Want The Hobby To Last

Okay guys, i need some advice on alotta stuff.

So i want to start my saltwater setup, from the beginning and this time i want to make sure every dicision i make is the right one. i dont want to hope it will be the right one i want to make sure of it now. First off im going to start by taking down my initial setup. I want new sand and new live rock. My rock has too uch aiptasia and i do not want to use that in my new tank. whats the point just so i could go threw the aiptasia problem again. Also i was using brita water and thought that this would be better than tap water, but then came to find out that it does not remove what i need the filter to remove and my phosphate level mustve been high and affected my algae and is now out of control.

I have a 30 gallon with a fluval 305 filter. I want to put a sump in to repace the filter or might keep the filter and have it runnin with the sump but theres probably no point in this. Also my tank does not have a bulit in overflow to make it easier for my sump i want to add in. So without the built in overflow is it still possible of putting a sump? im sure there is but i want to know the right and exact way of doing this.

Also i was thinking of getting a new tank and using my existing tank as the sump, any suggestions on that?

So i know before i think about any sand rock or livestock, i will need
-Ro/Di water system
-Sump & a
-Protein skimmer

These are the 3 things im missing.

 

You might want to look into getting a new display tank that is already drilled and use your 30 gal for a sump if it will fit in the new stand. If you go bigger, you will need more rock for it so you can nuke your old rock and then use it as base rock then add more live rock. I have seen threads on here about how to nuke your rock to kill everything in it. From what I have heard, 30 gal is small for a reef tank, especially for a beginner, but it can be done(many have smaller). Since you are starting over, you may be able to nuke your sand also so you can use it and maybe add some live sand to it(I haven't looked into nuking sand, but I would bet it can be done). I'm no expert, just my $.02 after reading hundreds of threads here.

 

Some huuuge questions to ask yourself and think about.1)What type of tank do you ultimately want? and 2)How much do you want to spend ? There are so many directions you can go with this its hard to give you answers.If you decided to work with what you have aptasia and algae problems can be overcome.I myself keep a 44gal. reef using a fluval 305,HOB skimmer and a small in tank fuge and my water parameters are really good.I also use an API water filter to make deionized water for water changes and top offs,but an ro/di unit would def. be cheaper in the long run.My point is, it is possible to work with what you have,or....if you would like to go bigger and have the cash to do it there are lots of people on here that would be glad to help you choose equipment,so give these things some thought.Hope this helps!! Dave

 

Fight the algae!! Destroy the aiptasia!! Recover the tank!!
Thats just my 2 cents.
You'll prob learn alot more by recovering the tank and fighting the source of the problems rather than treating symptoms?
But if you want a new tank then I guess the tank has to die.

 

What are the dimensions of your 30 and how big do you want to go?