Setting up new marine tank

[teebs]

the pump is only for return from sump back to tank. Get a wavemaker. I would choose either Vortech or Tunze.

Correct me if I am wrong but the return pump determines the turnover of water in the tank per hour. The higher the turnover of water, the better it is for the aquarium.

A wavemaker just tries to replicate the ocean currents in the aquarium.

[RockyBoy]

I think TS is already quite firm on getting a 4x2x2 tank and he is going for a SPS setup...

Not recommended for beginner to jump into sps.

Anyway, a standard setup:

4x2x2 tank with sump, thickness 12mm and above

You need a decent skimmer as some bros have suggested such as Deltec or H&S rated at 850liter or above

Return pump, eheim 1264 or 1260x2.

Wavemakers, minimum total 16k liter/hour

Chillers, try to get decent one, such as artica or teco, 1/2hp.

Lightings - 2x250W MH mix with 2 or 4xT5.

A good CR with pH controller.

Good live rocks. Or budget dead rocks and mix with a good live rock as seeds.

Grade 1 or 3 sand, if you want sandbed. Optional DSB at sump using 0 grade sand.

Lighting for sump for algae scrubber or cheato or whatever nutrient exports.

Add some live bacteria to kick start the cycle

Wait for a month or 2 for tank to cycle and add a few hardy fishes. Then 4 mnths on, add sps

[comycus]

Correct me if I am wrong but the return pump determines the turnover of water in the tank per hour. The higher the turnover of water, the better it is for the aquarium.

A wavemaker just tries to replicate the ocean currents in the aquarium.

You can add the return pump towards the turnover rate in the tank, but reefers normally calculate the 10x,20x turnover rate through wavemaker alone. By the time the return pump travels from sump back to tank, the head loss depending on length of pipe and number of elbows would have diminished flow by quite a bit already.

Wavemakers do a better job at turning the water because they have a wider, gentler flow, and many of the newer ones like Vortech are programmable for random flows.

Not necessarily higher turnover = better. SPS require most flow, usually recommended is 20x or more. LPS and softies, no need so much. Also dependent on your fish you intend to keep. Like AT likes strong flow, while clownfish are ok with strong flow in the day, they prefer gentle waves when sleeping.

[teebs]

You can add the return pump towards the turnover rate in the tank, but reefers normally calculate the 10x,20x turnover rate through wavemaker alone. By the time the return pump travels from sump back to tank, the head loss depending on length of pipe and number of elbows would have diminished flow by quite a bit already.

Wavemakers do a better job at turning the water because they have a wider, gentler flow, and many of the newer ones like Vortech are programmable for random flows.

Not necessarily higher turnover = better. SPS require most flow, usually recommended is 20x or more. LPS and softies, no need so much. Also dependent on your fish you intend to keep. Like AT likes strong flow, while clownfish are ok with strong flow in the day, they prefer gentle waves when sleeping.

Vortech is pretty expensive though...

Wonder how much TS is going to spend in total for his SPS tank...

[andylee]

At least a $5k tank, even more.

side-track a question here. for water circulation, do u include return pump flow rate and wavemaker or just return alone?

me have a 350litre main tank, sump abt 100litre. my return 5000litre per hr and one additional seio 620 wavemaker abt 2000litre per hr. enough for keeping LPS only?

see flow not strong leh

[Peihao83]

Not recommended for beginner to jump into sps.

Anyway, a standard setup:

4x2x2 tank with sump, thickness 12mm and above

You need a decent skimmer as some bros have suggested such as Deltec or H&S rated at 850liter or above

Return pump, eheim 1264 or 1260x2.

Wavemakers, minimum total 16k liter/hour

Chillers, try to get decent one, such as artica or teco, 1/2hp.

Lightings - 2x250W MH mix with 2 or 4xT5.

A good CR with pH controller.

Good live rocks. Or budget dead rocks and mix with a good live rock as seeds.

Grade 1 or 3 sand, if you want sandbed. Optional DSB at sump using 0 grade sand.

Lighting for sump for algae scrubber or cheato or whatever nutrient exports.

Add some live bacteria to kick start the cycle

Wait for a month or 2 for tank to cycle and add a few hardy fishes. Then 4 mnths on, add sps

Bro, so the eheim 1264 is suitable for a 4 x 2 x 2 tank + sump? how about for 4 x 2 x 2.5 tank + sump

[Peihao83]

Your flow rate seems to be a bit on the low side. Go for a pump that has at least 6,000L/hr flow rate. According to my calculations your tank, 4x2x2 and sump 2.5x1.5x1.5 (?) will have total water volume of around 600L. My suggestion is to get the OR6500 or the Aquabee 6000.

For a 4x2x2.5 tank, the flow rate of your pump has to be even larger...

bro, how do we determine/calculate what flow rate is suitable for our tank + sump?

[sherman]

Calculate your total water volume including your sump.

Then choose a pump which output is at least 10 times your total water volume .

This is what I do.

I never include the wavemaker capacity .

[Peihao83]

Calculate your total water volume including your sump.

Then choose a pump which output is at least 10 times your total water volume .

This is what I do.

I never include the wavemaker capacity .

Thanks bro for yr advice..

[Peihao83]

Hi, any advise or feedback on aquabee pumps?

which is better? eheim or aquabee?

[teebs]

Hi, any advise or feedback on aquabee pumps?

which is better? eheim or aquabee?

U haven't bought your tank yet?

[sherman]

Go for Eheim or Ocean Runner

[Peihao83]

U haven't bought your tank yet?

Hi bro, going to buy soon lo.. because i buying the pump, chiller and tank together.. so need some feedback lo..

so eheim 1264 aquabee 6000 pump?

The chiller will be artica.. 1/4 or 1/2 is suitable for 4 x 2 x 2?

[teebs]

Hi bro, going to buy soon lo.. because i buying the pump, chiller and tank together.. so need some feedback lo..

so eheim 1264 aquabee 6000 pump?

The chiller will be artica.. 1/4 or 1/2 is suitable for 4 x 2 x 2?

Eheim is only 4500L/hr flowrate. Aquabee 6000 is 6000L/hr flowrate. You could also consider Ocean Runner OR6500 pump.

Chiller wise I would say go for 1/2HP Artica chiller if you have the budget.

[Peihao83]

Eheim is only 4500L/hr flowrate. Aquabee 6000 is 6000L/hr flowrate. You could also consider Ocean Runner OR6500 pump.

Chiller wise I would say go for 1/2HP Artica chiller if you have the budget.

Is ocean runner noisy? so what to choose? aquabee or OR?

[teebs]

Is ocean runner noisy? so what to choose? aquabee or OR?

I would say OR...

People who have used OR say that the OR6500 is quiter than the Ehiem 1264 pump...

[Peihao83]

I would say OR...

People who have used OR say that the OR6500 is quiter than the Ehiem 1264 pump...

Ic.. how much is the OR6500? i hope the tank maker can find one for me.. He will be making the tank, and includes the pump n chiller.

anyway can i use 1/4 hp chiller?

[teebs]

Ic.. how much is the OR6500? i hope the tank maker can find one for me.. He will be making the tank, and includes the pump n chiller.

anyway can i use 1/4 hp chiller?

He is finding the pump & chiller for you? Not sure of the price for the OR6500.

1/4HP chiller may be underpowered for your tank. You can try 1/3 HP chiller instead. Should be ok for your tank size. Like I said if you have budget constraints, go for the China made chillers like Resun or Hailea but do take note, most LFS sell them without warranty or they may just give u 1 week or 1 month warranty. One thing to take note is you cannot connect the return pump directly to the chiller because the output flow rate from the return pump is too high for the chiller to cool the water optimally. You are probably looking at ard 2,500L/hr max flow rate for your chiller.

[Peihao83]

He is finding the pump & chiller for you? Not sure of the price for the OR6500.

1/4HP chiller may be underpowered for your tank. You can try 1/3 HP chiller instead. Should be ok for your tank size. Like I said if you have budget constraints, go for the China made chillers like Resun or Hailea but do take note, most LFS sell them without warranty or they may just give u 1 week or 1 month warranty. One thing to take note is you cannot connect the return pump directly to the chiller because the output flow rate from the return pump is too high for the chiller to cool the water optimally. You are probably looking at ard 2,500L/hr max flow rate for your chiller.

what ever pump n chiller i want, he will find for me and deliver with the tank... if i get a 1/3 artica chiller, can i connect the pump direct to chiller? if my pump is 6000l'hr, my chiller min will be?

[[V]tEc]

IMO if u r going for artica, 1/4 is more than enuff for 4 2 2. for return pump, i will say go for 2 returns, 1 back to main tank, the other feed thur chiller n back to main tank.

[teebs]

what ever pump n chiller i want, he will find for me and deliver with the tank... if i get a 1/3 artica chiller, can i connect the pump direct to chiller? if my pump is 6000l'hr, my chiller min will be?

For the 1/3HP Artica Chiller, the flow rate is between 1800 to 9200 L/hr. However checking the specs, you should be able to use the 1/4HP Artica chiller as it can cool an aquarium of up to 980L. The flow rate for the 1/4HP chiller will be between 1800 to 7200L/hr. Aquamarine price for the 1/4HP Artica chiller is $1,788.

A cheaper chiller will be the Hailea chiller. However, you will probably have to use the 1/2HP model, HC-500A. Flow rate is between 1,800 - 3,000L/hr. Aquamarine price is $688.

If you want to use two pumps, one for return, one to connect to your chiller, then you could consider a pressure rated pump like the Resun MD55 or an Iwaki pump for your return and another pump of flow rate 3,000L/hr (E.g. Eheim 1262 or Eheim Compact 3000 which has adjustable flow rate) to connect to your chiller and then return to your tank. This will actually be a better configuration as you will have a backup in case one of the pump fails when you are not at home.

[sherman]

Is ocean runner noisy? so what to choose? aquabee or OR?

Very quiet and long lasting.I have one unit running for 5 years and another running for 2 years.

So far no problem

[ReDDeviLs]

turnover rates depend solely on water going into the tank and then going through fliter system than go back to the tank.

for now,only return pumps does this. wavemaker do not help water to go through filter systems.

1 of the sticky thread by bawater did mention it.

[ReDDeviLs]

hi peihao,

i suggest you get a professional to help you set up the tank. as a first timer, you will have to go through a lot of pain just to get started on the hobby. at the end, you will probably spend more money lossing lots of livestock and buying either unnecessary or incorrectly sized eqpt. worse still, it will make you so demoralized that you will want to gve up the hobby.

imo gettting a prefessional (lfs) to help setup may end up spending alot more then own mistakes.

not all lfs are as honest and as helpful, got to chose carefully.

[mopiko]

imo gettting a prefessional (lfs) to help setup may end up spending alot more then own mistakes.

not all lfs are as honest and as helpful, got to chose carefully.

LOL. bro reddevils speaks from experience . maybe you can get a good 2nd hand set up unit in pasar malam, this way can plug and play- add live sand, live rocks, water, cycle and you ready to go :0)