Vleis

V

vleis

Joined
1 Feb 2010
Posts
13
Reaction score
0
Location
Polokwane
Hi all you marine experts.

I am completly a novice when it comes to marine aquaruims. With fresh water fish I am bit of an expert. The marine bug has however bitten me completely. I would like to start my own marine aquaruim but have no idea where to start and what to do. I do have a 200 litre fish tank. Will this be suitable to use as marine aquaruim. Please help me. What is all the equipment that i must buy and where can I buy this??
 
masahello

You should decide what you want to keep, do some reading and look at other people`s tanks etc.
Does your tank have a sump ?
Equipment that you need extra would be a decent skimmer.
Some Flow pumps for your display tank for water circulation.
And some decent lighting if you want to keep corals.
This just a very short list of the very basics.
 
Also have a read here ---> http://www.marineaquariumsa.com/showthread.php?t=3

Well there is 2 ways, either you can add an oveflow box that works with a syphon,
looks like this:
367c6166cbfb2fdfca7f6edf8022bab4.jpg


Other option, and the better option, is to have the tank drilled and add a durso standpipe (google id your friend here). If you have the tank drilled you dont have to worry about syphon breaks or anything like that, which is good as you will have alot of other stuff to worry about :)lol::p). Sump is also a huge benefit as it increases the total water volume of your tank and that means more stable water conditions, not to mention that you will have a place to "hide" your skimmer, heater etc.
 
Last edited:
Hi there,

From my somewhat limited knowledge :confused1: (as I'm also quite new & still learning) lemme try & give it a shot!

You would need a tank, sump, plumbing, skimmer, heater, chiller (maybe...?), thermometer, pump, wavemaker/powerhead, hydrometer, test kit/s, substrate, RO water (buy from you LFS) or a RO filter/unit, marine salt, Live Rock & lighting.

Heater & Chiller – you would need to have a heater to keep the water temperature between 25–28 degrees Celsius. Stability is very important! A chiller might be needed if the temp exceeds 28 degrees, this can sometimes be caused by your lighting or the environment (let’s say the room you want to place the tank in is north facing).

Skimmer - rather opt for the best your budget can allow. It should be rated for double the volume of your tank, i.e. 200l = +- 400l. (Keep in mind your sump also contributes to the volume of your tank).

Pump, Wavemaker/Powerheads - as for water flow/circulation you would need roughly 20/30 times the volume of your tank per hour minimum flow, ideally you would aim for 60! i.e. 200l = 12000l/p/h! (Ideally)

Hydrometer – Buy a good quality hydrometer. (this is used for measuring water salinity)

Test Kit/s – once again, buying the best is always the better option. You would be testing the following:
  • pH value
  • carbonate hardness
  • ammonium/ammonia
  • nitrite
  • nitrate
  • phosphate
  • iron
  • copper
  • calcium
Substrate - you have a few options, depending on your budget. You could use anything from Reggies play sand to Crushed Coral, to Aragonite. Most members on MASA seem to agree with Reggies Play sand & Aragonite being good options, while crushed coral not really. If u opt for Reggies Play sand, just remember it needs to be washed extremely well before you use it.

RO water – you should only use this & not tap water! This can be purchase from your LPS (Local pet store) or if your budget can afford, you could purchase an RO unit.

Marine Salt – synthethic salt should be fine if u have a FOWLR set-up but if you are opting to keep coral as well I would suggest using real sea salt, although more expensive it has certain trace elements needed for a reef set-up.

Live Rock - the rule of thumb on live rock seems to be 1kg for every 10l of water. You get different types of live rock (Kenyan, Malaysian, Fiji). Fiji seems to be the most desirable due to its porous quality & its organism growth. Some people opt for using cheaper bio-rock/base rock and then stacking live rock on top, this can be a cost effective solution. Aquascaping can also add a whole differsnt dimension to your tank...

Oh yes, & Lighting, because your aim is to have a FOWLR set-up, your lighting needs are minimum, i.e. 0.5 – 1 WATT per gallon.
When you decide to upgrade to a reef system you would be looking at 3.5 – 5 WATTS per gallon (depending on the type of coral you want to keep).

Hmmm... I think thats about it, LOL! Read alot! I’ve personally learnt a lot from MASA & its members & have lots of patience! Hahaha!
BTW, did any1 explain just how addictive Marine Aquariums are...???!!!

Also do your homework WRT the type of Livestock you intend keeping...
:mbounce:

Please note that I’m just passing on what I’ve learnt (IMHO) & still have a lot to learn! :slayer:
I'm sure the more experienced members & mods & also the sponsers will gladly answer your questions & correct me if I am wrong in any way...

So for now:
welcometomasa
hope you enjoy your stay...
 
A very warm WELCOME to MASA, Vleis! Great to have you on-board!

Please have a read through the URL link in my signature, that says "Starting Marines".

Good luck with your journey into keeping marines!
 
nemo_jhb said:
Hi there,


Marine Salt – synthethic salt should be fine if u have a FOWLR set-up but if you are opting to keep coral as well I would suggest using real sea salt, although more expensive it has certain trace elements needed for a reef set-up.
Click to expand...

Pretty good summation Nemo's. Just on the sea salt. The only real sea salt we get is if you go and get it from the ocean. Most people (even those with access to the sea):p use synthetic salt. You can get basic salt which is cool for fish only or the more expensive ones that cater for the corals.:)
 
Bob the (reef)builder said:
Pretty good summation Nemo's. Just on the sea salt. The only real sea salt we get is if you go and get it from the ocean. Most people (even those with access to the sea):p use synthetic salt. You can get basic salt which is cool for fish only or the more expensive ones that cater for the corals.:)
Click to expand...

Aah! Thanks for the clarity on that Bob! Like I said, I still have a lot to learn...
:smartass:

I guess what caught me out was the labelling on sum of the marine salts...
 
Welcome to MASA!!
 
WELCOME TO MASA vleis

The guys here will help you allot.
Take it slow....only bad things happen fast
:wave2:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom