Considering changing to saltwater

[Ormarr]

Good afternoon OVAS,

      I'm afraid I recently started to look at saltwater setups and I have to admit I'm quite taken by them.  In order for me to even consider changing from fresh to salt, I have a few questions for you expert "salties".

- If I use a 75g tank, how much lighting would be enough for a FOWLR tank? A reef tank? 
- I currently have a 4x55W CF ballast kit with some 6700k bulbs.  Could I simply replace the bulbs with some 10000k and actinite bulbs for my SW setup?
- Do you recommend I go for a thin sand bed or a deep one?
- How much movement (in gph) would suffice in a 75g if I go with a FOWLR setup?  A reef?
- What other equipment would I need?  Protein skimmer?  Calcium Reactor?
- Is it possible to setup a sump without a drilled tank?

- Considering I already have the tank, stand, heater and lighting (if I can re-use it), how much can I expect to pay to have a 75g SW setup (with live rock and substrate only for now, I'll count livestock and corals later)?

- Anything else I consider?  I know there are many great sites with this information and I have been reading through them, but I was hoping to get an answer for my particular situation if possible.

As always, your help and wisdom is always appreciated.

Ormarr (Luc)

[sniggir]

Hey Luc

the difference between FOLR and reef are $$$... you do have anough lighting to do a softy tank... if I was you I would take some time to look at what you like. there are some realy beutiful FOLR systems but if you are interested in corals.. you need to find out what kind you wish to keep...

- If I use a 75g tank, how much lighting would be enough for a FOWLR tank? A reef tank?  if you go FOLR you don't need light...or atleast strong light
- I currently have a 4x55W CF ballast kit with some 6700k bulbs.  Could I simply replace the bulbs with some 10000k and actinite bulbs for my SW setup? for a a softy tank would be fine.
- Do you recommend I go for a thin sand bed or a deep one? I  have to say remote deep sand bed... and then like 2 inches in your tank.
- How much movement (in gph) would suffice in a 75g if I go with a FOWLR setup?  A reef? all depends on what you want to keep..
- What other equipment would I need?  Protein skimmer?  Calcium Reactor? I would get a skimmer regardless of FOLR or reef... they are great at keeping your water pristene
- Is it possible to setup a sump without a drilled tank? yes you can use HOB overflows... but I wouldn't and they are $$ for the good ones. even the cheap one if you do go this route remember to get 2.

take a look on reef central there is a great section on starting a reef system.

as for LR pending on what you plan on doing you are looking at .5-2 lbs per gal.

[kennyman]

For flow Id suggest at least two 800-1100 gph powerheads (i like the Seio's) You can get a wavemaker for them on a package deal from J&L aquatics. The wavemaker gets the water rocking back and forth in the tank to help reduce deadspots but its not necessary.

My tank has PC light. You should be able to keep everything i do with your existing light.

[Ormarr]

Hey Luc

the difference between FOLR and reef are $$$... you do have anough lighting to do a softy tank... if I was you I would take some time to look at what you like. there are some realy beutiful FOLR systems but if you are interested in corals.. you need to find out what kind you wish to keep...

- If I use a 75g tank, how much lighting would be enough for a FOWLR tank? A reef tank?  if you go FOLR you don't need light...or atleast strong light
- I currently have a 4x55W CF ballast kit with some 6700k bulbs.  Could I simply replace the bulbs with some 10000k and actinite bulbs for my SW setup? for a a softy tank would be fine.

- Do you recommend I go for a thin sand bed or a deep one? I  have to say remote deep sand bed... and then like 2 inches in your tank.

Remote deep sand bed?  What would that be?

- How much movement (in gph) would suffice in a 75g if I go with a FOWLR setup?  A reef? all depends on what you want to keep..
- What other equipment would I need?  Protein skimmer?  Calcium Reactor? I would get a skimmer regardless of FOLR or reef... they are great at keeping your water pristene

Any brand of skimmer I should stick with?

- Is it possible to setup a sump without a drilled tank? yes you can use HOB overflows... but I wouldn't and they are $$ for the good ones. even the cheap one if you do go this route remember to get 2.

take a look on reef central there is a great section on starting a reef system.

as for LR pending on what you plan on doing you are looking at .5-2 lbs per gal.

Do you recommend a specific kind of LV and how much can I expect to pay for say 75lbs of LV?

[RossW]

Remote Deep Sand Bed thread... you asked for it!  It is only 40 pages or so.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=595109&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

[Ormarr]

Remote Deep Sand Bed thread... you asked for it!  It is only 40 pages or so.

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=595109&perpage=25&pagenumber=1

Have any OVAS members successfully implemented this?

[xenon]

Have any OVAS members successfully implemented this?

Yes, I have an RDSB and its working out perfectly!   

[redbelly]

For skimmers, if you do it right the first time you will do it once. If not you will do it twice and it will cost you more in the long run. If you are looking to save money upon start up then a used skimmer like a coralife is ok... but i would recomend upgrading when you can. Tunze and Octopus both make good skimmers at a reasonable price.

[sniggir]

LR will cost you from 3-13$ a lbs pending on who you get it off of.. but it is the back ground of your system... or rather your Biologic filter for your tank..

[Ormarr]

For skimmers, if you do it right the first time you will do it once. If not you will do it twice and it will cost you more in the long run. If you are looking to save money upon start up then a used skimmer like a coralife is ok... but i would recomend upgrading when you can. Tunze and Octopus both make good skimmers at a reasonable price.

I'm ready to spend the necessary money to build a nice and reliable SW setup.  Where do most of you SW folks buy your equipment/merchandise usually?

[kennyman]

I'm ready to spend the necessary money to build a nice and reliable SW setup.  Where do most of you SW folks buy your equipment/merchandise usually?

The very bottom forum on this site called Forum Sponsors if full of local Hobbyists turned entrepreneurs who bring in equipment below the price of retail stores

[Ormarr]

What is the substrate of choice for say, a reef tank (softies for now) with the typical beginner SW fish (my fiancee will never let me get a SW without Nemo...and quite possibly a blue tang at the very least).

Sand? Aragonite?

[sniggir]

get the sea floor grade argonite. here is a guide line for tangs http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=739380... again just a guide line but if she has her hart set on tangs... well just check out my other thread.. I don't want to drag that into here..

[Ormarr]

Nothing is set in stone yet.  If I do go SW, it would be a 75g for now, so I would get one of the smaller tangs then.

[xenon]

Thats definately the way to do it.

Figure out the type of fish/corals you pla to keep and then buy you're equipment.

[Ormarr]

What is the difference between LV and the different regions they are from?  Is the Indonesian LV better than the Fiji LV?  It's certainly more expensive from what I saw.

What is the preferred water for reef setups?  Tap but treated (with what though?) or should I get a RO/DI system if I have a 75g tank.

What is the average frequency of water changes in a well established reef tank?

Thanks!

[sniggir]

again it all depends on your set up I prefer using RO water... but some use Tap.. treated and bubbled... the different types of LR have more to do with what you like.. the different regions have different shapes some are more soght after than other because people like the look of it.

[xenon]

If you want to save yourself a headache (algae problems) get yourself an ro/di system. Been there done that and I will never use tap again!

If you have enough sand and live rock for the total system volume you should only have to do 10% water changes per week. Water changes are meant to replenish trace elements in a reef. Many people do water changes to reduce nitrates but again if you have enough biological filtration this should not be a problem.

[Ormarr]

Is it possible to purchase RO/DI water?  if so, how much can I expect to pay?

[kennyman]

What is the difference between LV and the different regions they are from?  Is the Indonesian LV better than the Fiji LV?  It's certainly more expensive from what I saw.

LR from Indonesia has a better range of potential life forms than rock from the Caribean as a direct result of the larger natural diversity occurring in those regions. But a lot of people are curing the rock to a point it makes little difference these days. I have noticed some of the Caribbean stuff is coral skeletons opposed to the indo stuff being an aggregates of corals and shells held together by accumulations of calcium based algae. Like mentined before it looks different.
If you were at Anthony Calfo's presentation you heard him encourage us to use the kind of rock associated with the biotype of tank we were setting us. Or to use manufactured rock like Redbelly is making  

What is the preferred water for reef setups?  Tap but treated (with what though?) or should I get a RO/DI system if I have a 75g tank.

My well is really good and I am lucky to get a lot of extra calcium and magnesium without any nuisance algae from excess phosphate and such. But thats like 1 in a million longshot. I just happend to get lucky with it and I bet if I were to setup and RO/DI unit is could increase calcification. But I don't use one because of having to divert of waste water and running my jet-pump that much more. The only way you will really know if you can get by with your well is to try it  

What is the average frequency of water changes in a well established reef tank?

Thanks!

My reef is between two and three years old. Its getting pretty established at this point. I do 10% changes between once a week and once every two weeks depending on how things are looking, if I happen to have carbon in, If I frag something  . . . .