Advice for saltwater please!

[NjOyRiD]

guys! I just bought a 55 gallon, brand new! i love it, I'll have pictures soon! I wanna build a Hawain Coral Reef! I wanna take my time, learn as more as i can and do the best job! If you have an advice for me..its time thanx everyone!

[NjOyRiD]

Pics:

[dandaman]

Great!
But your heater is under water?!?!?!?

[NjOyRiD]

yeah this one you can..dont know why..but you can

[DARKPHREAK]

You better read alot before buying everything. You'll need 50-60 pounds of liverock @ 8-10$/pound and around 4 inchs of Aragonite, 80-100 pounds. Trash that filter, use a skimmer and get way better lighting. Take you time... or it will be a costly salt dip for grandma's feet.  

[NjOyRiD]

You better read alot before buying everything. You'll need 50-60 pounds of liverock @ 8-10$/pound and around 4 inchs of Aragonite, 80-100 pounds. Trash that filter, use a skimmer and get way better lighting. Take you time... or it will be a costly salt dip for grandma's feet.  

money aint a prob...i just wanna take my time...lighting, do i change only the bulbs or the hole light? how powerful the light shiould be? what can i get as a filter? I've read couple sites..interesting! thanx for your help

[dandaman]

If you are going to sell the un needed filter, let me know and let me know your price!
Are you going to?
thanks

[DARKPHREAK]

You'd need atleast 4x40 watt NO tubes to keep basic corals and fish. Aim for something in the 4-5 WPG range. You dont need a filter, the liverock takes care of that. You'll need alot of flow so get some maxijet 1200 powerheads, 3 should do it. As with anyone having questions about starting a salt tank I'll suggest heading over to this site... http://aquariacanada.com Local people and theres tons of posts to go through.

[NjOyRiD]

you anwsered my qyestions, thanx bud!

[gator]

If I were you, I'd keep the filter for water movement and to run carbon in from time to time, also, get some power heads (2 or 3), you want to turn over all the water in a reef tank at least 10 times per hour, some people go for as much as 20 times per hour.  For a 55 gallon, you need to move 550 gallons per hour so 2 power heads in the 250 gph range would do when supplemented with your skimmer movement and that filter if you keep it.   If money is no object, you should buy a combination light with two metal halide lights  (175 watts) and two actinic flourescent tubes.

[NjOyRiD]

if i go like, marine, but no reef..can i do that? couple corals and thats it? do i need all this lights?

[gator]

Well, if your going fish only with live rock, or you are very careful to buy corals which can survive very low lighting, you should be ok.  But the more lighting you have, the more flexible your tank can be, and the healthier your corals will be.   Many corals provide food for themselves two ways: symbiotic microorganisms which require strong lighting for photosynthesis, and direct filter feeding.   If you have a coral which can sustain itself both ways, with lower lighting you will have to feed it directly more often, and the brilliant colours will not be as pronounced.   You can always upgrade your lighting system later.

[NjOyRiD]

bud, thanx man! thats good news

[DARKPHREAK]

But those dinky lights that are on the tank in the pic just wont do. Minimum 4x40 watts is what you need, least thats what the saltwater experts say.

[NjOyRiD]

yeah, i wont take that tank for saltwater, I'll buy a tank and lights a rona or something like that thanx man