new reef aquarium advice

Hello,
While my forum name is fishmasterflex, i'm pretty new to aqauriums. I've got a 10 gallon freshwater with live plants, and a 5 gallon salt water with some corals.

I picked up a 30 gallon oceanic cube aquarium, which appears to be very nice glass. At the moment, I'm not sure how to proceed, but had a couple plans.

For my five gallon, i'm finding it's a bit hard with such small water volume. For example a slight increase in temperature, and lower salinity, and the pulsing xenias shrivled up. However I think they are coming back slowly. Adding some crabs, and the green star polyps stopped coming out, etc.

I plan to move what I have in my five gallon to the 30 gallon. At the moment I"m thinking of adding a canister filter housed in the stand, which is rated for 45 gallons. Or would using my 30 gallon rated HOB filter be enough?

Adding a 24 inch light fixture I saw at the local fish store. I believe it said T5 high output, and I was going for one with the integrated moonlight LEDs. I was told I could use my existing lighting, which is two mini solar flare's, which is 12 .24 watt LEDs each. Is it true this is enough lighting for basic corals and fish, or do I need the 24 inch fixture, which uses 150 watts? How limiting would the 2 LEDs I have now be?

Once I get the filtration, and the lighting, I plan on getting 40 pounds of live sand (I'd like the black), and 30 pounds of live rock. Then at a later point, evaluating the need for a protein skimmer, and all together not going with a sump and refigium. Also I would add a power head for a 50 gallon tank. I like all the worms and stuff that comes on the live rock, but i'm going without the aiptasia this time! I guess I can either put the rock in, and get what I get, or put it in very saline water, and the rock will be pest free?

I want to keep corals that handle aquarium conditions better, and fish. I like being able to have more kinds of fish. Right now i've got a clown fish, and a pygmy hawk fish. About how many fish could I have?

Is this a good plan? Lighting and filtration are okay?

The other challenge seems to be the water. It appears to be invertabrates prefer the reverse osmosis processed water. But how do I get 30 gallons of it? Is there a cheap option to make it at home? Is getting 30 gallons at wallmart what I should do, or get a bunch of five gallon jugs and water at the local fish store?

thanks in advance

 

Welcome to 3reef.

This link should help to assist you with some of your current questions.

In a 30 gallon tank you should be able to keep 3-4 smaller fish, such as clowns other damsels, Royal Grammas, some smaller wrasses.

I prefer a system the incorporates the Berlin Methods: A skimmer, and an adequate amount of LR to provide a medium for the biological filter. Including supplemental flow provided by power heads.

If you can not afford an RO/DI unit, you can used bottle water labeled as such from any store or your local fish store.

And yes your are right it's harder to maintain water chemistry and quality in smaller tanks.

Hope that help somewhat. As previously stated the link provided offers a lot of assistance.

http://www.3reef.com/forums/new-hobby/whats-important-successful-tank-108699.html

 

I would get some DIY leds going, I wouldn't get a canister filter either. I would get the hob filter and get carbon and purigen. For fish I reccommend dwarf angelfish and possum wrasse.

 

some progress

thanks for the help all.

so I have decided to go with the Berlin method. what I have so far is:

30 gallon oceanic cube aquarium
stand
rs-75 sump tank, w/filter sock and sponge between compartments
65G corallife protein skimmer
T5 lighting
hang on back overflow, with return line
back of tank painted black

my plan is to get the return pump, heater, 2 powerheads, 40 pounds of black live sand, and 30-40 pounds of live rock, 40 gallons or so of reverse osmosis processed water, mixed with reef crystals

then once the tank is ready, and biological filtration is in a good status to get the clean up crew, shrimp, and some fish!

I was told the lighting wouldn't be good enough, so I plan to switch that to LEDs, once the tank is more stable, and get easy to maintain corals like mushrooms

any general advice, or advice on what lighting, and return pump? Is there anything I should add, or mistakes so far? i'm also new to using a protein skimmer and sump. I plan on testing the sump, and there is a line that says "water level" where the return pump is. I guess the water never gets above that, and it would overflow the main chamber?

I was considering putting more biological filtration or a refugium in the main chamber, but it seems that will make it harder to clean. should I remove the sponge, and will a refugium help, but later I should get a hang on back one?

for testing power loss and siphon loss, I will cut the siphon and power, and possibly raise the overflow and lower the return pump. I am concerned about power less, but can't afford a generator at the moment.