New to saltwater

[ghostking010]

Hey everyone i am new to saltwater i wanna start a 55 gallon thats currently a african cichlid tank but ive bin in that game for a wile and looking to switch to salt now i thought it be cool if someone on here can make me a shopping list for the things i need as in filter to decor to fish and substrate all under budget that would be great im so looking forward to this thanks

 

[bribo12]

Well what's your budget? My advice is to buy the best equipment you can afford. Basic equipment would be a heater, filter/sump, protein skimmer, power heads, live/base rock (~1 lb per gallon), a salt mix, hydrometer/refractometer, and an aragonite based sand. Lights will depend on if you want to do a reef tank or not. Your stocking will also depend on if you want a reef tank.

 

[ghostking010]

Well im hoping to spend less than 500$ and most likely a reef setup just don't know what to get to get started i really don't plan on buying fish till the tank is up running and thriving wit benf bacteria and all just looking to get pointed in the right direction

 

[bribo12]

Well im hoping to spend less than 500$ and most likely a reef setup just don't know what to get to get started i really don't plan on buying fish till the tank is up running and thriving wit benf bacteria and all just looking to get pointed in the right direction

Gotcha well for 50-60 lbs of base rock you are probably looking at $100 maybe $120 depending on how cheap you can get it for. Sand should be around $40-50 for 50-60 lbs. you probably have a heater already. You can get a box of Instant ocean salt for $60 usually and a hydrometer for $10 to measure salinity. For power heads, koralia are nice and you'd want about 30-40x per hour turnover so try and find two that ad up to 1600-2000 gph. Protein skimmers can get pricey and I don't have much experience with them other than my hob eshopps psk75h which I like but you will need something rated for more gallons. Try and get a skimmer that is rated 1-1/2 times your tank size. The eBay 120 watt leds would be what you want for lighting they usually run $120 each and you'd need 2 for that tank.

 

[bribo12]

Oh also look to Craigslist for good deals on equipment.

 

[ghostking010]

Awsome do you think my two hang on back filters woul work fine or should i upgrade to a canister filter and what about amazon for purchasing stuff or is ebay better

 

[bribo12]

Awsome do you think my two hang on back filters woul work fine or should i upgrade to a canister filter and what about amazon for purchasing stuff or is ebay better

I think the two hob filters would work better than a canister, just keep them clean so they don't build up crud and spike your nitrates. Amazon and eBay are good but definitely check your local Craigslist for people selling saltwater stuff.

 

[ghostking010]

Yea Craigslist in delaware sucks on fish stuff lol but I'm aiming towards amazon and eBay lol thanks bro for the help any tips would be awesome for a newbie

 

[Bectan01]

I think its a stretch to do it properly for $500. My 55g reef was nearer $1400 to set up and I don't even have a filter! Just my opinion of course For reef I highly recommend ro-di water, that will save you headaches down the road... Lighting will set you back at least $250 straight up... Not wanting to put you off but just putting it out there. If you skimp on equipment now you will be wasting money replacing it in the long run (I learnt this first hand, replaced my lighting twice before getting the right ones!)

 

[ghostking010]

Well was trying to spend around five hundred but i guss ill throw in 800 more lol not like i don't have the money was trying to save a little lol but what would be the best rout to go wit setup of a 55 gallon are there limits like cichlids there so much rules and setting up lol

 

[Travis55]

Well was trying to spend around five hundred but i guss ill throw in 800 more lol not like i don't have the money was trying to save a little lol but what would be the best rout to go wit setup of a 55 gallon are there limits like cichlids there so much rules and setting up lol

I started with a 55 and did not like it. Id shoot for a 75. Sell off ur tank and pick one up. Drill it for a sump and bam, uve got a perfect start up tank!