How to set up a saltwater aquarium - Episode 1: Reef tanks made fun and easy

[mikepzparrish]

how much live rock is that

[mannyc2006]

Is it possible to own a tank like this in an apartment? How would i do the reverse osmosis thing?

[kladivous]

@mannyc2006 You would need to check with your property management. Some apartments forbid having fish tanks. Others will require you to show proof of adequate renters insurance. As far as the R/O system is concerned: You would have to see what water sources you have available in your unit. If you have a washer/dryer in your unit I would suggest splitting the cold water side to supply your R/O system. Just be careful. You don't want to be responsible for flooding your neighbors place.

[SickWickedClown]

WHAT SIZE PUMPS ARE THOSE ON EACH SIDE

[RedneckReefJunkie]

hey i like how brs went about making this series, they started out super simple and advanced the tank over time. i think this is how everyone should go about setting up their first reef tank. what do you guys think about my newest tank build?

[applebookable]

don't you need a filter of some kind ?

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

The primary filtration is biological in the form of bacteria that lives in the aquarium. In a reef system tthe bacteria lives on the surface of the rock. The bacteria will breakdown the waste into less harmless nitrate which is removed with water changes. Our protein skimmer also acts as a filter by removing some of the dissolved compounds before they can break down into nitrate. If they are changed frequently a filter sock can serve to also remove waste before it breaks down.

[RedneckReefJunkie]

brs is awesome i love the rock i bought from them

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@RedneckReefJunkie Thanks for the kind words : )

[twistedcarnage7]

nice vid, i learned some new things, and you guys remind me of the guys from waynes world rock on

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@twistedcarnage7 Party on!

[SqwishSqwash]

$_$

[Calliavida]

...I wish I had more money! This is awesome :D

[wotldthe2006]

@Calliavida Yeah my little 10 gallon tank is kinda High with gettting 10 gallons of salt a month.

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@Calliavida LOL , it is pretty easy to get caught up in all this. The danger and beauty of saltwater is you can get started with so little but there is basically no end to the upgrades if you have the time and money : )

[1989calvindo]

hey guys, im trying to do a 75gal saltwater tank. how many 1inch bulkhead output drains do i need to have sufficient flow rate? also how many 1inch bulkhead do i need for input or should i build the pvc pipe to go over the tank for the input?

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@1989calvindo I personally never set up a tank with a overflow that goes over the edge. There are too many dangers with siphon breaks and power outages. What size bulkheads depends on the size of the return pipe. I think I would personally use 1 1/4 or 1 1/2. I might go 1 1/2 because it is easier to find fittings/valves for that size.

[MultiNitrorc]

do i need to use a ro/di system for setting up a tank ?

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@MultiNitrorc You can get away without using one by buying water at the store. Some people have success with declorinators. However I personally do not know anyone who has had long term success with a reef tank and doesn't own a RO/DI system. I don't think that is a coincidence. Not only are you using the best quality water but because it is in your house and easy you are more likely to do proper maintenance.

[plzlogmein]

hey Mr bulkreef, i was wondering if you could help me decide which light to go with, here's the scenario. my tank is a 16g (65L) and im planing on putting 1.5-2pound of live rocks to help with filtration as im not using a P/skimmer, so my question is:

is a 2x24w T5 light fixture enough to keep corals such as Anemone, lps & sps corals?

also choosing between 2x24w T5 or 3x14w which one should i go for.

thanks!!

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@plzlogmein it would be better if you shot us and email or called customer service with a question like this. It would be a lot more help and a lot quicker : )

[OpCharlieBravo]

What type of lamp is that please?

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@OpCharlieBravo right now we have a 6 bulb , 3 foot sunlight supply tek fixture on the system.

[HardHatDIver412]

what do the power pumps do?

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@HardHatDIver412 the powerheads provide circulation and flow for the tank. Good flow is a critical component of a healthy reef system. I honestly believe that the affordable and easy to use flow options for flow that came out in the last 5 years are largely responsible for the drastic increase in successful reefers.

[HardHatDIver412]

so i dont need a sump? i could use a hang on filter for a smaller tank?

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@HardHatDIver412 My first tank was a very successful 90 gallon reef tank with nothing but hang on equipment. Equipment can always be replaced with a good water change schedule and solid feeding habits.

[jamie10310]

This confirms to me how marine is far more complicated than simple freshwater...

[perkowsky5]

Great vid you should check out my tank

[hhinojosareef1]

Im about to start a 40 gallon breeder what kind of light is that and were can i get one i love the colors.I got some of your reef saver rock real nice rock!Thanks great vids.

[whitetiger123100]

Is that a single or a double lighting fixture?

[headtrama29]

Hey guys Im a beginner.. and to be honiest i thought i had a clue on what was doing.. Im in the beginning stage of setting up my first 55 gal saltwater tank .. got the bio sand, led lights, protein skimmer, two power heads on a wave maker power strip system my filteration system is where i think i messed up on.. can i have a successful system with a canister filter?

[snappjay]

Can you please give a list of all of the equipment you use in your videos? My stand is not sump-able and I would like to replicate your setup. Thank you.

[Elliottktmsx85]

hi what kind of light is that, what is it called and where can i get it from and at what price... thanks??

[Mindbendersmith]

is that rock on the table your wife?

[gangstacito]

How many lbs of rock is that in the breeder?

[jjamontan]

What T5 light did you use?

[lazycat5000]

lol. i bought the pattern backround

[1chomps]

good info how ever a good idea was to show the people the cycling process though but as I say good info

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@1chomps We would like to go into more detail on a lot of these things but some of the episodes are already running pretty long , before ya know it you would be watching 30 minutes of Reid and I. What we would like to do when this series is done is go back over it and dedicate complete episodes to the things that need to be covered in more depth : )

[prettylittleditty89]

@BulkReefSupplyCom - Well 30 minutes of you guys wouldnt be too bad to be honest considering how informative and detailed this actually is... Good work guys.

It is just a shame how expensive equipment and such is over here in Australia compared to the US (which is where I assume you guys are).

[jaitchproductions]

can u upload the rest please

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@jaitchproductions We plan on filming and editing a new episode every couple weeks. We hope to have a new one uploaded on Friday : )

[jaitchproductions]

@BulkReefSupplyCom yay!

[rarityd]

thanks



[TheOneAndOnlyProdigy]

This is a great informative video for beginners!

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@TheOneAndOnlyProdigy I hope the complete series ends up really showing how most of this stuff works in a way that is easy and helpful.

[mrsaltwatertank]

Reid is THE man! Show more of him!

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@mrsaltwatertank He is and we will !

[phastroh]

That was hilarious with the pattern backgrounds. I was laughing loudly at work. I too choose the black over the blue background.

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@phastroh surprising how many people choose the coral background because it seemed like it made sense at the time. Black is the best way to go : )

[leannvlewis]

Is the reverse osmosis thingy necessary? If I use regular tap water, adding the start up/declorinator juice, will that work well enough? I've been an aquarium enthusiast for about 30 years. But the few salt water tanks I've had have been very small with disastrous results. Plus I must keep it basic currently, finances aren't what they used to be. Thx.

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@leannvlewis I hate to make blanket statements like you absolutely need a reverse osmosis deionization system but I will put it this way. In some instances it might be possible to have success with dechlorinator however I have never met a single Reefer that has had long term success that doesn’t own a RO/DI system. I would say it is possible you could use if for a fish only system in the beginning but once you are hooked by the hobby do yourself a favor and get a RO/DI system.

[MonkinOut]

Great job on the video. Love the info and I'm looking forward to the advanced tank progression. By the way, is that pukani rock you selected for the 40?

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@MonkinOut It is the pukani : )

[MonkinOut]

@BulkReefSupplyCom SOLID!

[PapoBoom]

As u build it, can u be able to describe how to put the equipment together?..ive come across people putting a tank together but instead of breaking the process down they have it all built and only talk things out...

[brett35540]

you should always no matter what have a skimmer if you dont you will just have problems and will hate the hobby.

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@brett35540 A protein skimmer is “very very close” to what I’d call a critical piece of equipment however I have seen dozens of tanks with long term success without one. Especially a fish only tank which this tank is currently. I assure you a skimmer will be part of the progression of this series and certainly before a coral ever enters the tank. In fact at the end of this demo I mentioned it will be part of the episode. At that point I will explain why they are so important : )

[adjusterfrank]

This was a very good instructional video that you have. I look forward to the entire series.

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@adjusterfrank Reid and I are almost ready to shoot the next one : )

[donwilson]

Please don't use fish to cycle the tank, just buy an uncooked shrimp, put it into a media bag, and let it sit for a week to a week and a half.

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@donwilson That is a solid method as well. I would lean that way as well however I have had really good luck using bio spira for cycling. So far using that product I have never seen even initial ammonia spike.

[bookumdanom1]

ya know, I usually paint my tanks,but I think I'm actually gonna use the backround u had(open ocean), I really like that...if it sucks I can always paint it!!!

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@bookumdanom1 One of my concerns with pictured backgrounds is what it looks like once the back of the tank is no longer clean. It is a lot of work keeping the back the tank clean because it is hard to reach and you have to work around the rock. Let us know how it works out : )

[totalfugazi]

you have legs !

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@totalfugazi Don't tell anyone !

[Annette3979]

Cool at last some direction we can all trust

[edgar57639]

awsome love this video lets get the next one up asap thanks brs for another great video and for being a great supplyer of this very addicting hobby 2 thumbs up

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@edgar57639 I think it will be a few weeks but we will try and keep them coming as quickly as possible : )

[zacguitarshreder12]

It can be tough if you buy the wrong equipment like most beginners do.

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@zacguitarshreder12 So true, all of the equipment I bought for my first tank got replaced within a year. Luckily these days there are a lot of resources to help find solid advice on different methods of reef keeping and the related equipment.

[NanoReefNoob]

There is a debate on RC on to wether or not you should run you Blue lights with your day lights or at night without you day lights. What would you sugest?

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@NanoReefNoob can you direct me to the thread ?

[Hasans01]

Please do share variety of setups, main challenges and troubleshooting. It would also be an ideal value addition if some brief information on type/species of tangs, angels, clowns and other reef dweling fish. It's the loss of live stock which results in the closure of many tanks.

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@Hasans01 sounds like five  series in one, we will do our best : )

[johnnykat21]

Great series so far..

[VitalApparatuz]

Awesome series guys thanks so much!

[vipete1985]

Nice idea for a video series!! Looking goood! Big ups to brs...u should look into the reefbrite xho light strips they are awsomee

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@vipete1985 will do

[bilbobag111]

Thanks for a quick and simple view.

[djruth62]

nice and simple

[BulkReefSupplyCom]

@djruth62 Keeping it simple can often be the key to success for new reefers : )

[maxx56dog]

this guy looks like snape