Problems to setup my reef !

[Anonymous]

If you can help me to setup my reef tank, I really appreciate.
I don´t know if I can set up a Reef tank, Marginal Reef, or what, I hope you can help me !

I live in México city. Here is very difficult to get the correct
equipment to setup a reef tank. I was triying to get equipment from the
US on Internet, but the shipping costs and the Taxes will kill me.

I have now a Red Sea Berlin Protein Skimmer with a Rio 2500.
2 802 Hagen Aquaclear Powerheads
2 301 Hagen Aquaclear Powerheads
1 250 watts project heater
and I will built my tank. Maybe a 48" large, 18" and 18" or 40" large,
20" and 20"

I was trying to get a good lighting system, but the only system I can
get is NO fluorescents bulbs, or HQI-NDL bulbs..

Please help me.

Thanks beforehand.

PS, I don´t have space for a sump. MMM ! A lot to do to setup this
tank, right?

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Reef Man.
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[Anonymous]

Not quite sure what you actually want help with? Type of reef zone to simulate? Design of the system? More/source of equipment?

 

[Anonymous]

Where is the best location of the powerheads to get good flow?

Lighting system.

Tank with Low light requeriments ?

Is my equipment sufficient or do I need more?

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Reef Man.
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[Anonymous]

Reef Man,

OK, now lets see:

Powerhead/pump placement is something that you will have to play with a bit. It depends a lot on the structure/shape of the reef that you build in the tank and whether you want the pumps out of view. Personally I have the oulets to my pumps located as such, one at either end at the front of the tank pointing at the opposite end turned slightly back. This means the two streams hit each other in the center of the tank and cause great turbulent flow. I then also have one located up near the top surface of the tank, pointed towards the surface skimmer. It is good to have ripples in the waters surface, helps with gas exchange and breaking up surface active compounds that can form on there.

You are a bit limited with your lighting, as I see you realise. You can keep corals with NO fluorescent lights, you just need to pack them in over the top of the tank. Of the halides you have available, see if you can get ones that are rated about 5,500-6,000K and then you would be better off using those. IF the colour temperature is lower then don't bother, they are too yellow and the tank will look funny. Best way to do this is go and see a lighting wholesaler, the guys that supply lighting to electricians etc that install the lights. They are cheaper to deal with than anyone else, and the guys tend to be rather nice (here anyway) and will do quite a bit to help you out.

Sounds like you have the basics all there for a good tank. Might be an idea if you can get a surface skimmer to feed the protein skimmer. Minimises the formation of any surface active slick that can occur on the water surface when you don't have one, and also increases the amount of surface active components the protein skimmer will remove do to the fact this is where they tend to concentrate.

Your heater should be enough, but that does depend on the ambient temperature of the room it is located in.

I don't know a lot about the Red Sea Berlin, but from what I hear around the traps the Rio 2500 might not be enough to run it efficiently. Might be an idea to go for the next one up, the 3100 or an Ehiem 1060 which is what they are designed to operate off.

Hope this is of some assistance.

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