need advice on stuff to buy

[thanantosis]

hi.... my new tank is a 2ft cube tank

with a sump tank

need advice on what return pump to buy.....

and skimmer.....and the pump to power it.....

thanks alot.....

thinking of keeping those easy maintain coral...

and advice on lighting too

and low live stock.... thanks alot!!!!

now im slowly collecting info and get everything ready before i set up...

thanks alot!

if possible pls tell me the cost too... thanks amillion

[diabolus]

hi.... my new tank is a 2ft cube tank

with a sump tank

need advice on what return pump to buy.....

a good return pump will be the eheim 1260....

and skimmer.....and the pump to power it.....

buy the best skimmer ur wallet and sump/space allows. a macro needlewheel cost less than $200 and it comes with the pump.

thanks alot.....

thinking of keeping those easy maintain coral...

and advice on lighting too

its always best that you have lights that can support most corals. better than to buy a coral and realise that your lights cannot support it. a 1 x 150w/250w will suffice. or you can go for as many as 8 T5s.

and low live stock.... thanks alot!!!!

[thanantosis]

hi.... my new tank is a 2ft cube tank

with a sump tank

need advice on what return pump to buy.....

a good return pump will be the eheim 1260....

and skimmer.....and the pump to power it.....

buy the best skimmer ur wallet and sump/space allows. a macro needlewheel cost less than $200 and it comes with the pump.

thanks alot.....

thinking of keeping those easy maintain coral...

and advice on lighting too

its always best that you have lights that can support most corals. better than to buy a coral and realise that your lights cannot support it. a 1 x 150w/250w will suffice. or you can go for as many as 8 T5s.

and low live stock.... thanks alot!!!!

thanks for replying!!!

hmmm most of the things u have meantion is abit ex for me.

for eheim 1260..... i think i will get sicce extrema.. to replace it... can?

and the skimmer.... i dont think i will have 200 for it... any think below 100?..

[diabolus]

can get the Rio pump then. its less than $100.

skimmer can get the AS150...also less than $100( i think)

but better than to buy a good one now than to waste money to upgrade later on.This is not a cheap hobby.

[thanantosis]

can get the Rio pump then. its less than $100.

skimmer can get the AS150...also less than $100( i think)

but better than to buy a good one now than to waste money to upgrade later on.This is not a cheap hobby.

thanks for advicing bro... i know is not cheap....

hai i just finish setting up my aro tank.. 5ft... already cost me a bomb plus the arowana....

now i think of saving abit on marine set up.....

i kinew that a skimmer is very very important.....

so cant really save on that right?

[Sailfin123]

Well you can get a cheap skimmer or keep alook out at the sale corner, there are Bros who are letting go theirs due to upgrade.. Quite a steal sometimes...

Thanks

[diabolus]

its best than you get the best skimmer.

actually, you dun have to have a skimmer when you r cycling your tank.

so that gives you a months time to look for a skimmer.

[tineng]

it also depends on how you feed and the type of food you feed....if you only have small clown fish and you feed very little, a skimmer might not even be neccessary....if you are keeping anthis and needs to flood your tank with food then you might need a good skimmer to pull out all the DOC.....

for lights, 8x24w T5 will give you enough power to keep even some SPS without making you feel like having a sun in your house!!! but cost wise, it is still more expensive then MH....

[thanantosis]

thanks

Sailfin123, diabolus and tineng

for those advices!!

is it ok to have 2x 36 watt pl

and 2 x20 t5 tube?...

as mh and 8 x24 t5 is way out of my pocket can tahan....

what is the best skimmer with pump i can find will $100 cap...

hai poor working class here

[Gouldian]

Hi, it depends on what you trying to keep. If you are thinking LPS, SPS or anemone, you will need MH.

If you are thinking of only fishes, then your proposed lighting will suffice.

Under $100 quite difficult leh, the closest is a 2nd hand Prizm hang-on loh.

If not get the Weipro or Macro loh.

[thanantosis]

Hi, it depends on what you trying to keep. If you are thinking LPS, SPS or anemone, you will need MH.

If you are thinking of only fishes, then your proposed lighting will suffice.

Under $100 quite difficult leh, the closest is a 2nd hand Prizm hang-on loh.

If not get the Weipro or Macro loh.

bro can give me the full name of LPS and SPS????

for skimmer...

i think i will get Weipro or Macro lor...

hai cheaper mah.... what to do.....

can i keep some coral that do not need so much light?????

what coral can 2x 36 watt pl plus 2x 20 t5 support?

sorry to ask so many question... hai still learning as much as i could

[boxfish]

if really have $$ issue than hold back on startup and save up first....

what they have advised are the minimum liao.... for a good start...

for lighting, forget about PL and FL

0.2cent

[Gouldian]

SPS = Small Polyp Stony - Generally fast growing but very demanding in terms of husbandry. Try only when you have success keeping LPS

LPS = Large Polyp Stony - Generally easier to maintain although still needs to have some basic parameters satisfied.

If I will you, I will go for a good skimmer first, forget about the lighting, start with Fish Only With Live Rocks (FOWLR).

During the FOWLR time, I will save money for my lighting. I will also be able to slowly learn the dos and don't first before endeavouring into corals.

Cuz once you are into corals, you will have more parameters you need to monitor.

[Gouldian]

Most beginners are advise to start with FOWLR first cuz when you have any disease outbreak, you can still dose medication.

But when you have a mixed reef, you will not be able to dose proven medication but to tear down the whole tank, fish out all fishes for hypo-salinity treatment in another tank and at the same time keep your tank running without fishes for minimum 6 weeks. During this 6 weeks, you will stare helplessly at the macro algae bloom. (Read the thread in Disease and Treatment)

Thus, invest on a good skimmer and start with FOWLR. At the meantime read up as much as you could and save up for the lighting.

[thanantosis]

SPS = Small Polyp Stony - Generally fast growing but very demanding in terms of husbandry. Try only when you have success keeping LPS

LPS = Large Polyp Stony - Generally easier to maintain although still needs to have some basic parameters satisfied.

If I will you, I will go for a good skimmer first, forget about the lighting, start with Fish Only With Live Rocks (FOWLR).

During the FOWLR time, I will save money for my lighting. I will also be able to slowly learn the dos and don't first before endeavouring into corals.

Cuz once you are into corals, you will have more parameters you need to monitor.

Bro...great advice you have there!

I think i'll follow what youve advice. Start with a tank of live rock and fishes. However I not planning to have too much fish also. Maybe about 7 of them only.

I guess for the time being... skimmer is the 1st priority. Can you advise a few skimmer that is suitable for my setup?

Thanks!

[thanantosis]

Most beginners are advise to start with FOWLR first cuz when you have any disease outbreak, you can still dose medication.

But when you have a mixed reef, you will not be able to dose proven medication but to tear down the whole tank, fish out all fishes for hypo-salinity treatment in another tank and at the same time keep your tank running without fishes for minimum 6 weeks. During this 6 weeks, you will stare helplessly at the macro algae bloom. (Read the thread in Disease and Treatment)

Thus, invest on a good skimmer and start with FOWLR. At the meantime read up as much as you could and save up for the lighting.

WOW! Seems like there's a whole of info and knowledge that I've got to learn about. I guess i shld just follow my keeping fresh water experience.

From just fish to planted tanks and later to arowana + planted tank right?

Those advice that you've given really do gives me a better view as to what i'm getting myself into... HAHHAHA

And I know reefing is not cheap!

Thanks so much for your replies.. still need to learn alot from u!

[Gouldian]

Personally, I prefer the German & American made ones. Not because I am brand consous but because they are built to last and they are good to the last detail.

There are also alternative China made ones that are selling at very competitive prices.

For 2ft set-up, my personal favourite will be

1) AquaC Remora or Urchin

2) Kent Marine Nautilus Te

3) Schuran Jetskim

4) Prizm

[Gouldian]

WOW! Seems like there's a whole of info and knowledge that I've got to learn about. I guess i shld just follow my keeping fresh water experience.

From just fish to planted tanks and later to arowana + planted tank right?

Those advice that you've given really do gives me a better view as to what i'm getting myself into... HAHHAHA

And I know reefing is not cheap!

Thanks so much for your replies.. still need to learn alot from u!

Its my pleasure.

I learned alot from the experts here too and would like to share with others too.

[Reds]

hi bro, i oso new in reefing.. hahaa just setup my tank and now cycling with Live rocks liao.....

I have 1 qn for all the experts.... since u guys mention that 8 T5 is needed if we going for sps type of corals... but if we only using 2 ft tank... the width is only abt 1-2 ft wide only.... can hold so many T5? for my case my tank width is 1 ft... i think maximum can only hold 4 T5 lights... So does that mean i cannot keep sps?

Or i have to get a MH liao??

thanks

[Gouldian]

If you depth is not more than 1ft. 4 t5s is just nice. But make sure it is the real T5s not those China ones.

[Reds]

If you depth is not more than 1ft. 4 t5s is just nice. But make sure it is the real T5s not those China ones.

ok thanks... i planning to DIY 4 tubes of HO T5....

but wat spec are good? some say 6500k, 10000k, 20000k....

and blue color oso... can someone advice on this...

thanks

[thanantosis]

after reading for a while

i think i will go for 150w MH....

its cheaper then 8 T5

however is there a clip on MH light....??

i cant hang things on my ceiling....

and i dont not have a chiller... is it ok?

thanks a million!

[diabolus]

its best that you have a chiller if you are going for MH.

the heat from the MH will raise the tank temperature by abt 1 to 2 dc.

[thanantosis]

its best that you have a chiller if you are going for MH.

the heat from the MH will raise the tank temperature by abt 1 to 2 dc.

hai really got alot of thought in just lighting alone....

so much more harder then FW tank.... wow

but i think every one of u there had been throught what im going through

so if u all can do it... so can i

i know using pl is cheaper... however it produce alot of heat also!... so no no....

a chiller is way way over my pocket can tahan....

can i but 1 hugh clip on fan in the sump and 1 on top to cool the MH and the tank down?

and is there a clip on MH?....

cos getting 8 T5 is wow!!!!!

[Gouldian]

hai really got alot of thought in just lighting alone....

so much more harder then FW tank.... wow

but i think every one of u there had been throught what im going through

so if u all can do it... so can i

i know using pl is cheaper... however it produce alot of heat also!... so no no....

a chiller is way way over my pocket can tahan....

can i but 1 hugh clip on fan in the sump and 1 on top to cool the MH and the tank down?

and is there a clip on MH?....

cos getting 8 T5 is wow!!!!!

I don't have a chiller too. Only fans..... I have 1 x 250w 10kk MH with 2 x Actinic T5s.

The high evaporation is ok with me.