New member here

Welcome! Lots of help available. As far as systems go I would suggest buying a used setup to start with. With patience, you can find one on this site or craigslist. Beware: this hobby can be addictive

 

Welcome to the club. You my find something for sale on here that can get you started. Lots of good helpful club members in your area. And plenty of people to ask on here.
Do lots of research and be patient.

 

Hello and welcome!
Personally, I think it all comes down to what YOU like. This is a hobby so you need to be comfortable and happy with everything you're doing. That being said, all-in-one tanks are great setups and a good place to start and prosper. I'm just getting done setting up about a 38 gallon AIO (similar to the biocube you saw) that will replace my 12 gallon system. To make the process more interactive, I ordered glass from the local professional shop and assembled everything myself to exactly the dimensions I prefer, effectively tripling my water volume. My advice is to go as big as you can the first time, it saves time, headache, and money down the road. For example: look for the 29 gallon biocube instead of the 14 gallon. Of course do a lot of research like others are recommending as well and be happy!

 

I drink beer!

Another suggestion is look for the next local GIRS meeting and come out and chat with the members.

 

Welcome!

I believe there are some all in ones for sale from members right now... if you're really interested in a self contained system that would be a good route. However, having owned a 28g JBJ cube previously I can say that I wasn't a huge fan. In order to actually get adequate filtration I ended up adding on a HOB skimmer to replace the airstone skimmer meant to fit in the back compartment. I then also added on hang on reactors for carbon and GFO. Additionally I replaced the hood so I could use more intense LEDs for coral growth. I also added powerheads to increase the flow above the stock return pumps. So in the end nothing was self contained and there was no real benefit for having the back compartment closed off.

I currently have a 29g running which was a basic tank from PetCo's $1/gallon sale. I painted the back pane black and have a HOB skimmer along with one powerhead. The painted back really does a good job of hiding equipment and powerheads. If you really wanted to go this route instead I'd highly recommend finding a used HOB AquaC Remora skimmer (should be able to find for around $50). It can be argued that you don't need a skimmer at all since water changes are so easy on a smaller system, however I like to make my life as easy as possible. All of my equipment on this system is:
Tank - 29g from PetCo: $29
Skimmer - Reef Octopus 100 HOB from BRS: $150
Heater - 50w from PetCo: $30
Powerhead - Jebao PP-4 from Amazon: $60
Substrate (2 inch) - 30 lbs of Caribsea Special Grade from PetCo: $17
Live Rock - I just used 30 lbs of dry rock I had laying around
Lighting - 2x 12w Par38 LED bulbs from Amazon: $40
Total cost: $326

Some of that could be found more cheaply if you could find it used (especially a skimmer). And some of that is optional (substrate and skimmer).

If you really don't like the idea of having visible equipment it isn't too crazy to drill one of the PetCo $1/gallon tanks to integrate a sump where your equipment is housed. You could use something like another 10g for a sump from the $1/g sale which would have the added benefit of increasing your water volume. There really is a lot of additional flexibility afforded with a sump that you would likely appreciate down the road.

There are a ton of ways to skin a cat in this hobby and people have found ways to make just about anything work (that's why you see so much crazy equipment available - but don't think you need to have all of it).

 

Definitely not... especially on a smaller system. Things like water changes and top offs all much more manageable on moderately sized systems. I have an Apex on my system and love it... but I have a 400g display and it is able to automate a lot of stuff that would eat too much of my time. But I got by for years on my 125g mixed reef without a fancy controller before I upgraded to a larger SPS dominated tank and decided to jump into the world of automation.

On a side note, I don't think anyone has mentioned RO/DI systems... and I admittedly forgot since it wasn't an incremental cost for my build. If you're planning on doing a reef then RO water is a must. You can either try to get water from fellow reefers, an LFS, or get your own RO unit. To avoid the hassle I'd recommend getting your own; however they can be fairly pricey if you buy a new one. This is another item you may want to see if you can find used (although you'll likely need to replace the RO membrane and prefilters).

 

I would help if you need help with drilling a couple holes i have a couple of bits if you decide to go that route.


Sent from my SM-N920V via App

 

Welcome! The CR area has some great resources for new guys - I swear all the greatest tank deals come from that region of the state. Check here and CraigsList for some used equipment to get a tank up and running on a budget.

 

Sutliff you say.... I fish that area of river quite a bit, some decent walleye in there! I have a very close friend that lives there. I may be new to this site, but the one piece of advice I would like to echo from the posts above is that this hobby is very, very rewarding. BUT, and this is a big but…. Take it slow. I still have nightmares from the time I was in one of the local chain pet stores and a lady was buying a bag of salt, a 10 gal aquarium and a yellow tang. A pet for her kid no less. I couldn’t help but intervene, long story short……She made the purchase anyway. I still think about that from time to time and wonder how long that poor fish made it. Sea of Marvels in North Liberty has been good to me. I have heard mixed reviews but I have always walked out of there happy. Good luck!

 

+1. Sea of Marvels is great... I didn't realize how nice I had it living in North Liberty. The only downside I saw is he can have goofy hours from time to time (so call ahead if it's a decent drive). I wish we had something on par in the Des Moines area.

 

Also, let me know if/when you get your new setup. I just went through the entire process and may be able to provide some pointers. If you decide to go the mixed reef route, I should have some smaller frags of softies by the time you’re ready for them (Tank cycled and stable). I will give you a few in exchange for the coordinates of your secret Sutliff walleye spot

 

Completely agree. I call EVERY time before I head down. But when you can get in, he has always given me outstanding prices on livestock. Even throws stuff in for free a lot of the time. He lost his Eel a few weeks ago when he left town. Lid wasn’t secure and the slippery guy got out. Found it on the floor when he got back a few days later. Sad