Would love to start a brand new reef tank and need help

[Dwaynie]

Hi There everyone

I want to start a reef tank and need some advice, I want to start it right from the beginning so can I get some advice on the size of the tank please? I have lots of space and I don't want anything too small, lets say about 7 feet? is that good or too small or too big?

 

[jkef2010]

To be honest with you the size all depends on what you want In it. The larger the tank the more stability you will have. The bigger you go the more you can keep as well as the more equipment you will need. But, as I said it all boils down to what you want in it.

 

[goma]

Welcome to RS!! Here's some good reading to get you started.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/fish-diseases-treatments/29836-mature-aquarium.html

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...something-cycling-breaking-new-reef-tank.html

 

[DianaKay]

Hi Dwaynie
:welcomera WELCOME to Reef Sanctuary
I suggest that you consider how much TIME & MONEY you have to spend on the saltwater hobby before you buy a 7 foot tank. This hobby is expensive and doing it right is VERY TIME CONSUMING.
How much experience have you had keeping saltwater fish?
Glad you are here, there are lots of nice members will to you along the way.
Very BEST WISHES....:biker

 

[Dwaynie]

Thank you for the warmest welcome I appreciate it sooo much, I have had very big freshwater tanks more than 1000 liters and I did very well with them, this will be my first tank and I do love exotic fish like sting ray or puffer fish etc, I would also start with reef tank but not live at first, but when all is thriving id like to slowly replace with live coral, money is not a problem I do have some saved up just for this, also I read that a refugium filtration system is the best?

 

[Mike Johnson]

Welcome to the family at Reef Sanctuary. The bigger the tank the more the equipment and maintenance costs. Also the bigger the tank the more stable it is. There are also logistical considerations for big tanks. Getting them in your house in a place that can support the weight, is one. A 6'x2'x2', 180 gal. tank is a manageable size. Marineland makes a 300 DD which is a nice tank I'd like to have some day. Here's a chart of the Marineland Deep Dimension tanks so you get an idea of size and weight.
http://www.marineland.com/products/...anks/deep-dimension-corner-flo-aquariums.aspx

You'll have to click on the charts and dimensions, I can't seem to copy it.

 

[reefer gladness]

Cost aside, the important issues to consider in the planning stage are what you want to keep in your reef tank and planning the maintenance. Larger is certainly better for stability as mentioned above

A large tank doesn't have to be more time consuming though but it depends on how much you're willing to spend. Convenience comes at a cost. The major logistic challenge with a large tank are the water changes. With a 56g tank I can get away with mixing fresh saltwater in a 5g mixing bucket but if you scale that up to a 240-300+ gallon tank the buckets just aren't feasible anymore. A tank that size you really want to look at setting up a water-change station close to the tank.

The rest of the filtration system would be better decided after you determine what you want to keep. Refugiums are good natural nitrate reduction and providing a habitat for amphipods and copepods to reproduce. The protein skimmer is the workhorse most of us rely on with the refugium being optional. Filter socks have tradeoffs - good for trapping large chunks of detritus from messy eaters for example but also traps the beneficial amphipods and copepods and they need to be cleaned every few days.

If the budget allows you may even consider something like the Dialyseas system for water changes. Not cheap but that's the direction I'm looking at for my eventual 'big tank' build after I relocate.

Also consider heating/cooling the tank. Chillers are a pain to run so if you are able to control ambient room temp that's the way to go IMO.

 

[DaveK]

It looks like you are ultimately planning a large tank. That's fine. Large tanks can look fantastic.

I agree with the others here about figuring out what you want to keep and then letting that drive the equipment selection. This is ideal.

However, this is also your first attempt at SW. I suggest you first do a pilot project and set up a modest size tank in the 30 gal to 60 gal range. That size tank is a lot easier to handle, and far less expensive. if you have a major problem and need to start over it's easy. It will also be a learning experience. You'll find you do many things that you wish you did differently. For example, it's a lot easier to solve an algae problem in a small tank, or make a 100% water change.

Once you get some experience, you'll know exactly what you want to do for a larger tank. Your going to find that things are done a lot differently in a SW tank, compared to a FW one.

This initial tank is not going to be a loss with the new larger tank. You'll likely want a refugium or a quarantine tank.

 

[DaveK]

...
If the budget allows you may even consider something like the Dialyseas system for water changes. Not cheap but that's the direction I'm looking at for my eventual 'big tank' build after I relocate. ...

Does anyone actually use a Dialyseas system?
Anyone ever see one in operation for an extended period of time?

The companies web site has been up for years, and it is an interesting idea. However the system is extremely expensive. Doing the "5 minute, all inclusive, in depth evaluation", in other words, a quick search on the net, I found one in depth review and a few other systems mentioned here and there. We even have a thread here - http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums...4-seavisions-dialyseas-cads-have-arrived.html , but it's about 9 years old now.

I'd tend to think if the system was all that good there would be a much larger user base.