Need some advice

[billzk45]

Hi everyone. I'm new here and I want to start a reef aquarium. Though I'm not new to "fish keeping", it's been about 12 years since I've had anything to do with any type of aquaria. Most of my experience is with So. American and African cichlids, but I did have a 55 gal. saltwater f/o tank for many years. The first attempt was with angels, yellow and hippo tangs, a grouper and a porcupine puffer. Unlike my first attempt, which lasted about 6 months, the next setup was with a lionfish, 2 moray eels and a porc puffer and proved to be somewhat easier to keep. (Except for the puffers, which died of a fungus of some sort).
What I need is info on how to start a reef aquarium. The equip I have consists of a 40g long and a 30g long tanks, a hangon filter that is powered by a Rio 2100 powerhead, an Eheim 2217 canister, some under-gravel plates, a protein skimmer, submersible and hangon heaters and an 8 watt in-line UV sterilizer. For lighting I've got 2 - 4 foot flourescent fixtures with "Aquarilux" bulbs.
What I'd like to do, visually, is the 40g long tank, some coral and live rock, with sand on the bottom. Some plants, maybe a couple anemone, some shrimp and a crab, snails, and a few fish, that could cohabitat with everything else.
What should I do first, and what do I need to acheive it?

Thanks - billzk45

[RAVEN]

You have many options but my advice would be to make a sump/refugium out of your 30g tank and buy a couple of power heads for the 40g tank for a flow of 15-20 times your main tank volume in GPH. You will also need to upgrade your lighting to power compacts, T-5's or metal halides if you want to keep corals, about 3-6 watts per gallon. Your current lighting will not do. I'm partial to a shallow sand bed about 1-2" in the main tank and a DSB in the sump. You will also need about 40lbs of live rock. With the sump you wont need the canister filter. Your submersable heater should be fine depending upon the wattage.
What skimmer and hang on filter do you have?
And remember, take it very slow and don't over stock with fish, maybe 2-3 small ones in a reef tank that size.
Good luck!

[trying it again]

Hi Billzk45, You will get lots of help from the pro,s here...good luck

[billzk45]

Thanks for the advice. My hang-on filter consists of a lexan box, partitioned, with the submersible pump on one side and a 3 layer filter area on the other. Filter side is approx 2/3 of the box. The measurements are: 14"L x 12"H x 4"D. 4 uplift tubes supply water to the filter side. The skimmer fits inside the pump area and is fed water thru a 3/16" hole on the bottom and also thru the side from the pump by way of airline tubing. Air is supplied to an air stone or bubbler with an air pump.(I used one side of a Whisper 600) I bought it at a local pet shop about 14 or 15 years ago. The skimmer was a custom design of someone the pet store owner knew. I don't know if I'll be able to post a picture yet but I'll try. - Thanks - billzk45

[billzk45]

This is what I'd like to use for filtration. What do you guys think?

[RAVEN]

Very interesting design. You wont need that if you do make a sump out of your 30g tank. You wont need the biologic filtration. I guess you could use it as a skimmer and for some mechanical and chemical filtration with charcoal.

[trying it again]

And don,t forget to use some sort of filtered water RO/DI, or premade saltwater.

[SAW39]

Billz,
Your situation sounds very much like mine when I restarted my aquarium 7 months ago. The only advice that I'll add is:
-- Don't bother with the undergravel filter. With a skimmer and sump, it's not necessary and will become a nitrate factory.
-- When Raven says "Take it slow", he means months. 6 weeks for the initial nitrogen cycling. Another 2 or 3 months with only a minimum of inhabitants. You'll need a half dozen hermit crabs and/or snails as a clean-up crew.
-- When you upgrade your lighting, you're going to experience algae growth like you've never seen in your fish-only tanks. The advice about purified water from "Trying it again" is excellent. (I wish I had done it when I started my tank.) All my fresh water topoff and salt water changes now use R/O water. Otherwise, the naturally occuring nitrates in your tap water will encourage algae growth.

[trying it again]

Thanks for the Kudos Saw39

[gawlowski]

If you plan to start a reef aquarium, purchase your live rock now and start curing it. It should cure for about a month. As everybody has already said, take it slow...Patience is a virtue!