New saltwater tank
9 posts
-
blakeas - Posts: 11
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:12 pm
New saltwater tank
I am a beginner and took advice here and got a big tank - 105G with a sump, skimmer, etc. But would like to read more - where on the web should I go? How do I go about getting live rock. is there a cheap option - I am on a budget. also go to the beach and bring back sand?? Thanks for the help!
-
blueshoes2208 - Posts: 1077
- Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2008 4:01 pm
okkkk so where do we start...
humm.... so youre on a 105 gallon tank wtih a sump so what are you wanting to put in the tank? Are you wanting to put just fish or are you wanting to put corals? Check craigslist, ebay or liveaquaria for live rock, what about your lfs ( local fish store) what does it/ they have? I am not quite sure about the sand from the beach we will see what other people say about that. Marinedepot and MarineDepotlive.com are good websites for fish and supplies, i wouldnt buy their live rock its a lil pricy. Bluezooaquatics also has an assortment of fish and corals.
Welcome..... i was in your shoes in August
humm.... so youre on a 105 gallon tank wtih a sump so what are you wanting to put in the tank? Are you wanting to put just fish or are you wanting to put corals? Check craigslist, ebay or liveaquaria for live rock, what about your lfs ( local fish store) what does it/ they have? I am not quite sure about the sand from the beach we will see what other people say about that. Marinedepot and MarineDepotlive.com are good websites for fish and supplies, i wouldnt buy their live rock its a lil pricy. Bluezooaquatics also has an assortment of fish and corals.
Welcome..... i was in your shoes in August
-
Snowboss4492 - Posts: 2098
- Joined: Sun Jan 27, 2008 11:24 pm
along with very good forums like this one ..................try www.wetwebmedia.com
it a very good information site done by pros and scientists and explains why your doing something as opposed to "just do this or that"
as far as beach sand goes..................number one, it's illegal to take on most beaches, so becareful..............and number two, if you really think about it,,,,,,,,,,it's nasty..............people walking on it, sitting on it, pukeing screwing playing littering etc etc .............and then all the stuff washing up is pretty much dead - -so IMO beach sand would be more of a headache than just starting with a decent araglive sand..............you can put a bag in and then add another and another and so on until you have the depth you want - - do your live rock the same way - - -5-10 lbs here and there ..............al the while you will be cycling and by the time you get the substrate where you want it ..you'll be ready for stock
the great thing about this hobby is you don't want to do anything fast, so takeing your time to build money up to get something is a good thing in reality
Boss
it a very good information site done by pros and scientists and explains why your doing something as opposed to "just do this or that"
as far as beach sand goes..................number one, it's illegal to take on most beaches, so becareful..............and number two, if you really think about it,,,,,,,,,,it's nasty..............people walking on it, sitting on it, pukeing screwing playing littering etc etc .............and then all the stuff washing up is pretty much dead - -so IMO beach sand would be more of a headache than just starting with a decent araglive sand..............you can put a bag in and then add another and another and so on until you have the depth you want - - do your live rock the same way - - -5-10 lbs here and there ..............al the while you will be cycling and by the time you get the substrate where you want it ..you'll be ready for stock
the great thing about this hobby is you don't want to do anything fast, so takeing your time to build money up to get something is a good thing in reality
Boss
-
blakeas - Posts: 11
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:12 pm
I want to do a reef eventually with fish. I plan on taking this very slow. I appreciate the advice. For starters the tank I am getting has:
sump/refugiun - still has coraline it
protein skimmer - 25" tall
pump
Light for fish only
stand and canopy
Was just taken down 7 days ago and is selling to me.
sump/refugiun - still has coraline it
protein skimmer - 25" tall
pump
Light for fish only
stand and canopy
Was just taken down 7 days ago and is selling to me.
-
fihsboy - Posts: 1837
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:20 pm
http://www.melevsreef.com/
AWESOME informative website....straight to the point......and great ideas.
AWESOME informative website....straight to the point......and great ideas.
-
blakeas - Posts: 11
- Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 4:12 pm
what sort of light do I need for a reef? I have heard varying opinions.... Do i really need a metal halide? or is there something else I can use?
-
gumbii - Posts: 1695
- Joined: Tue Dec 04, 2007 3:31 am
look for live rock and lights on craigslist... i'd rather get LR from a cured healthy tank than some expensive stuff from a LFS...
lights i'd go with two 175W MH with actnics... or two 14,000K 250W MH bulbs...
but i like to over do it on alot of things...
lights i'd go with two 175W MH with actnics... or two 14,000K 250W MH bulbs...
but i like to over do it on alot of things...
-
dick_headers - Posts: 424
- Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2007 8:59 pm
Every time I set up a saltwater tank I buy as much live rock as much I want, so I don't have to add more later on. I always cure the rocks in the main tank, you don't have to, it's just me.Then I let the tank cycle. I do not add anything. No fish, no rotten shrimp, no food, no peeing in the tank. Takes about 3-4 month to cycle a tank this way.I know it is long time, but that's how I like it.
After the tank is cycled, I start to adding live stock. Whenever I buy coral I remove a small piece of live rock and replace it with the coral. I take the rock back( by this time it has some good coralline on them)
to my LFS(not really cuz I have to drive like 70 miles) for store credit.
I really like to add as much rock as I can afford at the beginning, so later on I don't have worry about adding, but perhaps removing some of them.
Most soft corals will do well under power compacts, even some sensitive inverts such as clams and oysters. most stony corals prefer bright lights, but you can keep them successfully with PC lights in a smaller not too deep shallow tank,IMO.
Metal halides are great. I am not going into details, but corals are appreciate that kind of light.
Your tank will look so much better if you choose MH system. If you have an orange ricordea mushroom in your tank with PC lights, it will turn ultra orange under MH. The shimmering effect is also beautiful.
Please don't put beach sand in your tank. It can cause imbalanced water parameters, and also very high on silicates.Aragonite(arag alive) the way to go, like Boss mentioned it.
And yes www.wetwebmedia.com is indeed the best source of information out there IMO.
Calfo is God, isn't that right SWP?:-)
OK, fuck me, that's enough...
After the tank is cycled, I start to adding live stock. Whenever I buy coral I remove a small piece of live rock and replace it with the coral. I take the rock back( by this time it has some good coralline on them)
to my LFS(not really cuz I have to drive like 70 miles) for store credit.
I really like to add as much rock as I can afford at the beginning, so later on I don't have worry about adding, but perhaps removing some of them.
Most soft corals will do well under power compacts, even some sensitive inverts such as clams and oysters. most stony corals prefer bright lights, but you can keep them successfully with PC lights in a smaller not too deep shallow tank,IMO.
Metal halides are great. I am not going into details, but corals are appreciate that kind of light.
Your tank will look so much better if you choose MH system. If you have an orange ricordea mushroom in your tank with PC lights, it will turn ultra orange under MH. The shimmering effect is also beautiful.
Please don't put beach sand in your tank. It can cause imbalanced water parameters, and also very high on silicates.Aragonite(arag alive) the way to go, like Boss mentioned it.
And yes www.wetwebmedia.com is indeed the best source of information out there IMO.
Calfo is God, isn't that right SWP?:-)
OK, fuck me, that's enough...