Need help in converting a 26 bowfront form fresh to Salt

[JDMac]

My only experience with Salt Water is my JBJ Nano cube which has been going very well for 4 months now.
My son would like to change his freshwater to a reef system, he likes the way the cube looks.

However, I’m not sure what equipment to buy and to set it up correctly the first time. I know it must have a skimmer my nano cube always has scum on the top that I remove with a paper towel. As for Lightening, he will only be keeping soft corals like the nano cube. He is 15 and is spending some of his money on it.

Tank Spec’s
26 gallons
24� inches wide
21� tall
15� in the middle
The stand is 21 inches high with one door. It came with the tanks so it’s built to fit.

Should I go with hang on filter and skimmer?
Or go with a sump (berlin) inside the stand?


Lights – again soft corals.

Thanks in advance for your input.

[Acolin]

what is the current filter and lights?

[JDMac]

A tetratech PF150 and just basic light for fresh water.

[shilo_1]

I'd get a 24" Power Compact light strip. Depending on if you want to add a sump or not will be the deciding point for the skimmer. Most of the stands are too small (short) for the sump and skimmers, but also depends on what you go for. A tank that size, I'd use a CPR hang on back skimmer (you could probably find one here in the for sale section or on ebay for around $70-ish), and a hang on back filter that you can add some carbon to if needed (I like the Walmart-cheapies....start at $10 and go up to $35, they sell all the filter media too.) Also need a heater and probably a powerhead for circulation.

hope that helps...:)

[Acolin]

basic light, what does that mean?

[shilo_1]

Probably the one bulb NO strips you buy with the tank.

[JDMac]

Shilo_1 is correct. The light fixture is one bulb in a cheap plastic holder. I think it's 10k. I have been checking Ebay for a while but what looks good to me may be wrong setup. I also think I'm over thinking this. I read posts concerning large tanks and how there setup. I need to think smaller
.

[AJP]

Just my opinion but I think that if you were to get a used coralife light strip in the used section on here and maybe an aqua c remora or a cpr bak pak you would be good to go. I don't think that you are gonna find much that will fit in your stand for a sump. Maybe a 10, then you would have to buy an overflow and a return pump. I think that is something you can get later on. For now I would just get some lights, live rock a good skimmer, and a few powerheads. Don't ditch the powerfilter though they can be good for carbon and such. HTH

[SALTFISHDUDE]

A agree with adamjonpeterson...a coralife aqualight PC fixure and an Aqua C Remora would be great

[Shooter7]

One example of a light setup I had seen at my lfs that would fit your setup (I also have a 26 gal bowfront I'd thought about converting) was one by, I believe, coralife which I think was 2 bulbs at 130 watts total, 24 inches wide. Just an example of something you could look at.

Hope you keep posting on this. I will be curious to see how your transition goes while I still contemplate converting my 26 gal bow. Good luck. :)

edit - whoops, now I see a couple of people have beat me to the punch on the coralife set. LOL

[AJP]

I have a 48" 4x65w on my 75 gallon and do I ever love it. Plus it comes with fans, and I got it on the used forum for 130 shipped. So if you look around and keep low-balling prices you will get one you can afford eventually. Now I just need to get that remora pro

[Monkeyfish]

If you use an aquaclear 300 or 500 (or whatever they're calling them these days) you could do a few easy mods and have a filter/refugium combo.

With the 300, just place a piece of 6 inch high acrylic about 2 inches from the motor/inlet and you now have 2 compartments - one for chemipure and one for rubble and macro. Add a small clamp light (like the ones they use for the Aquavases) and you're good to go. If you use the 500 (more room) you'll need to shave the impeller in order to decrease the flow rate. You could also add a surface skimmer attachment to get rid of any surface scum problems.

HTH

[AJP]

here are some lights for sale right now
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=470740&highlight=24+coralife
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=462841&highlight=24+coralife
http://archive.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=460020&highlight=24+coralife