[vettech101]

hello, first let me introduce myself. My name is mike, and I have found this sight very informative. I want to get into salt water, I have many years experience in fresh water tanks, however I know saltwater or reef tanks are totally diffrent animals.
I have read, and read, read, and "studied" and researched, but I still have some questions

I feel that I have a grasp on what I need to start, and maintain just need some advise on somethings, so with that out of the way.

my tank that I have aquired is an odd, 47"x 12.5"x13.5" it was from an old fish store, it is drilled in the back . I have a wet/dry filter with bio-balls a friend has given me, he wasnt using it any more. also 48" coralife lighting system with 110 vho and 50/50.

question : what is with all the material iam reading about removing the bio-balls from the wet/dry, I was under the impression the balls work kinda like live rock , was I thinking wrong thinking that they help produce "good" bacteria?

question: the lighting I have, will that be good enough to keep zoo's and some corals, poly's, anemonies?

I wanted these questions rested in my head before I start to set things up , I appreciate those who took the time to read this and those of you that will respond

[reefnoob1991]

Welcome to Reefbuilders!
Question Numero Uno:
The wet/dry filter with bioballs can become a nitrate factory (aka what you don't want!)
There's a site called Melev's Reef (Melevsreef.com) that explains building your own sump and the advantages of one!

Question Numero Dos:
The 110W VHO system will be able to house soft corals and some LPS, but no SPS or anemones, they require metal halide lighting.

hope that answered your questions feel free to ask plenty more!

[vettech101]

can I just not use the bio-balls and use the container as a sump and fill that chamber with live rock?. and also a 300 gph return, is that good enough water turnover?.

[reefnoob1991]

You need to compensate for head loss (how many GPH the pump loses when traveling the distance back up to your tank) go to ReefCentral.com and calculate it, it's quite simple actually and helped me out alot! Using the wet dry would be possible like you said, putting live rock and live sand and chaeto algae to help remove nitrates and nitrites and ammonia.

[stacef]

Typically you want 20-30x turnover in your tank with the flow. And in a wet/dry filter, the bio balls are a nitrate trap, but I believe you can replace them with rock rubble. Someone can correct me if I am wrong, as I do not have experience with this, just have read on here with replacing with rock rubble.

Oh yeah... and Welcome to Rb!!

[reefnoob1991]

Rock rubble, live sand, chaeto, all works together...and you can add powerheads in the tank for extra turnover