1st salt water setup

[fish fan]

So, as the subject mentions I will be setting up a small salt water tank.  I am looking into an RO unit and am unsure of what I need.  The tank will be a 29 with a 20 sump.  So a small unit is fine, but as for the multiple stages?  Any input would be appreciated.

Thanks

[Ron]

Is this FO or FOWLR or a reef (<-- I don't know the fancy acronym for that last one).

I haven't kept one, but FWIW, the larger the tank the more easily the water parameters can be kept stable. Sometimes I've seen people make a mistake of trying a "small one first" thinking it'll be easier than a big one, but that's not often the case.

[fish fan]

I am aware a larger tank would be much easier to regulate, but I keep saying when I have a few grand laying around I will start a salt water tank.  That won't happen for some time, plus it is for our small living room and anything bigger won't fit.  This will be a reef setup, to answer your question.  But as for the 3 or 4 stage units what is the difference?

[danielratti]

What we tell people at my store is that anything 30 and up will be a good start for saltwater. Since you will have a 29 with a 20 gallon sump that roughly puts you at 39 gallons of water for you to get your water chemistry down. Don't make the mistake of doing too deep of a sand bed on your first tank as well since in the long run it will bite you in the ass.

With the diffrence between the two really is with a 4 stage you will have sediment > carbon > ro > di and a 3 stage would be sediment > carbon > ro. You can do 5 until systems as well but it will cost you more but you can run those with more options like sediment > carbon > carbon > ro > di or sediment > carbon > ro > di > di. Before you decided though on what you want you will need to find out what is in your water and do what works best for you and not someone else.

At my store we sell a unit called the unbottled water machine. its a 3 stage unit and we use them on some of out smaller service tanks so they have an automatic top off. Im sure you will be using yours to make saltwater for when you do your water changes.

[mightieskeeper]

    Fish Fan, What source of water do you have?  What kind of saltwater setup do you want?  I have had lots of different saltwater tanks.  Currently have a 14 gallon Bio-cube going.  Nano tanks are awesome but require a lot of work for a little tank. 
    The only advantage of an RO unit is to remove chlorine from municipal water and remove phosphates from well water. If i was doing fish only I would use my tap water.  If I had big money corals then I would use my RO unit.  I have a 3 stage unit it is for my drinking water and reef tank when I had one. 
     I only hope one day Ron will get into saltwater, He would like the cool chemistry that goes with it.

[css merrimac]

Is this FO or FOWLR or a reef (<-- I don't know the fancy acronym for that last one).

I haven't kept one, but FWIW, the larger the tank the more easily the water parameters can be kept stable. Sometimes I've seen people make a mistake of trying a "small one first" thinking it'll be easier than a big one, but that's not often the case.

** FOWLR-> Fish Only With Live Rock--if that helps. **