BASIC UNDERSTANDING OF CORAL AND REEFS CLICK HERE

Aquarium and stands

One of the first decisions needed to make is what size tank you are going to set up. With the better understanding of proper husbandry of a reef tank and the advancement in technology almost any size tank can be a reef tank. People are now keeping small tanks under 35 gallons, referred to as nano-reefs to aquariums in excess of 1,000 gallons. There are three main factors to consider when choosing a tank: 1) Space available to put the tank and 2) Your budget 3) Time

It is usually recommended to go with the largest tank that will fit both in the space allotted and the budget set for the tank. Although larger tanks are usually more self sustaining, one should not overspend their budget on a larger tank and then sacrifice on "cheaper" equipment. The components are needed to properly set up a reef tank are just as important, if not more important than the tank itself.

In addition to the tank, a strong stable stand or base will be needed to support the tank. A gallon of freshwater weighs a little over eight pounds and saltwater will weight slightly more.  Just a  fifty gallon tank will weight in excess of 400 pounds in just the weight of the water, that does not include anything inside like liverock either. An unstable stand or base could cause the tank to crack or break causing an obvious huge mess. 

The other thing you have to consider is type of inhabitants that you would like to keep. This will have also a large influence on the size of aquarium in which your inhabitants will be living and will behave most naturally.

Also please remember before buying a aquarium reef,  they are a fairly large commitment, it is up to you to do your very best and educate yourself so you can give your animals the best life possible! A reef aquarium has to be well planned, and require time, nurturing and patient planning to reach their total potential, if you follow these steps it will help in giving you the best reef aquarium you can be proud of, and that itself is very rewarding!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON:  AQUARIUM AND STAND QUICK OVERVIEW

Lighting system

A majority of corals that are kept in a reef tank are photosynthetic and require simulated sunlight to survive. It is important to know that corals contain algae called zooxanthellae in their tissue. The zooxanthellae photosynthesis and feed the corals. If the proper light is not given to the corals, they will not thrive in our tanks and will eventually perish. There are two main types of lights available that hobbyists will use to light their tanks. The first is fluorescent lights and the second is metal halide lights.

Within the fluorescent lighting, there are three types of lighting most commonly used: Very High Output (VHO); Power compact (PC); and T5 High Output. VHO lighting has been a main staple for reef tanks for many years. VHO bulbs look exactly like a normal fluorescent bulb but run at a higher wattage (and require a special ballast). For example a standard four foot fluorescent bulb will run at 40 watts, but a four foot VHO bulb will run at 110 watts. VHO bulbs will come in a variety of lengths from 24" to 72" and in a variety of color spectrums. By using multiple bulbs over a tank, the aquarist is able to provide a high enough wattage of light for the corals to thrive.

PC bulbs differ from standard fluorescent bulbs in that they hook into a single endcap instead of two endcaps like normal fluorescent bulbs. Also instead of a single tube, a PC bulb will have two bulbs that will run parallel to each other coming out of the single socket. The two bulbs will be connected opposite the endcaps by a small glass tube. One of the unique features of these bulbs is that manufactures are actually able to have each tube the same spectrum or different spectrums. When one tube is one color and the other tube is a different color, this is commonly called a 50/50 bulb. PC bulbs will come in a variety of lengths and wattages from about 6 inches and 9 watts up to 48 inches and 130 watts. Like the VHO bulbs, using a combination of PC bulbs will allow the aquarist to provide a high enough wattage for keeping corals alive and thriving.

T5 bulbs are one of the newest lines of lighting that are being on a reef tank. These bulbs are similar to VHO bulbs except they are much thinner bulbs. VHO bulbs are classified as T12 bulbs. The T in both of these is referring to the shape of the lamp, T stands fro tubular and the number (5 and 12) indicates the diameter in eights of an inch. The T12 bulbs are 1 ½" or 38 mm and the T5 bulbs are 5/8" or 16mm in diameter. The smaller diameter bulb allows for a higher output from a smaller bulb. At this time there are not as many varieties of bulb color temperatures available, but this is changing as more and more hobbyists start using T5 over their reef tanks.

The staple for lighting a reef tank though is still using metal halide (MH) lighting. Unlike fluorescent lights that spread light over the full length of the tube, metal halide bulbs emit their light from a single point. This allows for a more intense light that can penetrate deeper into the water.

There are two types of metal halide bulbs available to hobbyists, single ended and double ended bulbs. As the name suggests single ended bulbs have a single male threaded end that will screw in to a socket, similar to a standard light bulb. With in the single ended bulbs there are two different sizes available, medium base (or standard household light bulb size) and mogul base (larger in diameter than the medium base). The single ended bulbs are available in a wide variety of color temperatures (Kelvin ratings) and most commonly come in 150, 175, 250 and 400 watt. Double ended bulbs do not screw into their fittings rather they slide or snap into two endcaps (made of ceramic with metal contacts). Double ended bulbs also come in a wide variety of color temperatures and are available in 70, 150, 250 and 400 watt.

A single metal halide lamp will light an area that is approximately two feet by two feet. A tank that is 24 inches long will require one metal halide lamp and for every additional two feet in tank length another metal halide lamp should be added. When you know the number of bulbs needed, you will also need to know what wattage lamps to go with. A generally rule of thumb for single ended bulbs is for tanks under 18 inches deep use 175 watt lamps, for tanks between 18-24 inches deep use 250 watt lamps and for tanks over 24 inches deep use 400 watt bulbs. For double ended lamps the general rule of thumb is for tanks under 18 inches deep to use either 70 or 150 watt bulbs, for tanks 18-24 inches deep use 150 to 250 watt bulbs and for tanks over 24 inches deep use 250 to 400 watt bulbs. The reason for this is that double ended bulbs will have a higher PAR value (in layman terms, intensity or brightness) when compared watt per watt to single ended lamps.

Another consideration when using MH lamps is the Kelvin rating (color temperature) of the bulb. Metal halide lamps will come in a variety of colors from greenish yellow (low K value around 5500K to 6500K) to a crisp white with a hint of yellow (medium value around 10000K) to a bluish white color (higher value around 20000K). There are a number of different Kelvin rated bulbs available between the 5500K to 20000K ratings to allow the aquarist to find the color they like best for their tank. So what color is best for your tank? This varies from person to person. If you like the look of a crisp white tank, bulbs around the 10,000K range are your best bet. If you like a more blue color in the tank, then a bulb above 14000K is generally your best choice. It should also be mentioned that the Kelvin ratings will have an effect on both the color and the growth of corals. Lower Kelvin rated bulbs will give you quicker growth in your corals, but will not bring out the best color in them. Higher Kelvin rated bulbs will generally give you brighter colored corals, but the growth will be slower.

One last note on metal halide lighting that should probably be mentioned is that many people will use supplemental lighting in combination to metal halide lights. In addition to the metal halide bulbs, they will add fluorescent actinic lighting to the tank. The first benefit to using the supplemental lighting is that the actinic lighting can help corals and fish look more colorful. Actinic lights will help fluoresce the pigments in the corals and fish almost making them glow in the tank. This is especially true of greens and reds in corals and fish. Another benefit to using supplemental actinic lighting is that is can help wash out the yellow color from lower Kelvin rated bulbs. One last benefit to the actinic lights is that it will allow the aquarist to have dawn to dusk lighting. Dawn to dust lighting is the ramping up in intensity of the lights over the tank. Using timers the aquarist can have the actinic lights come on first, similar to when the sun first starts to rise in the morning. Then the metal halide lights will turn on along with the actinics simulating midday. Then the metal halide bulbs shut off leaving just the actinics on similar to the sun setting. This will give a dawn to dusk effect for the tank then lastly your moon light will turn on just before your actinic turns of for a moon night time simulation.

So what is the best lighting for your tank? This will depend on the corals you would like to keep. Generally speaking for most soft corals, mushrooms and most LPS corals such as hammer, bubble and brain corals any of the fluorescent lighting options will work excellent. If you are more interested in keeping SPS corals, such as acroporas and montiporas and also keeping clams metal halide lighting would be your best choice, but totally necessarily your only choice many high output T5's done the right way can work also, and the new PFO Solaris led light can work also.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON: LIGHTING QUICK OVERVIEW

Filtration and Protein Skimming

Setting up a biological filtration system for a reef tank is probably one of the easiest components of a reef tank. For a reef aquarium there really only needs to be two main components; liverock and a protein skimmer. Liverock is rock that has been harvested from the ocean in tropical locations such as Fiji and the Marshall Islands . The rock is very porous and will act as a biological filter for your tank.   People tend to  disagree on how much rock to use in a reef tank, but generally it is recommended to use anywhere between ½ to 2 pounds per gallon of water. It is also important when putting the rock in the tank to make sure water can easily circulate around the rock. Be very careful when handling liverock it is very sharp and can cut hands and fingers and also scratch acrylic and glass too when aquascaping your tank. 

In addition to good quality liverock in the tank a high quality protein skimmer is also needed. A protein skimmer will remove organic pollutants before they breakdown, which in turn will help to keep higher water quality for your fish and corals. There are different styles of skimmers available with the most popular styles being venturi (pulling air into the skimmer to create bubbles), downdraft (forcing water at high flow rates through bioballs to create bubbles) and spray injection (spraying water mixes with air to create fine bubbles). All three of these styles of skimmers work very efficiently. When choosing a skimmer, you will want to find the one that fits in your budget and the space available, and also you will need to consider what kind of set-up you will want, in sump skimmer,  hang-on skimmer, or a skimmer just plumed under or off  to the side of your tank, these are all things you have to consider when planning your aquarium.

Remember also there are other components to filtering a reef tank that can be implemented to help filter your aquarium such as the use of a refugium , ozone and a UV sterilizer . 

CLICK HERE  FOR MORE INFO ON:  FILTRATION AND SKIMMING QUICK OVERVIEW

Heaters

Most saltwater fish and corals that are kept by hobbyist are from tropical regions, therefore need warm water to survive in our aquariums. Most corals and saltwater fish require a very stable temperature between 76 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. The use of a heater or multiple (2)  heaters will be able to help keep the temperature from getting to low.

There many different types of heaters available by different manufactures. The first two types of heaters include submersible heaters and non-submersible heaters. Submersible heaters, like the name implies, are able to be completely submerged underwater including the cord going into the unit and the temperature dial. The other style of heater, the non-submersible heaters, will hang on the back of the aquarium with part of the heater (the glass tube) submerged in the water and the temperature dial and cord completely on the outside. Generally speaking the submersible heaters are the preferred choice for marine aquariums. They tend to be more accurate and more dependable than the hang on the tank heaters.

Within the submersible heaters you will find two different styles available, glass and titanium, digital and non-digital display's. The glass heaters use a heating element inside a sealed glass tube to warm the water. The titanium heaters use a titanium rod that is submerged in the water for heating. Both styles are very efficient at heating the water.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON:  HEATERS

Salt

There are many different manufacturers of synthetic sea salt that one can purchase. This synthetic salt is mixed with conditioned tap water or better yet purified (such as reverse osmosis or reverse osmosis/deionization) water to make up saltwater for your aquarium. Although the manufacturers will let you know how much salt to put in per gallon of water, you will still want a way to measure the actual salt content in the water. By using a hydrometer/refractometer you are able to find out how much salt is in the water. Ideally most saltwater tank will run best with a specific gravity of 1.022 to 1.025 or a specific gravity of 28-33 ppt with most keeping the specific gravity closer to the 1.023-1.025 range.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON:  SALT QUICK OVERVIEW

Substrate

There are a few different schools of thoughts on putting sand in a reef tank. This is a decision that you will have to make on your own after you have done your own research on the topic and decided which method of thought you belong to.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON:   SAND QUICK OVERVIEW

Test Kits

Testing the water in a reef tank is extremely important. Corals and other invertebrates can be much more sensitive to water conditions than fish. Also corals will pull nutrients and compounds out of the water to aid in feeding and building their skeletons. By testing the water you will know if and when certain supplements such as calcium need to be added to the tank or when you are due (or overdue) for a water change.

What are the most important tests to run on a marine and reef tank? There are the basic four that should be run on all aquariums, especially newly set up tanks. Those tests are for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate and pH. Ammonia and nitrite should read zero all the time. If either of these levels are high in a well established tank, something is wrong with the biological filter or the tank is overcrowded or is being overfed and there are to many nutrients. This can be counter acted by adding more fully cured liverock and live sand (or replacing some older liverock with newer liverock), reducing the bioload in the tank, cutting back on feeding and doing a series of water changes in the tank.

Nitrate, the byproduct when ammonia and nitrites are broken down should also be at zero or very close to zero. If your tank is getting elevated nitrate levels this is usually caused by overfeeding of the tanks inhabitants and/or poor husbandry (i.e. lack of water changes). Overcrowding of the tank can also cause excessive amounts of nitrates also. Again the best way to correct this problems is reduced feedings, reduce the bioload if overcrowding is an issue and performing water changes.

The pH of a reef aquarium should run between 8.0-8.5 and usually will vary some through out the day and night it should get higher through out the day and mostly when lights are on. If the tank is experiencing low pH levels all the time, this usually is caused by low oxygen/high carbon dioxide levels in the tank or high amounts of dissolved organics. Some of the best ways to counter act a low pH in the tank include performing water changes, increasing the circulation in the tank or adding a refugium. If a low pH is only being noticed during the night time when the lights are off, dripping kalkwasser (also called limewater) during the evening can help combat this. Kalkwasser has two benefits to the aquarium. First it has a very high pH (right around 10) which can help raise the pH in the aquarium and second it will also provide calcium to the water for the corals.

In addition to those tests there are also three other tests that are very important to run. The first test is for phosphates. High levels of phosphates in the reef aquarium can cause excessive and nuisance algae growths within the aquarium. Phosphates can be introduced into the aquarium many different ways including from your tap water and the foods that are fed to your fish and corals. The use of a tap water filter (reverse osmosis or reverse osmosis/deionization filter), limiting feedings and the use of a phosphate removing media can also help reduce or eliminate phosphates.

The last two but but still rather important that should be run on a reef tank are for alkalinity and calcium. Calcium and alkalinity along with pH play a key role in your corals ability to utilize dissolved calcium in the water to build its skeleton. If any one of those levels are excessive low or high the corals will have a more difficult time using the calcium from the water causing undo stress on the coral. This stress can lead to loss of color, slow growth, weakened immunity and even death in some cases. Ideally the alkalinity should be around 7-10 dKH and the calcium should be around 380-450 mg/L. Having the tank running at these optimal levels and with a pH around 8.3-8.45 will produce ideal conditions for the calcification by corals.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON: TEST KIT QUICK OVERVIEW

 Food (for your fish and your corals)

There are a very wide  and different variety of foods available for your fish including flake, pellets, freeze dried and frozen foods and even alive food. Different fish will have different dietary needs, so you will want to research (hopefully before you purchase the animal) what type of food your fish will require. From there you will be able to choose the appropriate food for them. Variety is the best option for your fish also, so keep different types of food on hand and mix up their diets daily.

The corals in your tank will also enjoy some direct feeding of foods in the proper size range. Large polyp corals such as brain, hammer and bubble corals have feeding tentacles that are able to catch food of almost any size. Foods such as shrimp, scallop and fish and cyclopeeze can make great treats for the corals. Other corals like SPS corals and clams do not have the ability to catch and ingest large food pieces, but are able to feed on food of small particle sizes. These small particle sized foods include phytoplanktons and oyster eggs and cyclopeeze. It is highly recommended to feed your corals to help fulfill all their nutritional needs. But as with any foods, you don't want to overfeed the tank as that could lead to elevated phosphate and nitrate levels.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON: FOOD QUICK OVERVIEW

OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS:

Books

We fell every marine and reef owner should own at least one very good if not two good books. Our favorite beginner books at www.oceanreeflections.com  are 1. Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner 2. Reef Secrets by Alf Jacob Nilsen and Svein A. Fossa 3. Natural ReeF Aquariums by John Tullock. And for the more advanced  aquarist we recommend volumes 1,2,3 of The Reef Aquarium by Julian Spung and J. Charles Delbeek. Some other good topics for books to own include,  ones about the fish themselves, such as PocketExpert Guide: Marine Fishes by Scott W. Michael or World Atlas of Marine Fishes by Rudie Kuiter and Helmut Debelius and finally ones about corals (including care and identification) such as Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman or Corals A Quick Reference Guide by Julian Sprung. Many hobbyists will bring along a fish book and a coral book, such as Scott Michaels and Julian Sprungs book when they shop for their fish and corals. That way if they aren't sure if a fish or coral are a good choice for their tank, they can double check if it is suitable.

www.oceanreeflections.com carries a large variety of aquarium books and reef books, and fish and coral books over 25 books in all, please go here to visit our complete list of books.

Water Purification 

Reverse Osmosis (RO) or Reverse Osmosis/Deionization (RO/DI) tap water filter The use of an RO filtering system can remove 98-99% of all pollutants and using an RO/DI filter can remove 99.9% of impurities from your tap water. This most certain will be very important to the overall health and success in your aquarium.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON: FOR MORE INFORMATION ON RO/DI WATER PURIFICATION

Chiller

During the spring and summer months overheating of the tank water can become a concern. Even though fish and corals and inverts can tolerate warmer temperatures, constant high temperatures can stress the fish and corals and inverts  leading to diseases and death. Also the warmer the water the less oxygen your tank it is able to hold. If your tank temperature gets above 82-84 degrees Fahrenheit, a chiller would be a good investment for your tank.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON: CHILLERS AND COOLING QUICK OVERVIEW

UV Sterilizer

The use of an ultraviolet (UV) sterilizer can also be very beneficial to the overall health of your fish and tank. When properly set up a UV sterilizer can help reduce the risk of parasite outbreaks, such as ich in the aquarium. Also the sterilizer can help prevent the outbreak of free floating alga in the tank. Free floating alga is more commonly seen in freshwater tanks, but can also happen in saltwater environments also and UV will help eliminate these problems.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON: UV STERILIZERS QUICK OVERVIEW

Ozonizer

Sometime people will have a difficult time and frustrating trying to keeping the water in their aquarium as super clear as they would like it to be. Despite doing water changes and using carbon they still find the water has a slight tint to it. This is where the use of an ozonizer can help out. An ozonizer will help clear up the water to almost look like the fish are floating in air while swimming through the aquarium. Basically ozone will help to raise the Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP). With higher ORP levels, dissolved organics in the water that cause the discoloring are able to get broken down much more efficiently.

The best way to introduce ozone into the aquarium is pumping it into a protein skimmer that is made of ozone safe materials. Ozone can actually deteriorate some plastics and acrylic, so caution must be used when introducing ozone to the aquarium. It is also suggested to use a controller to monitor the ORP in your aquarium. The controller will turn off the ozonizer if the ORP levels get too high. Lastly ozone can be harmful to humans and animals if levels get too high. The use of carbon to absorb any ozone that escapes the system is a good precaution to take. Please take precautions when using ozone.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON:  OZONIZER QUICK OVERVIEW

Wavemakers

Marine fish and corals and inverts enjoy lots of water movement. One way to increase the random patterns of the powerheads in the aquarium is to use a wavemaker. A wavemaker will turn on and off the powerheads allowing for some different flow patterns depending on which powerhead is running. One caution about using a wavemaker on powerheads is to make the powerheads you are using are suitable for use with a wavemaker. Certain powerheads, such as the Aquarium System's Maxi-Jet powerheads work well with wavemakers while other brands "freeze up" due to the constant turning on and off by the wavemaker

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON:  WAVEMAKERS QUICK OVERVIEW

Electronic controllers, thermometers, refractometers, hydrometers, timers, and top-off units  (ALL MONITORS AND CONTROLLERS)

Controllers can help make the reef aquarium hobby easier!   Testing of your water is very important, but it can be time consuming. Although there are not monitors for all the tests we run, there are monitors for many of them. The most popular monitor or controller used on reef tanks is for reading the pH of the aquarium and temperature. There are also monitors for reading calcium levels, salinity, ORP (oxygen reduction potential, and also control lighting and pump and a few others..   Some Monitors can even send readings back to your computer and give you piece of mind when you are away.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON:  ALL CONTROLLERS AND MONITORS - / TIMERS /  HYDROMETERS / TOP-OFFS  AND MUCH MORE!

Calcium Reactors

Reef tanks that contain high levels of calcium demanding corals and inverts require a constant supply of calcium in the tank. Corals like acroporas, montiporas, brain corals and any coral with a hard skeleton and clams will constantly be pulling calcium out of the water to build their skeleton. For small tanks the manual addition of a calcium supplement may be enough to keep up with the demand. But for larger tanks with many SPS and clams, the daily additions simply may not be enough to keep up with the demand. A calcium reactor offers a simple and convenient solution for maintaining calcium and alkalinity in your reef tank. After the initial setup, the calcium reactor requires minimal maintenance. A calcium reactor is almost a necessity for tanks heavily stocked with stony coral and clams where calcium and alkalinity demands are high. It is also a great addition for those looking to boost the growth of coralline algae on their live rock. Calcium reactors provide a steady supply of calcium to your reef through CO2 and keeps your tank at a constant supply and is a great addition to any reef tank.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON:  CALCIUM REACTOR OVERVIEW

Refugium

A refugium is a body of water separate from the main tank but on the same water system that acts as a refuge for another place to house micro-organism and alga (plants) free from predators.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON:  REFUGIUM  AND SUMP QUICK OVERVIEW

Return Pump

If you are using a sump that sits below your reef tank, you will need a return pump to push water back to the main tank. There are some considerations when choosing the correct pump. The first decision to be made is do you want an external or submersible pump? Both have their advantages and disadvantages to them.

Some of the disadvantages of the external pumps include that they will require a little extra plumbing from the sump and you will want to make sure all seals are leak-free to avoid any messes. Also external pumps usually cost more than submersible pumps. One last disadvantage to the external pumps is that they will require more space next to the sump. If space under the tank is limited, this could pose a big problem. Some of the advantages of the external pumps include they will have a wider range of flow rates available for all sized aquariums. Also most external pumps transfer very little heat back to the water allowing for a cooler running tank.

Submersible pumps also have some disadvantages such as they will transfer heat to the water as a means of cooling themselves. Another disadvantage of the submersible pumps is that they are limited in the flow rates available. Although there are some that have a higher flow rate, often times these pumps are quite large to be placed in the sump. Some of the advantages of the submersible pumps include ease of plumbing them into the systems and the less likely chance of the pump causing a water leak. One last advantage to submersible pumps is that they come in a wide variety of flow rates for even the smallest reef aquariums.

Another consideration when choosing a return pump is the flow rate for the pump. The first item you will need to find out is what flow rate your overflow will handle. If your pump is too powerful for your overflow, you will risk the chance of overflowing your tank. You will need to match up the overflow's flow rate to the flow rate of your pump. For example if your overflow can handle 1200 gallons per hour (gph), you will want to get a pump that will be pumping a maximum of 1200 gph to the aquarium. A generally recommendation for a reef tank is to have a turn over rate of approximately 10-20 times the water volume per hour. For an average 50 gallon tank, this would equate to a flow rate of 500 to 1000 gallons per hour. If your overflow can only handle a small amount of this flow, you can use powerheads or a closed loop to help increase the flow in the tank.

Powerheads

Saltwater fish and corals and inverts come from areas in the ocean where the water is in constant motion. It is a good idea to try to simulate this within the aquarium. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is through the use of powerheads and wavemakers. A powerhead is simply a water pump that can be placed in the aquarium to create water movement. The use of multiple powerheads positioned in different areas of the aquarium can also create random and chaotic flows. Another benefit to the increased water flow is it will cause debris to stay in suspension in the water column allowing the filter to trap the debris. One last benefit is that the extra water movement will allow for much better gas exchange between the aquarium and the atmosphere. By at least aiming one of the outputs of a powerhead towards the surface of the water, it will allow carbon dioxide to be released from the water into the atmosphere and oxygen to enter the water from the atmosphere.

If the thought of having powerheads through out the aquarium does not sound appealing, many people are now using closed loops systems to provide water movement in the aquarium. The advantage to a closed loop is there are no pumps placed inside the aquarium. Holes are drilled in the sides or bottom of the aquarium and bulkheads are used to hook up tubing to these holes. One or sometimes two holes are used for an intake. These intakes are then plumbed with PVC piping to an external water pump. The other holes will be used to return the water back to the tank from holes under the tank and or up through the overflow. from the output of the pump, again plumbed with PVC or vinyl tubing. Besides not having powerheads in the aquarium, the external pumps can also provide higher flow rates than submersible powerheads and can make the aquarium look much more natural then many pumps inside the display.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON:  PUMPS AND POWERHEADS QUICK OVERVIEW

The Good stuff and Bad stuff about equipment

Using high quality equipment will go much farther in your success in keeping a marine aquarium. Saving a couple of bucks here and there might look good on paper, but when the potential for that equipment to fail is higher are you truly saving in the long run? While there are exceptions, generally speaking you get what you pay for in this hobby.

Research is your friend in this hobby. With all the tools available to hobbyist (ONLINE FORUMS, BOOKS, CLUBS) now, there is no reason anyone can not find out everything they want to know about the quality of a particular piece of equipment. Using all the resources available to you from the internet, to the customer service reps at www.oceanreeflections.com ,  you will be able to find out everything you want to know.

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MORE HELPFUL INFORMATION:

Acclimating Livestock

Corals, Fish and Invertebrates need to be slowly acclimated to their new environment to lessen the stresses of shipping, changes in water quality, temperature, and lighting. Shipping can be a stressful process and careful acclimation with a little TLC for the first few days will insure long-term success. The two methods of acclimating livestock are the floating bag method or the drip method and you can choose to acclimate in your sump or tank. For precautionary biosecurity reasons, be carefull not to let any of the bag water get into your sump/tank.

Float Method
Recommended for fish and corals

When your order arrives inspect the box for any rough handling during shipping. Open the box carefully and take out your livestock 1 bag at a time. It is best to open the box and acclimate any fish in a dimly lit area, bright lighting can blind fish coming out of a dark box. First, float the unopened bag in your tank or sump for 15-20 minutes to adjust water temperature.

Remove the outer bags, carefully cut the top and remove outer bags, undo the rubberband and carefully roll down the sides of the innermost bag to create a float. Inspect the livestock for any indication of severe stress. If bag water smells extremely foul, or is greatly discolored a dip is recommended after acclimation.

Gently float the bag in your tank or sump - check that it does not sink. Have some pre-mixed saltwater on hand to refill your tank at the end of this step. Add small amounts of tank water every few minutes to the bag until about 75% of the bag is tank water.

Carefully remove your livestock from the bag and place the newly acclimated corals at mid-tank or lower. Remove the float bag and dispose of the water - do not let bag water into tank or sump. For the first couple of days, with mild alternating current, slowly bring the corals higher in the tank to acclimate them to more intense lighting over a period of about 2 weeks. After a few days in your tank you can move the animals to their final location.

Drip Method
Recommended for All Inverts

Place a container next to your tank or sump where you plan on acclimating your livestock. Carefully open the bag that your livestock is in and pour the water in the bag into the container, remove the livestock from the bag and place it in the container with the water from the bag. Take a piece of small diameter hose like RO line and tie a couple of knots in the line. Place one end in the tank or sump and with the other end begin a siphon with the hose and allow the drips of tank water to fall into the container with the acclimating animals. The flow rate can be crudely adjusted to a few drops a second by loosening or tightening the knots in the hose. Caution, insure that the line remains in the tank and drips into the container and only use this method if you will be present throughtout the acclimation process to prevent floods.

This method is especially recommended for inverts because they are more sensitive to changes in water chemistry and salinity. Place invertebrates in the container and SLOWLY drip acclimate at a rate of 2-3 drops tank water/second for at least 4 hours. Snails, starfish and some other inverts are very sensitive to minor salinity changes and must be slowly drip acclimated for 6-8 hours minimum to insure long term survival!!! A small low volume powerhad may be added to the acclimation container to provide circulation and hlep assure the container water is well oxygenated. Corals and fish should not be drip acclimated because their oxygen demand is too great to insure safe drip acclimation. You must insure that the container water remains the same temperature as the tank water during the acclimation process.

Live Rock

When unpacking your live rock inspect each piece for any sponges, or dead plant life. With a small brush gently scrub dead plant life and sponge off of rock. Rinse live rock in a bucket of saltwater before placing in tank for curing. Refer to our detailed page on "How to Cure Live Rock" for more detailed instructions.

Live Sand and Rock Rubble

Add live sand and rock rubble directly into your tank or refugium, along with macro algae.

Coral Dip

Dipping SPS corals in an iodine dip as a biosecurity measure may help reduce pathogen introduction into your system. DO NOT dip soft, LPS, anemones or fish! If you choose to use a coral dip it is recommended to use a commercial product intended for this purpose. Place your livestock in a container and allow the already acclimated animals to stay in this dip water according to manufacturers label directions. Use only a commercial coral dip as directed by the manufacturer. Rinse animals with tank water prior to placing them in your tank.

Caution :Do not allow dip water into your tank!

Quarantine

It is highly recommended that all livestock be quarantined in a separate tank for 2-4 weeks before adding to your main display tank. This is the best way to prevent unwanted pests from being introduced into your tank and also helps newly acquired animals some time to adjust to your feeding regime and maintenance schedules before being added to a tank with other animals. The quarantine tank need not be complicated. A small tank with some method of biological filtration, lighting, and temperature control will suffice.

1. Switch off aquarium lighting. Dim lights in the room. This reduces shock, stress and trauma.
2. Allow the sealed bag to float in the aquarium for 20-25 minutes. (Do not open the bag at this time.) This allows the water in the shipping bag to adjust slowly to the temperature and climate of your tank. If the shipping bag is opened now the fish may die from suffocation.
3. Cut open the shipping bag just under the metal clip, and roll the top edge of the bag down one inch to create an air pocket within the lip of the bag. This will enable the bag to float on the surface of the water.
4. Add a quarter-cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag, and float in the aquarium.
5. Repeat Step 4 every 7-10 minutes until the bag is full of water. This is important, as adjustments to pH, alkalinity, and specific gravity take time. (Skins/membranes need time to exchange salt/water to equalize with the new aquarium water. Speeding up the process will suffocate the new specimen.)
6. Lift the shipping bag from the aquarium and discard half the water from the bag.
7. Float the shipping bag in the aquarium again and proceed to add ? cup of aquarium water to the shipping bag every 5 minutes until the bag is full.
8. "Net" the fish from the bag and let loose into the aquarium (Fig. F).
9. Remove the filled shipping bag from the aquarium and discard the water. (Never release shipping water directly into the aquarium. This will pollute your aquarium.)

Guidelines:

• Do not rush. Be patient. This will only take an hour, but will ensure a longer life for your new friend.
• As silly as this may sound, always go through the acclimation procedures. Many fish, though they appear dead, will be revived by following the procedures.
• Do not place an airstone into into the shipping bag. This will create chemical reactions that will increase the acidity (increase pH) and result in toxicity.
• We recommend that you keep your aquarium lights off for a few hours. This reduces the trauma and stress of your fish.
• Watch salinity. Keep specific gravity at 1.023-1.025. Inverts & plants are more sensitive than fish to salinity changes.
• Do not expose sponges, clams, scallops, and gorgonians directly to air. Follow the acclimation procedure. Instead of netting the specimen out of the bag, submerge the bag underwater in the aquarium and remove the marine life from the bag. Seal off the shipping bag underwater and remove it from the aquarium. Discard both the shipping bag and the enclosed water. A tiny amount of the diluted shipping water will escape into the aquarium. Don't worry about that.
• In some instances, your new tank mate will be hassled and harassed by one or all of your existing tank mates. This is common and will go away with time, but here are two possible fixes: (1) Place the "bully" in a perforated basket, while you allow the new neighbor to roam freely and adjust to its new environment. . A colander may be used. Just float the perforated plastic basket in the aquarium. Don't place the new specimen in this perforated basket because it must get acclimated to your aquarium (not the basket). (2) Section off a portion of your aquarium using a perforated plastic lighting grid. When the new guy gets used to his environment, remove the partition.
• You may shake off excess slime off a coral. Remember not to touch the sensitive flesh of it, though.
• Live rock (cured or uncured) must always be quarantined until water conditions in the quarantine tank resume their normal condition.

How to Cure Live Rock
Along with advances in technology, the use of live rock has been one of the recent advances in saltwater aquarium methodology that has lead to widespread success. Live rock comes from tropical regions around the world, and its porous and open structure allows the rock to host a wide array of beneficial bacteria, and animals as well as provide a stable base for coral growth. Because the organisms found on live rock will quickly begin to die once exposed to air, it is always advisable to cure the rock before use.

Curing un-cured rock may be done inside a plastic bin or inside the newly set up aquarium. We recommend using as large of a water container as you can but curing inside the new tank is best overall. It is not recommended to have any substrate inside of the tank, during the curing process, as nutrients will continue to be highly elevated, and possibly extend the curing time.

Equipment necessary to cure the rock properly are as follows:

1. Protein Skimmer. The protein skimmer will remove organic waste from the tank before it can break down creating ammonia.
2. Powerheads. Run a couple of powerheads as well, for water circulation. You want a strong circulation, so the more the better.
3. Heater. The bacteria and organisms found on the rock need to be kept in the same temperature range as your fish and coral; we recommend 78-80 degrees Fahrenheit.
4. Lights. You may run lights during curing, however we would recommend no more than 4 hours a day, and only if the rock is being cured inside of a tank, this is to help reduce the occurrence of nuisance algae.

Do water changes as needed; most likely large water changes of 20-30% will be needed every few days but at least once a week during the curing process. Siphon off all the dead debris you can find and pull off any dead sponges, plants, etc. However, we do not recommend scrubbing the rock unless you see obvious dead areas on the rock itself. During this time, we advise carefully observing the rock for any signs of nuisance hitchhikers such as crabs and mantis shrimp. It is much easier to catch and remove them at this stage then in a carefully arranged display tank!

Throughout the curing process you will want to test frequently for ammonia and nitrites. You will know that the live rock has cured once there are no further ammonia spikes and your nitrite levels start dropping rapidly to zero. You can also do the "sniff" test, cured live rock should smell fresh, if there is a rotten egg smell then the rock will need to cure a while longer.

If you can control these elements during the curing (2-3 weeks) and keep the lights on, the coralline algae, plants, corals, copepods, and other organisms will be alive on the rock when you are done curing.

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