New marine setup idea...Help please!!!

Man gotta wait till I get home to my computer

Make sure you post lots of pics when you get started on it.

bigcol;4173255; said:

First thing is, what sort of media would be best all round to help keep happy fish and corals? what do you mean by media? im asuming you mean for a HoB or canister filter, if you're going for those i would suggest a sump over mechanical filtration As mechanical filters will some times take salt out of the water, or so i've heard.

What sort of substrate should i be going for? Some sort of aragonite, most people use live sand from Carib Sea but its more exspensive, you can get other sand not sure what its called and after awhile it'll become live.

What is the best temp for marine? 76-82 degress Fahrenheit

What should all water params be to have a sucsesfull marine reef setup? basic water params are:
Temp - 76-82 Degress Fahrenheit
Salinity/SG - 1.023-1.025 ( 1.024 is ideal )
Ammonia - 0ppm
Nitrite/Nitrate - 0ppm
Phosphate - 0ppm
Calcium 400-440ppm
pH - 8.0-8.4
Alkalinity - 8-12 dkh

Do i need poshphate/nitrate removers? With proper bio filtration no. But depending on your bio-load, how much you're feeding the tank, how good your protein skimmer is, no you shouldn't need it. A phosban reactor is a good investment aswell as a refugium and weekly water changes using RO/DI water.

Last but not least, Is it a must to have a protien skimmer? No, its not a must but its going to be alot easier on you and your fish tank to use one. It's the best way at removing any waste be if fish poop or extra food in the tank that's starting to decay and help prevent high nitrates/phosphates.
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Hope this helps.

Thecanuke has the tank for marine and knowledge aswell that is for sure. Skimmer is not a must have but more of a valuble tool. As for substrate o use live sand but check the date it does have a shelf life on it some come with a bacteria packet to add to the tank. You can also mix this with play sand a lot of your live sand is expencive for a reason it contains calcium and other minerals that are needed in a marine tank. And big col ya are aware that you need a good lighting system for corals not sayen ya don't just a tip for ya. Cheers mate.

And an adiyion to the info I gave earlier mechanical fitration dosnt hurt salinity of the water that I have noticed I use mechanical filtration on mine. And another tip if ya don't know alredy ya don't need to add salt to your evap refills the salinity rises when the water volume decreases but you shuld always make sure that when you do water changes that the salinitu of the water you are ading is the same as tank to prevent fluctuations. And since I know your a catfish guy you can aclimate a columbian shark cat into full marine water at around five inches and they do great mine is curently living in full marine with a healty apitite and color has never been beter.

There is some great info in this.

Let me start by saying reef is definitely not my strong spot. I know how to do it, but when it gets into details i am screwed lol. There is a little more info i can provide that might work out really well for you.

As far as your sand i would roll with the caribeasea LIVE sand. I always invest my money in this sand because well, its never done me wrong, and always gets me off to a great start.

Best temp for marine is a very quick changing answer. Sharks can be cold water while fish can be medium and others high. This will depend on fish you have and what type of corals and bodies of waters you plan on re creating. Most reefers suggest a higher tempeture than normal. Say about 78-82F I would personally keep my tank at 78 though, if your doing a community/ reef and make sure it STAYS that way.

All your last questions can be summed up in one answer.... ALGAE SCRUBBER BRO!!!

http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=180385

Skimmers will remove food from corals, while scrubbers will leave them in the system so your corals can thrive eating 24/7 and fully maturing. This will also remove phosphate, nitrates, amonia, nitrite, and other problems. Only thing i would use if planning a reef. Its easy and simple to build, and saves you cash!

As far as salinity, these guys are right for FOWLR and standard marine tanks. For a reef though i would kick it up to .25-.26 for reef. They seem to thrive better, and more trace elements are in the water with the higher salt.

Lighting is really important man. Do you research on the corals you plan to keep.

Calcium is a good thing to keep up with. You also need your alkilinity up and dose magnesium, strontium, and a few other things, based on coral choices. A simple A n B dosing would work too. There are a few different routes you could go with dosing your tank, just make sure you can test your levels.

Thats about all i know with reefs bro, i am much better with predator tanks. Thanks for all the nice comments guys, but kevin can answer more detailed questions, and probably correct any wrong info.

Be sure to get some pics up bro!

make sure for your larger tank you use canvas. Its important to use the correct material and take it outside and rough it up on the street outside. That way the algae will stick to it. Trust me, canvas is worth picking up from the arts and crafts store for 10 cents. You avoid yellow water and other issues.