This is my wavemaker i’ve added. The wavemaker will simulate sea like currents and keep the water moving, which also helps filtration. These underwater fans also help oxygenate the water by pointing them at the surface to agitate the water. The particular one is a cheaper option from “all pond soultions” I’m going to point mine at the rocks until the cycling has finished then i may get another smaller one to put at the bottom.
Click the image underneath for all technical jargon…
Now to put the rock together how id like it displayed. Im no expert on reef rock beds but i just plan to build it up so it looks good in the tank and give shelter to the fish. Its important to secure the rock together so there is no chance of it falling and killing the livestock or even worse breaking the grass! im going to glue my rock together using Aquascaping putty. This putty is the colour of coraline algae (redish).
This putty is used to fix the rocks (live or dead) together. Im going to glue mine together in small sections so its not impossible to remove from the tank if it all needs cleaning in the future. The putty comes in 2 bars which needs mixing together just like epoxy glue. It takes about 3-4 hours to set. this putty also can be use to fix rocks together and attaching corals under the water, just takes longer to harden.
There are literally loads of different sands and gravel options out there to use and even more opinions on what and what not to use and how to use them. i cant even start to go into it! although there seems to be one common denominator among the opinions…. be careful off dead material or waste food getting mixed up in the substrate, this will cause problems later on.
There 3 basic options with your substrate. Live or dead sand (same principle as the rocks) or none at all. There are pros and cons with all 3 options. with my tank and the research I’ve done i’m going with a 1mm crushed coral sand, about 5kg which makes about a 2cm layer. From what I’ve read it seem like the best substrate to keep clean so less likely to build up any bad bacteria that will cause an ammonia build up.
Im starting my reef off with “dead rock” rock that was once “live rock” that has been used in someones tank or come from the sea and has been dried out. Dead rock is cheaper but takes more time to cycle in the first months of the tanks life. In time this dead rock will become live again.
Live rock is porous seas bed rock that is full of good bacteria that acts as a natural biological filter keeping all the waste products of the fish at bay, Mainly Ammonia, Nitrites and Nitrates. Live rock can prices vary from £10-£15 per kilo and im looking to use 10-15kg.
I managed to pick up 12kg of dead rock from eBay for £30 Bargain!
This evening i stripped the tank down and cleaned each individual part to get rid of all of the old gunk from the previous inhabitants. Tested all the equipment including the power head for the filter, the heater and the lights or though i will change the lights at some point as they are white and red and i want sunlight and marine blue. I’ve scrubbed the inside of the tank with just water and tissue. I didn’t use any cleaning products inside the tank because the chemical residue will harm or kill live stock.
Unfortunately the floors in my house are uneven in places so I’ve had to add pieces of carpet under the cabinet to level things out. Not ideal i know but it will do!
So much for me having the idea to treat and add salt to tap water. Reef salt water tanks need RO/DI water (Reverse osmosis Deionised). To make this water yourself you’ll need a piece of equipment to run tap water through. The RO/DI machine retail between £80-£300 which is a pretty hefty price if, like me you’re on a tight budget! Alternatively, i asked my local fish store (LFS-an acronym i keep coming across) if they sell RO/DI water pre mixed with salt, which i was pleasantly surprised they do, £6.50 for 25 litres. This will be handy for the first few months but ultimately i will need a machine to mix my own at some point.
The only problem with pre mixed bottled salt water is you’re going to need some in back up for the weekly 10% water change. This pre mixed salt water needs to be circulated (ideally) whilst being stored. So a small water pump (powerhead or wave maker) will be required for this. hopefully i can find a container to keep the spare salt water in and store it under the tank in the cabinet.
Water storage sorted! one 25 litre container for salt water and one 25 litre container for fresh.
I have a very small power head in the salt water container keeping the water moving, although im not sure that its really needed for this amount of water. i’ll see how it goes.
Been out a bought a tank! Bought it second hand, only a year old and paid about a third of the price if it was new. + it came with a heater! Its 130 litre (approx 28.5 gallons). For a beginner it is recommended that you use a minimum of 90 litre (arppox 20 gallons) if its any smaller than that toxins can build up too quickly (if like me you are inexperienced) and can wipe out your entire reef! This tank is an Aqua One 620t. Its going to need a few tweeks but should be perfect for my needs. Some say a shallow tank is better for easy access to the rocks, decor ETC… but with the space i have ive gone for a deeper tank rather than a wider one.
So… Im as new to blogging as i am to “reefing” building and maintaining an reef aquarium. This will be an update on steps, purchases and processes i learn along the way. Hopefully my research and learning curves will help others that want to start building a reef aquarium. Ill try and keep it as short and to the point as i can, as there are so many geek sites out there that make everything sound like keeping a reef is like nuclear physics! This will mostly be a low budget set up but like everything, if you do your research you can get amazing results without spending a ton of cash.
Reef Tank 