Lighting for new tank

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cassie1

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Hi guys,

I am quite new to the marine tank enviroment so I need help please from all the experts. I want to start a new tank - measures to about 12000mm (l) x 500mm (h) x 500mm (d). I would like to know what lightning will be te best to put in please. Also what will be the best, a home made skimmer, or one to buy.

Thanks
Cassie
 
The lighting would depend on what you would like to keep - Fish only doesnt need fancy lights - Soft corals & LPS would do well with T5 light - SPS would need 150w Metal HAlide and good flow. I would go for a Reef Octopus Skimmer ( good value for money)
I have an Reef Octopus Orca 100 rated for 750lt for sale if you interested.
Dont buy a cheap skimmer with no track record cos its a very important piece of ur marine tank experience.
 
Thanks alot. I definitely want to keep soft corals with the fish so the T5 would then work. If I only keep soft coral, will I also be needing the Metal HAlide. If not, how many of the T5's will I need. The tank will be about 300liters

Thanks
 
Hi Cassie

WELCOME to MASA

There are a few guy's running only T5 with sps in their DT and I was battle long and hard to get the correct info for sps and even bought a MH unit and I will tell you that few T5 will give you the same light and your tank is 50cm high what will your water level be?, Nothing wrong with MH if you have the cash flow.

The experts will correct me if I'm wrong.
 
cassie1 said:
Thanks alot. I definitely want to keep soft corals with the fish so the T5 would then work. If I only keep soft coral, will I also be needing the Metal HAlide. If not, how many of the T5's will I need. The tank will be about 300liters

Thanks
Click to expand...

Yeah - i think T5 are fine cos you dont have a deep tank - a 54w T5 globe is about 1,2m long so 4 x 54w T5 will work well - try 2 x White and 2 x Actinics
 
As a rule of thumb one can not say that all soft coral require less light. It again depends on what soft coral you want to keep. Ricordia are a mushroom soft coral that I have found likes more intense lighting, as do pulsating xenia and brightly coloured zoanthids. All these occur in shallower water, so they can handle high intesity light.

I must however agree with Durleo in going with T5's, and he is spot on with the combination too. If you want to keep SPS later on, then we take it from there, but even then as xtreme said, T5's can work if you know how to use them and where to place your coral, and other husbandry are in tact.

Rather invest in a skimmer, than building one. It will just save you a lot of frustration, but try to get a decent brand that you can still afford.

PS: WELCOME TO MASA!!!
 
Hello and Welcome

There are a lot of guys who looked at a skimmer and thought "I can do that".
But the reality is, that a skimmer is one of those things that only a few manage to build a DIY that is at least equal to a comercial unit. Get yourself one that is rated for 1.5 to 2 times your water volume.

Lights, yes, t5, you should be fine. Just ensure you have reflectors fitted.

Any ideas yet on sump layout?
 
Hi guys, thank you so much for the help. The T5's it is then. Thank you Duran for the help. Jaco can you maybe recommend a brand name of a skimmer that is descend but will not blow a hole in your budget. Thank you Riaan, to be honest, not yet. I am still planning and see what I can come up with. Any suggestions on what / what not to do?

Much appreciated :)
 
have you built the tank? If not you may want to rething the width.. 500 wide is not a lot for a marine tank and you will find over time that it is too narrow.. try to go for as wide as you can.. 600 will be much better.
 
Hi guys, thank you so much for the help. The T5's it is then. Thank you Duran for the help. Jaco can you maybe recommend a brand name of a skimmer that is descend but will not blow a hole in your budget. Thank you Riaan, to be honest, not yet. I am still planning and see what I can come up with. Any suggestions on what / what not to do?

Much appreciated :)
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Protein Skimmer
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A protein skimmer or foam fractionator is a device used mostly in saltwater aquaria to remove organic compounds from the water before they break down into nitrogenous waste. Protein skimming is the only form of filtration that physically removes organic compounds before they begin to decompose, lightening the load on the biological filter and improving the water's redox potential. Protein skimmers use the surface tension of the water in marine aquariums to pull free-floating proteins and other waste into a container where the waste can be removed.This is a required piece of equipment for maintaining good water quality in a reef tank.

Protein skimmers come in various different forms, such as external, in-sump and hang on back (hob).
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The Jacques Kallis of all skimmer IMO is the Reeftek TS1 or T2 skimmers... They work well for softcoral tanks, and are not too heavy on your pocket. They are tried and tested, and I would back them any day.
 
I haven't built the tank yet. Still need to do a bit more research. It makes sense. 600 is a good idea thanks.

Thank you Jaco. Will have a look at them
 
Ja cassie toe byt die marine gogga jou ook...Dit het wel 'n jaar gevat wat jy na myne kom kyk het...haha!!

Kom maak 'n draai vanand dan help ek jou met die inligting wat ek het!!Ons kan dan kyk na 'n sump layout en tank layout vir jou!!

Tata
 
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