First Setup of Tank

[jxlex]

hi nice ppl

Been reading thru this forum for quite awhile and finally decided to dive in and convert my spare tank into a FOWLR tank.

So far i have DIYed my bottom tank into a sump, DIYed an overflow pipe, unfortunately my tank doesn't come with predrilled holes, sort out the inflow and return flow rates, added salt n activated charcoal yesterday. Wondering what else have i missed out before i can start putting in live rocks.

some basic specs-

4x2x2 top tank with 4x1.5x1.5 sump. located outside my house (sheltered ).

Also would appreciate if experts could adviced on what else i should consider.

Some misc questions

1) protein skimmer - an absolute must? if my sump i intend to stock with live rocks and created a refugium to promote good algae growth will it be ample? i was reading somewhere that skimmers skims out both good and bad stuff.

2) chaetos - if i add them into the refugium is it appropriate? where can i obtain them and when is it ok to start putting them in?

3) live rocks - do i need to turn on lights for them when they are in the sump during and after cycling? use mainly for biological filtration (i hope). Where can i obtain some good quality and cheap ones

4) test kits - any good brand to recommend?

5) chiller - i have observed a 31.4C temp in the afternoons, is it still ok for FOWLR setup?

6) after adding salt, water seems a little murky, is it normal? will it clear out?

thanks all for your kind advice

[comycus]

Welcome to the community!

1. Someone once told me the skimmer is like the heart of the tank when I first started out on my tank. I find this quite true. A skimmer helps break down some organic compounds before they start decomposing and go through the ANN cycle. Although you are keeping a fowlr and it's relatively ok to have higher nitrates, I still strongly advice you to get a skimmer. fowlr = normally more fishes = more feeding/more poop = high nitrates. If on budget, can always get good quality 2nd hand skimmers going at bargain prices at our pasar malam section.

2. Cheato can be bought/given by reefers or our LFS. Yes you can run them in your refugium now. I have seen many ppl adding cheato at the start of cycling w/o any dying off due to the ammonia spike.

3. Lights are mainly run for cheato growth. Live rocks do not require light for bacteria to populate it. In fact when you visit LFS, you will notice their LR are all hidden at the bottom level w/o light. The cheapest LR are usually found from bros decomming their tanks here. Otherwise can try Reborn. CF rocks are typically one of the best quality and most expensive.

4. I use Salifert.

5. Sg still has not hit the super hot season yet! Maybe let the fowlr bros comment on this. I'm inclined to still run a chiller to cool the tank in case it goes above 31 degrees. 31 degrees is like the max for fowlrs if I'm not wrong. And if you start keeping deepwater fishes, definitely need to go below 29. The key here is not how high or how low you can go but how stable a temperature you can provide for your fishes. You can use fans to cool the tank if really on budget, but you would have to top up alot of water everyday, and it's not effective to cool a 4ft tank.

6. murky? as in chalky? what salt do you use? quite normal, but it should settle down overnight. try to run a pump in to aerate the salt mix. There shouldn't be any residue left if you use the better quality salt.

[CFOh]

hi nice ppl

Been reading thru this forum for quite awhile and finally decided to dive in and convert my spare tank into a FOWLR tank.

So far i have DIYed my bottom tank into a sump, DIYed an overflow pipe, unfortunately my tank doesn't come with predrilled holes, sort out the inflow and return flow rates, added salt n activated charcoal yesterday. Wondering what else have i missed out before i can start putting in live rocks.

some basic specs-

4x2x2 top tank with 4x1.5x1.5 sump. located outside my house (sheltered ).

Also would appreciate if experts could adviced on what else i should consider.

Some misc questions

1) protein skimmer - an absolute must? if my sump i intend to stock with live rocks and created a refugium to promote good algae growth will it be ample? i was reading somewhere that skimmers skims out both good and bad stuff.

2) chaetos - if i add them into the refugium is it appropriate? where can i obtain them and when is it ok to start putting them in?

3) live rocks - do i need to turn on lights for them when they are in the sump during and after cycling? use mainly for biological filtration (i hope). Where can i obtain some good quality and cheap ones

4) test kits - any good brand to recommend?

5) chiller - i have observed a 31.4C temp in the afternoons, is it still ok for FOWLR setup?

6) after adding salt, water seems a little murky, is it normal? will it clear out?

thanks all for your kind advice

1) protein skimmer - an absolute must? if my sump i intend to stock with live rocks and created a refugium to promote good algae growth will it be ample? i was reading somewhere that skimmers skims out both good and bad stuff.

Skimmer is pro's more than con's.. its provide more dissolved oxygen, helps some level of ORP and most importantly extract DOC..

2) chaetos - if i add them into the refugium is it appropriate? where can i obtain them and when is it ok to start putting them in?

Chaetos helps add on to nutrient export.. Not hurry since you r still in tank cycle mode...You can get them from Iwarna or some Bro reefers here give them free when harvest...

3) live rocks - do i need to turn on lights for them when they are in the sump during and after cycling? use mainly for biological filtration (i hope). Where can i obtain some good quality and cheap ones

Ya, by theory, we should follow normal natural light cycle to keep the life cycle kick in our tank.....

I suggest MarineLife or CoralFarm for the Live Rocks

4) test kits - any good brand to recommend?

I recommend "Salifert" or "PinPoint"

5) chiller - i have observed a 31.4C temp in the afternoons, is it still ok for FOWLR setup?

31.4C is at high site even fishes only tank... better keep between 28C range.. more comfortable to them... Just my opinion..

6) after adding salt, water seems a little murky, is it normal? will it clear out?

Yes, is normal.. it will clear out after all salt residual settle and fused....we shouldn't add salt directly in our tank... what we should do is premix them and makesure correct SG (best keep a while) before add them in tank...

Cheers and Happy Reefing.....

[jxlex]

Welcome to the community!

1. Someone once told me the skimmer is like the heart of the tank when I first started out on my tank. I find this quite true. A skimmer helps break down some organic compounds before they start decomposing and go through the ANN cycle. Although you are keeping a fowlr and it's relatively ok to have higher nitrates, I still strongly advice you to get a skimmer. fowlr = normally more fishes = more feeding/more poop = high nitrates. If on budget, can always get good quality 2nd hand skimmers going at bargain prices at our pasar malam section.

2. Cheato can be bought/given by reefers or our LFS. Yes you can run them in your refugium now. I have seen many ppl adding cheato at the start of cycling w/o any dying off due to the ammonia spike.

3. Lights are mainly run for cheato growth. Live rocks do not require light for bacteria to populate it. In fact when you visit LFS, you will notice their LR are all hidden at the bottom level w/o light. The cheapest LR are usually found from bros decomming their tanks here. Otherwise can try Reborn. CF rocks are typically one of the best quality and most expensive.

4. I use Salifert.

5. Sg still has not hit the super hot season yet! Maybe let the fowlr bros comment on this. I'm inclined to still run a chiller to cool the tank in case it goes above 31 degrees. 31 degrees is like the max for fowlrs if I'm not wrong. And if you start keeping deepwater fishes, definitely need to go below 29. The key here is not how high or how low you can go but how stable a temperature you can provide for your fishes. You can use fans to cool the tank if really on budget, but you would have to top up alot of water everyday, and it's not effective to cool a 4ft tank.

6. murky? as in chalky? what salt do you use? quite normal, but it should settle down overnight. try to run a pump in to aerate the salt mix. There shouldn't be any residue left if you use the better quality salt.

1.Noted on the skimmer, will probably get one my only problem is i am using an old tank and i am also concern the gap between my sump and my stand might be a little tight for a skimmer of appropriate specs for my setup. can i replicate the same effect with a few smaller (in terms of size) skimmers?

2. thanks! where best can i get it at? any bros here selling them?

3. Thanks. I will scout around for a suitable light for the refugium them

4. great! thanks again.

5. ok... sigh shall wait then.... its more of a space constrain issue.... i wonder if i get a chiller, where can i place it man... hahhaa...

6. yup its chalky... i using Red Sea Coral Pro Saltmix... seems to be clearing up abit cos i only dosed it yesterday about 3-4pm... is it a sign of excess salt if it doesnt clear up? i havent bought a refratometer yet so using the normal hydrometer but i dun really read it well... the arrow is between the middle of safe zone to higher above the safe zone. The tip of arrow points to 32ppt... should i take a reading later today to confirm?

Thanks so much for your wonderful advice:).

[jxlex]

1) protein skimmer - an absolute must? if my sump i intend to stock with live rocks and created a refugium to promote good algae growth will it be ample? i was reading somewhere that skimmers skims out both good and bad stuff.

Skimmer is pro's more than con's.. its provide more dissolved oxygen, helps some level of ORP and most importantly extract DOC..

2) chaetos - if i add them into the refugium is it appropriate? where can i obtain them and when is it ok to start putting them in?

Chaetos helps add on to nutrient export.. Not hurry since you r still in tank cycle mode...You can get them from Iwarna or some Bro reefers here give them free when harvest...

3) live rocks - do i need to turn on lights for them when they are in the sump during and after cycling? use mainly for biological filtration (i hope). Where can i obtain some good quality and cheap ones

Ya, by theory, we should follow normal natural light cycle to keep the life cycle kick in our tank.....

I suggest MarineLife or CoralFarm for the Live Rocks

4) test kits - any good brand to recommend?

I recommend "Salifert" or "PinPoint"

5) chiller - i have observed a 31.4C temp in the afternoons, is it still ok for FOWLR setup?

31.4C is at high site even fishes only tank... better keep between 28C range.. more comfortable to them... Just my opinion..

6) after adding salt, water seems a little murky, is it normal? will it clear out?

Yes, is normal.. it will clear out after all salt residual settle and fused....we shouldn't add salt directly in our tank... what we should do is premix them and makesure correct SG (best keep a while) before add them in tank...

Cheers and Happy Reefing.....

Thanks bro for your advice. Will probably visit on of the LFS later today if i can squeeze some time out of work ;P...

on the salt part, noob here not familiar.... but wouldnt it be quite tough to premix for a tank of this size?

[Terryz_]

hi nice ppl

Been reading thru this forum for quite awhile and finally decided to dive in and convert my spare tank into a FOWLR tank.

So far i have DIYed my bottom tank into a sump, DIYed an overflow pipe, unfortunately my tank doesn't come with predrilled holes, sort out the inflow and return flow rates, added salt n activated charcoal yesterday. Wondering what else have i missed out before i can start putting in live rocks.

some basic specs-

4x2x2 top tank with 4x1.5x1.5 sump. located outside my house (sheltered ).

Also would appreciate if experts could adviced on what else i should consider.

Some misc questions

1) protein skimmer - an absolute must? if my sump i intend to stock with live rocks and created a refugium to promote good algae growth will it be ample? i was reading somewhere that skimmers skims out both good and bad stuff.

Yes, Protein skimming removes organic compounds which will accumulate overtime... This can be reduce by frequent water change too.. Algae will only remove P04 not organic compound(IMO)

2) chaetos - if i add them into the refugium is it appropriate? where can i obtain them and when is it ok to start putting them in?

Yes, you can put them in the refugium, It can serve as a place to cultivate your pods and remember to give it ample lighting. It help with nutrients export such as P04.

3) live rocks - do i need to turn on lights for them when they are in the sump during and after cycling? use mainly for biological filtration (i hope). Where can i obtain some good quality and cheap ones

I normally dun turn on my lights when I am doing cycling... Maybe a few hours of blue light... What do you mean by mainly for biological filter... Good quality doesnt come cheap.. LOL.. But reasonable ones will be RB and Ah Beng... High end ones you can try CF and ML..

4) test kits - any good brand to recommend?

For FOWLR, there is nothing much to test other than P04 and N03...

You can try go for API testkit set if you are on budget..

If not the best recommendation is Salifert...

5) chiller - i have observed a 31.4C temp in the afternoons, is it still ok for FOWLR setup?

31.4C is too high for me, I would try to get at least below 30C if not using chiller...

6) after adding salt, water seems a little murky, is it normal? will it clear out?

It will clear up after 1-2 days...

thanks all for your kind advice

[comycus]

1.Noted on the skimmer, will probably get one my only problem is i am using an old tank and i am also concern the gap between my sump and my stand might be a little tight for a skimmer of appropriate specs for my setup. can i replicate the same effect with a few smaller (in terms of size) skimmers?

2. thanks! where best can i get it at? any bros here selling them?

3. Thanks. I will scout around for a suitable light for the refugium them

4. great! thanks again.

5. ok... sigh shall wait then.... its more of a space constrain issue.... i wonder if i get a chiller, where can i place it man... hahhaa...

6. yup its chalky... i using Red Sea Coral Pro Saltmix... seems to be clearing up abit cos i only dosed it yesterday about 3-4pm... is it a sign of excess salt if it doesnt clear up? i havent bought a refratometer yet so using the normal hydrometer but i dun really read it well... the arrow is between the middle of safe zone to higher above the safe zone. The tip of arrow points to 32ppt... should i take a reading later today to confirm?

Thanks so much for your wonderful advice:).

Forgot to ask you, how thick is your tank?

If space is tight, don't put LR in sump, use maybe biohome or something similar that helps to save space but still provides for bio filtration. Can buy from more major LFS.

The hydrometer reading might go up abit when the salt dissolves completely.

[jxlex]

Forgot to ask you, how thick is your tank?

If space is tight, don't put LR in sump, use maybe biohome or something similar that helps to save space but still provides for bio filtration. Can buy from more major LFS.

The hydrometer reading might go up abit when the salt dissolves completely.

my main tank is about 15mm thick and my sump about 10mm....

does it affect?

thanks

[comycus]

Wow v. thick tank!

Just wondering coz you mention you converted one of your spare tanks into fowlr. Most ppl convert from FW to SW and their FW tanks are quite thin, not so suitable to hold the additional weight of salt and rocks. But yours is perfect

Be patient in cycling! Is this a strictly fowlr tank or you would convert it to a reef tank in future?

[raydiative]

Thanks bro for your advice. Will probably visit on of the LFS later today if i can squeeze some time out of work ;P...

on the salt part, noob here not familiar.... but wouldnt it be quite tough to premix for a tank of this size?

Wow! All the bros here have already gave you very detailed information..

Yes it would be tough to do saltmix for a tank your size... some people will get the huge distilled water (meant for office dispenser usage) for their salt mix.. the rest would rather go for NSW... the choice is yours...

IMHO, if you can afford the back breaking experience.. i would vote for salt mix.. (personal preference)

Patience is key to starting up a reef tank... also a word of advise is to get proper and suitable equipments first so you wun have the need to "upgrade" them the next time..

HTH

Cheers,

Ray

[jxlex]

Wow v. thick tank!

Just wondering coz you mention you converted one of your spare tanks into fowlr. Most ppl convert from FW to SW and their FW tanks are quite thin, not so suitable to hold the additional weight of salt and rocks. But yours is perfect

Be patient in cycling! Is this a strictly fowlr tank or you would convert it to a reef tank in future?

Hahaha.... whats the minimum thickness for salt water actually? im more concern about the sump... the main tank i quite ok...

[jxlex]

Wow! All the bros here have already gave you very detailed information..

Yes it would be tough to do saltmix for a tank your size... some people will get the huge distilled water (meant for office dispenser usage) for their salt mix.. the rest would rather go for NSW... the choice is yours...

IMHO, if you can afford the back breaking experience.. i would vote for salt mix.. (personal preference)

Patience is key to starting up a reef tank... also a word of advise is to get proper and suitable equipments first so you wun have the need to "upgrade" them the next time..

HTH

Cheers,

Ray

I think i will do salt mix for my regular water change and maybe NSW once every month or so for massive (20-30%) water change. 10% water change about 60litres (main + sump) i think can still manage la... buy a very big pail lor... ahahahaha

looking for a skimmer, chaeto & live rocks now and possibility if i can make space a chiller to "upgrade" the tank. low budget setup

[raydiative]

I think i will do salt mix for my regular water change and maybe NSW once every month or so for massive (20-30%) water change. 10% water change about 60litres (main + sump) i think can still manage la... buy a very big pail lor... ahahahaha

looking for a skimmer, chaeto & live rocks now and possibility if i can make space a chiller to "upgrade" the tank. low budget setup

get a better skimmer.. seriously.. IMHO is that its always better to over skim then under.. =]

[albinosage]

All the reefers above have already answered comprehensively lol. I can only add my opinion that Red Sea salt is not the most ideal salt mix, it is almost impossible to get it dissolved completely. You can go for slightly pricier ones like Tropic Marine or Marine Environment which dissolve easily without residue.

(Ignore this, just finding an excuse to use the cute new emoticon hahaha)

[CFOh]

Hahaha.... whats the minimum thickness for salt water actually? im more concern about the sump... the main tank i quite ok...

Pls find below, a good site for us to calculate tank glass thickness requirement:

http://www.theaquatools.com/building-your-aquarium

For your case 4x2x2 suggested 10mm thickness is good enough... anyway, thicker even better... just FYI,

Cheers and Happy Reefing...

[CFOh]

Thanks bro for your advice. Will probably visit on of the LFS later today if i can squeeze some time out of work ;P...

on the salt part, noob here not familiar.... but wouldnt it be quite tough to premix for a tank of this size?

Suggested let your salts fully resolved first before further adding .. For 1st round should be ok, since your tank r empty.. But WC or weekly maintenance.. we should not add salt direct in tank.. Premix is a must for salt..... Cheers...

[jxlex]

get a better skimmer.. seriously.. IMHO is that its always better to over skim then under.. =]

Yes bro. Will scout around for one.... only headache i have is whether it will squeeze into the small gap between my lower sump tank and stand... i guessitamate it to be about 15-18cm space for me to squeeze only... wonder if i can use a few small skimmers rather then 1 big skimmer... will it work the same way?

[jxlex]

All the reefers above have already answered comprehensively lol. I can only add my opinion that Red Sea salt is not the most ideal salt mix, it is almost impossible to get it dissolved completely. You can go for slightly pricier ones like Tropic Marine or Marine Environment which dissolve easily without residue.

After yesterday i realise that... anyway i finished the whole bucket so next time will get a better one.... thanks bro

[jxlex]

Pls find below, a good site for us to calculate tank glass thickness requirement:

http://www.theaquatools.com/building-your-aquarium

For your case 4x2x2 suggested 10mm thickness is good enough... anyway, thicker even better... just FYI,

Cheers and Happy Reefing...

Thanks man!

[jxlex]

Suggested let your salts fully resolved first before further adding .. For 1st round should be ok, since your tank r empty.. But WC or weekly maintenance.. we should not add salt direct in tank.. Premix is a must for salt..... Cheers...

Totally noted bro... will keep that in mind next time... noob

[jackywongto]

h jxlex,

Just wanna give you a BIG welcome to SRC

cheers!

Jacky

[jxlex]

h jxlex,

Just wanna give you a BIG welcome to SRC

cheers!

Jacky

Thanks bro... alot to learn from all the experts here

[raydiative]

Yes bro. Will scout around for one.... only headache i have is whether it will squeeze into the small gap between my lower sump tank and stand... i guessitamate it to be about 15-18cm space for me to squeeze only... wonder if i can use a few small skimmers rather then 1 big skimmer... will it work the same way?

eh... depends on the efficiency of the small skimmers.. there are some who run 2 skimmers for their tank but IMHO 1 good suitable skimmer should be enough...

(anyway becareful of jacky.. he wanted to use instead of )

[jxlex]

eh... depends on the efficiency of the small skimmers.. there are some who run 2 skimmers for their tank but IMHO 1 good suitable skimmer should be enough...

(anyway becareful of jacky.. he wanted to use instead of )

Ahahahaa.... i prefer the beers.... LOL

anyway, the reason i looking for 2 small rather then 1 big is because i foresee a problem squeezing the skimmer into the gap between my tank n stand.... sometimes tight doesnt mean good.... it pains me just thinking of how to put it in....

[raydiative]

sometimes tight doesnt mean good.... it pains me just thinking of how to put it in....

hahaha.... my goodness.. you've caught up with our nonsense so fast!! siao liao..

why dun you take a measurement of the space you have and approach the LFS to see it they have a suitable skimmer??

alternatively you may like to consider HOB skimmers.. Deltec HOB skimmers are getting very good reviews!