Need guides to setup my 1st (80x45x45)cm marine tank of my life

i dont have digi cam lei.. anyone can spaare me 1?HAHA!
ok enough of craps mine is not a nice tank,but a decent simple 1..will post mine asap

Originally Posted by Dirtbiker

is a chiller a must for marine tank?

u need a fan at least. thou FOWLR does not really need low temperarures, having it is always a advantage. reason is simple, low temperature-higher oxygen content which is vital 4 ur fishes.

infomation of my current equitment:

1. Tank (80x45x45)cm with a sump (11x45x45) by the side of the tank
Thickness: 5mm
2. ViaAqua multi-skimmer II (up to 80 gallons) - $65
3. a packet of 5kg corallife salt - $18
4. a hydrometer cum thermometer (floating type) - $3

new equitment bought:
5. Grad C-5 sand (20kg) - $10
(shld i change to C-3 for easier maint? Is grad 0 looks better and more natural in tank)
6. a mechanical pump Hydor Prime 30 (Qmax: 900L/H) - $50 (2nd hand)
7. some bioballs and rings - $10
8. dead corals - i smashed into pieces for raising the ph level - $15


as for the livestocks, i have not decided yet. anyway i still cycling my tank and i have time to do more researches before i decide.
Is it possible for a newbie and with so manay experts here to setup a marine tank with beautiful corals and marine fishes...
coz i misses those days at Tioman and wish to create a mini Tioman at home...
hahaha....

blue light???
i have 2 colours for my lighting...
total 4 tubes... 2 pink and 2 blue....
so just on the blue light... for 2 wks !?!

any1 tried keep this beautiful creature name Rhinomuraena quaesita "blue eel"?

i was so in love with this beautiful creature when i saw it at 1 of the local lfs....

[KaLiB]

Get rid of the pink tubes, don't think their useful for marine, change to white tubes. Not really necessary to on the blue lights during cycling, but i guess its up to the individual, i don't on any lights during cycling.

Grade 0 is very fine and can cause a sandstorm easily, grade 1 would be good but can be stirred up easily and cause a sandstorm, grade 5 is a little coarse and can trap alot of detritous but less likely to cause any sandstorm as its corase. My current tank i think is using grade5 and i'm trapping loads of detritous inside my sandbed as time goes by. Detritous breakdown overtime and add to the nitrate level.

If you can change, i suggest that you have fine sand like grade 1 below and a thin layer of thicker snad like your grade 5 sand to prevent any sandstorms.

I'm using grade1 for my new tank and it has a very natural look IMO.

how about C-3 grad sand....
will it cause trap loads of detritous inside the sandbed as time goes by?

Originally Posted by Dirtbiker

blue light???
i have 2 colours for my lighting...
total 4 tubes... 2 pink and 2 blue....
so just on the blue light... for 2 wks !?!

yes, leave it on 4 abt 3 wks!
it is found tat LR at a depth where only blue spectrum can penetrate produce very nice coraline algae.
get rid of the pink, it's useless. change it to white.

Originally Posted by Dirtbiker

how about C-3 grad sand....
will it cause trap loads of detritous inside the sandbed as time goes by?

let me tell u my experience abt C-1 n C-3 sand. i'm not sure if others hav the same experience as i had.
my former tk i used C-3 sand. i found tat my gobies did not do their job!
my present tk i'm using C-1 n my 2 gobies r my loyal servants, making sure my sandbed is cleaned.

[KaLiB]

how about C-3 grad sand....
will it cause trap loads of detritous inside the sandbed as time goes by?

I think it would but would not be as bad as c-5, it appears coarse enough to cause detritous to buildup within your whole sandbed.