A couple of newbie questions

[camidon]

Okay, I have a couple of dumb newbie questions for you guys.
1. Can a 55g tank be drilled? I'm pretty sure it is glass, but my local lfs told me that if I wanted to drill my tank for an overflow that I would have to purchase at least a 65g tank.
2. MUST I have LR? My lfs also refused to sell me a tank unless I bought LR. I told them that I wanted to do a FO tank and they told me that it can't be done.
Are these things true or is my local LFS just trying to "upsell" me?
Thanks,
Chris

 

[camidon]

Oh, I'd like to note also that I'm eventually planning on adding LR a little at a time, I just can't afford the initial investment.

 

[bdhough]

hahaha.
you spoke to the wrong salesman.
1) the tank can be drilled but there was some truth in what he said. since the glass is not as thick as the larger tanks it is more suceptable to cracking the glass while drilling. but id say any driller worth their salt could drill it no problem. i saw a guy drill a 10 gallon once....
2) as for the live rock. no you don't need it but it certainly helps. anything natural from the ocean can only help you out. the problem with adding it as you go is that you run the risk of spiking harmful levels in yoru tank due to die off on the rock. you need to check the rock to see if it smells rotten before you buy and add it to your tank. if it smells don't get it. if it doesn't smell the worst it will do is probably raise your nitrates and phosphates which can be remedied by simple water changes.

 

[bdhough]

one more thing. i would consider getting your rock period before you start getting fish. good healthy rock in your tank is a very big asset to you.

 

[camidon]

Well, I don't think I'm going to be doing business with this store anyways. The help was very rude and talked down to me as if I was stupid (which I'm definately not). They were also very "matter of fact" when answering questions that I had and were very upset when I walked out without agreeing to purchase their 42?g setup for $1200.00.
I have a guy that I work with who is going to sell me a 55g tank with stand and canopy for $100.00. and I think I'm going to take him up on it. I think what I'll do is add my parts one at a time over the course of several months and then at Christmas time I'll get my wife to buy me LR for Christmas to get me started.
Anyone know where I can find a checklist of everything I'll need to get everything set up?
Thanks for the responce!
Chris

 

[bdhough]

well in the meantime while you discuss the tank purchase go buy michael palettas book the new marine aquarist or something like that. buy some books man... they are invaluable. i got all of mine over a year ago and look at them regularly. i wish i had them now but they are boxed up for the time being.
1200 dollars for a 42 gallon? sounds like a load of crap to me. maybe you just spoke with the wrong guy. most places have their a holes and good guys. you could buy a full 75 setup at that price if you look around easy. even a 90 or 120 if you're lucky....

 

[jc74]

If he refused to sell you the tank without the live rock, he obviously didn't want to make a sale. I had my FO tank for four years before getting any live rock, and my fish have always done great. They don't need it unless they're copepod feeders such as mandarins.
If you can afford the LR, go for it, but I wouldn't pay more than 5 bucks per pound. Most lfs in my area charge up to $8 a pound! Multiply that by 100 pounds and you're looking at a fortune in rocks. I ordered mine from this site for $4 and it's great.

 

[thomas712]

camidon - Welcome to the board
I think its a good choice of yours to go slowly with this. It took me about a year to purchase all my parts, and in the meantime boards like this were available for all kinds of knowledge along the way that wound up saving me money and time.
No you don't have to have liverock to have a tank but its a very good idea. Would you like a house with no furnature?
Rocks can add much to the dimension and activity of a tank. I remember the first year I added rock to my tank, after that I could not imagin it without rocks.
Two good money saving tips were baserock and aragonite playsand. I know you want a fish only, but what if I told you that you could have 50 pounds of baserock and pay just over a dollar a pound for it instead of $300 for live rock. Or playsand for less than $5 a bag instead of 22-25 dollars a bag at the LFS.
Eventually the bacteria from your cycle will make it live and if you can seed it with a cup of sand from an established tank then over time you'll have the same expensive stuff many put in there tanks.
As to the glass drilling. Its not so much that its harder to do thinner glass (partly true) is because thinner glass is normally tempered ( so your LFS may have been telling the truth there depending on their suppliers of tanks.) and whether or not the bottom pane of glass was tempered or not. Many times the sides will be tempered but not the bottom. Drilling non-tempered glass is what you want to be able to do. Tempered normally shatters.
Thomas