some advice needed for starting a reef tank

[tang87]

hi everyone.great site btw

ive kept tropical fish for the last 5 years and have decided to go reef

im going to start a nano marine reef tank soon.

ive done lots of research over the past 3 years although theres alot of different advice and still alot to learn.

i have a to buy list i would love for you to look at to make sure i plan on buying exactly what i need.

i am going to buy the orca 550 nano tank or the red sea max 130d - i want a plug and play tank.unless you can suggest another plug and play tank thats better???

200 watt heater x 2
hydrometer
thermometer
glass cleaner
gravel syphon
2 powerheads
25kg live rock
live sand
api liquid marine test kit
salt
i will buy ro water from my local pet store its very cheep

my questions are.
as im using ro water will i still need to condition the water?
what live rock should i buy??
will the live rock be enough to cycle the tank?? how long will it take?? how about adding pure ammonia?
when should i do water changes and how much??

hows the best way to set it up?? should i add the water then let it sit and add the sand and rock a few days later or should i add the sand and rock first?

what are the easiest corals to care for?? and how long should i leave the lights on a day??
will the corals need supplements?

sorry for all the questions everyone.i appreciate any help i really do.i just want to get it right.

[Styler]

from my experince forget everything you know about tropical as it won't apply....

water won't need conditioning...

Fiji live rock seems to be the best as it's quite light so more for your money...

put rock in on bottom of tank before sand...

probably will still take a month to cycle (water test will tell the progress)

i change 25% every month...

and soft corals are the easiest to keep...

Red sea max allways seem a good bet to me, i have never seen a poor looking one as they are as you say, plug and play so look to work well, some of the more experinced guys will probably give you better advice, like about the ammonia and cycling etc, but the extra effort is well worth it to keep marine :-)

[Styler]

see this in the for sale section as it could save you a good few quid and has nice mature rock!!!

http://www.reefcentral.co.uk/showthread.php/27644-Tank-shut-down?p=244022#post244022

good price too!!!

[Marine Life Uk]

Hi
Id dump the hydrometer and opt for a refractometer as the swing arm hydrometers can and will be unreliable.

If using ro just add salt.

The other thing with marines is don't rush.

Test kits id go for salifert all you will need to start off with is ammonia ph nitrate and nitrite

[r60sgr]

Firstly welcome to our forum.

The amount of live rock will depend on the actual tank you get so wait until that is known before you commit to a weight purchase. A second hand set up is a great thought because it will come with the equipment needed to get you started and cycle will be reduced if rock is with it (or second hand rock is bought from another reefer) and only a little die back will occur depending on how long the rock is dry.

Powerhead advice will be similar to above in that it will be governed by the size of the tank you buy and might be another reason to buy a second hand set up. You haven't mentioned as skimmer so think about that too and again, a broken record lol, 2nd hand set up would provide.

Test kits I prefer are salifert for all except phosphate which I use d+d. I found API liquid tests erratic but to be fair that was many years ago so they may have got better.

Hydrometers aren't as acurate as refractometers for measuring SG so worth thinking about that too. Most reefers will have a refractometer.

Lighting initially won't be on much as you set up but no more than 8 hours a day.

Corals advice I'd say is read well before you buy.

Lastly but importantly the RO water you buy - be careful as a lot of LFS don't replace filters as dilligently as they should so test it on receipt. Most reefers end up buying an RO unit as it is an initial outlay and can be dear but is a saver long term when you know the water you are using is A1.

Hope all this helps bud but ask away if not - we are here to help, where and when we can.

Stewart

[tang87]

ive decided to buy the red sea max 130d.it comes with a skimmer thats why i didnt state it.i am thinking of buying second hand as its cheaper and saving money when you can in this hobby must be a bonus.il get the refractometer you suggested as i want it to be acurate.i know the workers at my lfs so they can be trusted with the ro water.i will try and get the live rock from someone braking down there tank if i can.