New marine tank setup

[bravobb]

Hi guys, i know the marine links gives alot of information but it really is ALOT to read.
I have kept marine tank on a 2 feet tank before with corals, live rocks and fishes.
When the corals die, it was a disaster for me... and deter me from marine tank since then.

I have decided to go for only live rocks and fishes and my friend told me i do not need to change water and no filter wool require. No chiller and protein skimmer require also... Only need to top up water and maintain the salt level. Is that all true ??

Also, what kind of filtration can be used ? sump ? IOS ? OHF ? Canister ? Which one cannot be used ?

Can anyone give me a headstart ? Can help me by sharing your experiences ?
Thank you.

[David Moses Heng]

HI. I know nuts about marine stuff but I believe that it will worth every effort to read up on the links. From what I understand, the marine scene is always changing in terms of technology. What works for A may not work for B. So may I encourage you to not only ask for advice but also read up on your own? I too am holding back from starting my own marine set up as I am too tied up with all my fresh tanks.

Hope this helps.

[bravobb]

HI. I know nuts about marine stuff but I believe that it will worth every effort to read up on the links. From what I understand, the marine scene is always changing in terms of technology. What works for A may not work for B. So may I encourage you to not only ask for advice but also read up on your own? I too am holding back from starting my own marine set up as I am too tied up with all my fresh tanks.

Hope this helps.

I understand... I will definitely read those links provided... it is alot of efforts in compiling them... Just want some tips from the veteran so that i do not waste money buying the wrong stuff and killing livestock... Thanks for your reply and understanding.

[Dodofish]

it depends on what type of setup you prefer. i used to have a big anamone which moved around every other week and it can be a headache if you have submerged pump filtering the water as sometimes they get stuck and it get very ugly when their 'tenacle' are damaged.

[cdckjn]

I added my comments in between your questions.

Hi guys, i know the marine links gives alot of information but it really is ALOT to read.
I have kept marine tank on a 2 feet tank before with corals, live rocks and fishes.
When the corals die, it was a disaster for me... and deter me from marine tank since then.

Yes, Failure is a bummer. But we can always try again, after more knowledge and better understanding

I have decided to go for only live rocks and fishes and my friend told me i do not need to change water and no filter wool require. No chiller and protein skimmer require also... Only need to top up water and maintain the salt level. Is that all true ??

NO, this is false. Even a simple 2ft tank, with live rocks and 2-3 small fishes, occassional water change is necessary to maintain tank for a longer time. I have ever kept a 2ft tank, no water change, no skimmer, just a hang-on filter and regular water top-up, it will only last 6 weeks before the water parameters totally go haywire. So for the health of your fishes, have a Weipro skimmer at least, have some water change and a simple 2ft light - this means no coral perhaps can have tubeworms, starfish etc and fishes.
For a 2ft tank not more than 4-5 small fishes. There are no space for bigger fishes.

Also, what kind of filtration can be used ? sump ? IOS ? OHF ? Canister ? Which one cannot be used ?

YES, it is better with SUMP. I can strongly recommend a sump, if you have a 2ft, then have another 2ft as a sump. But this would mean overflow and messy piping but this will last longer. Canister helps if you want to cut down on the piping and you will be force to do regular water change to do the upkeeping. OHF is only for very short term when doing basic setups only.

Can anyone give me a headstart ? Can help me by sharing your experiences ?

I hope that this helps!

Thank you.

[Zac]

Hi iam keeping marine for more than 7 years and i am no expert ;p iam still in the learning process of how to give my corals and fishes a better living environment.

IMO it is not difficult at all to have a nice and healthy Marine tank with corals.
However one of the greatest mistake i have made is not reading up on the basic knowledge on marine keeping and jump right into buying Tank, Salt Mix ,Fishes and corals ..... After 1 week of setting up all LS died on me!( my first setup )

Below are some basic on marine keeping that i can share and i hope all other expert can add on and point out any mistakes if any

1) decide on the tank size (larger Volume = more stable parameters) 2ft Cube -3ft would be good for beginners .
however having said that smaller tanks are possible too but require alot more attention on the parameters like -Temp swing -Salinity Swing.
*Ph swing(KH,MG,Ca), Nutrient buildup can be solve by regular water change of 10%-20% weekly(depends)
2) Lighting Decide on what you want to keep, it determine the next area of concern Temperature corals that require high intensity of light will raise issue of temperature control, alot of corals like Zoas and Soft corals and LPS which is very nice and colorful can be kept at 27Deg(can be achieve by using fan depends on your ambient room temp. however if you are only keeping fishes it is much simpler as lower light equals lower heat so maybe just a fan will do the trick.
3) Salinity which brings to the next area of concern Evaporation. more heat = more evaporation = salinity builds up in tank(tank water becomes saltier when fresh water evaporates). can be solve by topping up with FreshWater(RODI,Distilled water) *This is a daily event *lots of people think if you run chiller it will solve this issue but no water will also evaporates but at a slower rate.
4) Wave correct wave for the correct corals ! keeps corals and Fishes happy.
* all pumps added to tank increase the temp load.
Most importantly do change water weekly or bi weekly or monthly depending on the needs of your tank. Heavily loaded with LS change more often. And learn as you are enjoying your hobby to give them a better environment.

In A Nut Shell For those who dont like to read lengthy text.

Temp
Salinity
Lights
WaterChange!

* Disclaimer these are very simple layman information to make understand reefer easier to understand and also deter people from starting a marine tank. but it is important to read up and gain as much knowledge as possible so as to provide proper care for the animals.


Cheers
Zac

[bravobb]

Thanks for the comprehensive explanation.
I am not going for Marine in near future... it just costly for my initial setup.. because i want something that i do not have to do WC often.. only top up..
Also, PUB will increase quite a bit as compared to my freshwater.. that is also one of the reason.
Marine livestock also getting expensive now.. and not easy to find on the West side..... i used to go Pasir Ris... but now too lazy to go that far...

Of course, Marine is always a beauty.... Anyone saw the displays recently at IMM over the last weekend... it is awesome.. but the setup i saw costs 5K... and it is only about 3 feet cube....