glad to be of service.  Do make use of the many resources on WWM for your research.  Good luck and happy reefing!  Regards, Scott F.>

New System-New Ideas?
Hello,
<Hi there! Scott F. here today>
I am new to the marine hobby although have had freshwater tanks for years. I am reading up on all the info I can and am ready to try a marine tank (I think). System I have is a
55Gal long tank 2-201 powerheads with prefilters
Emperor 400 with BioWheels. I need to get a skimmer but need direction on a HOB type. Also, am going to get live sand and live rock, but only want about 35 lbs of LR (is this enough) only want a few fish (3-5) at most. Am I going the right direction ? I want to do the right thing with my first tank, as when I have this down will want to go 150-200gal with all the goodies. Have read a lot of your site but still need some help with this set up.           Thanks in advance. Erik
<Well, Eric- your system sounds like it would be fine to get things up and running, with a few minor modifications. I would highly recommend some sort of protein skimmer (Aqua C makes the "Remora" hang on skimmers, which are first-class, IMO), and make sure that you keep the filter media in the Emperor clean, changing them regularly. I highly recommend that you get into the habit of frequent small water changes-very important in any system. For additional advice (far greater than what can be rendered in this response), do look on the WWM site for extensive set-up ideas. Also, you may want to pick up a copy of Michael Paletta's excellent "The New Marine Aquarium", which is chock-full of good advice for novice marine hobbyists. Most of all- go slow, learn all you can, and HAVE FUN! Feel free to call on us again any time. Regards, Scott F>

New System- New Ideas (Cont'd.)
Scott F.,
<Hi there!>
Thanks for the advice, I have already bought and read the book you
recommended as my local fish retailer suggested it to me to read first. I will look into getting the Remora for skimming.
<An excellent choice!>
Also on my acrylic tank the top has only 2 oval access holes in the back are they pretty standard on all tanks or will I have to modify them for the skimmer. can you cut them bigger?)
<I would consult the manufacturer on that one>
I am excited to hear from you as it makes me more confident that I
am going the right direction.   
Thanks again, Erik
<You're on the right track! Have fun! Regards, Scott F>

New 65 Gallon Hex
I have a wonderful opportunity to set up a 65 gallon hex tank.  The tank is free, the live rock is free and cured and the coral (all soft, which I prefer) is nominal cost (not retail) a friend having to breakdown a beautiful tank.
<congrats on a good find.  I always enjoy finding things like that!>
   This will tank will be a reef tank.  Besides live rock and substrate ( l lean toward 1-2 inch live sand depth preference)
<I have been enjoying a bit deeper sand beds lately, but it's all up to your preference>
ViaAqua filter (I have one running on a 29 gallon tall reef tank) and I love it!!!  My tank has never looked so good or the coral been so healthy and  grown so much).  I will have  1 torch coral, live rock, soft corals, and would this mix be good?
<You will have plenty of room in a 65 gallon tank for those.  I have that same mix in a little 10 gallon nano.  Just make sure that you give them the proper light they need, and the corals have plenty of space so they don't battle for room.  I suggest picking up Bob Fenner's Book, The Conscientious Marine Aquarist at the store.. it's a great reference.>
  A royal grammas, 1 Firefish, 1 Catalina goby, 2 or 3 green Chromis and 1 banded goby ? If not, what would you recommend?
<almost all those will work, make sure the lid is on tight on your tank, Firefish are known jumpers.  The only one I say not to get is the Catalina, or Lythrypnus dalli, are beautiful fish but are found in cooler waters and shouldn't be kept in a tropical tank.  The don't survive very long in a tank that is in the high seventies and eighties.  Skip that fish and the others shouldn't be bad at all.>
  I want it to be colorful and peaceful without overloading it.  I would love eventually to have a mandarin goby but I realize that is probably out of the question considering their needs.
<they need lots of copepods for feeding, and if the tank is large enough and has loads of live rock in it then feel that a Mandarin Dragonets can be kept in the home aquarium.  minimum size of tank (with heavy live rock) is 55 gallons for a single specimen, so it's not totally out of the question.  But, I think that you should only think about getting one later on down the road.  Give you tank 8 months and see how it looks then take it into consideration again.>
My main goal is to create a wonderful environment for my fish and coral.
<That's a good goal, wish more folks had that! -Magnus>