Nick potts
Member
Yep pretty much, the only really specialised bit of equipment I would class as needed for a reef is a protein skimmer.
Lights are generally a lot bluer on reefs but no reason that you can't use any light.
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The salty side
- Thread starter Deano3
- Start date
Lights are generally a lot bluer on reefs but no reason that you can't use any light.
I think if you keep a macroalgae tank you can use freshwater lights, @tigahboy.h2o (on Instagram) uses Twinstar.
It's good to hear that for certain as that's one of the bits of equipment that seems to be used and not used depending on the aquarist
I'm not entirely sure I could resist the pull of corals. 😁
I don’t use a skimmer with my soft coral, macro, and mangrove tank. I need those nutrients and have to dose more daily or they bottom out and dinoflagellates appear. Keeping on top of salinity and calcium/magnesium/kh has been a learning curve but I use less equipment (unless you count test kits) than on my freshwater tanks...
Hi Nick, yes you are right you really do need a chiller and an insulated tank with a double glazed front glass but…. Only if you really want to compete with the best of the tropical reef tanks.
My old set up did indeed have a chiller set up in my unheated garage although it did not actually come on that often at least not once the tank is down to temp.
I set the summer temperature at 17c and the winter at 14c, that was fine for even deeper water creatures and seaweeds.
However if you only collect from above the half tide mark, then every creature you find will be tough as old boots and capable of surviving extreme conditions !!
On a hot summer day a shallow half tide rock pool, can reach 25-30c and if it rains the salt can be diluted to almost fresh water in very small pools, then the tide comes in and in an instant the conditions are completely different = very tough creatures.
My point was … some folk will spend thousands on setting up a tropical marine tank and thousands running it every year where as a high tech local cold water tank might still cost quite a bit to set up but the running cost are cheap and the stock is free. Further to that a basic half tide local marine tank, is very cheap to set up and run.
I just find it interesting that so few cold water reef tanks are ever featured in the magazine or on forums?
My old set up did indeed have a chiller set up in my unheated garage although it did not actually come on that often at least not once the tank is down to temp.
I set the summer temperature at 17c and the winter at 14c, that was fine for even deeper water creatures and seaweeds.
However if you only collect from above the half tide mark, then every creature you find will be tough as old boots and capable of surviving extreme conditions !!
On a hot summer day a shallow half tide rock pool, can reach 25-30c and if it rains the salt can be diluted to almost fresh water in very small pools, then the tide comes in and in an instant the conditions are completely different = very tough creatures.
My point was … some folk will spend thousands on setting up a tropical marine tank and thousands running it every year where as a high tech local cold water tank might still cost quite a bit to set up but the running cost are cheap and the stock is free. Further to that a basic half tide local marine tank, is very cheap to set up and run.
I just find it interesting that so few cold water reef tanks are ever featured in the magazine or on forums?
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Just to mention that I’ve started a thread for my tank on Ukaps in case anyone wants to know more: Mangrovium
not called Bob
Member
had cod, wolffish etc in a tank for a while, they were at the lab though and with unlimited water from the fjord and the ability to have it come through at any temp you wanted it was a very easy way to keep them.
Rockpool specialists are very hardy, and can take a huge amount of temperature and salinity variability. like today, the shade temp was 27oc, a Rockpool in full sun would have been well over that, but on the turning of the tide it would suddenly be back at 10oc and its oxygen and salinity range would have been all over the place in that time, guess a lot are overlooked as seen as dull compared to tropicals. though a snakelock or strawberry anemone can easily hold its own up to a bubble tip.
For anyone considering saltwater, it's an easier jump across from freshwater than you may think!
In regards to equipment, I have light, heater, stock pump, and an auto top up for RO, that's it. You can make it as complicated as you like, but for LPS and soft corals it doesn't need to be difficult.
In regards to equipment, I have light, heater, stock pump, and an auto top up for RO, that's it. You can make it as complicated as you like, but for LPS and soft corals it doesn't need to be difficult.
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ScareCrow
Member
I used to watch El Fabs nano reef thread. It's a great example of what is achievable in a nano tank and from low tech to high tech as he develops the tank.
I used to use LED par38 e27 bulbs and blue rope lights. So lighting can be cheap but still get decent results.
As others have said skimmers have pros and cons but on a nano, doing a large water change isn't a big deal.
Testing and especially testing what you're dosing is really useful but also some corals respond quickly. Green Hystrix Seriatopora Guttatus was the coral version of the duckweed index in my tank.
Research everything before you buy it and decide what you want to keep and stick to it. I enjoyed the research part but the more I researched the more I collected and my tank looked more like a frag tank than a display tank.
Moving house ended my marine keeping though as I couldn't keep the tank cool enough in the summer.
I used to use LED par38 e27 bulbs and blue rope lights. So lighting can be cheap but still get decent results.
As others have said skimmers have pros and cons but on a nano, doing a large water change isn't a big deal.
Testing and especially testing what you're dosing is really useful but also some corals respond quickly. Green Hystrix Seriatopora Guttatus was the coral version of the duckweed index in my tank.
Research everything before you buy it and decide what you want to keep and stick to it. I enjoyed the research part but the more I researched the more I collected and my tank looked more like a frag tank than a display tank.
Moving house ended my marine keeping though as I couldn't keep the tank cool enough in the summer.
After 25 years of freshwater planted and just over 1 of saltwater, I more or less agree! I wouldn’t want to choose between salt and freshwater really, although with the heat and electric issues that life on a boat throws up any more of a complex saltwater setup will definitely have to wait until I’m ever on dry land again.
Gary Nelson
Member
not called Bob
Member
I loved having various gobies, but they always loved to perch on ups and soon kill it, but their character made up for it
