The River Reef
Non-member
Hello all, I am new here and to this hobby and your auction coming up in Framingham caught my eye, as I need to invest in some equiptment...
I have a 56 gallon column style tank (30"x18"x24") on a stand with 10 gallon QT inside the stand. I plan on turning the QT tank into a sump/ ref in the near future and just replace the tank. The main items I have yet to invest in are: LED light system (running the free light that came with the tank atm), a powerhead or 2 (my canister filter is providing movement), and a protein skimmer that will be placed in my DIY sump/ref.
What I have is: 56g tank, 75lbs LR, 2-3" Crushed Coral/ shells substrate, 2 - 150w heaters, Fluval 405 canister filter ( with - floss pads, pre-filter beads, carbon, bio-max beads). I plan on removing the canister and using it on a 20 long to be setup down the road. Also, I am going to buy the Marineland LED reef capable light and replace it down the road with a powerful 3w x 28 LED DIY kit fixture I am researching ATM. My next setup will be 20L using the canister and the Marineland LED light. For the 56, I want to build a sump/ ref around an in sump skimmer next. Then I will get another powerhead and buy that light. This will get me to a point that my system will be running pretty well and I can start to think about my first easy low light corals. My QT is using an undergravel filter with a tiny layer of substrate on it. I wanted to use the air pump I had laying around for something...lol.
So my question is: Will I have a good shot at getting a decent skimmer at the auction? Is that Marineland light going to work for soft corals in a 20L, or should I just forget it and start building my LED for the 56g now? I figured the Marineland would get enough light for some easy low light corals in my 56g and would be strong in the 20L to allow a good variety of coral in that size tank.
I basically bought all my equiptment and then did the researching... unfortunately! Now, I am trying not to waste what I invested and get this 56 gallon fully equipted for reef capability. Any suggestions are appreciated. My stock is as follows: 1 Black and White Percula clown, 1 Yellow belly damsel (big mistake, I know after the fact. But he is peaceful thus far)
CUC = Skunk Shrimp, 2 Scarlet Hermits, Electric blue hermit, Halloween hermit, 2 Astrea snails.
I plan on adding: purple firefish, 3 green/blue chromis (moving that yellow damsel or donating to someone), Dwarf flame angelfish, and another or two to be determined.
I have a 56 gallon column style tank (30"x18"x24") on a stand with 10 gallon QT inside the stand. I plan on turning the QT tank into a sump/ ref in the near future and just replace the tank. The main items I have yet to invest in are: LED light system (running the free light that came with the tank atm), a powerhead or 2 (my canister filter is providing movement), and a protein skimmer that will be placed in my DIY sump/ref.
What I have is: 56g tank, 75lbs LR, 2-3" Crushed Coral/ shells substrate, 2 - 150w heaters, Fluval 405 canister filter ( with - floss pads, pre-filter beads, carbon, bio-max beads). I plan on removing the canister and using it on a 20 long to be setup down the road. Also, I am going to buy the Marineland LED reef capable light and replace it down the road with a powerful 3w x 28 LED DIY kit fixture I am researching ATM. My next setup will be 20L using the canister and the Marineland LED light. For the 56, I want to build a sump/ ref around an in sump skimmer next. Then I will get another powerhead and buy that light. This will get me to a point that my system will be running pretty well and I can start to think about my first easy low light corals. My QT is using an undergravel filter with a tiny layer of substrate on it. I wanted to use the air pump I had laying around for something...lol.
So my question is: Will I have a good shot at getting a decent skimmer at the auction? Is that Marineland light going to work for soft corals in a 20L, or should I just forget it and start building my LED for the 56g now? I figured the Marineland would get enough light for some easy low light corals in my 56g and would be strong in the 20L to allow a good variety of coral in that size tank.
I basically bought all my equiptment and then did the researching... unfortunately! Now, I am trying not to waste what I invested and get this 56 gallon fully equipted for reef capability. Any suggestions are appreciated. My stock is as follows: 1 Black and White Percula clown, 1 Yellow belly damsel (big mistake, I know after the fact. But he is peaceful thus far)
CUC = Skunk Shrimp, 2 Scarlet Hermits, Electric blue hermit, Halloween hermit, 2 Astrea snails.
I plan on adding: purple firefish, 3 green/blue chromis (moving that yellow damsel or donating to someone), Dwarf flame angelfish, and another or two to be determined.
