New here. critque my setup

[LowBlazin]

So heres what i have or am going to get

FOWLR
-All-glass 55 gal tank

-Aqua C Remora HOT skimmer w/ mj 1200

-Two MJ-900 or Two MJ-1200 powerheads with Hydor Flo. Not sure which I should get, any suggestions. Will the 900s be enough or should i get the 1200s

-110w retrofit lighting in canopy

-200w heater

-Substrate will be 20lbs live sand and the rest fine aragonite. Prolly 1"-2" sand bed

-Rocks, going the cheaper route with reef bones and some live rock prolly from LFS. About how much live rock will be needed to cycle the tank and get the reef bones seeded.

 

[SnowManSnow]

I would DEFINITLY go with the MJ1200s if you are using hydors. They are cool and work really well, but seriously cut down on your pump flow.


B

 

[Anonymous]

LowBlazin,

:welcome:

Tank setup sounds fine, and Snow is right about getting the bigger P'heads. As far as cycling, even a small amount of LR will do the trick, it's just slower that's all. The more rock the more bacteria to start with. Before I guess on an amount of rock, what are you planning on keeping in the tank?

 

[trido]

Also, most reefers use two heaters just in case one quits working. It gives you a chance to realize you have problems before its to late. :wink:

 

[Anonymous]

Y'know Trido, I never did that. I figure with my luck both heaters would malfunction and I'd have the world's biggest pot of chowder!

 

[LowBlazin]

Im probably gonna start with a flame hawk or some clown fish. Also is it best put the live rock on top of the dry rock or just anywhere in the tank.

 

[SnowManSnow]

The only reason you'd cover the base rock is for looks. I guess if the LR already has coraline on it youd want to keep it in the light too.

make sure your tank is done cycling before adding any livestock.

B

 

[staticx]

the rule of thumb is around 1 to 2 lbs of live rock per gallon. so for your 55 gallon you should have at least 55 lbs ,if you are going to do a reef setup. If you are only going to keep fish then you dont need any. 55 gallon is a small setup so you might want to think about getting a sump. The more water volume the easier it is to keep stable.