is 300$ a good deal

[kwandrsn]

I found this for 300 is it a good deal

He says it has 50lbs of Fiji live rock
30 lbs of new agra-alive sand

Aqua-tech 30/60 filter
All glass brand hood

 

[cobra2003rg]

Wht size

 

[kwandrsn]

30 gallon

 

[cobra2003rg]

What kind of Lighting

 

[kwandrsn]

just a single t8 :-(

 

[54seaweed]

30 gallon

not the best deal in the world

petco buck gallon sale 55 =$55
hob filter $45
sand $30
lr $150

 

[kwandrsn]

How much do you think to have a live rock setup in a 20 gallon would cost? Or a 30. I was really wanting a 20 to be honest figured on getting a pair of clowns and a cleanup crew and maybe something the clowncan host in

 

[fort384]

That does not look like 50lbs of LR to me if it is a 30 gallon tank.

If you are wanting cured liverock, expect to pay in the $5-10/lb range. Figure 15-20lbs for a 20 gallon, or 25-30lbs for a 30 gallon.

You can just use base rock, and it is muuuch cheaper. http://www.reefrocks.net/index.php?...&category_id=1&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1

It does not take long for base rock to become live rock. When I set my tank up I used almost all base rock, and just bought like 3lbs of live rock from my LFS to seed it: started out like this:

about 8 months later, it looked liked this:

 

[kwandrsn]

Ok that site I would have to order 30lbs for free shipping. If I do a20 how much live sand and I thought I had to have live rock.

The only live rock my lfs had is 20$ a rock could I get by with live sand and all base rock?

 

[fort384]

You don't need live sand or live rock. Regular sand and base rock will become live rock over time, as illustrated by the photos above.

 

[kwandrsn]

How much sand should I use for a 20 live sand isn't too much

 

[fort384]

Probably 20-25 lbs for 1" sand bed. More if you are looking into a DSB.

Again, I wouldn't spend the money on live sand. In my opinion it isn't worth extra cost.

 

[kwandrsn]

Dsb? Ok well I will get regular sand and rock then. I thought I had to have it

 

[fort384]

DSB = deep sand bed.

FYI, if you hover your mouse over common acronyms, it will popup with what they mean.

You do not need to have either. I especially wouldn't buy a whole tank worth of live rock. All you need is a couple pounds to seed the rest, and time.

 

[kwandrsn]

Well if I can get by without buying any live it would be good. I can order 30 lbs base with free shipping for 60 and should be plenty. I found 2 types of sand. natures ocean marine white sand and nature ocean aragonite sand. They are about 8-9 bucks a bag but the site doesn't say what size bags. What is the perks of doing a dsb. I'm on my phone right now so I can't hover

 

[fort384]

ah ok on the phone

DSBs can help process nitrogenous waste, but I wouldn't recommend it for your first setup. You can read more on them if interested.

You will need a bit of live rock if you are looking for coralline algae (the pink, purple, and neon green stuff). But again, a small piece will seed the whole tank within a few months.

 

[kwandrsn]

Ok I will try to find a small piece then.

so far I've been on petco site

20 gal $20
Aqua-clear 30 gal 150 gph 42.49
aqueon pro 100 watt 32.99
coralife 750 gph power head 49.99
base rock on other site $60
Sand about 36 for 40 lbs

Not including lighting and lid

 

[fort384]

That will get you going for a basic FOWLR (fish only with live rock) marine setup.

You may not need a power head. You might get away with something smaller too if you want a powerhead.

Do you know what fish you want? There are options for marine fish in a 20, but not as much as you might think - especially when compared to a FW setup of similar size. 20 gallons is a small SW tank.

 

[kwandrsn]

I want a pair of clowns and maybe something to keep tank clean

All that is about 260 not including light and lid.What would be a good cheap option for lighting

 

[fort384]

Well, if it is fish only, you can use just about anything. A single t8 bulb would be fine. If you want coralline to grow well, and hope to keep some easy soft corals like mushrooms, a dual t5ho fixture with 1 white and 1 actinic bulb would probably be the best option. Good lighting is not cheap though.