My first SW Tank

D

D_Ahumada

Reefing newb
I currently have a FW community planted tank. I will be starting my first 29G SW (or if Craigslist comes through a 55G). I'm on a bit of a budget, so I'm trying to figure out what I need to get in order to start, and then what can wait so I can get it later on. I was planning on doing a reef tank eventually. At the moment I was planning on just getting live rock started. So I was thinking, sand and live rock only for now. Assuming I am starting with just the tank, (I may or may not have a filter depending on the CL situation) what do I need to get my sand and live rock started? Is it alright to slowly introduce increasing amounts of live rock? Can I keep just live rock in the aquarium for a while, or do I need to get a "cleaning crew" to help maintain it in the beginning?

I know I'll be needing a heater, but not too sure beyond that. I've been trying to read up, and talking with friends and LFS personal to try and get a solid handle on what I need, but I'd love another opinion.

At the moment I'm considering getting a RO/IO system,(Aquarium Water Quality: Pure-Flo II RO Units ) and thinking the 4-stage 50 gpd unit, but I do have access to water from my LFS for about .50 per gallon as well. I was wondering though, is there a difference between the coralife systems and those I can get at the Home Depot or Lowes?

What else do I need? is a protein skimmer necessary right away? Does just having a HOB filter work? The other way around?

Do I need powerheads right away?
I plan on upgrading my lighting later on, when I move onto adding fish/corals.


Also any suggestions for good sources of live rock. I've only got one local source, not too expensive at 4.89, but it's a very limited selection. I was hoping to mix a few different strains, but I'm not sure where online I can find a good price, and is reliable.
 
u dont need a cleaner crew right now cause it wont have anything to eat and than you will need to do the nitrate cycle and than i wouldent reccomend a HOB filter for SW and no udont need protein skimmer gith away and u dont need powerheads right away
 
Welcome D,

I'm new as well. What I can tell you is that the actual tank is going to be the least expensive item you buy. In saltwater, the general rule is buy the biggest tank that you have room for and that your budget will allow.

When you start with a smaller tank (29 g for example) you're going to quickly find that the fish that you're attracted to at the LFS aren't compatible. It seems saltwater fish need alot of room to move, and with a large(r) tank bad things happen slower, so for a beginner larger tanks are easier to care for. I started with a 55g, before I even had a rock in it I moved to a 90g. So don't make the same mistake I did. Buy big the first time.

As far as equipment goes here's the basics
1. (2) heaters. Just in case one goes bad.
2. 1-2 lbs. of liverock per gallon. This will act as your filter. ($5-$10 per lb)
3. Protein skimmer for your tank.
4. Lights. These can get expensive.
5. A sump if you decide to go with a larger tank. If not you can use a HOB (hang on back)
6. Water testing kits. (Can't use your freshwater kits)
7. Aragonite Sand of some sort . (Not crushed coral, it traps detritus)
8. Power heads for water movement.

I've used CL for liverock and got some good deals. $2-$3 per lb.
 
you do not need power heads right away they are just for flow to prevent dead spots in the tank but if you manage your filter right you can usually get decent flow without them.
you can just introduce new rock as the aquarium matures but there is a chance you may start a "mini cycle" by doing this. the best way for you to keep it cheaper is to ad 10-15 lbs of live rock and add more base rock until you like the look. the live rock will eventually seed the dry rock to become live rock.
another way for you to keep it cheap is to buy just dry sand live sand will make your cycle go faster which seems like is not a big deal for you.
the RODI with a 29G is probably not necessary but will make it cheaper in the long run.
most of the people on here will not recommend hang on filters especially bio wheel ones but im gonna contradict that and say they will most likely be ok for your application. protein skimmers are really the best filtration for SW + a refugium and both of those just requir basically an empty box. so if you are going to have to buy a filter anyway i would at least set up an nice fuge with a skimmer. Dont let out my secret i ran my tank with only a fuge for about a year and never had any problems. it all depends on your bio load.
you are also correct with the lighting you could use any light above it until you wnat corals but the lights will effect how fast the algae on your rocks grows. just something to keep in mind.:grumble:
whew well i hope that gives you a start i know when i first started here i had alot of questions too so ask away!:mrgreen:

WELCOME to living reefs
 
D_Ahumada said:
I may or may not have a filter depending on the CL situation)
Click to expand...

Your live rock and your sand ARE your filtration :) In place of a mechanical filter, most reefers use skimmers. You can use a cannister, and some here have success with it, but it's not really necessary. It's more preference.

It's good to have powerheads to create water movement. Might as well get it now if you can. More people will chime in :)
 
With just sand and live rock.Your going to need the powerheads.
If the waters not moving,then the water inside the rock will go stagnate.That'll kill any live critters that might be calling the rock home.
Something else to think about on the rock.Instead of buying all live rock,go with a mix of live and dry base rock.The base rock will be a lot cheaper,and 6 months down the road you wont be able to tell the difference.
Get the heaters,powerheads,and skimmer before you buy the live rock.
BTW
Welcome to the site and the hobby.
 
I would consider an RO unit from one of these two vendors.
P U R E W A T E R C L U B
The Filter Guys

It is better to go with a protein skimmer(a good one) than to go with any HOB filter or canister.You can have an awesome system with just a couple powerheads for water movement,1-2lbs of live rock per gallon and a good quality protein skimmer.An Octopus skimmer is what I would recommend.I would plan on the powerheads right away and a skimmer ASAP.


Live rock,I've use Liveaquaria and Saltycritter-awesome rocks.Many here also have Tampa Bay live rocks as well.
Live Rock and Live Sand: Live Saltwater Aquarium Rock and Sand
Cured and Uncured live rock from Bali, Fiji, Tonga, & Uaniva.Saltwater aquarium supplies and equipment from Salty Critter
http://www.tampabaysaltwater.com/
 
What or Who? There are a few different types of skimmers. I think the consensus here is to have a skimmer that is rated for double your tank size. So if you've got a 50g tank get a 100g skimmer. I'll let others offer up brands and types.

The type of skimmer you get will depend on if you want a HOB or if you're planning on doing a sump system.
 
Id suggest you not skip the power heads. You need flow in a tank period! Whether it has corals or not. You need somewhere around 15x your tank volume, 15x30g=450g per hour of flow in your tank. As you start keeping coral you may find that you need to increase the flow to meet the corals needs. I have 40x in my tank, or there is Yote who has 67x if I remember correctly. I would recommend that you skip any HOB filters or canisters as they are all designed for freshwater and despite the claims that people make to the success they have with them, they all are known to become nitrate factories in our SW tanks because they create an environment that breeds algae and bacteria that produces more waste than they can filter out. With your tank size you could skip the skimmer too and just do weekly water changes to keep your parameters stable. While you can use any light on your aquarium, if it's just an incandescent bulb, it will produce more algae than other bulbs because of the color spectrum that each produces. If you were going to do temporary budget lighting, I'd suggest you go to Lowes and get the "daylight" type CFL bulbs. They will be ok for fish and LR but definitely no coral, and your fish wont appear as vibrant as they should.
dwinzent said:
you do not need power heads right away they are just for flow to prevent dead spots in the tank but if you manage your filter right you can usually get decent flow without them.
you can just introduce new rock as the aquarium matures but there is a chance you may start a "mini cycle" by doing this. the best way for you to keep it cheaper is to ad 10-15 lbs of live rock and add more base rock until you like the look. the live rock will eventually seed the dry rock to become live rock.
another way for you to keep it cheap is to buy just dry sand live sand will make your cycle go faster which seems like is not a big deal for you.
the RODI with a 29G is probably not necessary but will make it cheaper in the long run.
most of the people on here will not recommend hang on filters especially bio wheel ones but im gonna contradict that and say they will most likely be ok for your application. protein skimmers are really the best filtration for SW + a refugium and both of those just requir basically an empty box. so if you are going to have to buy a filter anyway i would at least set up an nice fuge with a skimmer. Dont let out my secret i ran my tank with only a fuge for about a year and never had any problems. it all depends on your bio load.
you are also correct with the lighting you could use any light above it until you wnat corals but the lights will effect how fast the algae on your rocks grows. just something to keep in mind.:grumble:
whew well i hope that gives you a start i know when i first started here i had alot of questions too so ask away!:mrgreen:

WELCOME to living reefs
Click to expand...
If you are going to invest in a skimmer, I'd suggest you get one that is way too big so that you dont have to upgrade again if you buy a bigger tank down the road. Octopus makes a great skimmer. XxKnuckleheadxX can help you out. He sells equipment on here.

PRC said:
What or Who? There are a few different types of skimmers. I think the consensus here is to have a skimmer that is rated for double your tank size. So if you've got a 50g tank get a 100g skimmer. I'll let others offer up brands and types.

The type of skimmer you get will depend on if you want a HOB or if you're planning on doing a sump system.
Click to expand...
 

Similar threads

F
New to marine.
Replies
2
Views
2K
kbuser92
kbuser92
Mike
  • Sticky
New Member (Owner 😲)
Replies
0
Views
1K
Mike
Mike
L
New Member
Replies
0
Views
1K
lkt1954
L
Sashimi
75G LPS 2.0
Replies
1
Views
2K
AnotherReefHobbysit
A
M
Novice needing advice!!
Replies
0
Views
1K
montgrl99
M
Back
Top