First Tank: 65g

[JOSEPHLB]

Purchased the first parts of my future setup. Went with an AGA 65g (36x18x24); oak pine stand and canopy from AGA as well.
The tank looks beautiful while sitting in my living room empty. The wife doesn't think so though :)

I've opted for the non-RR tank, since I'm not ready to tackle a sump for my first sw tank.
At first, I'll be going FOWLR; but in the future I'll be going with the easier corals, hopefully.. so mushrooms, polyps are going to be on my wish list.

With FOWLR, can one of those cheap double-strip lighting fixtures be used (Initial tank cycling and then fish only)?? Then, when corals are to be added, then purchase the more appropriate lighting? Will the other livestock (Fish, cleaners) adapt to the increased lighting without any issues?

What is the verdict on the in-tank Tunze skimmers? I'm confused on the setup of one of these though. They appear to be about 18" tall; so, what if your water depth is deeper than that? Is the Tunze 9000 series capable of being submerged?

As for the AquaC Remora, why are there such mixed views on this skimmer? Some say its crap; some say its one of the best HOT skimmers on the market.

As for lighting, the canopy doesn't look like its very high. I'm going to guess its about 6-8" at the most. I'm going to assume MH lighting would be too close to the water surface in this situation?

Would a 4 to 6 bulb T5 fixture/retro be more appropriate?
Aquarium Center (Randallstown) has a display tank of 95 gallons, with an 8-bulb T5 fixture and the look of it was about what I would like to achieve. Its not too blue, but it appears to have a slightly light blueish tint in addition to the crisp white, dayllight.

So, if anyone has been toe Aquarium Center, you'll know I'm talking about the display tank they have right when you walk in the door.


Thanks for any input and advice provided!


Joe

[MimicTang]

if your FOWLR you dont need T5s. Flouroscents are find.

Anyone who says an aquac is junk is crazy!

[JustinReef]

I have had only flourescents in my FOWLR for months now, before that I had T5's. I dont notice too much difference, except that some of the corraline algae growth has slowed down which in this case was good because it was spreading WAY too fast!

And I would have to say that the Aqua C is a GOOD skimmer for what it is (I have one for my 50G FOWLR set up) but I think most people who have used better in sump skimmers, as I have, find it very weak. So basically you get people who have never used anything else saying its amazing and then you get people who have used better skimmers and they say its horrible. Depends how your looking at it I guess. I dont think it would be enough for my 50G, if I didnt have a refugium as well...Personally I will never use a HOB skimmer again but I had to with this tank because it was not drilled and not worth drilling or building an overflow. Also the only tank I could take with me when I moved as it was my smallest! I guess what Im saying is that I would always try to build a sump if possible! And spend $100 more for a better skimmer, its worth it in the long run...

[JustinReef]

Oh and I to appreciate the beauty of an empty tank...All the possibilities!!!

[rooroo]

Hey fellow Marylander and 65 galloner.

Few things I would recommend.

If you are thinking about doing a reef at any point in the future, go ahead and get that reef ready tank. I do not have a reef ready tank and wish I had. I started out FOWLR too and quickly switched over to reef, and was quite dissapointed I didn't get the RR system.

But with doing a RR system, you'll need to think about a sump and a return pump. The huge benefit to having a sump is you don't have any equipment in the tank. Really a sump can be done pretty cheap. Go back to Aquarium Center and get a tank that will fit in your stand. I think 20 talls and maybe even a 29 will fit, but a 20 tall will be adequate for now. They're $29 or so at Aquarium Center (I checked today). Ask them what kind of submersible pump they would recommend. Ask them to help you hook it all up. And viola! You've got a great way to circulate your water, hide all the equipment that you'll need with a FOWLR anyway, and you're pretty much set up for reef when you're ready.

If you decide you really don't want to do that, I completely understand. But it's worth the extra cost now IMO.

Have you thought at all about what fish you want to put in there? You should and make sure you're purchasing reef compatible fish so you don't have to give any of them away when you decide to switch over.

Next, there is a fantastic reef club in the Washington DC area. Go to www.wamas.org and check out their forums. If you feel so inclined you can join. Lots of great people and a great resource for getting information. Also if you ever have problems with your tank people are often willing to go out of their way to help you.

[rooroo]

And to answer some of your questions, a double strip NO flourescent light will be fine for a FOWLR. The light is only for looks with FOWLRs. When you change over to higher powered lighting, you'll need to acclimate the tank by masking some of the light and slowly letting more light in. Standard window screening works good for this (so I've heard, never tried myself). With fish only you can just set up the new batch of lights and turn on, but you'll want to limit the time frame. It's usually nicer for the fish to slowly acclimate them.

I have the Aqua C Urchin (in sump one) on my tank and it works GREAT.

MH needs to be a good distance off the water due to heat. I run 4 x 75watt VHOs (their the 24" bulbs since 36" VHO bulbs don't fit on a 36" standard canopy). I am going to switch to 2 36" T5s (these will fit) and 2 24" VHOs. Might eventually switch to all T5s but I've heard some people like the actinic VHOs better, so I'm going to stick with those for awhile. I may eventually get an extra ballast and stick 6 T5s on there. Our tanks really don't have room for any more than 6 T5s or VHOs. But that should be sufficient light for softies and LPS.

One last piece of advice. Go ahead and get an RO/DI filter and get in the habit of using it. Your fish and your wife will thank you (less algae and problems with the tank). I used Baltimore tap water for a year with not too many problems, but when I switched over to an RO/DI system it was amazing the difference it made! Truely the most worthwhile investment with a reef tank.

Good luck!

[lclzgarling]

i agree w/ rooroo about sump tank set it up now so you can hide your equipment. you'll like the looks better.

[Dan9]

I also have a 65g tank. I have a 4 bulb t5 setup and I really like it. With fowlr, flourescents are fine. If you do decide to get into reef eventually and decide you want a sump, a 29g fits nicely under the stand.

[JOSEPHLB]

Thanks for all the tips and advice.
I've already purchased the tank, and I got the non-drilled tank because I really didn't want to tackle with a sump for my first sw tank. I do like the concept of a sump and its not totally out of the question; its more reserved for when I get more experience.

An RO/DI system has already been prioritized on my list of "to get" items. I've been looking at getting one from PurelyH2O.

Most likely going to go with powerheads. Trying to keep it simple, so closed loop is out of the question (for now at least).
Two Seio M620's ? Should be sufficient, correct?

I'm planning on 35-45 lbs of LR; the rest will be DIY rock. I currently have it kuring. Its been kuring in a couple of Rubbermaid totes for 15 days now. Should be ready by the end of December, since they are small to medium sized pieces. No piece is larger than ten pounds. 35-45 lbs of LR should seed the remaining DIY rock nicely.

Rooroo, thank you for those long, detailed posts. Since you are familiar with Aquarium Center, you know that huge 480 gallon display tank they have setup back in the fish section.. Well, what kind of substrate is in that? I really like the way it looks. It appears its almost white, so whatever kind of substrate that is, it will be on my list. :)

[JOSEPHLB]

Aaah.. almost forgot.. as for the fish list, so far:

Pair of clowns.. haven't decided exactly what type (tank raised false perculas?)
Dwarf lionfish, possibly (wife likes the lionfish species)
Green Chromis
Smith's Fang Blenny
Flame Hawkfish, possibly (reef safe?? Or is it one of those "with caution" fish?)

[rooroo]

Youre welcome! I actually havent been to Aquarium Center in about 3 years so I don't know what that tank looks like. It's pretty out of the way for me now, however they have the best prices in the area on tanks. In any case I understand your apprehension on the sump. I was apprehensive at first too. At least it gives you a good excuse to move up in tank size when you do want a sump etc. :D

Good luck! Come check out the Wamas board!

[rooroo]

Oh forgot about the fish. All of those fish are fine. The flame hawk is very common in reefs. Just be careful with the lionfish. They are poisonous.

[JOSEPHLB]

Thanks a bunch again Rooroo

Here is a photo of my tank

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i24/JOSEPHLB/Tank002.jpg

[yeldarbj]

I started an AGA 65 about 5 months ago - same setup (no RR) except black and I don't have a canopy yet. While I would have liked to have the RR, I have small children in the house and didn't want a sump. (Accessible pool of water and small children DO NOT work well together.)

You would be fine with normal flo lights but I would go ahead with the T5 or PCs if you think you might want to add soft corals later. I've got the Coralife 192w Lunar Aqualight which I've been please with (for ~ $170).

I'm also running an Aqua C Remora w/ the skimmer box. I didn't add it until after about 3 months. It's been okay. I'm not impressed with the design of the skimmer box though. I like the low profile so the tank can be close to the wall. Knowing what I know now, I probably would have spent the extra $$$ to get the pro version.

I've also got the basic RODI from Purely H20. It's been good.

I'd start with the 2 Seio 620s. I have one 620 and a MJ 900. I like the flow out of the 620 much better (much less like a jet). You might want to consider the 820s. I also have a MJ 1200 running the skimmer, and MJ 1200 running a UV, and a cannister filter.

You might consider a cannister filter, especially if you are doing FOWLR and have no sump. I've got a Filstar XP2 that has been terrific. I know people consider them to be nitrate factories, but keep the foam pads clean, don't use any bio media and you should be fine. I run 2 pouches of Chemi-PUre carbon in mine. Add on a surface skimmer intake and it will make a big difference for the water surface.

[yeldarbj]

Here is my 65 now:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/1285302006-11-02-----011small.jpg

[JOSEPHLB]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8606996#post8606996 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by yeldarbj
Here is my 65 now:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/1285302006-11-02-----011small.jpg

How much rock is this in your 65g?

Looks quite nice :)

[CPT. MURPHY]

Congrats on the new tank! I love a new empty tank soooo many options :)

CPT.

[yeldarbj]

It's about 100 lbs. I started with 55 lbs of dry base rock (reeferrocks) and 45 lbs of live fiji (reefer madness). The difference between the two was quite dramatic in the beginning, purple vs. white. Now the base rock has a similar look to the live but not quite there yet.

There are a lot of passageways through the rock, can't quite see them very well in the pic. My strategy on placing the rock was:

1) stability of the pile, no slides
2) hide a couple of power heads in rock for added flow - there is a Seio on the left and MJ on the right.

[smcnally]

You keep saying you don't want to "Tackle" with a sump until you have more experience. I just wanted to explain that a sump is not difficult at all. Especially with a reef ready tank. IMO, you are going to want a reef ready tank in about 2 months. Then you will go and get an overflow kit and have issues with it and wish you just bought the RR tank from the beginning. Then you will either attempt to drill your existing tank, or will end up buying a RR tank and swapping it all over. I would think about it long and hard before you fill it. I said the same thing as you when I got a 75 gallon awhile back. I hated that tank. Well, I loved the tank, but when compared to my 125 G RR with sump, it stunk.

Last but not least...IMO, sumps are a huge advantage for beginners. They help oxygenate the water, and also add to your total water volume which helps enormously with parameter swings.

I would really think about it before you fill it.

[Reefdiver77]

Have that tank drilled now while it is empty and get a sump, which will go in the stand easier when the tank is empty. I found a great Sealife Systems wet/dry filtration system at Goodwill for $24.99, complete with overflow, pumps, etc. I took out the bioballs, placed a filter pad in there and was ready to go. However, I sure do wish I had the tank drilled. The overflow can be a headache and is unsightly in the tank. I, of course, have my return pump, heater and protein skimmer in the sump. I do have a HOB fuge on the tank. You will be much happier and your tank will be more stable due to increased water volume. I wish I knew enough to have made mine RR in the very beginning. Good luck and welcome to Reefing. It is very addictive!!!!!!!!!!