After deciding to set up a tank, and finding wetwebmedia, I began a crash course in marine aquariums by reading just about all the FAQs on the wetwebmedia website. After this huge amount of information, I was somewhat confused on several aspects of what I needed to do, but knew where to get some answers. I got coppies of Robert Fenner's "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyist", and Anthony Calfo's "Reef Invertebrates: An Essential Guide to Selection, Care and Compatibilty". After reading through these books, and continuing to consult the web, I set out to plan my tank.
To keep things easy and organized, I made a spreadsheet in Excel to get an equipment list together. This allowed me to keep track of order numbers, dates, and the all important TOTAL COST. The fact that I live in a rural area with no locally available aquarium stores led me to find a tank manufacturer in a nearby city (Jacksonville, FL). I decided on a 120 gallon 48x24x24 tank. This decision was based on my space available, and the overwhelming reccomendations from all sources mentioned above to use the largest tank you could fit and afford. This is due to the greater stability of water parameters that a larger tank allows. I ordered a custom acrylic tank with predrilled overflows, as well as a canopy and stand from Bioreef Inc. The company is nearby, and the person I have been dealing with is very prompt and professional. I am still awaiting the delivery of the tank/stand, but am sure I will be pleased. I will keep you updated with some nice photos when it comes in.
After deciding on the size of the tank, I knew I wanted to go with the "Natural" method that is described in the books and website mentioned above. This meant using a sump, protein skimmer, and refugium. I will get into more details on the equipment I decided on when the tank arrives, and I can document the plumbing and setup of that.
In the meantime, I went to work on getting the sump and refugium setup. Go see some actual photos of my first aquarium DIY on the Sump and Refugium section here:DIY 1