Beginner questions

[adinona]

First of all I want to say that I'm very happy I found this site, I've been searching the net a lot
and I found exactly what I needed.

I am new to this hobby and I need lot of information.
Your help is very much appreciated.

I just got a used 100G acrylic aquarium and I plan to have a saltwater fish-only with live rock and sand.

I DO NOT have anything else besides the aquarium.


I need to know, if you can list the items I need (and what type) starting with 1., 2., 3... for a 100G tank.


This information is very important for me and I really appreciate your help.


Also if you can tell me where I can buy all the items I need for a better price.



Thank you all very much!

 

[goldy]

1) filter ( in my opinion a wet/dry filter with return pump) it's what we run in our 180gal. acrylic
2) 200 watt heater and a 300 watt heater
3) lights(we run power compact smart lights) keep them kind of elevated because if you don't your top covers will warp
4) thermometer
5) salt of course you know that(we use tropic marine )
6) testing kits for ph,ammonia,nitrite,nitrate
i hope i didn't miss anything but i'm sure i probably did
www.bigalsonline.com they have the lowest price guarantee. if you find the same product at a lower price then they will beat the lowest price by 5%. some other web sites are www.petsolutions.com, www.marinedepot.com,www.customaquatics.com,www.thepetstop.com,www.liveaquaria.com are some .

 

[saltcreep1025]

I would also get a protein skimmer, some live rock, and some live sand

 

[goldy]

you don't have to have a protein skimmer we don't run one with fowlr.protein skimmers are an option it is your decision.

 

[sumphead]

Even if you decided to go with a protien skimmer it can wait. Not much use when there is nothing to remove.

 

[fishfreek]

While I dont run a skimmer I strongly suggest beginners use skimmers. Often times beginners will overstock and overfeed their tanks and a good skimmer will go a good ways with helping maintain water quality.

What kinds of fish do you want to keep in this tank?

Some additional powerheads would be of benifit to help maintain water current within the tank.

Do you have any thoughts on substrate? I would avocate a DSB and 100lbs of live rock for your tank along with a good quality skimmer and a sump. You can put your skimmer and heaters within the sump to keep them out of the tank.

While this site and the internet itself is a great resource IMHO nothing beats a good reference book(s). You can find some helpful saltwater books listed here.

 

[adinona]

fishfreek, I plan to have angels and tangs fish.

So basically I can have live rock and live sand without a protein skimmer?