- Today on the five minute salt water aquarium guide
we show you the two tanks that we selected for this series.
This is where it starts to get fun.
(upbeat music)
Hey I'm Ryan, your host at BRStv
and the five minute salt water aquarium guide.
This is a clear, simplified, and direct path
to setting up that first successful reef tank.
Today we start the actual journey
of setting up a pair of saltwater reef tanks
and, today, show you the four things
that will help you actually get ready for a new tank.
Just for today,
I temporarily threw in a pair of coral inserts
into these tanks
just so I can give you an idea where this is going.
But we're gonna set up two tanks simultaneously,
a 40 gallon breeder,
which is probably the number one
most common successful new reef tank size
because it's inexpensive,
big enough for juvenile versions,
the common utilitarian fish,
and it's easy to maintain using some simple hang-on gear.
A tank this size without the complexity and cost
associated with running a sum
is one of the simplest and most stable approaches.
Simple and affordable is a priority
for almost every new reefer.
The second tank is a Red Sea E-170
which is an all-in-one
and it's going to achieve the exact same results
but just in a more polished form factor.
These E-Series just look sharp
particularly because all the gear is hidden
at back some compartment.
For those of you that wanna go bigger
than these two tanks or wanna plumb a sub down below,
nearly everything we talk about applies
and just scales with the size of the project.
We're gonna cover everything that you need to know,
not to just get these two tank styles up and running
but that recipe and technique that ensures,
a year from now,
you're successful and happy
with the results of your efforts.
So starting with the first consideration,
where does a tank go?
Reasonably sized tanks like these
can go almost anywhere in most homes
but give you these tips:
keep it out of direct sunlight so avoid algae issues,
don't put it anywhere doors can swing into it
and we need an outlet near the tank,
preferably an electrical outlet
that doesn't have a lot of other high-power equipment on it.
And most important, put it somewhere where you can enjoy it
like near where you eat, relax, or work.
Kitchens, living rooms, well-used offices or rec rooms
are awesome locations.
That's probably the most important thing
that you'll hear today.
The tank is going to be the coolest thing
in your entire house,
something that almost no one that comes to your house
has ever seen before.
Don't hide it.
I'll also say out of sight means out of mind,
meaning tanks that you don't engage with
as part of your natural daily rhythm
just have much lower success rates.
Second step is you wanna paint the outside back
of the tank black.
Black is a sense of depth and hides gear.
We have a quick video on how to do that called
"What do you recommend to paint the back of an aquarium,"
if you want some tips.
But we use Rust-oleum black enamel paint
and roll it on with a lint free, smooth surface roller,
cheap and easy.
With the E-Series 170, the back is already black
so you won't have to worry about that step.
Next, you're gonna wanna put the tank
on your selected stand and level it.
Most tanks offer some type of stand designed for them.
You're gonna wanna use one that has an actual cabinet
so you can hide some of your gear.
The E-170 comes with its own cabinet
but in either case
just put the tank in place
and then check level,
I'd actually recommend filling it with tap water
and checking the level
because the added weight will compact things
and give the best results.
Most homes or office are pretty level
but if it isn't level
I just recommend some shims from a hardware store.
Slide them or pound them in and check again.
When you get it right,
bend them up and snap off the extra.
It's probably wise to fill in the gaps
with additional shims to distribute the weight.
Takes five to 10 minutes to get it right.
Lastly, get a decent power bar.
My advice is to go get something new.
You're gonna plug in a decent amount of equipment into this
so preferably not the cheapest one they have
in the bargain bin.
Just something decent with a good amount of outlets.
Even better if the outlets are spaced in a manner
which allows you to use wall warts
and not cover other outlets.
We also wanna mount the power bar high within the stand
in a location where it won't get water on it.
With the E-170 here, it comes with a power center
with outlets and individual on and off switches for the gear
so you can skip some of that process.
So we selected our two tanks,
they're in place, level, and they have power,
the next obvious question is rock and sand.
The entire five minute guide playlist
is always available here,
but if you wanna know how to handle rock and sand
in a brand new reef tank,
that's up next.
Click this link to see the next progression
of these two tanks.