This guide is great but i think a welcome addition to a total newbie would be to explain what each and every part of the system does so we can understand the system as a whole too and what parts of the equipment do. I'm assuming this guide is for those progressing from having more basic systems.
@@kadenstimpson3167 I think that's a good trait to have, even if it can be frustrating at times. All manners of curiosity are a good thing in my opinion.
Best one-stop saltwater set up video on UA-cam! Years of experience and research condensed in to 18mins. Follow this and you won't go wrong. We'll done @Reefdork, what a guy.
Have freshwater tanks over a decade, and just before New Year somehow reef tanks appeared in my feed and i always knew one day i will go there :) I think time has come :D Such videos is especially helpful! Thanks, subscribed and going through your content :)
You just inspired me to try saltwater again. I see where I failed the first time. I thank you very much for all the information in this video. I love that you indexed the video. The extra effort shows, not just yanking your chain here.
Back in the 80s when I had a saltwater aquarium, my first two fish were damselfishes. One looked very similar to the blue one at 16:08 the other one was a striped damselfish about the same size but a different shape. From what I remember the striped one was pretty aggressive after I added other fish but I don't think the blue one was. I remember a few years later the blue one disappeared. I eventually found his decomposing remains in one of the coral hiding spots. Oh well, he lived a pretty long life for a fish in captivity (a few years)
@@banshee_studios_uk I just looked it up and I think you're right. Looks like the fish I had. Even though small, he used to chase the other fish and he lived pretty long too.
As usual, great video. Officially starting my cycle on Sunday but some not so lively hitchhikers on my rock seem to have decided to get it going before then! 😂
Just a quick note, its actually not important the tank is level stress wise. Obviously appearance wise you want it to be level, but you should never worry about your tank busting apart or leaking from being unlevel. You just want to make sure the bottom of the tank is evenly supported. Thanks to static fluid pressure, the forces on the tank only depend on head height, and apply evenly in every direction. You could have a tank be 45 degrees off and the tank will still be totally safe.
Another great video from Reef Dork! I've been following your channel for a very long time now, Reef aquariums are my "passive youtube hobby" - and one day I might gonna buy me one. This video is definitely on top of my lists as a tutorials on how to do it correctly!
Recently started my first 20 gallon saltwater tank. I already have everything that I needed such as filter, light, and a power head. I spent $58 for live rock that weighed 10 pounds and I got a 50 pound salt bucket for $40 of chewy, plus hydrometer to test salinity for $8 also off chewy. Currently cycling the tank to speed up the process I used a fluval bacteria starter , however I still lost my pair of clownfish. I should’ve waited for the 3 week mark to test for nitrite then add the clownfish along with bacteria starter. Lesson learned glad I only lost $20 worth of fish. One thing that I found helpful in my old freshwater setup was taking media filter from an old tank and placing it in a new setup to speed the process in half, so I’m going to do that with my saltwater tank and hope for the best. Going bigger is better in saltwater hobby, but those just starting out go with a 20 gallon or even a 40 gallon for better results and fewer fluctuations in water parameters it’ll just cost you a bit more.
im really surprised that this video is so helpful in every way. it was really hard for me to understand how reef tank works from other youtubers but this video really explained everything that i need to know to have a reef tank. I just subscribed to your channel!
i bought the same tank second hand 2 days ago lol great timing on the serious. would love to see how you would integrate a filter sock or cup onto this system
Thanks so much for making this video. Now I understand how to setup a sump. Still not sure I trust my self to fit the pipe work though. So after using juwel tanks for the past 10 years maybe this is the year i finally get a sumped system. Only issue I have is my clown fish are in an 80cm long juwel tank which is 125 litres. To change to a sump system I would have to buy something like a red sea reefer 170 or aquaone reefsys 180 which are 2ft cubes, so my fish would be going from a narrow rectangle tank to a 2ft square sumped tank so they wouldn’t have as much swimming space.
Absolutely cracking video… I’m looking to purchase my first take very soon. Either a Red Sea Reefer 250xl or a 350…. This video was by far the best breakdown for what I need and why… thank you.. really appreciate #nervous #excited #nocluewhatimdoing
Great video. I have that fish tank myself, it was the first one I bought. I got anxiety though from the lack of QT on the clowns. I suffered a velvet outbreak a few months in my journey and that is when I bought a second tank for QT.
I've always wanted to have a saltwater aquarium as they're beautiful but I keep freshwater because it's way simpler and more forgiving. Great video though!
Great video. Happy New Year. I always put sand first, then rocks. It is risky putting rocks first, if one tumbles, or you drop one, the rock hitting bare glass might not end well. You can always dig around the rock base to ensure the rocks touch the bottom. Love how you didn't drip acclimate the clowns. Even my LFS said just to put the bag in to temp match your aquarium then put the clowns in, they can survive anything.
It's a great start for my project. I would love you do a next video for Introduction to Sump, Filteration GFO Carbon or Crush coral filteration along with how to start introducing corals without hitting hard with Algae.. 👍🏽 Loving the Beginner Playlist aswell..
Hey Reef Dork I Saw parkers video today and they showed a very Nice Cade aquarium With Steel stand that was Nice you should have a look on these aquariums one Time
hi alex...big fan..love all your videos.. I'm from India and corals are banned in India.. however tube worm, anemones and other inverts are not.. so can you make a video suggesting creators that can help me create a "non-coral" reef tank
Great video. And, I'm a senior and I still can't build stuff with legos. Good thing my husband is at it good at it or all my aquariums (13) would all be on the floor
I love damsels:( but honestly they can be a huge pain. I find that if you just keep them together, and have plenty of hiding places they generally don’t cause much harm. Can’t stress enough about keep only damsels or none in a tank this size. Other than that, their hardy, inexpensive, and come in a large variety of colors. They also don’t pester inverts and they don’t mess with corals( usually:()
Hi Alex. Hoping you can help!! I have a tank set up following your methods - (used atm colony a couple of months ago). All running great and stable so far (touch wood). I have a red sea reefer 350 - I've had 6 fish in the tank for a few weeks. I don't have a very good LFS so I tend to order online, but to keep costs down on delivery I ordered 3 fish, 4 cuc and a couple of corals. - Now I'm thinking it's a lot to add at once.. so should I add another bottle of ATM colony to help the tank out before adding them?
Cracking vid Alex. Look forward to seeing the progress of this one. Done a Tour of our favourite LFS 😀 (On my channel) Got a load of vouchers for Xmas. Giving a corals a break for a while after what happened. Think of risking a Flame Angel or Bluespot Jawfish 2 (Still don’t know how he done it) Happy New Year mate.
so i was thinking on building my first tank ever and cuz i grew up on the beach i wanted a salt water tank but after watching this video i no longer want tanks thank you xD, i think im gonna stick to birds
Absolutely brilliant video. I have just set up a marine tank (beginning of December) but having problems with nitrate its sky high what do you suggest. Ammonia is 0 and nitrite is about 1 on the salifert test kits would really like some help.
Sounds like the cycle isn't complete yet - just ride it out until nitrite is 0. Don't worry about nitrates for the moment either - it's not a problem in my opinion 🙂
great tutorial, i enjoyed it. only thing I would disagree on is the no need to do a drip acclimation when introducing a new water pet. I believe this is important. I certainly wouldn't skip. would also set up a quarantine tank
Hi Alex. Thanks for this fab video. I love your set up and it's inspired me to do my own. Trying to mimic this build slightly. My question.... In this build there's no mechanical filter like socks.... Is that okay? Is it worth adding that sort of thing in? Im guessing that the only real filtration you have, except the skimmer is the bacteria in the rock and sand. Thanks for all the ace videos. 👍👍
Looking for a budget setup? Here's a $182 setup guide - ua-cam.com/video/9EcC49z7DNI/v-deo.html
😂 me too
This guide is great but i think a welcome addition to a total newbie would be to explain what each and every part of the system does so we can understand the system as a whole too and what parts of the equipment do. I'm assuming this guide is for those progressing from having more basic systems.
Agreed. I struggle to learn how to do things if I don't understand the reasons for why things are done the way they are
☝🏼
That's what I thought too. I'm a complete newbie. So I'm sort of lost already.
@@kadenstimpson3167 I think that's a good trait to have, even if it can be frustrating at times. All manners of curiosity are a good thing in my opinion.
Not gunna lie most youtubers would of dragged this out in to 10 episodes great short vid
The humor really brings this video to the next level. Good stuff.
Best one-stop saltwater set up video on UA-cam! Years of experience and research condensed in to 18mins. Follow this and you won't go wrong. We'll done @Reefdork, what a guy.
🤣 Cheers David
Have freshwater tanks over a decade, and just before New Year somehow reef tanks appeared in my feed and i always knew one day i will go there :) I think time has come :D Such videos is especially helpful! Thanks, subscribed and going through your content :)
Did you set one up?!
You just inspired me to try saltwater again. I see where I failed the first time. I thank you very much for all the information in this video. I love that you indexed the video. The extra effort shows, not just yanking your chain here.
Thanks, glad you liked it
I've consumed hundreds of hours of content and this was by far the most helpful video I've seen as I get geared up to get going in the hobby.
Great video. You made me forget about wanting a Saltwater tank.....I'll stay fresh hahaha
Good video. Lots of little extra tips most videos won't contain, magnet trick with the sand - brilliant.
Back in the 80s when I had a saltwater aquarium, my first two fish were damselfishes. One looked very similar to the blue one at 16:08 the other one was a striped damselfish about the same size but a different shape. From what I remember the striped one was pretty aggressive after I added other fish but I don't think the blue one was. I remember a few years later the blue one disappeared. I eventually found his decomposing remains in one of the coral hiding spots. Oh well, he lived a pretty long life for a fish in captivity (a few years)
The other striped fish you mention sounds like a humbug damsel (Black & white striped) very territorial but really Hardy.
@@banshee_studios_uk I just looked it up and I think you're right. Looks like the fish I had. Even though small, he used to chase the other fish and he lived pretty long too.
"water tight seal" 🦭😂😂. Love it
Thanks , gotta love the seal subliminal messages
I am a really big fan of your commentary! thank you for your videos
You’re awesome dude. Really awesome tips that-you’re right-I have not heard on ANY of the other salesman videos I’ve watched.
The seal at 4:12👌
As usual, great video. Officially starting my cycle on Sunday but some not so lively hitchhikers on my rock seem to have decided to get it going before then! 😂
Great video Alex! Always love seeing tank set up and build videos. Looking forward to the rest of this series.
i love the hilarious things he says in such a flat voice
Another nice video! Well done!
Just a quick note, its actually not important the tank is level stress wise. Obviously appearance wise you want it to be level, but you should never worry about your tank busting apart or leaking from being unlevel. You just want to make sure the bottom of the tank is evenly supported. Thanks to static fluid pressure, the forces on the tank only depend on head height, and apply evenly in every direction. You could have a tank be 45 degrees off and the tank will still be totally safe.
The failed silicone joints on my tank disagree. When not level, you put more stress on those joints.
A brilliant comprehensive guide for beginners. How much did this setup cost you? Love your channel. Happy New Year to you and your family. 👍
Costs video to follow next week... 😁
Another great video from Reef Dork!
I've been following your channel for a very long time now, Reef aquariums are my "passive youtube hobby" - and one day I might gonna buy me one.
This video is definitely on top of my lists as a tutorials on how to do it correctly!
Recently started my first 20 gallon saltwater tank. I already have everything that I needed such as filter, light, and a power head. I spent $58 for live rock that weighed 10 pounds and I got a 50 pound salt bucket for $40 of chewy, plus hydrometer to test salinity for $8 also off chewy. Currently cycling the tank to speed up the process I used a fluval bacteria starter , however I still lost my pair of clownfish. I should’ve waited for the 3 week mark to test for nitrite then add the clownfish along with bacteria starter. Lesson learned glad I only lost $20 worth of fish. One thing that I found helpful in my old freshwater setup was taking media filter from an old tank and placing it in a new setup to speed the process in half, so I’m going to do that with my saltwater tank and hope for the best. Going bigger is better in saltwater hobby, but those just starting out go with a 20 gallon or even a 40 gallon for better results and fewer fluctuations in water parameters it’ll just cost you a bit more.
Istarted mine with Live sand from my local beach. Collected the water from the beach too. 800 litres of water for my 6 foot tank.
My mom wants a saltwater tank (I do too but don’t tell her XD) so this is a big help and explains a few things
im really surprised that this video is so helpful in every way. it was really hard for me to understand how reef tank works from other youtubers but this video really explained everything that i need to know to have a reef tank. I just subscribed to your channel!
Hey you're great at this, I wish you luck on your channel sir
Nice video... Any about how to do a cover ?
I haven't made a video, but most covers are pretty easy to put together...
Damn This is just what I needed, How hard is it to find the right guide! thank you very much Sir,
Great video! Accurate information and humorous narration. Look forward to the next one!
Most helpful video I’ve seen for setting up a new tank! 👏🏻
i bought the same tank second hand 2 days ago lol great timing on the serious. would love to see how you would integrate a filter sock or cup onto this system
Thanks so much for making this video. Now I understand how to setup a sump. Still not sure I trust my self to fit the pipe work though. So after using juwel tanks for the past 10 years maybe this is the year i finally get a sumped system.
Only issue I have is my clown fish are in an 80cm long juwel tank which is 125 litres. To change to a sump system I would have to buy something like a red sea reefer 170 or aquaone reefsys 180 which are 2ft cubes, so my fish would be going from a narrow rectangle tank to a 2ft square sumped tank so they wouldn’t have as much swimming space.
Clowns wouldn't be bothered about the swimming space I'd guess - they hardly move in most tanks!
You’ll find the clowns will spend 99% of their life’s in one corner no matter what size tank you have!
Absolutely cracking video… I’m looking to purchase my first take very soon. Either a Red Sea Reefer 250xl or a 350…. This video was by far the best breakdown for what I need and why… thank you.. really appreciate
#nervous #excited #nocluewhatimdoing
Most how to set up a marine tank videos stress me out, they all seem way too overwhelming. This one is great!
Great tutorial for starters!!! Compliments from our side!
Aqua one mini reefs are really under rated! They are a great looking tank for what you pay for them!
Thanks for the video, very informative. A lot of new info for me... You seem very well researched!
So much good info in this video, best I've seen
Great video. Enjoyable and not overdone.
Lube on the hinges. Genius, will do now.
Nobody likes you
Really funny & enjoyed this tutorial.... very helpful too thanks :) :)
That seal jumpscare made me spit my drink XD
I had.... NOOOOOO CLUE... that salt water tanks had this much going on. WOOOOOOOOW! I still want one!
That was a good and easily understandable tutorial for beginners keep it up
great video as usual. I'm starting to plan my first reef tank so good timing on this one.
You're going Aquashella Dallas?! Awesome!!
Great video. I have that fish tank myself, it was the first one I bought. I got anxiety though from the lack of QT on the clowns. I suffered a velvet outbreak a few months in my journey and that is when I bought a second tank for QT.
I've always wanted to have a saltwater aquarium as they're beautiful but I keep freshwater because it's way simpler and more forgiving. Great video though!
Really like the fightclub seal!;)
😅
Great and helpful video thank you .
THANK god for this series🤗
Great video. Happy New Year.
I always put sand first, then rocks. It is risky putting rocks first, if one tumbles, or you drop one, the rock hitting bare glass might not end well. You can always dig around the rock base to ensure the rocks touch the bottom. Love how you didn't drip acclimate the clowns. Even my LFS said just to put the bag in to temp match your aquarium then put the clowns in, they can survive anything.
People advising drip acclimation for fish is my pet peeve!
Rock always before sand sitting on egg crate...then if a fish digs the sand it won’t all crash down
It's a great start for my project. I would love you do a next video for Introduction to Sump, Filteration GFO Carbon or Crush coral filteration along with how to start introducing corals without hitting hard with Algae.. 👍🏽
Loving the Beginner Playlist aswell..
Very good instruction. Well done
Lol enjoyable 👍
My 100G reef tank is ran on a fluval 407 canister with a inline heater and uv steriliser...no sump or skimmer and it’s been thriving for years
Amazing video. Love it!
Love the video! That light is definitely not cheap 🤣
Wow! More complicated than I thought! Thank you though.
I love how he puts it next to the 🔥 place 😆
Have you done a video on setting up a coral QT tank? That's my next mission
Never QT'd corals i'm afraid...
Great video
Now THIS IS A SET UP !
Funny video. Thanks for sharing.
Who saw the seal?😂
I had to go back to make sure i wasnt going crazy XD
@@Brandon9856 lmfao
Thought I was having a stroke !
😂
Awesome video! Funny guy and easy to listen to. :)
(Just subbed) ;)
I love how just assumes I have a partner lol
🤣🙂
។ៗ
I hate you
Lollll
F
I just bought a tank, rocks, live sand and nearly ready to fill, this ‘beginners’ guide is overwhelming and makes me think not to even bother
Hey Reef Dork I Saw parkers video today and they showed a very Nice Cade aquarium With Steel stand that was Nice you should have a look on these aquariums one Time
Best Beginner video ever very comprehensive. Great Job Alex👍
hi alex...big fan..love all your videos..
I'm from India and corals are banned in India.. however tube worm, anemones and other inverts are not..
so can you make a video suggesting creators that can help me create a "non-coral" reef tank
Very informative
Great video. And, I'm a senior and I still can't build stuff with legos. Good thing my husband is at it good at it or all my aquariums (13) would all be on the floor
Cost of salt water set up makes me run miles, but you make it seem easy. Maybe just maybe you may have convinced me.👌
Good sharing
Subscribed!
Hi there how much salt for 12 litre tank for brine shrimp please its just the set up of the salt water thankyou so much for your video 😀
I love damsels:( but honestly they can be a huge pain. I find that if you just keep them together, and have plenty of hiding places they generally don’t cause much harm. Can’t stress enough about keep only damsels or none in a tank this size. Other than that, their hardy, inexpensive, and come in a large variety of colors. They also don’t pester inverts and they don’t mess with corals( usually:()
Great video 👍
Bless the Mrs.Reef Dork
Great job .... . I have questions where from u got crocodile clips for plumbing I couldn't find them anywhere ?
They came with the tank and I can't find them online either! I don't even know what they're called I'm afraid...
@@ReefDork tkanks for replay if I am right they called crocodile clip in US but here in UK no idea.... .
@@piotrzemanek5947 They are called Herbie Clips in the U.K. but not easy to get a hold of.
Thanks Simon I found a website with all dimensions clips it might help somebody www.westfieldfasteners.co.uk/Nylon-Blk_HoseClip_HCL_Herbie.html
Great video
nice to see details like the silicon grease. that should be in the manual.
Im gonna do this idea for my 5 gallon gsp puffer tank
Hi Alex. Hoping you can help!! I have a tank set up following your methods - (used atm colony a couple of months ago). All running great and stable so far (touch wood). I have a red sea reefer 350 - I've had 6 fish in the tank for a few weeks. I don't have a very good LFS so I tend to order online, but to keep costs down on delivery I ordered 3 fish, 4 cuc and a couple of corals. - Now I'm thinking it's a lot to add at once.. so should I add another bottle of ATM colony to help the tank out before adding them?
I wouldn't bother personally but going slow is better...
When you moved the tank over with Mrs reef dork did you use furniture sliders ? Need to move mine soon.
No, I think I put cardboard under it but I can't remember now
@@ReefDork how many gallons is it ? Got to move my 30g to get floor layed. Drain and move on sliders will be ok ?
Love the video, so intuitive and easy for beginners to follow and set-up there first Aquarium,
Cracking vid Alex. Look forward to seeing the progress of this one. Done a Tour of our favourite LFS 😀 (On my channel) Got a load of vouchers for Xmas. Giving a corals a break for a while after what happened. Think of risking a Flame Angel or Bluespot Jawfish 2 (Still don’t know how he done it) Happy New Year mate.
Thank you for this ♻🌼
so i was thinking on building my first tank ever and cuz i grew up on the beach i wanted a salt water tank but after watching this video i no longer want tanks thank you xD, i think im gonna stick to birds
Absolutely brilliant video. I have just set up a marine tank (beginning of December) but having problems with nitrate its sky high what do you suggest. Ammonia is 0 and nitrite is about 1 on the salifert test kits would really like some help.
Sounds like the cycle isn't complete yet - just ride it out until nitrite is 0. Don't worry about nitrates for the moment either - it's not a problem in my opinion 🙂
At time slot 7:26 there’s a horn blow on your upload, I had my wife checking to see who was blowing their horn outside 😅
hello, excellent video as always, but can you tell me where you brought your fish trap that you use in your Peninsular tank please
I got it from my lfs, ReefKeeper Windsor. But it's made by Aqua Medic.
Love this channel. Glad I don’t have any kids to hear my swear words while I’m working on my tanks.
Why didn't this video exist when I first got into the hobby???
great tutorial, i enjoyed it.
only thing I would disagree on is the no need to do a drip acclimation when introducing a new water pet. I believe this is important. I certainly wouldn't skip.
would also set up a quarantine tank
I think it's especially important for invertebrates
Hi Alex. Thanks for this fab video. I love your set up and it's inspired me to do my own. Trying to mimic this build slightly. My question.... In this build there's no mechanical filter like socks.... Is that okay? Is it worth adding that sort of thing in? Im guessing that the only real filtration you have, except the skimmer is the bacteria in the rock and sand. Thanks for all the ace videos. 👍👍
I HATE filter socks! They clog really quickly and are a pain to clean. Auto filter rollers are great if you have the budget though.
@@ReefDork thanks for the reply. I think it's something I'll invest in eventually. Thanks again for all the great content. 😊
Probs a stupid question but the water you use for the top up reservoir still needs to be ro di water I assume?
Yep, absolutely
Happy New Year!