Malta Aquarist Society

I need some help in setting up a marine tank. I have a 4 foot tank ***** and an ***** professional II power external filter. I have no knowledge about keeping Marine fish yet, but i would like to learn about what other equipment I will need and where to buy it from, i.e. sand, chiller, salt , etc.....

Thanks

First of all you have to decide if it's a fish only setup or you're keeping also corals. For sure you need a protein skimmer and live rock. Live rock are a means of biological filtration and bacteria lives in these too. For these to survive you need current and light.  Also you need sand to keep nitrate levels at a minimum. If you're going for corals you need a chiller as they will not thrive our hot summer. If you're keeping fish the temperature must not exceed 28 C.

Hi Adrain welcome to the marine fish keeping

If you had a look in the marine section of this form you can see my posts, I had set up a 50L tank fir the first experiment.

As for equipment you will need:

 Essential

Skimmer

Pump (to pump water from the sump/fuge)

Heater

Not Essentail (depends what you are stoking in the tank)

Chiller

Circulation pumps

PS. there are more things but then when you'll go more profesinal such as dose drimmper, wave maker etc can explain bettr on profeinal aquarium AM-

These are the basic, One usefull hint is to be patience, read and ask.

 If you whant to come and see my aquarium you're welcome and you'll have a better idea of a basic marine and reef.

Goodluck

If you have messenger add me so we will try to meet.... camval88@hotmail.com

A skimmer is a good addition but it not a must for this kind of setup many marine aquarist go with a skimmer-less setup and instead they do weekly water changes using surface siphon method, having said that personally I would invest in a good skimmer as it simplifies life.

 A canister filter will do the job here however floss and filtration materials need to be changed on a monthly basis, if using bio balls make sure that "clean water" with no detritus goes through it as the bio balls will be your biological filter and these need to be kept in the filter.

Have you decided on what setup are you going for Adrian?

I would go for the Berlin method with a part eco system. That is what use.

I use the Live rock for Bio filtration. I have a sump that contains a Skimmer, pads for mechanical filration that I wash out in tap water every 3-5 days to stop them becoming biological.

The water enters the sump and first hits mechanical filter pads. Then it is skimmed before going through carbon. The it entes a deep sand bed for de nitrification then it goes through a compartment containing miracle mud. before more filter pads and then it re enters the tank.

My Skimmer is off for 8 hours a day to allow th emiracle mud to do its job.

hi anthony from where you had bought miracle mud? btw do you live in Malta?

Best Regards

Valhmor

I live in Irlenad and it is readily available here. I find it excellent. Have you tried any of the mail order companies.

It is expensive but is amazing IME.

Hi Anthony any pictures of your aquarium?