newbie 80g tank

hi. please bear with me. i just purchased an 80g tank setup and i don't know how to set them up. the place i bought from offered to set it up, but since it takes a while for them to order and deliver, i wanted to get an idea of how it would all come together. i have a freshwater tank right now, but i know the two are totally different and it seems complex. this is what's listed on the invoice: 80g glass rec tank; unfinished pine stand/canopy; sump 30 w/d w/overflow; pump(return)scama? 5000; protein skimmer seaclone? 150; lighting 48" metal halide; 80 lbs? live sand; corallife ocean water; marine max; hydrometer; cleaner; saltwater test kit; rio aquapump/powerhead;bag; carbon. there were a few other things i opted to buy later such as airpump and tubing and UV sterilizer. in addition, i got $150 worth of livestock.
plan: stain stand and canopy to match other home decor. after that, i don't know what to do. please help. thanks in advance. sorry for such a newbie question.

 

Better to ask dumb question now then later, when it will cost you $$$! Read the book "The New Marine Aquarium" this is a good starting point and easy to understand. Did you open your seaclone yet, i would review on this protein skimmer to see if it is reliable. What type of sump did they sell you?

 

Just remember just because you have the hardware doesn't mean you have to build it in one day. Tanke your time and ensure everything is the way you want it, as you know moving and 80G tank when it's full isn't going to happen

I would suggest you read the 3 steps that Matt has created
http://www.3reef.com/step1.shtml
http://www.3reef.com/step2.shtml
http://www.3reef.com/step3.shtml

then maybe more specific questions will come to mind. Good luck and keep us posted

Jason

 

Yeah, what they said, and here's my 2 cents worth:

As near as I can tell there are no 2 setups the same in the whole world but they all seem to follow the same basic principles. Water comes out of the tank and get's cleaned (pre filter/protein skimmer), the temperature is adjusted, various other things may or may not happen to it and then it's pumped back to the tank. You'll need a way to create random currents in the tank, some of the products on the market are quite expensive and very effective, some are absolutely useless. I chose to go with a SCWD, it seems to be working nicely and doing what I expected it to.

Here are some diagrams I found doing a quick google search, they may use more or less equipment than your's. Pumps, skimmers, chillers, heaters, etc. can be in-line or in the sump. Hope this helps you get an idea of how all the equipment you have goes together.

http://w3page.com/fishline/gif/aquaset.gif
http://scott-harris.org/aquaria/schematic.shtml
http://www.robsononline.com/Fish Tank 10th June 2002.gif

This ones not mine, it's a different Ted. It didn't come up on google but I thought it was really cool.
http://www.guarriello.net/aquarium.htm

If the documentation with your equipment is lacking try to contact the manufactures for more information. Also this is a good place to ask questions about anything and everything reef related. Ask lot's of questions and read the equipment reviews. Remember, the only stupid questions are the ones you don't ask.

Hope this helps
Ted

 

Welcome and good questions! Check out the good links provided and we'll look forward to your more specific questions in the future.

It will take you a couple of months to properly set-up and cycle your tank. You should cure your live rock seperately before adding it to your tank to eliminate unnecessary detritus and organic matter being introduced to your tanks' sand bed.

My Seaclone 150 works beautifully so no worries. It will break-in and be good to go by the time you are ready to add livestock

 

sweet. thanks for the 411 to all u guys. most def ill check em out.

 

No problem!

 

k. canopy/stand is stained. however, i didnt get metal halides like i thought i did. i got Hamilton PC 50/50 10K 55w x 4. which IMO look good, but i was just stoked on the MH.

when i went to pick the items up, I asked them if they can mount MH with actinic blues INSTEAD of the lighting i purchased. (id pay the balance of course) they kept sayin ill end up frying fish or buying a chiller. so after doing some research, i noticed some tanks have way more wattage. in fact, there's a website that shows what kind of lights would be ideal for various tanks depending on livestock inside and it showed i believe 540W for 75 gal filled w/ LPS, SPS, LR

canopy sits approx 6in from water line and PC's are approx 4.5in from waterline. i was planning 175W or maybe 250W MH bulb mogul in the center of the tank, which BTW has a glass divider. it wound bring total watts to 395W-470W

1) i don't want a chiller
2) i am willing to install fans in canopy (was planning that anyway, when i thought i bought halides)
3) im planning to have SPS, LPS, LR, fish
4) no AC at home.

---so u think by adding the MH to my setup now, i would be over doing it?

---also, i probably wont be able to purchase LR until monday (payday) ;D, but they did give me the LS already, can i add that first? (its in plastic bags right now) and add the LR early next week?

please advise. thank you. sorry for a long post.


chris

 

oh and i did read "The New Marine Aquarium". actually i bought it. good info.. thanks. one more question. i tried cleaning the tank w/ vinegar and water, but i keep getting streaks. any suggestions? thanks again.

 

[quote author=Craig_Manoukian link=board=Newbie;num=1093279203;start=0#4 date=08/23/04 at 11:55:13]It will take you a couple of  months to properly set-up and cycle your tank.  You should cure your live rock seperately before adding it to your tank to eliminate unnecessary detritus and organic matter being introduced to your tanks' sand bed.
[/quote]


As per above re: your LR/LS question.

What size is your tank. Adding your tank set-up information to your signature in your Profile will make it easier to answer your questions. TIA!