Setting up a new reef aquarium is a lot of fun. And it’s not cheap either. There are a few pieces of equipment that you absolutely, positively must have. And then there are a lot of things that are nice to have, but not required.
So how do you know what you need and what you don’t? I’ve got you covered…
The equipment you MUST have…
First things first. You need a tank. It can be glass or acrylic, but I prefer glass. Glass tanks scratch a lot less easily, and are a lot less expensive than acrylic tanks. When you’re setting up any fish tank, always get the largest model you can afford and accommodate. Larger tanks offer greater stability and more room for livestock.
Depending on the size (and more importantly the weight) of your tank, you’ll probably want/need a stand. Saltwater weighs over 8 pounds per gallon, and that doesn’t include the weight of the tank and any rock work you have in there. Best to purchase a sturdy aquarium stand for anything larger than 10 gallons.
Now that you have your tank and stand, you’ll need three other critical pieces of equipment. The first is a heater. Unless your house is kept at a constant 75-77 degrees, a heater is a necessity. Next, you’ll need powerhead or two, or a powerful return pump if you have a sump, to move water around your aquarium. All corals require water movement, and some require a great deal of water movement. At a minimum, you should have 20X per hour as much turnover as water volume in your tank.
Finally, you’ll need a good, full spectrum, reef-capable lighting system. The corals you’re going to keep will be photosynthetic, and they derive the majority of their nutrition from the light. These days, you basically have two options in reef tank lighting. LEDs, and T-5s.
LEDs are my choice. They’re inexpensive to run and don’t put out much heat. Best of all, you don’t need to purchase replacement bulbs every 6-12 months. If you’re not keeping light-loving SPS corals or Tridacna clams, you can get away with something that isn’t overly powerful. But you’ll still a system that is full-spectrum and provides enough PAR (Photosynthetic Active Radiation) to satisfy your coral’s needs.
The equipment you SHOULD have…
I’ve seen plenty of successful reef aquariums that don’t employ a protein skimmer, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Protein skimmers remove dissolved organic compounds before they have a chance to break down and pollute your tank, and they add a TON of dissolved oxygen to your system. It’s certainly possible to keep corals without one, but I can’t recommend that approach. Get yourself a high quality and properly sized skimmer for the tank, and you’ll be glad you did.
Like a skimmer, a RODI water purification system is really a good idea for your reef tank. Yes, you can use dechlorinated tap water, but it’s full of things you don’t want in your system (chlorine, nitrates, phosphates, heavy metals, etc). A water purification system will remove all of that nastiness, and your corals will thank you for it. You should use RODI water not only for your water changes, but for freshwater top off as well.
The equipment you MIGHT want to consider…
There is a ton of other equipment that isn’t necessary, but will make your life a lot easier.
An ATO (Auto Top Off Unit) will keep your salinity stable and eliminate having to manually add water to the tank each day. Media reactors can add calcium and alkalinity directly to the system on a regular basis. They can also be used to remove nitrates and phosphates from the system. A dosing pump can be used for adding supplements to the tank. Automatic water change systems can perform your water changes for you. A controller can monitor every aspect of your system, alert you when a problem exists, and even shut off a malfunctioning piece of equipment. A chiller can cool your water in the event that your aquarium runs too hot. And the list goes on and on…
As you can see, there aren’t all that many pieces of equipment that you MUST have to successfully keep corals and invertebrates. Personally, out of all the equipment in the last category, the only one that I employ is the ATO. The rest are useful, but I prefer keeping things decidedly low tech.
Beyond equipment, the three things you really need to be successful in this hobby are: 1. Research, 2. Patience, and 3. Dedication. If you have those three things, the equipment is far less important. Happy reefing!