I am setting up a 50gal saltwater aquarium for the first time. It will be a reef tank w/fish. I am not using a sump. I am familiar with setup and maintenance, but had a few questions. I was planning on getting around 50lbs of live rock. I also have a protein skimmer. Will this alone be enough biological filter? Should I get a mechanical filter too? If so what kind? Will the live rock have the needed bacteria to complete the start-up nitrogen cycle?
Also.. Is there any advantage to getting a larger heater vs. one that is rated around the size of your aquarium?
Also.. Is there any advantage to getting a larger heater vs. one that is rated around the size of your aquarium?
I don't know about the first stuff, but you HAVE to get a filter for the size of your aquarium. Its not like filters. A bigger heater will overheat and cause damage to your fish.
The live rock will provide all of the bacterial filtration required, but you still would want mechanical filtration. The mechanical will help catch dirt before it breaks down becomes ammonia. Plus this is a way for you to add carbon and things.
When it comes to heaters it is always better to go with 2 smaller ones.
This way if one gets stuck on it will not nuke your tank as quickly. If one breaks and wont come on again the one will keep your tank from bottoming out .
When it comes to heaters it is always better to go with 2 smaller ones.
This way if one gets stuck on it will not nuke your tank as quickly. If one breaks and wont come on again the one will keep your tank from bottoming out .
15 Years of Reef Keeping.
love the first answer... duh
Anyway a 50 gallon saltwater is rather easy becuase of the size of the aquarium, i would hold off with making it reef until it is established, since this is your first saltwater tank im assuming you dont know enough about water parameters to keep corals healthy, but this will come in time.
As far as filtration you can use HOB filters. For a reef tank you want currents so two HOB filters are best. I personally use aquaclears because they are veristle in that you can put whatever media in you want, IE for a reef tank you want to have a phosophate remover in the media where other HOB dont allow this to happen.
Yes live rock does biological filtration but you can also add more to the aquarium such as adding biological filtration media to the HOB filter. and 50 pounds of live rock is fine, around 1 pound oer gallon.
Again you also want 1 pound of live sand per gallon. The live sand and rock will help the seeding of the aquarium but it will not cut the cycling process, it will take around 2-4 weeks.
Heaters are best for the size they are recommend the problem is that saltwater tanks need more chillers than heaters
WHY?
Because saltwater lighting produces alot of heat. If your planning corals you will need at least power compacts or T5 or metal halide lighting which all produce heat where usually keeps the water stable in temp.
Anyway a 50 gallon saltwater is rather easy becuase of the size of the aquarium, i would hold off with making it reef until it is established, since this is your first saltwater tank im assuming you dont know enough about water parameters to keep corals healthy, but this will come in time.
As far as filtration you can use HOB filters. For a reef tank you want currents so two HOB filters are best. I personally use aquaclears because they are veristle in that you can put whatever media in you want, IE for a reef tank you want to have a phosophate remover in the media where other HOB dont allow this to happen.
Yes live rock does biological filtration but you can also add more to the aquarium such as adding biological filtration media to the HOB filter. and 50 pounds of live rock is fine, around 1 pound oer gallon.
Again you also want 1 pound of live sand per gallon. The live sand and rock will help the seeding of the aquarium but it will not cut the cycling process, it will take around 2-4 weeks.
Heaters are best for the size they are recommend the problem is that saltwater tanks need more chillers than heaters
WHY?
Because saltwater lighting produces alot of heat. If your planning corals you will need at least power compacts or T5 or metal halide lighting which all produce heat where usually keeps the water stable in temp.