# 35 Gallon SW Tank



## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

after my recent trip to thailand, and seeing some CRAZY corals and fish, ive decided to set up a smaller saltwater tank. i know that the smaller the tank the harder it is to keep, but the 35 is the biggest i have right now.

i have 2 Metal Halide 175W lights...so i was thinking of using those and building a canopy to mount them in (right now they're on a canopy for a 48" long tank)... should i use 1 of them or both?

the more important thing that i need help with is the filtration. do i need a sump for a tank that small? or would a good canister filter be sufficient? would i need an overflow box? or would an HOB filter + canister work fine?

also, do i need a protein skimmer? if so, are there any decent HOB ones? the only one i have is HUGE! and way too big for a tank that size. would this one be good for a 35 gallon tank? or could i go even bigger? it says it is rated for tanks up to 75 gallons, where the other 2 say they're for tanks over 75 gallons.
Aqua C Remora 

i know before you add corals the tank should mature for 6 months, so i was thinking of buying some live rock and maybe just keeping a couple of cheap damsels or something for the 6 months.

i know you can buy live sand as well, but i heard there isnt much point in it if you have live rock as well because the live rock will seed the sand...what type of sand should i look for?


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

Welcome to Saltwater!

I wouldn't say that you need a sump for a tank that size, if you can swing it great if not, you will just really need to stay on top of water changes. If you were going to go with a sump you would need an overflow box to get the water down there. Hob and canister filters are that great for reef tanks, eventually will start trapping nitrates which will cause some problems in your tank. However, a lot of peopel have been modding hob filters into small refugiums. (plenty of threads aroudn just do a search, usually done with aquaclear hobs)

Damsels although a hardy fish are buggers to catch to remove later and might fight with other small fish that you add in the future. Once you tank a fully cycled there really isnt any reason why you couldnt add fish that you might actually want in the future.

I have always bought the sand at the lfs store that if for reef tank, helps balance pH a little bit.

and i add this everytime someone is going to start a new sw tank...be patient, dont rush anything, and always reserach before buying anything, ask question on there im sure we can get you an answers.


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

which one of these light setups would you choose? im wanting to at most do some anenomes and soft coral.

Nova Extreme HO Light Fixture - 4 x 39W 3 Lunar - 36 in. 

nova info:
Powerful, yet space-saving High Output T5 lamps make the Nova Extreme fixture the ultimate lighting source for reef aquariums. Featuring all the light your corals and other reef organisms need to thrive: 460 nm actinic blue lamps, 10,000k ultra daylight lamps, and spectacular Moon White lunar lamps that mimic gentle moonlight for natural nocturnal stimulation. Each lighting source runs on independent circuits so you can customize your daynight cycles. Top off the perfect lighting with a low-energy consuming electronic ballast, a German parabolic reflector that increases lighting output by 99%, both fan-cooled for safety and efficiency, and you've got yourself one powerful, yet sensible lighting fixture that provides your reef with the best light available...second only to the sun itselfSize:Fixture is 36" l x 7.25" w x 2.5" high.

or this?

Aqualight Power Compact Fixture for Saltwater - Square Pin - 2 x 96W - 36 in. 

aqualight info:
This is a sleek and streamlined fixture designed to enhance and compliment saltwater and reef aquariums where space is limited. It is equipped with a modern aluminum housing and a highly-polished aluminum reflector for optimal lighting. Includes one 10,000k and one actinic blue 03 bulb that enhances both color and clarity in the aquarium and a protective acrylic lens which allows easy access to the lamps. These full-spectrum lamps provide the aquarium's inhabitants with the proper light require


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

what are the dimensions of your tank?

They say that t5 lights are much better when they have individual reflectors, but dending on how deep you tank is you should be alright. I would pick the t5s over the compact flourescents everyday...but thats just me. Plus you will save a little electric, haha


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

the tank is 31.5" wide X 14" deep X 18-19" tall. so 34 gallons... i might try to find a 50 gallon or 40G breeder...but who knows.

ive found some other skimmers in the same price range.
i was looking at the remora pro, but ive also found the bak-pak 2R+, bak-pak 2, aquamedic turbofloater, and coralife super skimmer.

damn. this is a hard choice.
both the remora pro and bak pak 2R+ have very good reviews.
on one hand the remora is easy to use...plug and play...but then again you cant adjust the air or water flow like with the bak pak...
is that a very important feature in your guy's opinion, or is it negligible?
ive read a few places that the bak pak can cramp out and get inefficient within a year, and that the pump it comes with is a POS.
both have complaints of being noisy, but i dont think ive ever heard a QUIET skimmer.lol

ive found the same Nova fixture for 50$ cheaper, at both drsfosterandsmith and marineandreef.com. marineandreef have the remora pro, drsfosterandsmith have the bak-pak but no remora...lol free shipping at marineandreef. i dont think they do free shipping at drsF&S....


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## jasert39 (May 1, 2003)

like i said before I had the bak pak previously and really cant complain about it too much for the cost, but I honestly have never heard a complaint about the remora skimmers. So its up to you on that one.

I think the lighting that you are looking at would be fine on that tank for softies for sure.


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## acb (Nov 9, 2004)

you could use 1 175 watt halide and lighting would be perfect. Since your growing corals, you definatly need a skimmer. if you look in reefcentral classifieds you cans usually pick up a remora or a bak pak for like 50 bucks shipped. As for sand go to home depot and get the sand for mixing concrete, its the exact same stuff as "reef sand" and its like 5bucks for a 50lb bag. Also i forgot to mention, if you do use those halides, you will really never need to upgrade your lighting, with the pc lighting you really wouldnt be able to grow as extravagent of corals. i dont know much about t-5's but i do know they are better than pc. what type of fish and corals are you going to keep?


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## Puff (Feb 14, 2005)

im still not totally sure. being new to the saltwater world i wanted to start off easy. so probably some clownfish or something. im horrible with corals. i used to know a bunch of them but ive forgotten most of them.

i like featherdusters...they're one of my favourites, but im not sure whether they would be called corals or just tubeworms or something...lol. i need to do more reading on corals and such.

im also not sure what kind of kickass fish i could get in a 35-50 gallon tank. from what i've read i am kind of limited.

some local guy has a 10 month old deltec mce600 that he is selling for 360$. is that skimmer worth all that extra money?


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