# What more equipment might i need (no sump)



## Jake258 (Jun 30, 2009)

Got some equipment comming from ebay for a 55 salt water aquarium. I purchesed a JEBO 835/825 external canister filter, 300w hydor heater, 2 lamp odyssea 78w T5 HO, and JEBO 180 protien skimmer all for a resonable price. I plan to have corals and fish. Would there be any thing else i am over looking?


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

return the canister filter if possible. these do more harm then good as they build up debris and cause nutrient spikes unless cleaned every other day or used for carbon. your going to need 2 powerheads for each side of the tank, hydor ks seem to work well. two number 2s or 3s would be good flow. im not familiar with the skimmer but this is a very important part of having a tank. honestly a sump with an over rated skimmer would be great. the lights will prob. be just enough for some softies. do you know what fish you want? how much live rock? how much sand? do you have a test kit yet for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, alk, cal, mag, temp, and salinity? which i suggest a refractometer to test your salinity as they are much more accurate then a hydrometer and not much more money. ebay has them for a decent price. your also going to want the proper suppliments for alk, ca and mag.
how are you making saltwater? your going to want a RO/DI unit, extra powerhead, heater, and food safe bucket/bin to pre-mix saltwater atleast 24 hours in advance. 

its also a good idea to look in your area for a local reefing club. these are great to meet people, learn things and find equipment for cheap.

welcome to the forum.


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## Kellsindell (Sep 15, 2008)

Welcome to the forum!

What type of corals are you planning to have as well as fish? I too keep a Reef with no sump and am doing well, but will be adding one soon for it'll help a lot with the tank.

Ditch the canister filter and get a good skimmer. AquaC or a euroreef will do well in this tank, or another option, if you are a DIY type of person is to build your own or modify this skimmer, can't say i know this skimmer to give you any sort of review. 

For different type of coral you will need more lighting then what you have now, check Coral lighting and Acclimation for some insight on where to start with lighting.

You'll also need flow for the tank to keep things alive, a skimmer or the canister will not be enough.


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## Jake258 (Jun 30, 2009)

i cant use a sump because of the tanks location:-(. I do have 2 rio 600 powerheads. iplan to buy most of the corals and rock from a local place Atlantic Sea Farms Home Page right down the road. 20 pounds of fiji premium and some where from 40 to 60 pounds of live sand. planing on getting some mushrooms and zoas, and no hard corals. dont have a test kit yet dont really know a good brand, possibly might purches some red sea stuff. going to mix the water in the tank to start have a food safe bucket. for the RO/DI im not shure of what to use i don't want to spend to much and my local pet store sells pre mixed and filterted salt water. fish i might go with are some marron clowns or tank raised ocularis clown fish


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

your going to want alot more then 20 pounds of live rock. this is one of the main parts of natural filtration. your also going to want a quality skimmer which i suggest reading online reviews as some are not worth your money. joining a local reefing club might give you a chance to get a better quality skimmer that is used for the same price or cheaper then new.


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