trying to set up large saltwater tank

Question
hello and thanks for your help.  My son and I are trying to set up this 150g as a saltwater. we dont have much money but have managed to come up with the following gear.  72x18 tank, 72 " 384w pc light, 180g skimmer, 800w heater, 72x18 undergravel filter, fluval fx5, 120lbs black sand, ECO-Aqualizer . My question is as you look at this list what would you change and what would you add? With this size tank, what is a good wavemaker?  thanks for your help.

Answer
Hey Michael, and son...

Hopefully you understand that this hobby allows us all to customize our setups, in either attempts to 'tweak' and or optimize things, along with giving it some level of 'baller status'.

So, how I might want to tweak or setup, you or others will want to do things differently.

With that said, I would do the following:

1. (cause this has a potential for fatality), swap out or junk out the 800 watt heater.  That is just way too much, unless you live in snow covered lands, and the tank is in the garage!.  Barring that, and knowing that your 'ambient' temperature is within10 degrees or so of the tank temperature, a heater in the range of about 150 watts should be sufficient.

The larger heater could prove to be a killer if it gets stuck on.

2.  I'm not sure what direction you want to take your saltwater tank to, (fish only, or fowlr, or reef, with corals, etc...)  A non, 'reef tank', (no corals, or at least no sps), will do 'ok' with a the Power Compact lights.  So the lights are unfortunately under-powered, and they are woefully inefficient.

T5HO or Metal Halide, (T5 High Output).

3.  Saltwater tanks don't use 'undergravel filters'.  We don't want the poop/nutrients, sucked into the substrate.

4.  The FluVal filter is ok, lots of folks have 'cannister' filters, BUT, most of them arent reef tanks, I suggest getting and using a 'sump/refugium' under the tank/inside the stand.

5.  I would not use 'black sand'.  I don't like the look.  Have you considered a 'BARE BOTTOM' tank?

6. Eco-Aqualizer, snake oil, does nothing...

7.  Wave-maker;  Tunz has a wavemaker that is rock solid, Korallia has one out this year, it looks sharp, and is of course cheaper then the Tunze..

But, again, this may not be necessary if you are not having coral, and really, the same ting can be accomplished with regular PowerHeads.  (but wavemakers are, definitely in the 'BALLER category'

8.  I would also get an Aquarium Controller.  I really like Neptune Systems, 'Aquacontroller'.  The Junior model, has pretty much everything MOST reefers need and want.

What is unfortunate is, that most folks buy all kinds of timers, and thermometers, and temperature controllers, and all that, only to ultimately spending $200 on all that stuff, when they could have bought the AC Jr for about that price.

Kurt at Neptune Systems, (owner/inventor) has the best support around.  He usually answers the phone himself and can usually trouble shoot it quickly.  

hope this helps



Mr. Bill