starting off - need opinions

[[ryan]]

Finally decided to take the plunge into salt water aquariums. To begin, i have no fish experience. Have had exotic reptiles and amphibians forever though. Id like a nice display tank that looks good and has tons of color. To the point - Id like to buy my first set up. Ive got 3 options. 1. Buy everything new from the fish store and spend tons of money. 2. buy a used 7 gal amiracle complete kit with live sand and start small. 3. buy a running 55 gal with fish and beautiful corals for cheap from a friend in need.

Im leaning towards options 2 and 3 for the money savings. I can get the 7gal kit for $100, or i can get the running 55gal for $500. Which way should i go?

Thanks

Ryan

pics of the 55g:

 

[HoCkEyGmC]

55 imo.

 

[roka64]

In SW, more is better. The more water volume, the more room you have for error. If you can afford the 55, that's where you should start.
For starters, you may want to remove that tang (yellow one), the need a lot more swimming room than a 55G can provide.
I think once you get past the initial sticker shock of starting up a tank or buying, the monthly cost is relatively low.

 

[Innovator]

Definitely option 3, but the perk of starting from scratch when new to the hobby is learning about how your water chemistry functions first-hand.

 

[[ryan]]

i went with the 7 gal just to get my feet wet. 5 days old and brown algae has begun. also noticed tons of critters - 5 micro bristle stars poking their tentacles out of the holes in the LR, 2 white (and very active) astrina stars (im assuming), tons of tiny white cones with tentacles fanning out, little bug looking things (verry verry small), a transparent orangebubble with something inside it (egg maybe?), two colonies of greenish tubes (about 1/4" in length each) sticking up from LR, a1.5" strip of slime attatched to LR (there the whole time, only now growing funnels off of it). thats about it so far - any ideas on some of them? when should i start adding CUC? any suggestions on which ones?

also i noticed my brown algae is strongest on the top rock and theres barely any on the bottom rocks. obviously lighting would influence that. is that an indication of too little lighting? Ive got the helios PC ballast with two Realux 7" 13W 12000k blue and 7100k white bulbs. sufficient for corals?

 

[melosu58]

The seven gallon is going to be much harder. I always recommend a bigger tank like a 55 first and when you are OK with that then for a challange go with the small tank. It`s going to be exactly that a challenge for you. As stated above more water volume is best esp. if you have no SW experience.

 

[[ryan]]

yep, well i went with the 7 gal anyway.

 

[TitoBoyz2491]

Good luck with the tank.

 

[[ryan]]

thank you, its a bunch of fun...and theres barely anything in there.