Thinking it over again...help me

[ryshark]

You can get Base Reef Rock from Ebay for about $1.50 per pound with shipping, out the door. Just use that and then all you need is one piece of Live Rock to seed all of your base rock. Figure 50-pounds of base rock will cost you about $75. then you can get a decent skimmer like the Octopus NW-110 for I am guessing about $125. So all you need to come up with for the rock and the skimmer is roughly $200. DO IT!!!

 

[happygirl65]

$200. I can totally do that.

Do I need to cure and clean the baserock before adding it to the tank if there are no inhabitants? Is it better to do it all in a tub before adding it to the tank?

 

[ryshark]

It really depends on your base rock. The base rock I got from ebay had not actually been on a reef and in the ocean for about a million years, so I was able to put it right in the tank. Just for the heck of it, I did put it in a bucket with saltwater and a powerhead for a few days. Then I tested the water, everything was 0 as expected. However, if the rock was recently live and now is dry base rock, then you would have to be careful and cure the base rock first. I will see if I can find the person that I got mine from off ebay, if you got it from her too, you wouldn't have to cure it. As far as the skimmer I recommend this one as a good skimmer on a budget, for your 46-gallon tank. http://www.aquacave.com/octopus-nw-110-needle-br-wheel-protein-skimmer-750.html

 

[happygirl65]

Nice! Thanks. .. will that work in a 10 gal sump or should I use a larger sump? I think I will have room for a larger one say 20 gal if I remove the shelf under the stand.

I keep working on the hubby...he has practically given me the ok without doing so directly so I think I will be on track for a winter time project with this.

So that means I can probably start buying the less expensive things and putting them in a box to get ready.

So any good recommendations on pumps or powerheads?

 

[ryshark]

Dont you already have pumps and powerheads from the FW that you can use in the start?

 

[happygirl65]

Well I have a penguin 660 and then there is the HOT magnum filter that I have that although it is over 10 yrs old it still seems to work fine and might do better without media. I also have a small AC powerhead.

I do have a pump from a water fountain (of the small garden variety) that I will not be using outdoors now as the fountain broke. I am not sure how powerful it is though. And I have a magnum 350 that I retired from an old tank a while back....the media basket was destroyed but it may also work empty just as a pump so I welcome any thoughts on the stuff I already have.
I am currently trying to figure out how to set up the sump using the 10 gal tank I have. I saw another post with links to an overflow box from DFS for under $40 and I think it looks like an ideal way to get the water down there.

What say the experts?

The only other thing holding me back at the moment is the RO/DI issue since this will likely require my husbands involvement to install and that is usually where things break down. Not to mention I need to find a good one at the right price. But I am going to town and will price them at Lowes today. The other good thing with that is that it will be useful for more than just the fish tank so I think I can sell that idea fairly easily.

 

[ryshark]

You may need a powerhead and pump then, I can give you links later, I have to get to work now. But quickly I wanted to say that IMO the water units are Lowes are not good enough. Only for the reason that they are RO only and not RO/DI. At least thats how it was at my Lowes and Home Depot. I just used Distilled water from the grocery store for about 5-months and then I finally broke down and bought a RO/DI from ebay for under $200. They do have some on there that can be used as drinking water/RO water. Then you can direct the RO water through the extra "DI" chamber and make your RO/DI water for your reef tank. Maybe you can talk your husband into one like that.

 

[happygirl65]

That sounds great. I talked to him about it a bit this morning and he really liked the idea of having one for our drinking water so I am sure if I can find a decent deal on ebay that would be awesome.

 

[happygirl65]

If you can beleive it....my husband is already thinking ahead to the eventual upgrade to a larger tank.
Get this...we walked into the livingroom and he started looking all around and said....I need to make the house bigger so you can have a BIG tank. You will not be satisfied with the 46 for long honey but if you can make due with it maybe it can help you get started for a much bigger tank down the road when we have A ROOM for it.

You could knock me over with a feather.....my GOD I love that man! Then he talked about building an addition that is sort of a library/sitting room planned with plumbing in all the right places to make mainenance easy. drool....drool.

I guess I am lucky that he is a builder even if it is just in his spare time. I suppose this is his way of being involved in my hobby even if he is ambivalent about it at times....saying.....it serves no purpose other than the fact that I like it....apparently the fact that I like it is enough.

I am all confused and excited now. lol

 

[ryshark]

Nice! So are you going to skip on the 46 and go big?

 

[happygirl65]

Well I am not entirely certain....I was thinking that if I went ahead and did the 46 I would probably still be able to use most of the things (especially the rock) in a bigger tank later on. It would still give me a chance to get used to the water change schedule and everything.

Going ahead with it would kind of give me a practice run and give me a chance to learn a lot about SW before planning a larger scale project.

Could I do the 46 without a sump? Perhaps it is doable with a light bioload? That could save some money. And I could certainly wait and not upgrade the lights until I do the larger tank.

Also if I don't do the conversion on the 46 I may have to wait a year or longer...since the room is not even built yet. I would definitely be looking toward something over 100 gal since my husband and I both agree even the 90 gal FW tank is just not bigenough. We were thinking more of a 6 ft tank...don't know how many gallons but we even decided that the scratched up 55 gal acrylic tank that I just retired would make an excellent sump for a larger tank.

I am somewhat torn though when I look over at the 46 gal tank currently inhabited by angelfish, knowing that the system has been perfectly balanced as a FW system for the last year. It is planted and pretty but I just don't really need to mess with it anymore. (Aside from the regular feedings, maint and weekly water changes)

I honestly have been going over all the possibilies in my head, thinking of getting a large school of neons or something instead of the angelfish but I think ultimately that will be a waste of time and money since I am kind of getting bored with that tank.

Maybe I have MTS so bad because I really enjoy a good project.

I think if there was a market for it here (and I was independantly wealthy) I would have a fish store just so I could satisfy my MTS. lol


So I don't know....what do you think? Should I wait and save the money for the larger tank project or wet my salty appetite with this one?

What would you do if it were you?

 

[roka64]

You can run it without a sump. My 55 doesn't have a sump. I just run a filter and LR/sand for my filtration needs.

 

[happygirl65]

So in that case it just needs a skimmer and power heads? (In addition to the live rock and sand)

Maybe this is a dumb question but after I start this tank and get it going....then after I am ready to set up the larger one later on...couldn't I use some of the rock out of this tank to seed the new one....in essence that is all live rock is right? Rock that is well seasoned with the bio filter established?

Then if I want to take the 46 offline I can use all of the rock....and if I want to use it as a QT or a species only tank then I would just leave most of it in but use a portion of it to seed the new BR ...right? Or am I missing something?

 

[roka64]

Nope, no dumb questions that I see. Very well thought out questions.
LR means it is hosting the beneficial bacteria.
When you plan on an upgrade you will want to use new sand in the new tank (otherwise, you can stir up some nasties). You can help to seed the new tank with a cup or two of your live sand.
LR will help seed BR and also help to cover it in coraline.
You really should set a QT from the start.

 

[happygirl65]

Oh yes, well how silly of me....lol. Of course I should have a QT. I can see it now....eyeing every available corner in the house thinking how I can squeeze in just one more...lol.

OK well I hope that the spare 10 gal I have will suffice for a QT tank. I can fit that one almost anywhere.

Or can I do like I have done on the FW tanks and run a HOB filter on the existing tank and then take it out and put it on the 10 gal whenever I need to QT a new arrival or have need of a hospital or jail tank....??

 

[roka64]

Yep, you can do that as well, and a 10G will be fine.

 

[happygirl65]

Excellent! How very exciting. I am about 90% decided to go ahead with the 46 conversion. I think it would be a good idea to try it out. I have been doing FW for so many years trying to satisfy the craving for something that I always thought would be far to difficult for me to manage.

Now, the more i read the less complicated it seems.
Thanks so much to all of you. I am sure I will have some more questions at some point.

For now my mission is to get that RO/DI unit and slowly find new homes for the fish and plants in the 46.

 

[roka64]

We'll be here eagerly awaiting pics...err um, I mean questions.

 

[happygirl65]

You got it! I already evicted a couple of very large plants to the 90 gallon so I guess in a way....it has begun....lol.

 

[roka64]

Lol!