Sw reef beginner needs help

Hi!
I've been keeping freshwater aquariums for several years now. I'm interested in getting into the sw reef area. I have a vague idea of some of the equipment needed/ materials, but I have been unable to get an answer to most of my answers.
What I need answers on;

What's a good sized tank for a reef tank that can hold a nice amount of fish?
What equipment do I need?
What is a sump + refugium?
What is an overflow?
What are some beginner corals?
How can I save money on setting up a tank?
What's ro/dI water?
What are some good sw fish?
What kind of lighting do you need?

some of the questions are probably a bit dumb, but I'm coming into this without much knowledge of sw. If I can get these questions answered, some directed to a post with the answers, I'd really appreciate it! Thanks everyone!

 

I know literally nothing about Saltwater and have just started FW, so I can't answer any of your questions except the RO/DI one. It stands for reverse osmosis/ deionized, it takes basically all of the minerals and other such things out and you're left with pretty much pure water. I'm not sure why you need it but I think it might be that some corals or fish need specific mineral requirements and also something else about how Saltwater salt works that I don't remember :/

 

The ro/dI unit removes all metals and minerals from the water, it is needed for a reef tank because it's harsh to them, an over flow is just that, allows water to overflow out of the tank down into the sump, a sump is essentially a big filter, has different chambers for a skimmer (which skims the water and removes particles), it will also increase your water volume to help keep parameter swings in check, a refugium is like a minI planted area that helps remove nitrates and such from the water. Most posts I've read say around a 55 gallon is a good starting point for a tank, but a lot of people say get the biggest tank you can handle, also the sump should be as big as possible also. Lighting you'll need quite a bit compared to a freshwater planted tank, but usually they're 10k and actnic colors. Led is the smartest way to go but also the most expensive. Fish wise, I would suggest searching for reef or coral safe fish there are a few that are fine.

 

What's a good sized tank for a reef tank that can hold a nice amount of fish?

Depends. For me a 15gal with my 2 clownfish is a good sized tank and a nice amount of fish. For others it may be different. Really depends what your budget is and what type of fish you are going for. Bigger the tank the easier it is to maintain stability, though I sometimes question that given my success in a 15gal.

What equipment do I need?

Again depends on the tank. Smaller tanks you may not need a skimmer, sump, or refugium and other various items. Your bare bones basics of every Saltwater tank will be tank, powerheads, and lights. And lights depend on reef or FOWLR but that is the stuff you have to have. As you get larger or as you get more stocked a skimmer might be needed to keep up with nutrient export.

What is a sump + refugium?

A sump is a type of filter that is usually separate from the tank but plumbed in through an intake and return line. It increases your total water volume, gives you a place to hide all equipment for the tank, allows for the surface of the water to be skimmed, safe place to add any additives, provides a consistent water level for the display, and provides increased oxygenation.

A refugium is a chamber inside of the sump typically made to be a minI display of sorts. It's an area where you can do a deep sand bed or add sand, live rock, etc as a place to further filter and grow macro algae which decreases nitrates from the system preventing any pest algaes from growing in the display. You can add any troublesome fish to refugiums if size permits. To me the refugium has 2 main purposes, to provide a "refuge" to your microfauna like copepods and amphipods to reproduce and feed your display with a consistant and sustainable food source. And the second is to grow macro algae. A fuge is really useless if not doing one of these two things IMO.

What is an overflow?

And overflow is the intake portion of your sump. It essentially is an empty box where water can cascade over the top from the display (surface skimming) and down into the box where there are holes to drain down into pipe or tubing which empties into your sump. This is then carried through your sump, back into your aquarium through a water pump.

What are some beginner corals?

Mushrooms, leathers, star polyps, zoanthids, palythoa, anything with a soft body really. No skeletal structure to the coral.

How can I save money on setting up a tank?

Find a new hobby. But really, understand going in a reef tank is expensive.

Buy used. Buy your tank and equipment used. Get frags of coral from locals in reef clubs or the small $5, 10, 15 dollar coral rack at your LFS. Stuff like that. I've found it's hard to reef cheap and have it not look like a DIY paradise. Might not bother you, does me. If you want to get really fancy, spend some money to save some money and buy a controller. You hook all of your devices up to it and program when things go on or off. My heater comes on at a certain degree and turns off at a certain degree so I'm not running a 50-100w heater all day long. Same with lights, powerheads dial down in the evening, stuff like that. Big cost up front but saves me money on the back end and preserves my equipment longer. Might be something for down the road once you've been reefing a while.

What's ro/dI water?

RO/DI water is pure water, stripped down to the very basic element of water. Provides a good baseline for you to then add salt or whatever additives to it and get exactly the right levels you want. I'd say it's one of the most important parts of a headache free reef experience. You need this.

What are some good sw fish?

Depends on your tank once again. A powder blue tang is a good fish to me...but I don't have 200gal to put it in. Work within your limits. Figure out what fish you want to keep and base your tank off that or figure out what tank you can afford/have space for and figure out what fish fit into those restrictions. It's the best course of action. Go to Live Aquaria and look at the fish, something may catch your eye.

What kind of lighting do you need?

Full on reefs run 3 types. LED, Metal Halide, or T5. If you are going on the small side I'd stick to LEDs. A large tank you will probably be best off going with MH or T5 unless money is no option given the price of good LED fixtures. Again, kind of depends on your tank size choice. LEDs run cool, run extremely efficient, are incredibly versatile with color spectrum and dimming, and provide high light.....but are still expensive. Metal Halides run extremely hot, are expensive to replace the bulb every X number of months, but may provide higher light than you need. T5s run hotter than LEDs but not as hot as MH, they have comparable light output, but do have bulb replacement costs and only come in certain lengths.

You may be able to get by with a Chinese off brand type of LED fixture and be just fine keeping soft corals, it's just to dependent to tell without knowing the other variables. If you think you might be interested in keeping harder corals later and go full out with the reef bug, just go ahead and buy a good light now.

Hope I didn't confuse you more, or scare you off. Really is a rewarding part of the hobby. If you asked me 10 times what my favorite tank has been to keep or what my favorite part of the hobby has been over the close to 20 years doing it 9-9.5 out of the 10 times I would say my Saltwater tank. It hasn't come with failure and a good amount of money lost though. Like I said before, it's not a cheap section of the hobby....but to me it's money well spent. Years ago I kept a small nano reef. It was DIY cheapo to the MAX. Metal Halide retrofit kit with a PVC light stand, cheap live rock, bunch of frags haphazardly placed all in the tank that never really grew any, tap water used instead of RO/DI, no skimmer, and cutting as many corners as I possibly could. Money really hasn't changed that much compared to today, I could of spent an equal amount back then but I didn't. Today I have a 15gal nano with all of the bells and whistles, money put into a quality skimmer, light, powerhead, and RO/DI filter etc. Guess which has been the MUCH smoother, healthier, nicer looking tank? Seriously, budget and save now for some quality stuff. It will not pay to cut corners in SW. Nothing good ever happens fast in a reef. Do it right the first time and you will enjoy yourself more.

My old DIY special reefs, cool right? Mehhh sure....




But not this cool....my current tank

 

Depends. For me a 15gal with my 2 clownfish is a good sized tank and a nice amount of fish. For others it may be different. Really depends what your budget is and what type of fish you are going for. Bigger the tank the easier it is to maintain stability, though I sometimes question that given my success in a 15gal.



Again depends on the tank. Smaller tanks you may not need a skimmer, sump, or refugium and other various items. Your bare bones basics of every Saltwater tank will be tank, powerheads, and lights. And lights depend on reef or FOWLR but that is the stuff you have to have. As you get larger or as you get more stocked a skimmer might be needed to keep up with nutrient export.



A sump is a type of filter that is usually separate from the tank but plumbed in through an intake and return line. It increases your total water volume, gives you a place to hide all equipment for the tank, allows for the surface of the water to be skimmed, safe place to add any additives, provides a consistent water level for the display, and provides increased oxygenation.

A refugium is a chamber inside of the sump typically made to be a minI display of sorts. It's an area where you can do a deep sand bed or add sand, live rock, etc as a place to further filter and grow macro algae which decreases nitrates from the system preventing any pest algaes from growing in the display. You can add any troublesome fish to refugiums if size permits. To me the refugium has 2 main purposes, to provide a "refuge" to your microfauna like copepods and amphipods to reproduce and feed your display with a consistant and sustainable food source. And the second is to grow macro algae. A fuge is really useless if not doing one of these two things IMO.



And overflow is the intake portion of your sump. It essentially is an empty box where water can cascade over the top from the display (surface skimming) and down into the box where there are holes to drain down into pipe or tubing which empties into your sump. This is then carried through your sump, back into your aquarium through a water pump.



Mushrooms, leathers, star polyps, zoanthids, palythoa, anything with a soft body really. No skeletal structure to the coral.



Find a new hobby. But really, understand going in a reef tank is expensive.

Buy used. Buy your tank and equipment used. Get frags of coral from locals in reef clubs or the small $5, 10, 15 dollar coral rack at your LFS. Stuff like that. I've found it's hard to reef cheap and have it not look like a DIY paradise. Might not bother you, does me. If you want to get really fancy, spend some money to save some money and buy a controller. You hook all of your devices up to it and program when things go on or off. My heater comes on at a certain degree and turns off at a certain degree so I'm not running a 50-100w heater all day long. Same with lights, powerheads dial down in the evening, stuff like that. Big cost up front but saves me money on the back end and preserves my equipment longer. Might be something for down the road once you've been reefing a while.



RO/DI water is pure water, stripped down to the very basic element of water. Provides a good baseline for you to then add salt or whatever additives to it and get exactly the right levels you want. I'd say it's one of the most important parts of a headache free reef experience. You need this.



Depends on your tank once again. A powder blue tang is a good fish to me...but I don't have 200gal to put it in. Work within your limits. Figure out what fish you want to keep and base your tank off that or figure out what tank you can afford/have space for and figure out what fish fit into those restrictions. It's the best course of action. Go to Live Aquaria and look at the fish, something may catch your eye.



Full on reefs run 3 types. LED, Metal Halide, or T5. If you are going on the small side I'd stick to LEDs. A large tank you will probably be best off going with MH or T5 unless money is no option given the price of good LED fixtures. Again, kind of depends on your tank size choice. LEDs run cool, run extremely efficient, are incredibly versatile with color spectrum and dimming, and provide high light.....but are still expensive. Metal Halides run extremely hot, are expensive to replace the bulb every X number of months, but may provide higher light than you need. T5s run hotter than LEDs but not as hot as MH, they have comparable light output, but do have bulb replacement costs and only come in certain lengths.

You may be able to get by with a Chinese off brand type of LED fixture and be just fine keeping soft corals, it's just to dependent to tell without knowing the other variables. If you think you might be interested in keeping harder corals later and go full out with the reef bug, just go ahead and buy a good light now.

Hope I didn't confuse you more, or scare you off. Really is a rewarding part of the hobby. If you asked me 10 times what my favorite tank has been to keep or what my favorite part of the hobby has been over the close to 20 years doing it 9-9.5 out of the 10 times I would say my Saltwater tank. It hasn't come with failure and a good amount of money lost though. Like I said before, it's not a cheap section of the hobby....but to me it's money well spent. Years ago I kept a small nano reef. It was DIY cheapo to the MAX. Metal Halide retrofit kit with a PVC light stand, cheap live rock, bunch of frags haphazardly placed all in the tank that never really grew any, tap water used instead of RO/DI, no skimmer, and cutting as many corners as I possibly could. Money really hasn't changed that much compared to today, I could of spent an equal amount back then but I didn't. Today I have a 15gal nano with all of the bells and whistles, money put into a quality skimmer, light, powerhead, and RO/DI filter etc. Guess which has been the MUCH smoother, healthier, nicer looking tank? Seriously, budget and save now for some quality stuff. It will not pay to cut corners in SW. Nothing good ever happens fast in a reef. Do it right the first time and you will enjoy yourself more.

My old DIY special reefs, cool right? Mehhh sure....




But not this cool....my current tank

Thank you! This answered all my questions. I've got my research and some savings ahead of me. Thanks for a quality answer!