getting started again..

[Guest]

hey,

Formally I've been interested in starting a saltwater aquarium, but this time I have set aside enough money(roughly $900 is that enough?) to get it started. I've been planning on a 55 gallon aquarium getting 40 lbs live sand and 45 lbs live rock if i can find it cheap enough. I want 2 percula or maybe black percula clownfish. I need MAJOR help getting started and am planning on adding a 10-20 gallon sump.

well thats is it for now Thanks!

 

[Hara]

Have you thought about what type of filtration you are going to use? If you are going to be doing strictly liverock, I would suggest you bump the poundage up to at least 75. Consider getting a skimmer.

Were you going to try your hand at corals? or just a fish only tank?

 

[Guest]

thanks for the reply, With 75 lbs does that help filter the water?and u mean 75 lbs of each?
i think i want to try fish inverts mayb a few corals that would be easy to do... wut kind of lighting would i need for medium lighting?

thanks

 

[Hara]

75 lbs of rock, whatever makes about 3 inches of sand is what I would do. Liverock would really be all the filtration needed, plus skimmer and something that moves the water around a bit.

Corals should have, IMO, 4 wpg as a minimum. Opinions vary on this.

 

[roka64]

Hara has some great suggestions. If you want to shave some costs, don't do it on the equipment. I would start by mixing some base rock (basically dead rock that will become live, and very cheap) with some LR. For decent filtration, eventually, I would try to shoot for 1.5-2LBs per gallon.

 

[Guest]

would you reccomend a website for me to buy fish and equipment? The closest place I could buy without ordering online is omaha(2 hrs away) so i dont know wut would be harder or would take the most time. so will the min 4 wat per gallon work with all coral?

thanks again

 

[roka64]

I'm not a reefer, but I would have to say that is too low of watts. I think 6WPG, MAY be the minimum. I would wait for some experienced reefers to add their opinions/experiences/expertese.
I just bought a bunch of equipment forom:
drsfosterandsmith.com (they don't charge extra for weight)
liveaquaria.com
thatpetplace.com (they price match)
http://marcorocks.com/ (for base rock) I just found this place today and have contacted him about a purchase. I have not personally bought from him yet, but his base rock is about $1.90/LBs.
premiumaquatics.com (I have bought my heaters from them and am pleased)
Others can help with other site suggestions, the like.

 

[Guest]

this may be a stupid question but what is base rock?

 

[roka64]

It's not a stupid question, there is a lot of confusion as to the difference of base, cured, uncured. Base rock is "dead". Generally it is bleached or with very little color, has been out of water. Usually, it is sitting on theshelf at your LFS. Cured LR is what is in the LFS's display tanks, with fish and other critters. Un-cured is half way between the two.

 

[Guest]

ok so basically base rock mixed with live rock will eventually become as an effecient filter as 100% live rock?

 

[melosu58]

He said medium lighting earlier on the post which will be about 4 WPG. Thats all I have and I have medium light corals. Here is my tank if you want to see a medium light tank

Also LR and a skimmer is all the filtration you need IMO. I went that way for years. Since I`ve gotten this 125 I have LR and a skimmer and a fuge now. Good Luck. We are here to help.

 

[Guest]

thats a SWEET tank but i will have a 55 gal so i wont be able to have the setup u do so besides the skimmer heater hydrometer lighting and powerheads wut other equipment do i need? wuts a good number of powerheads to have in my size tank? im planning on having a 10 gallon sump so wut stuff do i need to make the water get there? and wut would be a good return water rate for a pump? srry i have soo many questions

 

[melosu58]

Too many questions is OK because it shows you want to learn. 1/2 of those corals were in my 55 so it will look just as good on a smaller level. Just remember that that pic is 9 yrs of work. Nothing comes fast in this hobby unless you want a mess. I would say 2 PH`s would be good. 10 gallon sump would be good. That is what I had on my 55. Sounds like you have a good plan here. Keep asking question. Good Luck

 

[Guest]

so how does an overflow work exactly? that is what takes the water to the sump right? does it matter how i set the sump up?

thanks for being patient!!

 

[Guest]

ok ive been trying to figure out everything i need to get and the pricesso i will just fill you guys in. so i got lighting(metal halide if i can find some cheap), circulation pump, powerheads, protien skimmer, Live rock, Substrate, salt-mix, refractometer, storage container to mix and age water, ro/di water purification, test kits(i dont know wut kinds i need), siphon, thermometer, heaters, backround paint(no idea where to get that, want black), fish food, net, supplements, and fish. What would be a good list of inverts? Ive heard that people have trouble with their hermits eating their snails? if i start with a fish only system (with sand and live rock) and wait a month or 2 then add invertibrates and when i get proper lighting will the lr be good for a reef say about 6 months after i put it in the water?

well let me know what u think

 

[roka64]

Looks like you have a great list of supplies there. I use liveaquaria "clean up crew" as a rough idea for my clean up crew. I wouldn't buy as many as they suggest. Those "kits" tend to be more for a mature tank and if you dump all those in there, they may starve in a newer tank. I would just reduce each batch by about half. I only have about 3 hermits in my 55G, now. If you get some, make sure you go to a craft store and buy extra shells, bigger than your hermits, so they can move into them, when they grow. You could probobly get away with adding your clean up crew before you have proper lighting.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

...backround paint(no idea where to get that, want black),

If you're doing a glass aquarium, just get some black latex paint and paint the OUTSIDE of the back glass panel. First coat will look horrible. Just keep building up coats until you can't see through and it looks good from the front. Think I ended up with 8-10 coats on mine.

 

[Guest]

-is it possible to have too muchlighting on a type of coral(if i had strong
lights on a medium)?

. is it possible to buy 2 ten gallon acrylic tanks, use the 1st as a sump and the 2nd as the refug and drill holes in them(to connect them) or will they shatter? is there any other way to connect them?

-Will the macroalgae in the refug be able to be washed over the glass baffels, if so what do i need to put between them so they dont move?

-would it be best to make one 10 gal sump/ refug or two seperate ones?

- what kind of pump would you recomend for a return to tha main tank, internal or external?

im still full of questions but am planning on buying the aquarium tomorrow.

 

[EJS4]

The hermit crabs eat the snail to get their shells. Go to the local craft store and buy a bag or two of small plan (undyed/paintd) shells for the tank (very cheap). Rinse them off and drop in your tank. make great decoration and supply new home for hermits. your lfs may give you some empty shells, LOL, but it does hurt to ask.

 

[Guest]

thanks ejs4!
I have access to shells from the ocean so would be ok if i used those instead? or would they bring in chemicals and other bad things?

How long does my tank need to cycle before I can add inverts?

how does the ratio 75lbs or base rock to 20lbs of LR?