Okcfishguy
Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Hello everyone, I'm loving the forum and learning lots but was hoping for some good info on getting my first saltwater aquarium up and going. I currently have a 45 gallon chiclid tank thats doing great, so pretty familiar with fresh water but Im wanting to do a saltwater now. I've done some research and think I understand what I need/want but would love all the input I can get also I would like to do as much a possible myself(DIY) so any plans or designs would be a great help.
Here is what I have and what i think I'm wanting to do
All of I have now is the tank it's a used 65 gallon I found on Craigslist for $70 theres a picture attached from the day i bought it sense then I had to reseal one side and I'm in the process of sanding and repainting the frame the going to try and remove some scratches on glass with cerium oxide and 1200-3000 grit sandpaper then buffing pad.
Ive seen a few good plans online for tank stand but all of them are for normal rectangle shaped tanks buy mine has the front corners cut off making the front a hexagon shape so I will have to make a few adjustments to the plans I've seen, also i want to be able to place a decent size sump pump underneath and was Thinking of making the Cabinet door panels easily removable and replace with glass incase I wanna show off my sump (thinking maybe seahorses in fuge at some point) I'm planning on making the stand and a matching canapoy with built in lights and timers also pretty sure going to build my own sump with a fuge.
Here are the fish Im wanting to get at this point
1. Frozen shrimp to start the nitrogen cycle
2. Six line wrasse
3. Royal grama
4. Clown fish
5. A like a fee (flaming prawn, lawower)
6. Catalina goby
7. And would love a blue hippo tang
I know I'm also going to need, heater, protein skimmer powerheads and possibly a top off system, would like to put all that in the sump - except power heads.
Im probay going to start with fish only or maybe fowlr in the beginning and hopefully adding some Coral eventually (assuming I stick with all coral safe fish )
I was thinking a built in quarantine In the stand somewhere would be nice
Thats my working plan for now, I'm sure I've missed quite a bit and that's why I wanted to ask peope who knows way more about it. I'm a pretty handy guy and enjoy doing a good DYI project so im wanting to build as much as possible, also a big fan of automated equipment and anything "hi-tech" thanks In advance for Letting me know if I'm even close and what all i need to add or l what all thoughts you have
Here is what I have and what i think I'm wanting to do
All of I have now is the tank it's a used 65 gallon I found on Craigslist for $70 theres a picture attached from the day i bought it sense then I had to reseal one side and I'm in the process of sanding and repainting the frame the going to try and remove some scratches on glass with cerium oxide and 1200-3000 grit sandpaper then buffing pad.
Ive seen a few good plans online for tank stand but all of them are for normal rectangle shaped tanks buy mine has the front corners cut off making the front a hexagon shape so I will have to make a few adjustments to the plans I've seen, also i want to be able to place a decent size sump pump underneath and was Thinking of making the Cabinet door panels easily removable and replace with glass incase I wanna show off my sump (thinking maybe seahorses in fuge at some point) I'm planning on making the stand and a matching canapoy with built in lights and timers also pretty sure going to build my own sump with a fuge.
Here are the fish Im wanting to get at this point
1. Frozen shrimp to start the nitrogen cycle
2. Six line wrasse
3. Royal grama
4. Clown fish
5. A like a fee (flaming prawn, lawower)
6. Catalina goby
7. And would love a blue hippo tang
I know I'm also going to need, heater, protein skimmer powerheads and possibly a top off system, would like to put all that in the sump - except power heads.
Im probay going to start with fish only or maybe fowlr in the beginning and hopefully adding some Coral eventually (assuming I stick with all coral safe fish )
I was thinking a built in quarantine In the stand somewhere would be nice
Thats my working plan for now, I'm sure I've missed quite a bit and that's why I wanted to ask peope who knows way more about it. I'm a pretty handy guy and enjoy doing a good DYI project so im wanting to build as much as possible, also a big fan of automated equipment and anything "hi-tech" thanks In advance for Letting me know if I'm even close and what all i need to add or l what all thoughts you have
