Any saltwater enthusiasts on the boards?
I am setting up a coral reef tank after a 10+ year hiatus. I used to manage an aquarium store years ago. With the hook up I had at that time I had set up a small tank and had it maxxed out. I had well over 10K (your cost not mine) in that tank. After leaving that buisness I lost intrest and let everything go.
Recently I caught the bug again and have decided to set up my 37 gal show tank as a coral reef tank. I have already started purchasing base rock and have it seasoning in the tank with some salt water just to get things started. Its been many years and I know that if reef aquaria is like everything else then its grown leaps and bounds since I have been away. I have been looking into the cost of having the tank drilled, spillway put in, sump, pumps, etc...
Back when I was doing it the "side hanging" skimmers weren't worth buying, but after talking to an old workmate who now owns a store he tells me they have come a long way. I had been considering making this tank as low tech as possible, so as to keep costs down and also noise levels down. Spillways are quite noisy for use in the bedroom.
I have also been looking into lighting systems. With the depth of my previous tank I was able to get away with flourescents, but this tank is too deep to use them. Metal Halide is out of the question because of heat and energy consumption...not to mention it will probably require the addition of a chiller. I have been seeing these VHO compacts....anyone have any thoughts on those and as to whether they would be suitable for an 18" depth tank?
Any good websites available now. I found ORA last night, bt their selection is limited. A few other sites prices were out of this world and only have Fiji rock available, which I hate.
I have been using "fall" Atlantic base rock to start and have found extremely expensive cultured Atlantic rock. I guess the moratorium is still in effect on that.....sigh...I almost GAVE away nearly 100 pounds of it when I got rid of my tank.
Well anywho....any enthusiasts that can point me in some helpful directions?
I am setting up a coral reef tank after a 10+ year hiatus. I used to manage an aquarium store years ago. With the hook up I had at that time I had set up a small tank and had it maxxed out. I had well over 10K (your cost not mine) in that tank. After leaving that buisness I lost intrest and let everything go.
Recently I caught the bug again and have decided to set up my 37 gal show tank as a coral reef tank. I have already started purchasing base rock and have it seasoning in the tank with some salt water just to get things started. Its been many years and I know that if reef aquaria is like everything else then its grown leaps and bounds since I have been away. I have been looking into the cost of having the tank drilled, spillway put in, sump, pumps, etc...
Back when I was doing it the "side hanging" skimmers weren't worth buying, but after talking to an old workmate who now owns a store he tells me they have come a long way. I had been considering making this tank as low tech as possible, so as to keep costs down and also noise levels down. Spillways are quite noisy for use in the bedroom.
I have also been looking into lighting systems. With the depth of my previous tank I was able to get away with flourescents, but this tank is too deep to use them. Metal Halide is out of the question because of heat and energy consumption...not to mention it will probably require the addition of a chiller. I have been seeing these VHO compacts....anyone have any thoughts on those and as to whether they would be suitable for an 18" depth tank?
Any good websites available now. I found ORA last night, bt their selection is limited. A few other sites prices were out of this world and only have Fiji rock available, which I hate.
I have been using "fall" Atlantic base rock to start and have found extremely expensive cultured Atlantic rock. I guess the moratorium is still in effect on that.....sigh...I almost GAVE away nearly 100 pounds of it when I got rid of my tank.
Well anywho....any enthusiasts that can point me in some helpful directions?