Starting a marine tank

[nishant.datta]

Hey guys,

I'm starting a marine tank and thought I'd share my step by step progress. The tank's foot print will be 60" X 18". Haven't yet finalised the height. Thinking maybe 24". I'm planning to make it a FOWLR (fish only with live rock) tank. I'm presently at the initial steps.

I've already identified a location indoors where there is no direct sunlight. Considering that I'm in Delhi, heat is going to be a major problem to deal with and it helps if you keep the tank away from direct sunlight, in a cool corner.

The filteration will be a wet/dry sump with a protein skimmer.

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Keeping marine aquarium in Delhi is not an easy task but many aquarists keeping marine tanks in Delhi. Please consider following:

1. Light: You are going to install a FOWLR tank so choosing light is easy. T5 will be a good choice. They will not over heat the water. But if you want coraline algae on rocks you all also need actinic lights. Metal Halide will over heat the tank.

2. Live Sand/Aragonite: Need as substrate and help to increase the micro organism. Also plays a major role in filteration.

3. Live Rock: LR is the responsible for biological filteration. It should be atleast one pound per 4-5 gallons of water.

4. Cooling method: In summers, you need to reduce the temperature of water. Chiller is the best option but fans also works good. I maintains temperature around 27 degree celcius in my planted tanks in summers.

I have limited knowledge in marine side of hobby. Two master are here in marine hobby, they will sure satisfied you and others.

[nash81]

Hi rajiv

sorru but your reply there seems to be a copy paste from other sites and not really
practical info from running a marine tank. No offense meant but a marine bio system is a lot more complex than that.

nishant its definitely very easy to run a marine tank in delhi if you get your basics right

If you plan a reef ever in the future, invest in the right lighting, skimmer and chiller. Fans are not an option truly in delhi as water evaporation is high and salinity variation will be disastorous.

so if you are let say on a tight budget dont waste money on cheap chinese skimmers, a wrong skimmer can also run havoc in your system, a large reason why a lot of reefs fail.

save the money for future and buy a good skimmer as and when you can. With leds being so easily available lighting is not a diifficult choice now, however strive for a very good flow rate, its another key ingridient, having said that dont be an impulsive buyer of anything, plan it out and go step by step. Its better to go slow and reach the righ destination than drive fast and loose your destination .

although i am largely a commercial person but have spent good 14yrs of my life keeping marine tanks. Since this is your first attempt, my advice keep it simple

in india live rock from our coast is heavy and you will typically need 1kg per gallon. Mature the tank well and complete the whole cycle, make a quarantine tank and introduce fish only after quarantine.

feel free to get intouch and will be glad to help.
Regards
nirav

[nishant.datta]

Thanks Nirav, I'll definitely stay in touch.

I've just started this topic and what I gave planned is to update it every step of the way so future members and prospective marine tank enthusiasts have a practical perspective. I'll also try and post the costs incurred at every stage so people can also get an idea of the budget.

[SCORPIO]

Hi rajiv

sorru but your reply there seems to be a copy paste from other sites and not really
practical info from running a marine tank. No offense meant but a marine bio system is a lot more complex than that.

nishant its definitely very easy to run a marine tank in delhi if you get your basics right

If you plan a reef ever in the future, invest in the right lighting, skimmer and chiller. Fans are not an option truly in delhi as water evaporation is high and salinity variation will be disastorous.

so if you are let say on a tight budget dont waste money on cheap chinese skimmers, a wrong skimmer can also run havoc in your system, a large reason why a lot of reefs fail.

save the money for future and buy a good skimmer as and when you can. With leds being so easily available lighting is not a diifficult choice now, however strive for a very good flow rate, its another key ingridient, having said that dont be an impulsive buyer of anything, plan it out and go step by step. Its better to go slow and reach the righ destination than drive fast and loose your destination .

although i am largely a commercial person but have spent good 14yrs of my life keeping marine tanks. Since this is your first attempt, my advice keep it simple

in india live rock from our coast is heavy and you will typically need 1kg per gallon. Mature the tank well and complete the whole cycle, make a quarantine tank and introduce fish only after quarantine.

feel free to get intouch and will be glad to help.
Regards
nirav

Nirav I have never copy/paste from other sites. It is not your fault, every L.F.S. try to inspire the aquarist to brought expensive equipments and other accessories.

I know the good investment will be best to run a marine tank successfully for long term but I am an end user. If you are installing all of the best equipments in an aquarium, what have you done? I know a guy in Delhi, Ashok Ji also know him. He used all of best equipments in his tank but result is not satisfied. He sourced all of the equipments/accessories from USA. I also know a guy in Delhi who running a reef tank only on a Chinese skimmer without any other equipment with T5 lights, Actinic lights, cooling fans. He never used any other equipment but result is amazing. No sign of algae in his aquarium. Corals are multiplying very fast. He changes 25% water twice a month. To fight evaporation, he daily levels water, so no problem.

If you are advising any hobbyist, first of all, keep away the soul of a businessman. Have you seen ever, lots of marine tanks are running without any high end equipments. Live Sand/Live Rock both are the keys to get success in a marine tank. If you are challenging me that without so much equipments, it is not possible to run a marine tank, reserve some time for hobby and I will show you both tanks. After that decide what is must, efforts or equipments.

[nash81]

Hi rajiv,

no where in the post do i mention to buy expensive equipment, my post clearly suggest buy wisely. Well if your friend is running a tank successfully with using a chinese skimmer than it will run equally successfully without the skimmer or with a better skimmer it will run even more successfully, also good skimmers does not always mean expensive and you always have the diy route.

Buying expensive or equipment from the US does not mean your tank will be successfull. Buying the right equipment is important.

Whenn you say ashok ji tank is not running successfully please clarify, as far as i know his older tank had some of the best coraline growth, an almost dead brain was coming back to life, copepods and other essentail marine life was multiplying, mushrooms were giving out daughters, sps and lps iboth were just fine, the tank was shifted to a smaller tank and was giving initial jitters as the lighting was not sufficient and the tank would take his its time maturing again. When the lighting was changed ashokjis corals like fire n ice were multiplying. Probably one of the most difficult one to multiply amongst the many he has in his tank.

if you say your friend runs a tank very easily and simply that a person starting a tank first time can run it, why does your post say its difficult to run a marine tank in delhi. It should be easier than running a planted for sure.


Regards
nirav

[SCORPIO]

Hi rajiv,

no where in the post do i mention to buy expensive equipment, my post clearly suggest buy wisely. Well if your friend is running a tank successfully with using a chinese skimmer than it will run equally successfully without the skimmer or with a better skimmer it will run even more successfully, also good skimmers does not always mean expensive and you always have the diy route.

Buying expensive or equipment from the US does not mean your tank will be successfull. Buying the right equipment is important.

Whenn you say ashok ji tank is not running successfully please clarify, as far as i know his older tank had some of the best coraline growth, an almost dead brain was coming back to life, copepods and other essentail marine life was multiplying, mushrooms were giving out daughters, sps and lps iboth were just fine, the tank was shifted to a smaller tank and was giving initial jitters as the lighting was not sufficient and the tank would take his its time maturing again. When the lighting was changed ashokjis corals like fire n ice were multiplying. Probably one of the most difficult one to multiply amongst the many he has in his tank.

if you say your friend runs a tank very easily and simply that a person starting a tank first time can run it, why does your post say its difficult to run a marine tank in delhi. It should be easier than running a planted for sure.


Regards
nirav

Read the lines carefully, I have not referenced the tank of Ashok Ji.

Most of the calculators on the net are based on pound, so I have also referenced pound.

[nash81]

Rajiv so thats what i meant looks like information resourced from other sites and posted here. Largely the sites will also reference to fiji or tonga rock, extremely light and porus, more surface area for bacteria, indian rocks are heavy and less porus, less surface area for bacteria.

Also dont think you read my lines carefully, my advice to nishant was to buy wisely and not be an impulsive buyer. So when you talk abt leaving my business aside and spare sometime for the hobby, you may want to think again.

Nishants plan is to run a 60x18x24 tank, can you advice how much t5 lighting he will need to run a succeessfull fowlr and under what actinic ratio and kelvin and how will the lighting system be more cheaper in terms of cost of product + electric consumption + heat dispation over 2yrs with the use of fans and considering water evaporation how much daily ro water he will have to top up and doing 25% water change every 15days and the cost of ro water plus salt for that and considering let say he uses a home ro unit, how much water will he waste in making 25% ro water every 15days for his tank.

also for that water volume what is the skimmer that you suggest and how much protein content do we expect to expell. Also what will be the wattage of the pump and the amount of heat it will generate in the tank.

Also since live sand is an essential part how much quantity of live sand would nishant need, what should be the particulate size and what thickness at sifting methods you would suggest for aerobic and anerobic bacteria growth.

Lastly you have not mentioned flow rate that he should maintain in his tank, does he need to use wavemakers or powerheads and if so what flowrate and wattage should he use and how much further heat would that add to his tank and how much electric bills would they generate.

also will he need some test kits?

now these are some basic questions and precise answers that nishant will need to start work on his tank, hence i am asking so that it will help all hobbyist.

if you cannot find answers to those questions let me know will send you the links for you to read and then answer, cause if i answer them it will be business that i will be doing.

Regards
nirav

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also for that water volume what is the skimmer that you suggest and how much protein content do we expect to expell. Also what will be the wattage of the pump and the amount of heat it will generate in the tank.

Also since live sand is an essential part how much quantity of live sand would nishant need, what should be the particulate size and what thickness at sifting methods you would suggest for aerobic and anerobic bacteria growth.

Lastly you have not mentioned flow rate that he should maintain in his tank, does he need to use wavemakers or powerheads and if so what flowrate and wattage should he use and how much further heat would that add to his tank and how much electric bills would they generate.

also will he need some test kits?

I don't need any links. I have already mentioned about my limited knowledge in marine aquarium. It is best to answer all the above mentioned questions.

[Abhi]

Lets get this back to the topic. If any debate needs to be there please start a new thread for that. As for Nishant, best of luck, your tank's footprint is good would suggest you source in the LR and LS after you have set up the tank and let the water salinity stabalize with a filteration on. Also if your planning on a fOWLR, pick the kinds of fish first then plan the tank scape and layout.