What to Buy?

Dear all,

Need some advices on what is recommended among everyone...
Can anyone provide me roughly a good Brand, Model and the Cost for the following (for a 4ft tank)

1) Marine Salt
2) Coral Sand (if there is a brand for it)
3) Protein Skimmer
4) Powerhead
5) Lighting (will keep a few simple corals that of low to medium light requirement)

Anything else I need?

Don't recommend something too expensive please, but of course of reasonable quality, else I need to eat more bread...hee

Thanks again! Knowing that I ask alot.

[KaLiB]

1) Red sea salt or Coralife salt. Supposed to be cheap and good. Think Redsea salt costs around $10-$14 for 4kg if i'm not wrong. Can't remember how much coralife costs.

2) No brand. Get around 60kg of grade1 coral sand for a 2" thin sandbed in a 4x2x2 tank(less if tank is smaller), should cost you $36-$48. You would need more if you intend to setup a DSB or Plenum, possibly an additional 60kg.

Fine sand(like grade1) can be churned around by strong currents, so you may have to add a layer of coarse sand over it. If majority of the sand is coarse(like grade5), it may trap too much detritous and add on to your nitrates.

3) How much your willing to pay? On budget of $100 or less, you can look at Weipro2013 or Weipro2014. Alternatively, there's a Jebao(or is it Jebo? Always get confused!) hang on skimmer which you can consider. Cheaper than Weipro but i don't know if its as good.

4) Heard Maxijets are good, but not sure where to get and the price. Got good reviews in Reefcentral.com forum.

Have you considered a wavemaker? Less heat and better at circulating water as compared to a powerhead but it costs alot more.

5) If you want to DIY or get someone to DIY, go for T5s. 4x54W T5s should be able to support a wide variety of corals. Otherwise, get 4x55W PLs.

For parts you can either approach bro Orgasbt or go to Sinte Electronics at Sim Lim Tower. If you want someone to DIY, you can approach bro dr_evil, batman.

Brand wise, i'm not sure what's good for PLs. Off the shelf, T5s cost a big bomb, hence i suggested DIY.

Thanks Kalib and Ekia. Just some doubts.

Originally Posted by KaLiB

2) No brand. Get around 60kg of grade1 coral sand for a 2" thin sandbed in a 4x2x2 tank(less if tank is smaller), should cost you $36-$48. You would need more if you intend to setup a DSB or Plenum, possibly an additional 60kg.

What is a Plenum?

Originally Posted by KaLiB

Have you considered a wavemaker? Less heat and better at circulating water as compared to a powerhead but it costs alot more.

Never heard of wavemaker. Any good brand and model to recommend? Any rough estimate of how much?

Originally Posted by KaLiB

5) If you want to DIY or get someone to DIY, go for T5s. 4x54W T5s should be able to support a wide variety of corals. Otherwise, get 4x55W PLs.

Do you mean 4 tubes of PLs? I believe PLs is the U-shaped tube right? I saw most marine stores sell lighting with the mounting stand - a set. Usually 2 tube of PLs, one at each side and a blue tube. So that means I need to have 2 sets of that, right?

Originally Posted by Ekia

4) good to invest in a tunze.. just one will be enuff to circulate yr whole tank.. more worth it... somemore 11w only

This Tunze is a powerhead or wavemaker (as mentioned by Kalib)?

Thanks again!

[KaLiB]

What is a Plenum?

Do a search on google for more information.
Here's a website providing some information on the system:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issu...02/feature.htm

Never heard of wavemaker. Any good brand and model to recommend? Any rough estimate of how much?

Since you haven't heard of it, let me briefly tell you what it is. A wavemaker is a device meant to circulate water, since you intend on having corals, it would be good to have one.

Tunze's wavemaker is good, IMO compared to the new Rio Seio, Tunze's wavemaker is more value for money. A Tunze 6060 would be sufficient for a 4' tank(assuming its 4x2x2 or 4x1.5x1.5), would cost around $190.

Do you mean 4 tubes of PLs? I believe PLs is the U-shaped tube right? I saw most marine stores sell lighting with the mounting stand - a set. Usually 2 tube of PLs, one at each side and a blue tube. So that means I need to have 2 sets of that, right?

Yup they are U-shaped and I mean 4 PL tubes. You would need 2 sets as there are 2 tubes per set.

This Tunze is a powerhead or wavemaker (as mentioned by Kalib)?

Tunze is a brand. It has both wavemaker and powerheads if i'm not wrong. The name of the wavemaker is Tunze Turbelle.

Bro where u stay , maybe we can tell u where to get better price and u forgot something what about chiller?

dont got for PL lights, u will regret.. like me from FL to PL to mh.. wasted tones of cash..
get T5 or MH.. values are high too.. since going for chiller must well get MH..
if you are going into LPS and softies only.. forget about tunze.. i find them far too strong man.. some my lps are dead thanks to the tunze..

Originally Posted by monsterz1975

Bro where u stay , maybe we can tell u where to get better price and u forgot something what about chiller?

I stay at Aljunied, but chiller is something that is really expensive. I don't know whether I can afford that. I will need at least 6 months to save up for just 1 chiller I think.

Originally Posted by Mariana

Dear all,

Need some advices on what is recommended among everyone...
Can anyone provide me roughly a good Brand, Model and the Cost for the following (for a 4ft tank)

1) Marine Salt
2) Coral Sand (if there is a brand for it)
3) Protein Skimmer
4) Powerhead
5) Lighting (will keep a few simple corals that of low to medium light requirement)

Anything else I need?

Don't recommend something too expensive please, but of course of reasonable quality, else I need to eat more bread...hee

Thanks again! Knowing that I ask alot.

1) Coralife shld be good enuff if u r on a tight budget $60 per bucket(150gallon)

2) no brand - $6 per kg

3) Weipro for tight budget, Macro also can.. slightly more ex (go for second hand - u will upgrade sooner or later)
For weipro with pump - abt $80-90
For Macro with pump - abt $120-150? (not sure)

4) good to invest in a tunze.. just one will be enuff to circulate yr whole tank.. more worth it... somemore 11w only
Tunze 6060 - $185

5) Go for T5...

Originally Posted by Mariana

Dear all,

Need some advices on what is recommended among everyone...
Can anyone provide me roughly a good Brand, Model and the Cost for the following (for a 4ft tank)

1) Marine Salt
2) Coral Sand (if there is a brand for it)
3) Protein Skimmer
4) Powerhead
5) Lighting (will keep a few simple corals that of low to medium light requirement)

Anything else I need?

Don't recommend something too expensive please, but of course of reasonable quality, else I need to eat more bread...hee

Thanks again! Knowing that I ask alot.

What to buy? None of the above - get a book first use it as a reference
before setup. U also can use it during and after ur setup.

Thereafter, go to forums like these to clear issues u r not clear of.
Visit LFS and ask how it works.
A website must visit : www.wetwebmedia.com
a authority on a lots of things.
Sorry, the above part is not many newbies wish to hear - but it will save u a fair bit in future. I have spent RM10,000 and counting. Lots of it could have been prevented.

If u have already a book - good.

The brands and size of powerheads, lightings, sand all very much depends on what u need / wish to keep. Having a wish to keep a marine aquarium like some forum bro have or lfs isn't good enough.

If u wish to have gobies or some burrow digging fish than the grade of sand needs to be finer.

Powerheads - I can recommend but depends on your reef needs, lagoon reefs do not required high current it prefers moderate water current. Lagoon has a higher tolerant of nutrient levels. Outer reefs in the ocean prefers high current therefore do not wish to have high nutrient levels.

This will help u save $$ in future. If the reef does not require lots of water circulation then u can u go lower strength powerhead. If ur reef require higher
circulation then purchasing a lower pump will result a wastage.

Lighting similarly, FL or PL cost $$, but r they adequate for ur corals.
What corals if u intent to keep? do they require high lighting or low?
where do they come from? Lagoon area, patch reefs, atoll?
knowing where the corals u wish to keep comes from will suggest whether
the corals require better lighting or not. LPS found in Lagoons prefer high intensity lighting bbuying a FL may not be sufficient unless ur tank has a shallow height.

These are examples. I do not mean bad, just wish to highlight a area which most ppl skip when setting up their dream tanks.

I wish u a good journey in creating ur dream tank.
peace bro

http://www.myfish.info/modules.php?n...a340c0d773f1b8

u may wish to wish the above - my plan for my marine tank.
it is just a guide. though