My new aquarium tank

[Falconix]

I'm setting up a new 250 litre aquarium with a couple of external filters and a skimmer, so I thought I'd reach out for some advice. I'd love to get your input on what type of filter would be best suited for this tank. Also, I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on the stocking - I'm after some unique fish, but nothing too high maintenance. Any suggestions would be great, thanks. Oh, and one more thing, I'm not fussed about clownfish.

[felinxo]

I'm setting up a new 250 litre aquarium with a couple of external filters and a skimmer, so I thought I'd reach out for some advice. I'd love to get your input on what type of filter would be best suited for this tank. Also, I'm having a bit of trouble deciding on the stocking - I'm after some unique fish, but nothing too high maintenance. Any suggestions would be great, thanks. Oh, and one more thing, I'm not fussed about clownfish.

Considering your tank's on the way, let's flip the script - instead of deciding on fish first, why not get the tank up and running, then think about stocking?

You've got two main options for filtration: live rock, which I think is the way to go, and external filtration.

Now, let's take stock of what you've got so far - hardware-wise, that is. What's the skimmer you've chosen? Got lighting sorted? What about test kits, RO water, salt, a refractometer, a heater, and powerheads? And for the substrate, I'd recommend aragonite sand - just make sure it's not 'live' sand or from an old tank.

[Falconix]

i only have the tank so far, figured it's best to ask for advice here to get the right equipment for it. i'm planning on getting live rock too, but i still thought it'd be a good idea to have a filter of some sort, just not an external one. would a internal filter be good enough, or is that overkill with the live rock?

also, i was thinking of using crushed coral for the substrate, would that affect the water quality in any way? thanks

[felinxo]

New tank, new salty - always exciting to see it all come together. We love watching a tank spring to life and lending a helping hand along the way.

Live rock is the filter, trust me, you'll soon find out just how amazing it is. For substrate, I'd recommend going with aragonite - Bahama aragamix is a personal favorite of mine, I love the shells it comes with. And yes, the sand can affect the water, it tends to raise the pH.

Do you already have a skimmer in place?

Seffie x

[Falconix]

Yeah I was expecting that with the crushed coflake, raising the PH and all that, so I'll keep that in mind.

I don't have a skimmer yet, and I was thinking of getting a second-hand one off eBay - would that be okay, or should I just go for a new one?

If I don't need a filter, that's great, I can put the money towards more live rock, which sounds like a plan.

I was thinking of getting water from my LFS - he specializes in marine fish, so I'm hoping he'll have the right stuff. He does sell RO water, but I'm not sure if it's specifically for marine tanks.

Also, is there a type of crushed coflake that won't be affected by not having bright fluorescent lighting, or is that just a lost cause?

[felinxo]

Many of us go for second-hand skimmers, I've heard great things about the Deltec MCE range. Buying water to start off with is also pretty common.

For the coflakes, there are some softer types that can do well under T8 lighting.

[Falconix]

ebay it is then, cheers for the advice. I've had some good deals off there before, got my tank off there too. It was brand new, never had any meds in it, and I've given it a good clean so it's all ready to go.

[felinxo]

Indeed, you can snag some great deals, just keep an eye out for the right ones.