First post First reef and actually first tank!
1112-425XL
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welcome aboard the r2r board. hello from PA!
This. Knowledge is power. To reiterate, go slow and take your time. It takes years for a tank to fully mature. You're in it for the long haul!
Welcome! What is your source of ammonia? Are you dosing ammonia?
What do you plan to do down the road with coral? No matter what, you're going to need high quality lighting. Over that footprint tank, it shouldn't be too much money. I would look at one Kessil A360x or even the A500 because that tank looks pretty deep. A light like that gives you a really nice shimmer effect. Some like it, some hate it. I personally love it.
You should also think about whether you want just soft corals, LPS, SPS, or a mixed reef.
What do you plan to do down the road with coral? No matter what, you're going to need high quality lighting. Over that footprint tank, it shouldn't be too much money. I would look at one Kessil A360x or even the A500 because that tank looks pretty deep. A light like that gives you a really nice shimmer effect. Some like it, some hate it. I personally love it.
You should also think about whether you want just soft corals, LPS, SPS, or a mixed reef.
I would also get a higher quality pump for flow. Look at the Tunze powerheads on BulkReefSupply or SaltwaterAquarium.com. That tank water volume needs a decent amount of flow which is critical for keeping coral down the road.
Tiny Bubbles
Community Member
Hello and welcome to R2R!
Buckster
2500 Club Member
Hello and Welcome to R2R! I love my AI hydra LED lights. Years ago when I had the tube lights I hated changing them so often and thinking that the light would be inconsistent over time. I programmed the LED's and love how they ramp up at the beginning of the day and then ramp down during the late evening.
Rach77
Community Member
I was trying to see if someone replied on this...I would not use the plate under the sand. I'm not positive but I think that is freshwater setup. Most marine canisters have just an intake and output hoses. Sand may clog that device as I think they meant for larger rocks, but I could be wrong
mcfilthy
New Member
I feel like we are starting close to the same time. I'm in the planning stages now, and preparing. I don't have anything yet, and starting to get things to build a mixing station. A tank wont' be any good without water, haha. So hopefully I can go long the ride with ya. 
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