Ok I have been keeping Freshwater for about 10 years now and never ever had a Saltwater setup yet. I am definately thinking to set up one up now. I am picking up a 75 gallon for $75 soon. Now my questions for you guys are, On a budget of about $500 what should I do for equipment. I have a bunch of Eheim 2217's laying around should I use those for filtration or should I just go all out and buy a sump/refugium with a hang on back overflow. I mean I could run a nice protein skimmer on the sump it self but I can't spend a fortune. Now for lighting I am going to be running a 48" Coralife Lunar Aqua light strip with two 65 watt 10,000k Coralife bulbs. If you guys have any other ideas for bulbs for the fixture I am using please tell me a brand and such. I think for corals I am going to get pulsing Xenia, mushroom coral and Cabbage leather coral. Shoud I invest in a RO system if I have corals so get rid of all sources of chlorine and such? Now for fish I was thinking maybe 3 Centropyge loriculus, a pair of Amphiprion ocellaris and finally one Paracanthurus hepatus. I love tangs and if anyone know of any tangs that would do well in a 4 foot aquarium please let me know. I know most tangs require at least a 6 foot tank. Any help would be much appreaciated. So what do guys think? should I go for it?
Need you guys.
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Most LFS will give you the RO or it ranges from .10-0.40 per gallon. you should be able to afford that . That way if it doesn't work out you didn't waste your money in an area not needed yet..
I too am going salt with a tank
I too am going salt with a tank
Tongue33;1165779; said:Most LFS will give you the RO or it ranges from .10-0.40 per gallon. you should be able to afford that . That way if it doesn't work out you didn't waste your money in an area not needed yet..
I too am going salt with a tank
Good luck with your salt water tank. Have you thought of any stocking or any corals? I need more ideas and I love tangs as I mentioned but most just grow to larger for even a 125 and are far to active for anything less.
I am right where you are 
And I am not going that large so it is a little difficult for me to suggest behond what i already have as that is the extent of my hands on knowledge
Don't worry it might take a minute but you will get answers There is actually a healthy salt membership here
And I am not going that large so it is a little difficult for me to suggest behond what i already have as that is the extent of my hands on knowledge Don't worry it might take a minute but you will get answers
There is actually a healthy salt membership here I am starting big because It may be easier to maintain and won't cost all that much. A guy wants to sell me a 125 salwater setup for $800 but I don't have that kind of money right now. He also has 40 gallon corner tank for $200 complete set up which would be awesome for me as it is small but will make due. I am still getting the 75 though.
Get a skimmer. A good one. Don't bother with the canister filter or HOB's. Get lots of live rock. That's where you will...and should spend most of your money. For 75 gallons buy at least 125 lbs of rock. Trust me, don't cut corners starting out or you'll spend double or more later fixing problems. and yes, you'll want an RO/DI unit...but you can live without one to start.
Use, the cannister as a sort of sump man just run it without any media to avoid nitrate issues. Go to home depot or lowes and buy some arongonite "white" play sand and let it turn to live sand over time. You can also buy a large amount of base rock a just a bit of live rock. Throw a cocktail shrimp into your tank and let it cycle as you would a f.w. set up . Use what evey you can from your old set up as long as you've never treated any illness with a coper based med.
Also I would strongly encourage you to set up a q.t. tank as you are cycling your main tank you want to avoid any out breaks in your main if at all possible. Just keep it simple a 20 gal bare bottom with a flow pot turned on it's side a sponge filter ," keep a sponge hidden in your main so that you'll always have one ready to go." and a heater.
You could manage a hippo Paracanthurus hepatus in a 75 but, you would be really pushing it imho. You couldn't have many other fish in there though. Centropyge loriculus I would limit to one fish they are territorial and unless you can get a mated pair you'll have big problems . As with most s.w. fish they don't get on well with closely related species or their own in a tank. The clowns will be cool as well just make sure that you get young ones so that they can work out their sexual realtions and not fight or kill each other. Get a pair out of a tank full of baby clowns so that no one is on their way to becoming female.
As for the softies good choice and you may consider adding kenya tree and clove polyps.
hth
Max
Also I would strongly encourage you to set up a q.t. tank as you are cycling your main tank you want to avoid any out breaks in your main if at all possible. Just keep it simple a 20 gal bare bottom with a flow pot turned on it's side a sponge filter ," keep a sponge hidden in your main so that you'll always have one ready to go." and a heater.
You could manage a hippo Paracanthurus hepatus in a 75 but, you would be really pushing it imho. You couldn't have many other fish in there though. Centropyge loriculus I would limit to one fish they are territorial and unless you can get a mated pair you'll have big problems . As with most s.w. fish they don't get on well with closely related species or their own in a tank. The clowns will be cool as well just make sure that you get young ones so that they can work out their sexual realtions and not fight or kill each other. Get a pair out of a tank full of baby clowns so that no one is on their way to becoming female.
As for the softies good choice and you may consider adding kenya tree and clove polyps.
hth
Max
Thanks Max!! I ahve a couple 29's for QT tanks so I am all set there. Now live rock feeds on nitrate right? Also what do you mean let the sand turn live? Couldn't I just buy live sand from my LFS? I know what you mean but what is the purpose of buying non live sand? Could I just use Pool filter sand or no and will it turn live? Now what should the corals be fed? I was thinking of supplementing them with phytoplankton but I know most harbor zooxanthellae for feeding and don't really need direct feedings but would it improve growth and so forth? So how does this sound for stocking One Paracanthurus hepatus, two clowns and one Centropyge loriculus? Would it be possible for me to add maybe a Damsel of some sort such as a Dascyllus aruanus or Dascyllus trimaculatus. Now for corals I am pretty set on Xenia, Kenya tree and cabbage leather coral. Now my question how long should the tank full cycle for I am thinking two months for complete security and add a fish 1 and a half months in? Also would adding Marine Bio-Spira do much with the cocktail shrimp? How often should I throw in a cocktail shrimp when one detriorates? I am a noob at SW and I want to become an expert lol. Any bulb ideas for th light fixture? Thanks guys!!
Well, the live rock feeds on nitrates and nitrites so if you can just get a little live rock it will seed both your base rock and any calcium carbonate based sand "go for grain size similar to sugar" with the appropriate bacteria. The reason I wouldn't buy live sand from the lfs is the lions share of it is just sand that may have some bacteria in it no critters etc. Plain old coral sand will turn into that as your tank cycles. I've never favoured silica based sands as they aren't what's found around reefs and they might cause you long term issues with diatom blooms etc.
I wouldn't bother with marine bio spira if you'll add a little live rock. I've never used it so can't say one way or the other. The only damsels I would ever have would be a chromis. All the others are real pests and aren't attractive after they are adults..... oh and they can be a beast to catch when you get sick of them ,"you will in a reef and fast", there is also a very good chance that they and your clowns won't get on well . I would throw 1 cocktail shrimp into the tank if you don't use much live rock let ammonia got to 2ppm and then remove the shrimp . Turn your heat up to about 82 or 83 and start taking readings it should cycle in 3 or 4 weeks. When you are at about 30 ppm nitrates you're ready to add fish.
hth
Max
'
I wouldn't bother with marine bio spira if you'll add a little live rock. I've never used it so can't say one way or the other. The only damsels I would ever have would be a chromis. All the others are real pests and aren't attractive after they are adults..... oh and they can be a beast to catch when you get sick of them ,"you will in a reef and fast", there is also a very good chance that they and your clowns won't get on well . I would throw 1 cocktail shrimp into the tank if you don't use much live rock let ammonia got to 2ppm and then remove the shrimp . Turn your heat up to about 82 or 83 and start taking readings it should cycle in 3 or 4 weeks. When you are at about 30 ppm nitrates you're ready to add fish.
hth
Max
'
So PFS will not work in the end. Also how much rock would I need for the 75 and a 29 gallon. Should I buy 50% live rock from my LFS out of their tanks and then buy 50% base rock? How long does it take to seed the base rock? What rock should I get that is porous besides lava rock because that rock just sucks. Would texas holy rock be good? Would any porous type of rock work? I am just going to run a HOB filter on the tank and a protein skimmer. Do I even need a protein skimmer for my lowish tech setup? Thanks for all your info you have been a great help to me! What is the average price of Coral Sand? Would Ultra Reef sand work?