[e_baer]

Well, Here is what I have been working on every now and then. I know it is just a rough draft, but tell me how you all like it so far. I still have a whole lot more questions to add. I will list all the questions at the bottom and if you want to answer one in a professional manner, then go for it. If you have any questions you would like to add yourself, just go for it. If there is anything you think I did wrong, I am sure you are probably right so PLEASE make suggestions and corrections!









What types of plants are best for a saltwater tank?

There are many different kinds of plants that are on the market, one of the most common is Cheatomorpha. This is a common plant also called spaghetti algae. Cheato is most commonly used in the refugium for nutrient export. When buying cheato, there is no need to buy large quantities because under the right conditions it will quickly double in size. This plant will do well under most lighting. Saltwater Aquarium Algae for Marine Reef Aquariums: Chaetomorpha Algae - Aquacultured

I need to add about toher plants as well for decoration.



What should my specific gravity/salinity be?


There are many different opinions on this question. In the Red Sea the SG can be as high as 1.035. In some other areas of the ocean it can be as low as 1.020. A good medium for a reef tank would be right around 1.026-1.027. You also need to take into account the amount of oxygen in the water. The more salt dissolved in the water, less oxygen will be able to be dissolved in the water, so you will need to have some means of oxygenating the water at all times. When having a FOWLR tank there is not a need for salinity levels this high. Some say the lowest you should go is 1.021, others say as low as 1.011. Typically the further away from their natural environment they are, the more stressed they will become thus causing a higher chance for disease.



How often should I do a partial water changes?

Most commonly a 10% change is carried out weekly or bi-weekly. Many experts think a water change is only necessary to replenish the lost trace elements and minerals that are used by the growing coral. Another consumer of the trace elements is the protein skimmer. It is essential to replenish these trace elements in a reef tank so the corals can grow and stay healthy.
Water Changes


How much water movement should I have in my saltwater tank?

“In nature, corals and other reef inhabitants are accustomed to rapid, constant water movement. Water movement is important for several reasons:
Growth - Water currents bring corals, clams, and sessile invertebrates the food, oxygen, nutrients, and movement necessary to stimulate growth.
Waste Removal - Currents "clean" corals by carrying away waste products and sediment that promote damaging algae growth.
Fish Health - Strong current demands increased movement among fish, and helps them burn off excess fat found in many commercial fish foods”- (drsfostersmith)
“Circulating water regulates temperature and oxygen levels, aids filtration, and prevents debris from "pooling" in one spot of the aquarium” – (live aquaria). The bare minimum for a saltwater tank is 10x turnover. If you have a 10g tank, you should have at least 100gph flow. Most LPS and soft corals will do well with a turnover rate of 20-30x. Some people have a turnover rate of 50+ x. Different corals need different amounts of flow; mushrooms need a relatively small amount. SPS corals on the other hand will need at least 30x turnover. A benefit of having higher flow is that more detritus will get washed off the rocks from the flow and the current will bring it to the filter or skimmer.
Creating a Natural Reef Aquarium: Water Motion in Reef Aquariums


What kind of lighting is the best for me?

This all depends on what kind of corals, if any, you want to get, tank depth and budget. As I was writing a few of these responses, I came across an article that stopped me in my tracks. This is one of the best articles I have come across that puts lighting into simple terms. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
Aquarium Lighting; Kelvin, Nanometers, PAR, Bulb, CRI, Watt, light basics.



What is the best way to maintain good water parameters?

The best way to maintain good water parameters is to have a good skimmer and check the parameters daily. If you ever see a slight change in the parameters you....need to finish this one.


What is the best way to prevent disease?




How large of a protein skimmer do I need?




What is the best temperature for my saltwater fish tank?



What is a DSB and do I need one?



I always hear that a larger reef tank is easier to care for, is this true?
What is a quarantine and is it needed?



How many fish can I have in my tank?

[patrick1234]

dont for get to put up the temp

[thelastmucci]

Elliott...this is a FANTASTIC THREAD...I'll defanitly try to add to it if I have an good information....obviously in a professional spell checked draft. The only one I might be able to work on now is the "is a bigger aquarium better" with the limited knowledge that I have I wouldn't want to answer any of the other ones without actually having some experience with them. I think Native could answer the DSB one though. I would answer it tonight but I just took all my night meds and will be crashing soon.

[e_baer]

Yeah that is fine. I was hoping someone would answer that one because I dont feel like doing that one lol.. anyway, glad to hear that you like it. I am hoping one of the mods will make this a "sticky" or something like that when it is all said and done.

Some more questions that should be added are:

How much live rock do I need in my tank?




and

How much live sand do I need in my tank?

[checker Jim]

Great stuff. I think it should definitely be a sticky you answered most of the common questions newbs have thrown out there.

[thelastmucci]

Originally Posted by e_baer

I always hear that a larger reef tank is easier to care for, is this true?
What is a quarantine and is it needed?

Answer:
Well this is another thing that reefers just can't agree on. While on the one hand it is beneficial to have a larger tank making room for "error" in supplements, feeding, bio load etc. There is a fairly new type of tank called a nano or even some as small as Picto reefs. While these tanks are gaining in popularity, the overall cost and maintenence of them would be about the same as say a 55 gallon tank. For example. for a 30 gallon Nano you would need to do about a 10% water change every week and keep a vigilant eye on parameters. Water quality can get out of hand in a hurry in a Nano/Picto Reef. You can't have as many fish or even certain types of fish (most types of Tangs require the 55 minimum.) But there is an upside to Nano Reefs. They can be put just about anywhere, your office, kitchen, and they even make a toilet nano reef (now that's loving fish just a bit too much.)
While setting up a big 120 gallon tank may look good on paper it isn't always eays. Many times you would have to do all the plumbing yourself it takes ALLOT more electricity (as Mattfish about this) and the initial start up cost would be well lots. NOTE: When I say initial stat up cost I'm talking about Lights, LR, LS, Protein skimmer, sump/fuge, possibly a chiller, various pumps, any chemicals or micron bags you want to use, and a filtration system (if your using something other than a bio filter system.) This doesn't even begin to get into livestock for your tank be it 2.5 or 900 gallons.
So I guess the long of the short is a tank is a tank it depends on how you care for it.

[e_baer]

What is the best temperature for my saltwater fish tank?

The general rule for a saltwater fish tank is anywhere from 72-78 degrees. In reality, the temperature of the ocean in coral reefs is much higher, even reaching 90 degrees on some days. As I was doing a bunch of research finding the temperature of the ocean at different levels and different areas of the world when I came across this chart. I feel as though this chart explains the oceans temperature in a very simple way that most of us can understand. http://hadobs.metoffice.com/hadisst/charts/actual.png (http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/data/sst/latest_sst.gif..... this one is in ferenheit) If you notice near the Great Barrior Reef and Solomon Islands, the temperature reaches 89.6 degrees (32c). I personally try to keep my tanks in the lower 80s. This allows for a little wiggle room in case something goes wrong, whether it be a heater or a power outage for a few hours.



How large of a protein skimmer do I need?


Most people will get a skimmer that is rated for double their water volume. So, if you had a 55g tank with a 20g sump, that is a total of 75 gallons, double that and you get 150 gallons. So a skimmer that is rated for a 150g tank will do just fine. This is just a general rule and is not required, but will make maintenance and overal water quality much more acceptable to the fish, corals and inverts.

[e_baer]

How much live rock do I need in my tank?

The general rule regarding live rock is 1-2 lbs per gallon of water. For example: If Joe has a 10g tank he would want to have anywhere from 10-20lbs of live rock. There are many different types of live rock available on the market. There are rocks that come all the way from the Solomon Islands and there are rocks that are aquacultured. Typically when looking to buy live rock you want to determine what "look" you are going for in your tank. Some rock is a branching type like the Tonga Live rock.

Other types of rock have the "classic" live rock look like the Caribbean live rock.

After figuring what "look" you are trying to get in your tank, you need to decide whether you want cured or uncured live rock. The difference between the two is cycle time and die off. If you decide to purchase uncured live rock, your rock will come to you with much more life on it, but most of the life will be dead. Cured live rock comes with much of the life that will die already removed and therefore required a much shorter time to cycle.

There are a few ways to make aquacultured live rock and one of the most famous ways is decribed on this site: Geothermal Aquaculture Research Foundation Home Page .

[blu23girl]

Other question, that i'm sure i've asked to add to the list...

How much flow do i need?
How do i figure out how much flow i have in my tank?
What size return pump should i use?
What is the ideal sized clean-up crew?

I'm there are more, but these seem to be ones i see over and over....
GREAT thread e-baer! I'm interested to see more answeres posted too!!!
AWESOME!

[dori9941]

wow, good thread .This will help people out

[e_baer]

What is the best way to prevent fish disease?

There are many ways to prevent disease. The most popular way is to quarentine your fish before adding them to your main tank. This is done by having a seperate tank with only the bare minimums such as a heater, powerhead, airstone and some pieces of PVC pipe for the fish to hide. Keeping the fish in QT (quarentine) for several weeks will allow any disease that is going to appear, appear and will keep the other fish in your main tank safe and healthy. Here is how the basic QT should be set up:
(this picture is from WillLovesFish)

To help prevent disease and overall fish health a good healthy diet is needed. Research the fish BEFORE you get it so you know exactly what it needs. Not only will this help you have a successfull tank but it will also ensure the health and safety of your fish.

What should I do when my fish is sick and how do I treat that disease?

There are many ways to treat the various diseases that your fish can get. As soon as you see any signs of disease and abnormalities make sure you put the fish into QT to ensure your other fish do not catch the same thing. Here is a link to another threat/sticky that was creates to ID and treat some of the most common diseases.

http://www.reefbuilders.com/forums/f...treatment.html

[stephaniesquires]

WOW!! Lots of great work here. Great article on lighting. This took a lot of work and I'm sure many many people will appreciate the time you took to put this together.

[stephaniesquires]

Originally Posted by thelastmucci

Answer:
Well this is another thing that reefers just can't agree on. While on the one hand it is beneficial to have a larger tank making room for "error" in supplements, feeding, bio load etc. There is a fairly new type of tank called a nano or even some as small as Picto reefs. While these tanks are gaining in popularity, the overall cost and maintenence of them would be about the same as say a 55 gallon tank. For example. for a 30 gallon Nano you would need to do about a 10% water change every week and keep a vigilant eye on parameters. Water quality can get out of hand in a hurry in a Nano/Picto Reef. You can't have as many fish or even certain types of fish (most types of Tangs require the 55 minimum.) But there is an upside to Nano Reefs. They can be put just about anywhere, your office, kitchen, and they even make a toilet nano reef (now that's loving fish just a bit too much.)
While setting up a big 120 gallon tank may look good on paper it isn't always eays. Many times you would have to do all the plumbing yourself it takes ALLOT more electricity (as Mattfish about this) and the initial start up cost would be well lots. NOTE: When I say initial stat up cost I'm talking about Lights, LR, LS, Protein skimmer, sump/fuge, possibly a chiller, various pumps, any chemicals or micron bags you want to use, and a filtration system (if your using something other than a bio filter system.) This doesn't even begin to get into livestock for your tank be it 2.5 or 900 gallons.
So I guess the long of the short is a tank is a tank it depends on how you care for it.

Good answer. I was talking to the plumber who came over yesterday and he was asking about tanks and what size to start with. Gave him a very similar answer. Told him if I was starting out I would go around 50 gallons - big enough for water stability small enough that you wont go broke setting the thing up!!

[e_baer]

How do I know when my tank is done cycling?

Which is better, crushed coral or live sand?

How do I get rid of that pesty algae?