/ Register

  1. Do you have an old account but can't access it?


    See Accessing your GIRS Account or Contact Us - We are here to help!

Thinking of taking the plunge

Discussion in 'Introductions' started by blackx-runner, Apr 9, 2010.

  1. Apr 9, 2010 #1
    blackx-runner Cedar Rapids, IA

    blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    6,044
    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    Hello everyone. New member from Cedar Rapids. Great resource you have here with tons of great information.
    I am thinking about getting into saltwater. I have had fresh water aquariums in the past and enjoyed them. But now I have more room to set up a larger tank and want to do a saltwater setup.
    The aquarium I have now is a 40L sitting empty and pathetic in the living room. Just working on collecting the necessary goodies to get it up and running. My plan is to start with a FOWLR tank and see how that goes and maybe move on from there.
    The goodies I am considering and would like opinions on
    protein skimmer- most likely a HOB for now. Looking at the Reef Octo BH100F
    substrate - aragonite, thinking 40-50 lbs seeded with some live sand. Kind of confused on the particle size i would want??
    Rock - mix of dry rock seeded with live rock to keep costs down. Anyone have experience or advice on buying the rock? Where to buy and what to look for? What to avoid?
    Heaters- heard that 2 smaller heaters is better than 1 larger heater. Would 2 100watts heaters work well? What about brands? Anything better, or anything to avoid?
    Powerheads- probably pick up a couple small hydor koralia's. One in the tank and another for mixing saltwater. How much flow should I have in my tank total? I have heard 10x turnover min. Whats preferred? 20 or 30? or more?
    Water- Probably buy RO/DI for now. Sounds like its the best and causes the least issues in the tank. Look at getting a filter unit down the road.
    Fishes- Looking at doing a community tank. Probably start off with a chromis, seem to be cheap and fairly hearty. Would like to have a clownfish. Maybe a damselfish and some kind of goby. Those were all kind of recommended for beginners.  Anything else that would work well, or is there something to watch out for with what I have listed?
    Cleanup crew- Seems to be a huge variety. What would you guys recommend for this type of tank? Anything to avoid?
    Ok guys thats where I am right now.  I am just looking to get a good start in the hobby without too many problems and frustrations. Anything I have overlooked? Any advice and tips would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance and I look forward to learning more and getting my tank setup. 
     
  2. Apr 9, 2010 #2
    JB Marion

    JB Veteran Reefkeeper

    5,146
    Marion
    Ratings:
    +3 / 0 / -0
    Welcome to GIRS, glad you found us!   If you are in the Cedar Rapids area, we have a tank tour going on tomorrow (saturday) if you have some free time.   Tank tours are a great way to see what people are doing and it's an excellent time to ask questions, get opinions and see various ideas/solutions in action.
    For your particular questions:
    Protien Skimmer - I don't know much about that model in particular, but I can tell you that you generally want to get a skimmer that's rated for a tank larger than what you have.   Skimmers are not an area where you want to go cheap because they perform a critical function.
    Substrate - A mix sizes is best, but you want something fairly fine.   Substrate isn't really a requirement, many people prefer bare bottom.
    Rock - You're doing the right thing buy buying dry rock and seeding it with live.   It doesn't take long at all for the dry rock to become live rock and it's a lot cheaper.   Pourous light rock is good, dense rock is bad (less internal surface area).   The best way to get live rock is wait for someone to see some here.  If you buy it online, it's much more expensive.   I belive bulkreefsupply.com has some pretty good deals on dry rock though.
    Heater - Yes, 2 is better than 1.  Less prone to failure.
    Powerheads & Flow - Korallias are good.   The ammount of flow you need depends on a lot of different things including what types of coral you plan to have.  SPS for example likes lots of flow.  10X is probably a good starting point.   There are two types of "flow":  The internal flow of your tanks should be fairly high.   The flow from your tank to your sump and/or refugium should be less.
    Water - RO/DI is a must but you'll get very tired of hauling it around.   AirWaterIce.com is a great place to get a quality RO/DI unit.
    Fish - Do a lot of research here.   Some things are much harder than others.  Chromis can actually be finicky and hard to keep, but they are cheap and easy to try.  Some fish like tangs require larger tanks and others like butterfly's are difficult to feed in captivity.   Research, research, research.
    Cleanup crew - Opinions vary on this.   Some people like hermits, some don't.   I think Hermits and astrea snails are a good cheap starting point for a cleanup crew.   A serpent star wouldn't hurt either.   Again, research is needed here because some cleanup crew items are toxic and others are predatory under some conditions.
    Other thanks to think about:
    Lighting
     
  3. Apr 9, 2010 #3
    JB Marion

    JB Veteran Reefkeeper

    5,146
    Marion
    Ratings:
    +3 / 0 / -0
    A couple other things:

    1) Rock - Make sure you cure the rock properly. This is especially true if you are having live rock shipped or using dry rock that used to be live rock.

    2) Electical - Make sure your tank is on a GFCI outlet and that you have a Titanium ground probe. Reef tanks are awesome, but they aren't worth dying for!
     
  4. Apr 9, 2010 #4
    blackx-runner Cedar Rapids, IA

    blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    6,044
    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    Thanks for the quick replies. I am not planning on getting any coral at the moment. If I decide to get some in the future I will do the
    lighting upgrades. I have some fluorescent lights that I think will do me fine to get started. 
    I have looked into sumps and its something I am definitely considering. Just don't know if I want to do it yet. I was thinking more of adding it later when my tank is somewhat established.
    Or wait until I get addicted and end up with a much larger tank that's reef ready. Then I can use my 40 for the sump. /DesktopModules/ActiveForums/themes/_default/emoticons/tongue2.gif
     
  5. Apr 10, 2010 #5
    Reefdumb

    Reefdumb Inactive User

    224
    Ratings:
    +0 / 0 / -0
    blackx..... I have a large, easy or complex depending on some views but stange setup. If you want to come check out my system, get some ideas and ask anything, you are welcom to come check it out.
     
  6. Apr 16, 2010 #6
    blackx-runner Cedar Rapids, IA

    blackx-runner Administrator Website Team Leadership Team

    6,044
    Cedar Rapids, IA
    Ratings:
    +738 / 5 / -0
    Its starting to come together. Got the protein skimmer, heaters, and powerhead. Bought some sand today and placed and order with Marcos Rocks for some base. I'll try and remember to get some pics together of the setup process and start another thread about my build.
    Thanks for everyone's help so far. And if anyone has any more advice or tips for a newb let me know.
     

Share This Page

  1. This site uses cookies to help personalise content, tailor your experience and to keep you logged in if you register.
    By continuing to use this site, you are consenting to our use of cookies.
    Accept Learn More...