Need Some Advice

[Vash612584]

should i buy my LR at the LFS or order it online somewhere? and can you guys give me some reccomendations on where to get the sand, powerheads, skimmers, and most immportantly the cheapest place to get the salt.

and also can i use a different filter method seeing as 75 pounds of LR will get pretty darn pricey

 

[Marc118]

Without a skimmer you would need something to remove DOC's like a filter with GAC or some other sort of filtration.

 

[Ziggy953]

You don't have to buy all 75 lbs as LR...you can buy base rock which is much less expensive. You will only need a little bit of LR to seed the base rock, it will become LR as time goes by. I strongly recomend a skimmer as one source of filtration! The LR will take care of the rest once it is established. The stuff can get very very expensive, but if you look around and check online you can save a lot of money!

 

[demodiki]

This hobby is expensive. Think long and hard before jumping into it -- know exactly what you will need to buy (don't go cheap) and what you will continue to buy.

 

[ditchdoctor81]

should i buy my LR at the LFS or order it online somewhere? and can you guys give me some reccomendations on where to get the sand, powerheads, skimmers, and most immportantly the cheapest place to get the salt.

and also can i use a different filter method seeing as 75 pounds of LR will get pretty darn pricey

http://www.drsfostersmith.com is a good place to buy most everything...I just spent over $500 there last week buying sand, salt, ph's, heaters, thermometers, test kits, ect. They ship pretty fast & it doesn't cost a ton of money for shipping.

http://marcorocks.com/ is a great place to buy your base rock from. I just got in 100 lbs last week & it is awesome. Quite a few others here have also bought their base from them. I might not be exactly right, but if I were you I'd buy 75 lbs or so of base & get around 20 to 30 lbs of lr for it.

Hope that helps some.

 

[roka64]

I also bought 150 LBs from marcorock, and love it.

 

[MT79]

I just want to add something about hydrometers since there has been a lot of talk about them in this thread. Hydrometers are ok, some may be better than others, but you need to do a few things. 1 Season the hydrometer. Soak it in SW for a day or so. 2. Use the eraser of a pencil, etc. to knock off any micro-bubbles on the swing arm before taking a reading. 3 Use a level surface when taking a reading. 4 Always wash them w/ fresh water after use. 5 Replace them every few months. Past 6 months, they are useless IME. Because of that, overtime a refractometer may be cheaper, and it will definitely be easier to use and more accurate.
FWIW I tested two Instant Ocean brand hydrometers and both were only off by .001 -and that is exactly the margin of error they advertise. Not bad IMO.

 

[roka64]

Mine was .005 off. That is a good idea to clean it off after use. If you leave it in the aquarium, they tend to get aldae on them ond other stuff, which makes them inaccurate. I do love my refractometer, much easier to use and quick.

 

[Vash612584]

Thanks for all your advice guys, I'm going to one of the 2 LFS's to get a list of everything that i can get there and prices. If i decide to definitely jump into a saltwater tank i will be buying everything in 2 weeks.

 

[roka64]

I find drsfosterandsmith.com are a lot cheaper than my LFS, they have great prices and low shipping.

 

[Vash612584]

yea im talking about the tank itself and the stand/canopy, i have a list of stuff i plan on purchasing from foster and smith. i plan on getting:

1X Hydrometer 1.000 to 1.030 specific gravity
1X Prizm Skimmers Prizm Deluxe, Up to 100
2X Stealth Heater 200W
2X Penguin Powerhead Model 550

and a digital thermometer. What do you guys think so far?

 

[Marc118]

Skip that prizm skimmer and get something else.

 

[Vash612584]

ok, what about this one?

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=13910&N=2004+113771

 

[Marc118]

Ive never heard of/used that so I cant recommend it, but I have had experience with the CPR bak-pak2 and it worked great on my 30g. I would look into the bak-pak or aquac remora skimmers.

 

[MT79]

I'd also ditch the penguin power heads for maxi-jets, Seios or koralias. A couple maxi-jet 1200's would work well on 75 gal. Maxi-jet pumps are virtually indestructible. Seio and Koralia power heads seem to be pretty reliable as well, but are designed to work better. They move a lot of water, but have a wide, gentle flow pattern so they don't blast coral and fish w/ a "jet stream" of water. As far as skimmers go, you get what you pay for. That's the bottom line. HTH

 

[roka64]

Vash612584 sounds like you are trying to make one shipment. It's too bad the drs site don't sell the Aqua C Remora. I have heard folks like the Bak-Pak 2R+ Reef Ready Protein Skimmer, and I believe the Coralife Super Skimmer Needle Wheel Protein Skimmer (I could be wrong about that one, but I seem to recall folks were happy with theirs). I agree, get the better ph. I have all three brands, I just got the Hydor Koralia Water Circulation Pump and so far I like them. They are not quite as bulky as the SEIOs (which have a great design to customize your flow). The maji jets are great for a strong steady blast.

 

[Marc118]

If you want everything on one shipment, marinedepot.com has a very large selection of everything mentioned as well as great service. I buy from them frequently as they are right down the freeway from me so I can do will-call.

Skimmers

Bak-Pak2
AquaC Remora

PH's

Hydor Koralia
Seio

 

[Vash612584]

ok after visiting the LFS i have decided to go with a 55gallon for now so i have more money to spend on better equipment. how many PH's should i get for the smaller tank? I'm getting a great deal on a 55gal kit with everything and a 55 gallon stand

 

[Marc118]

What all are you getting? You want about 10x turnover.

 

[Vash612584]

55 gallon tank, power filter, 200watt heater (which im buying a second one as a backup) 2 hoods with lamps, and a stand.