Setting up new marine tank

[Peihao83]

Good day to all,

I am intending to setup a 4 ft marine tank.

What are the necessary equipments that i need? Below are what i can think n found out from research.

Welcome all comments and ideas..

- 4 ft marine tank

- sump tank (how do i set up a sump tank? what are needed?)

- skimmer

- marine salt

- chiller

- T5 actinic blue and white light tube

- coral sand

- calcium reactor (is this necessary?)

- wave maker (is this necessary?)

- denitrator (is this necessary?)

Pls help.. Thanks..

[teebs]

Good day to all,

I am intending to setup a 4 ft marine tank.

What are the necessary equipments that i need? Below are what i can think n found out from research.

Welcome all comments and ideas..

- 4 ft marine tank

- sump tank (how do i set up a sump tank? what are needed?)

- skimmer

- marine salt

- chiller

- T5 actinic blue and white light tube

- coral sand

- calcium reactor (is this necessary?)

- wave maker (is this necessary?)

- denitrator (is this necessary?)

Pls help.. Thanks..

You will need a lot of equipment for a 4ft marine tank...

How much are you budgeting for your tank?

Anyway, basic things you need:

1) Test Kits (Ammonia, Phosphate, Nitrate, Nitrite, Calcium, Magnesium etc)

2) Reflectometer/Hydrometer

3) PH Meter

4) DI unit for water

5) Reef Supplements

6) Live Rocks

7) Live Sand

8) Cannistor Filter/Return Pump

9) 1/4HP Chiller

10) Skimmer

11) MH and/or T5 lighting

12) Marine Salt

13) Wave Maker

14) Digital Thermometer to monitor water temp in tank

15) Filter Media

16) Sump

Good to have but necessity depends on your tank set up

1) Calcium Reactor - used when marine tank requires high levels of calcium e.g. SPS tanks

2) Fluidised Reactor - used for biological/chemical filtration to reduce phosphate/nitrate levels in aquarium

3) Kalkwasser - to maintain Clacium & PH levels in marine aquarium

4) Denitrator - reduce nitrates present in the aquarium

5) Auto Top Up unit - Top up water in aquarium due to evaporation

[comycus]

Good day to all,

I am intending to setup a 4 ft marine tank.

What are the necessary equipments that i need? Below are what i can think n found out from research.

Welcome all comments and ideas..

- 4 ft marine tank

- sump tank (how do i set up a sump tank? what are needed?)

- skimmer

- marine salt

- chiller

- T5 actinic blue and white light tube

- coral sand

- calcium reactor (is this necessary?)

- wave maker (is this necessary?)

- denitrator (is this necessary?)

Pls help.. Thanks..

I'm sure you have done your research, do read up more before starting the hobby! There are just so much material to be found online that can help you. There are many good examples of member tanks here on setup, startup of new tanks which can help you on the schematics, drawings, ideas etc.

Just to help alittle bit, I believe sump tank should keep it simple. Plenty of live rocks in display tank for bio filtration, sump for filter floss, skimmer, chiller pump, return pump. You might want to get 1/2 fluidised reactor for phosphate and calcium remover or just place them in sump. Choose a good skimmer! oversized is good

Can choose deep sand bed for denitrification, or denitrator to control nitrates (but the process is a gradual one) , or keep a refugium in sump.

Calcium reactor probably not a must initially, can dose calcium, but if you are growing sps, eventually will be more cost effective.

[Peihao83]

I'm sure you have done your research, do read up more before starting the hobby! There are just so much material to be found online that can help you. There are many good examples of member tanks here on setup, startup of new tanks which can help you on the schematics, drawings, ideas etc.

Just to help alittle bit, I believe sump tank should keep it simple. Plenty of live rocks in display tank for bio filtration, sump for filter floss, skimmer, chiller pump, return pump. You might want to get 1/2 fluidised reactor for phosphate and calcium remover or just place them in sump. Choose a good skimmer! oversized is good

Can choose deep sand bed for denitrification, or denitrator to control nitrates (but the process is a gradual one) , or keep a refugium in sump.

Calcium reactor probably not a must initially, can dose calcium, but if you are growing sps, eventually will be more cost effective.

Hi bro,

So can i start off with the tank n sump tank first?

a skimmer and fluidised reactor?

i don't understand by what u say:

Can choose deep sand bed for denitrification, or denitrator to control nitrates (but the process is a gradual one) , or keep a refugium in sump.

Calcium reactor probably not a must initially, can dose calcium, but if you are growing sps, eventually will be more cost effective.

so, denitrator and calcuim reactor not necessary ar? whats refugium and sps?

Seems like a lot equipment to start off..

Thanks bro..

[jackywongto]

Hi bro,

So can i start off with the tank n sump tank first?

a skimmer and fluidised reactor?

i don't understand by what u say:

Can choose deep sand bed for denitrification, or denitrator to control nitrates (but the process is a gradual one) , or keep a refugium in sump.

Calcium reactor probably not a must initially, can dose calcium, but if you are growing sps, eventually will be more cost effective.

so, denitrator and calcuim reactor not necessary ar? whats refugium and sps?

Seems like a lot equipment to start off..

Thanks bro..

What do you intend to keep Peihao?

[Peihao83]

What do you intend to keep Peihao?

no idea leh.. confuse already.. anyway what are needed to start off for cycle first?

skimmer, sump tank.. what else huh?

[comycus]

Hi bro,

So can i start off with the tank n sump tank first?

a skimmer and fluidised reactor?

i don't understand by what u say:

Can choose deep sand bed for denitrification, or denitrator to control nitrates (but the process is a gradual one) , or keep a refugium in sump.

Calcium reactor probably not a must initially, can dose calcium, but if you are growing sps, eventually will be more cost effective.

so, denitrator and calcuim reactor not necessary ar? whats refugium and sps?

Seems like a lot equipment to start off..

Thanks bro..

hmm sorry I wasn't too clear about this...

There are many kinds of corals, quite broadly falling into SPS (small polyped stone), LPS (Large polyped stone) and Soft corals. LPS and softies are easier to keep as they can tolerate poorer water quality as compared to sps. Usual parameter you want to control is nitrates.

Basically there are many ways to control nitrates. All 3 methods I mentioned work the same way, they help to cultivate anaerobic bacteria to break down your nitrates. They are not a must to controlling nitrates, you can choose to add them at a later stage as you gain more experience. Refugium is a nice option to consider. Serves as a safe haven for fishes and to cultivate pods, grow algae to help control nuisance algae in display tank.

Calcium reactor is also a good to have item. SPS corals suck up calcium much faster than LPS and softies, which is why it is more cost effective to run a CR if you are going SPS. Otherwise, can depend on dosing calcium initially and purchase one in future.

[comycus]

no idea leh.. confuse already.. anyway what are needed to start off for cycle first?

skimmer, sump tank.. what else huh?

bro suggest you read up the pinned articles in the new to marine hobby forums to understand more. Otherwise every answer we give will give you 5 more questions to ask. haha

[jackywongto]

no idea leh.. confuse already.. anyway what are needed to start off for cycle first?

skimmer, sump tank.. what else huh?

lol, I am asking would you like to keep a fish only tank or one with soft corals? Think you can pass hard corals for the time being.

budget on eqpt can range from hundreds to tens of thousands.

If budget is a constraint, maybe choose a 3 feet 1st.

larger tank requires larger capacity eqpt ==>more $$

If you have the dough, then by all means get the biggest possible.

Fish only is easiest to keep.

you can have a couple of mushrooms and the maintenance is not so demanding....

So really depends on what you want to keep and the budget you have 1st.

Agree with the bros here.... you need to read more 1st.

But if too overwhelming to read, then just keep posting questions

[teebs]

no idea leh.. confuse already.. anyway what are needed to start off for cycle first?

skimmer, sump tank.. what else huh?

Just curious...why start a 4x2x2 aquarium when you are just starting the hobby? Start with a small tank first and as you gain your knowledge, then upgrade to a larger tank.

If you start off with a large tank and you do not maintain your water parameters well, you may end up crashing your tank and in the worst case scenerio, losing all the live stock in your tank.

Saw that you are looking at a 4x2x2.5 tank in the pasar malam section. Do note that with a 2.5ft height tank, you are going to find it very difficult to place your Live Rocks/Corals on the sand bed and also cleaning the tank will also be a problem.

[andylee]

don't think about what u need to cycle tank now.

think about what u need for a 4ft tank, and whether u can maintain it.

basic equips are:

- pump for return

- pump for chiller (can be tee off if powerful pump)

- pump for skimmer

- chiller

- lights

- wavemaker

these are just the very bare minimum. the other additional ones like what the other bros here mentioned.

big tank = bigger equipments = higher electricity consumption = higher bills. these are the things u are prepared to commit first.

then if equipment too noisy or ugly, u will want cabinet, sump etc. have to consider all these.

[comycus]

Just curious...why start a 4x2x2 aquarium when you are just starting the hobby? Start with a small tank first and as you gain your knowledge, then upgrade to a larger tank.

If you start off with a large tank and you do not maintain your water parameters well, you may end up crashing your tank and in the worst case scenerio, losing all the live stock in your tank.

The best advice I got was to start off as large a tank as my pocket can afford. This includes maintenance too! The thing with larger tanks is more water volume gives you a higher margin of error, as compared to a nano tank of say, 10 gallons. However, maintaining a 4ft tank is also more $$ spent on more rocks, more salt, more corals, everything also more... haha you get the drift.

I think 4ft is a good starting point. I started off wanting to buy a 4ft too. After doing all the research, calculating n all, I eventually settled on a 3ft. Individual preference

[Peihao83]

Just curious...why start a 4x2x2 aquarium when you are just starting the hobby? Start with a small tank first and as you gain your knowledge, then upgrade to a larger tank.

If you start off with a large tank and you do not maintain your water parameters well, you may end up crashing your tank and in the worst case scenerio, losing all the live stock in your tank.

Saw that you are looking at a 4x2x2.5 tank in the pasar malam section. Do note that with a 2.5ft height tank, you are going to find it very difficult to place your Live Rocks/Corals on the sand bed and also cleaning the tank will also be a problem.

Haha.. that was fast of you.. is it advisable to buy a second hand tank?

[Peihao83]

lol, I am asking would you like to keep a fish only tank or one with soft corals? Think you can pass hard corals for the time being.

budget on eqpt can range from hundreds to tens of thousands.

If budget is a constraint, maybe choose a 3 feet 1st.

larger tank requires larger capacity eqpt ==>more $$

If you have the dough, then by all means get the biggest possible.

Fish only is easiest to keep.

you can have a couple of mushrooms and the maintenance is not so demanding....

So really depends on what you want to keep and the budget you have 1st.

Agree with the bros here.... you need to read more 1st.

But if too overwhelming to read, then just keep posting questions

I will start off with sand bed and some hard corals first.. budget a problem here too.. Thanks for advice bro..

[Peihao83]

don't think about what u need to cycle tank now.

think about what u need for a 4ft tank, and whether u can maintain it.

basic equips are:

- pump for return

- pump for chiller (can be tee off if powerful pump)

- pump for skimmer

- chiller

- lights

- wavemaker

these are just the very bare minimum. the other additional ones like what the other bros here mentioned.

big tank = bigger equipments = higher electricity consumption = higher bills. these are the things u are prepared to commit first.

then if equipment too noisy or ugly, u will want cabinet, sump etc. have to consider all these.

Thanks for advice bro.. i will get those items first as u said.. one step at a time

[comycus]

Thanks for advice bro.. i will get those items first as u said.. one step at a time

really hope you read up more before forking $$ out to buy tank, even if it's used. SRC encourages responsible reefing, and there is quite abit of a learning curve in the marine hobby.

[teebs]

The best advice I got was to start off as large a tank as my pocket can afford. This includes maintenance too! The thing with larger tanks is more water volume gives you a higher margin of error, as compared to a nano tank of say, 10 gallons. However, maintaining a 4ft tank is also more $$ spent on more rocks, more salt, more corals, everything also more... haha you get the drift.

I think 4ft is a good starting point. I started off wanting to buy a 4ft too. After doing all the research, calculating n all, I eventually settled on a 3ft. Individual preference

The initial start up cost for a tank is pretty much insignificant compared to the running costs...

For most people who start up large tanks and later decom them, the primary reason is that they cannot keep up with the maintenance costs (especially electricity bills).

A larger tank => larger pumps => larger chillers => more filtration media => a lot more $$$ spent each month...

[Peihao83]

The initial start up cost for a tank is pretty much insignificant compared to the running costs...

For most people who start up large tanks and later decom them, the primary reason is that they cannot keep up with the maintenance costs (especially electricity bills).

A larger tank => larger pumps => larger chillers => more filtration media => a lot more $$$ spent each month...

Agree on that too.. electricity bill differences a lot? for example maintaining a 4ft tank..

[teebs]

Haha.. that was fast of you.. is it advisable to buy a second hand tank?

There is nothing wrong or bad about buying a second hand tank but you will probably have to clean it up especially if it has been used for a couple of years.

The most important factor in choosing a tank is to take note of the height of the tank. Most people would stop at a 2ft height as that is probably the max that our hands can reach.

Another factor would be the volume of the tank because this would affect your water change and the amount of salt you will be using...

[davidluvfishes]

Agree on that too.. electricity bill differences a lot? for example maintaining a 4ft tank..

You will see a difference ard $80 to $100 in your monthly electrical bills depending on your set-up.

[teebs]

Agree on that too.. electricity bill differences a lot? for example maintaining a 4ft tank..

It depends on the chiller you are getting and the power consumption of the chiller. It also depends on how often the chiller cuts in and out to maintain the water temperature. The Resun CL650 (1/4HP) chiller is rated at 650W.

Your lighting would also play a large part in your electricity bills. MH lighting for a 4ft tank could be between 250W to 500W, T5 lighting most probably 200W upwards...Then every 3-6 months you would probably need to change your bulbs, so there's a replacement cost also.

[jackywongto]

I will start off with sand bed and some hard corals first.. budget a problem here too.. Thanks for advice bro..

not hard corals hor.... get live rocks and some soft corals...Hard corals a big NO

[Peihao83]

not hard corals hor.... get live rocks and some soft corals...Hard corals a big NO

Oh.. thanks for correcting me..

[andylee]

maybe u can try 2.5 to 3ft first. maybe can cut back on chiller. use fan instead.

this is for budget setup. everything can downscale.

[teebs]

You can take a look at this thread of a 4x2x2.5 tank...

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=7606