2M marine "aquaria" what you think? PLEASE! New to hobby

[MoniqueH3]

Hi guys :wave:. I'm new to the hobby and want to start my first reef tank. Please have a look at the specifications of the tank I want to buy and tell me if everything is n place etc. Also it gets very hot where we stay (30-35 degrees cel) so I need to get a chiller..what size chiller for this tank? Can you tell me what fish, soft corals and maybe anemones will be suitable for this tank and its lighting etc? After the clean-up crew please??

AABZ2000 2m Aquaria Aquarium with intelligent controller. All of the Aquariums come complete with equipment [protein skimmer, heaters, return pump and lighting hood] and are easy to set up [Plug and Play]. quaria- AABZ 2000 2 meter Aquarium -Comes complete with all the equipment [lighting hood, pump, skimmer, heaters]. Aquarium Size - 2000 X 0.600 x 0.820mm, Cabinet Size - 2000 X 0.600 X 0.780, comes complete with lighting hood T5 - 39w x 8, Intelligent Controller, full sump Filtration in Cabinet, Aquaria model APS-03-S2900-CL* Cone shaped skimmer with bubble plate and SICCE pump with needle wheel impellor, 2 x heaters, Aquaria Cleair Avanzato A-6500 LPH* pump (LOW 50 watt),* anti-slam door hinges, all wood work covered in Perspex to water proof wood work, Includes all pipe work to connect up aquarium.

Thank you all the advice will be greatly appreciated.


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[Sk8r]

I would say the system is balanced for size and working well together. Marine reefs don't use filters, but marine fish-only tanks do. The lighting is also critical to a reef. A reef takes moderate light if buttons, mushrooms, soft corals; takes more light for stony coral, most light for the colored stick types, up to Metal Halide or very high end LEDs. All our reckoning is for gallons and inches, and we typically measure by gallons---my tank, eg, a stony reef, is 100 gallons, 30 inches deep. I'm a little questioning the pump on this rig---I know my pump for my old 50 gallon moves 950 gallons an hour. If you can use conversions on the web to convert those, and ask some questions in those terms we may arrive at a common means of measure. Also understand that filtration on a reef is handled by live rock, and mechanical filtration has some problems with nitrates. THere's a massive sticky atop this forum called SETTING UP, and that file if you convert the statements in there to metric will give you a lot of help.

[nibor75]

Lighting is pretty low.

Looking at the length of the tank, I guess it is 4 39W T5 bulbs over each half (they are less than 90cm long). 4 T5 bulbs over a 60cm deep by 82cm high (24x33 inch) aquarium is not a lot. You will need to create tall rock structures to keep lower light corals in the upper half of the tank and medium light corals near the top. You will also need some powerheads for circulation in the tank.

Are you aware of and prepared for the costs of setting up and running a reef aquarium of this size?

[MoniqueH3]

Thank you. The conversion is 78" x 23" x 32". I'm not sure what you mean about the reef and lighting. I want live sand, live rock, a few soft corals (not sure what I will find in South Africa) and a variety of fish. I'm afraid that this tank won't be suited for my needs? Or am I wrong?

[MoniqueH3]

Nibor75, I read that the bigger the tank, the more forgiving? The more water the less you struggle with water parameters? I would like a 260 US Gal tank. 2 meters. Inside I want live sand, argonite live rock, a few soft corals (things that are colorful) and obviously a variety of fish. What do I need inside my tank (lighting etc) and in my sump for this?

[nibor75]

For some soft corals and fish it will be OK. With that size of tank, there are lots of fish choices. There are articles on this site about compatible combinations of fish and their requirements.

For high light corals on a tank with those dimensions, with T5 lighting you would want double what that tank has and high quality fixtures with excellent reflectors. The water is pretty deep.

You will also need powerheads for water circulation in the tank, an RODI water filter (reverse osmosis, deionised) and the chiller you mentioned. There are lots of other small bits and pieces as well: test kits, nets, buckets, a powerhead and possibly heater for making your salt water.... With the amount of money you will spend stocking a tank this size, I would consider a quarantine setup an essential purchase as well.