new to saltwater

[JBrimz]

Ive been reading up on getting into the world of saltwater fish, just some questions i need answers by people with experience in the hobby. I was going to start with a FOWLR tank, and i dont get how to setup a sump tank so i was reading i read the HOB filter or canister filters can work fine with FOWLR tanks and was wondering if this is ok and if anyone has had success with it? and protein skimmer what do they do/ are they absolutely needed? thanks and any other tips or info about fowlr tank would be great thanks

 

[Neopimp]

Ya can get away with not using a skimmer for a while.... If you have any thoughts on makinga reef tank in the future it woudl be on my short list of things you need to get. 
A sump is just a place where you can put all your noisy ugly looking things to keep them off the main tank.  It adds more water voluem to the main system makign it more stable and easier to work with.  Can be used for a large number of useful things.
If you wanted to start with a Fowlr, then you can get away with a canister filter ( cleaning it at every other water change) some powerheads, heaters.  Also need all the supporting equipment such as water mixing containers as freshly mixed salt water can be toxic and should never ever ever be mixed right in the tank.  Lighting is not terribly important in a FOWLR either.
To go from a FOWLR to even a simple reef, a Protein Skimmer and  upgraded lighting. That will get you started but will also leave you with lots to get sooner rather than later.  Depending on the size of tnak you may be able to get away with using a Hanf On Back Skimmer liek the Remora from Aqua C.  When a reef comes into play, the canister gets the boot.... they are handy to have around to help with mechanical filtration when you dust/clean the tank but other than that they can turn into a nitrate factory if not properly maintanined.  Nitrates are bad fro coral, inverts.  On the short list starting a reef I woudl purchase a RO/DI system and stop using straight tap water.
There are different ways to get what you want and you will get different opinions from everyone.  These are the conlcusions I came too after reading at work for 12 hours some nights.

 

[Zakk]

I might suggest waiting for a deal after christmas and getting a drilled tank, and a sump.  I've never heard of anyone that never started adding corals at some point, probably save money in the long run.  I mean that 180 gal drilled tank on here was only what, $250?  A good 55 gal drilled system might even be cheaper if someone has upgraded over the holidays. 

 

[JBrimz]

i dont plan on adding corals anytime soon but im still just looking around doing research deciding what will be best for me and im thinking buying a used setup would be most ideal, i just dont understand how a sump works/how to set it up

 

[pulpfiction1]

welcome to the world of saltwaterJBrimz,your gonna love it and its unique people,here is a link to a simple explanation

http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/bcorsettingup/a/aa020298sumps.htm

and another

http://www.brettsreef.com/index.php/how-a-saltwater-aquarium-sump-works/


the big advantage is like neo states,adds water volume to system,puts most unsightly things out of site,but the main one for me is it lets me set up my filtration the way i want it,total control of what goes where and what i decide to put into it,IMO you will find the more volume of water the more stable and more forgiving the system can be to operate.It makes adjustments easier without disturbing your main display tank.

 

[xxmurrxx]

Welcome to the site, Think I saw your post on Kijiji.
Defiently keep checking here / kijiji for a used setup, Seen a couple nice tanks go fairly cheap.. even sold one myself pretty cheap a while back.

For the sump, water basically overflows from your display tank into your "sump" then it goes through filtration / heaters / etc and is pumped back up to the display.

My advice would be to start at least 50+gal, and even if planning fowlr try to get lighting / filters that can support corals.

 

[Blob-79]

Either way I would be getting a drilled tank if I were you. You may not want corals or anything crazy right now...but we all know you will in the future. Getting the proper setup now will make you life that much easier in the future

 

[Zakk]

I'll second that, I tried the gravity fed overflows, and man, they are a pain. 

 

[Neopimp]

There are many Members Tank build threads on the forum.... have a look through them all.  There is a really nice 120 Gal with a basement sump worth looking at.  Its known as the fish killer. 


The Fish cant believe how lucky they are to be in the tnak so they drop dead of shock and awe.

 

[Blob-79]

The Fish cant believe how lucky they are to be in the tnak so they drop dead of shock and awe.

LoL....

 

[Gietz]

Ahhh I'm glad you took my advice and joined the forum!!! Were all a good group here and any problems just let us know and we will do our best I joined this forum a year before I even got a tank and trust me the research is the most important part! Good luck!!

 

[IrishPride]

Either way I would be getting a drilled tank if I were you. You may not want corals or anything crazy right now...but we all know you will in the future. Getting the proper setup now will make you life that much easier in the future

Hey JBrimz - I find Blob's comment so true.  I joined this site back in September/October and I had kinda taken the jump from Fresh to Saltwater with the idea of maintaining a FOWLR system.  After a couple weeks of seeing these guys post pics of their amazing tanks and corals I have been regretting the route I had taken.  I thought I would only want fish but I have since changed my mind!!  (Thanks BLOB!!) If you want to stay on the FOWLR path that is fine too - just stay out of the members tanks thread!! LOL They'll hook you in!!

I don't have the proper set up to accommodate the transition and now I have the unfortunate task of upgrading while not trying to to disturb what I've got going on already.  Probably just easier for me to set up another tank

There are a ton of great people on here who know their stuff!!  Any issues or questions I've had these guys have not lead me astray.  There are all kinds of stuff in books that you can research (which is fine), but if you want practical information and what works....ask these guys.  Read Rick's section for Beginners.  Lots of great information all over this site.....Library is a good spot too!!

It can't hurt to build a tank with everything you need to transition to a reef or mixed reef system.  If you change your mind you really have nothing to lose...

Just an FYI - I started my FOWLR without a sump.  I had heater, protein skimmer, cannister filter and a couple of power heads.  Pretty much the basics without spending a ton of cash (aside from the fish).  Sticking to a regular maintenance schedule and doing about 30% water change every week had me running a pretty smooth FOWLR.  I would recommend getting an RO/DI system though as other people have already mentioned.  It just saves a big hassle of lugging water around, long term cost of buying the water etc.  So much easier to have your own system.

Just my two cents...

 

[phi delt reefer]

skimmers help minimize aerate reef tanks for we dont run air stones like fresh water folk do.

the other issue is a skimmer help clear the water of waste so you can get away with fewer water changes. otherwise you will need to keep up with larger more regular water changes to keep up the water clarity or you will quickly get nutrient issues that will promote algae/bacteria growth.

key to this hobby - take your time. sleep on every decision and you wont regret it.  Its takes a good year or more to get a awesome tank up and running from scratch so make sure you are in it for the long run. And always err on the side caution - get equipment rated one size larger than advertised for its always over-rated - shitty marketing is a staple of the aquarium industry. Feel free to vette you equipment purchasing ideas on the forums for everyone has already done some research/owned various brands to give you a good idea of what to expect from your purchase.

 

[pulpfiction1]

get equipment rated one size larger than advertised for its always over-rated - shitty marketing is a staple of the aquarium industry. Feel free to vette you equipment purchasing ideas on the forums for everyone has already done some research/owned various brands to give you a good idea of what to expect from your purchase.

excellent bit of advice

 

[El concistador]

Even fish alone look much nicer under reef/coral lighting, a 50G is a great set up to learn from and may be all you need.  it's best to figure out your ultimate goal before starting or you will be upgrading a lot and wasting money

my personal opinion on lighting would be 4 t5 h.o lighting on the display with 20G sump this will not allow you to have sps with great success but you can have a large variety of other coral's.