Total Newb Here

[TheCanuck]

Im waiting for the day that you convert that to a reef tank.

12x2x2 , jesus it would be a perfect reef tank. Haha maybe some day, its for sale right now. If it doesn't sell i am going to have to scrounge for my 1200. You should buy it, I'll even deliver it to your house...


Oldcreepyguy- make your filtration is easy, you can do it at walmart!

 

[Heathd]

for the sake of my amusement, how much are you selling it for? I know I dont have the cash to buy it...

 

[Kevin8888]

Oh i forgot to mention, canisters as theCanuck saif can be used as addition biofiltraition with ceramics or other bio media (just not thing that builds up to much gunk like filter sponges). Skimmers aren't nessisary, as you can subsitute one out with a Algae scrubber, but they require more space and lights to run. Sump isn't nessisary either you can get HOB skimmers etc, but they are good as they can be filled with a macro algae such as cheatomorph to suck up some of those waste products, as well as additional biofiltration (rock rubble etc). Powerheads arent nessisary per-say... but the flow is, I set up tanks with a large return pump and have many small return pipes with flex ends so I can direct the flow as needed. Cycling can be done a few ways, their is a sticky about it.
http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=132494

 

[creepyoldguy]

ok thats a lot of info! so this is what im thinking. since my tank is a 75g, ill just get a canister filled with ceramic rings and other bio media, use a hob skimmer and get like a hydor 750gph powerhead for filtration/ how does that sound? to me, its pretty simple, if it is feasible!

 

[Kevin8888]

Ya I try to be thurough lol.

Should be good, though i assume you will be adding some sand and liverock? live rock is good to seed the tank for cycle sand acts as a huge biofiltration.

So stocking do you plan to have corals? If you do you need to look into powerful lights as well.

 

[creepyoldguy]

Ya I try to be thurough lol.

Should be good, though i assume you will be adding some sand and liverock? live rock is good to seed the tank for cycle sand acts as a huge biofiltration.

So stocking do you plan to have corals? If you do you need to look into powerful lights as well.

yes kevin, i plan on adding live sand and live rock. any idea on lbs of sand i shuold be using? for the live rock, i hear some ppl say 1lb per gallon, yet others say they seed their tank with less and let the live rock grow? i guess as for now, i was just planning on doing what i believe is called a FOWLR tank, just the fish and liverock. i want to add corals at a later date, but from what i read, its better to let your tank mature and get going first. plus, not to mention thats just extra money i dont have right now! as far as stock, what would you recomend?

 

[Kevin8888]

Live rock isn't as "nessisary" as everyone claims, they tend to recomend up to 2lb per gallon, but I believe thats just propaganda created by the companies that sell live rock, as I have seen many tanks do well with significantly less. You could easily get away with 0.5lb per gallon, and If you want you could get only a few lbs of live rock and get base rock for the rest (base being cheaper, but becoming live with a little time). Sand you will want at least 1lb but up to 2bl per gallon, of a fine grain sand, sugar or select grade, crushed coral is bad so avoid it, how much sand you want depends on how deep you want the sand bed.

Stocking, since you don't want corals at the moment any lighting will do, as its more or less completely astetic. Stocking a 75 you have alot more options then the average tank as it is larger therefore more fish can be in it. Since you want corals you will need "reef safe" fish, but that could mean predators or community fish, as there are "reef safe" fish in both catagories. Though you have more options with community fish then predators.

 

[creepyoldguy]

thanks again kevin, youve been a huge help! i hate going to my lfs to get advice, each one says something different and are trying to sell you their product at the same time. so basically, once i move my current stock out, get the filtration set up. ill add my sand (does it have to be live sand? or will the live rock seed the sand?), add my live rock, get a test kit and wait for it to cycle? after my tank is cycled, ill worry about the stock

 

[Kevin8888]

Live sand is unnessisary, and most "live sand" isnt really "live" most of the time its just wet sand, the only good live sand comes from these guys http://www.ipsf.com/index.html# but it is only used to improve your sand bed, the live rock will be enough to seed any and all biomedia including sand. So dry sand is fine. Did you look over the cycling sticky thread? Its pretty good, and recomends good techniques.

 

[creepyoldguy]

ok thanks for the info. i did glance over the stickies but not too much into them. i will check them out next. one last question, where do i get base rock?