Brand new to this...

[bishop_gid]

So, I've always wanted a saltwater tank... really really really wanted one... They just look so beautiful.
So, for my anniversery/valentines day/my birthday my wife said that she'd buy me a set up! Yay me!
So... she introduced me to her co-worker... he designed a filter or something like and sells them, but I'm digressing... he said he'd make me a filter for my system and help me along the way to set it up. Double yay me!
BUT, he said tank size is my decision. I assume it based on space and money, and well, money is somewhat of an facture where as space, well, I've gota 9 foot wall I plan to put it against. So I'm guessing I have plenty of room.
So, lets get to my question! Finally! I need to decide on a tank size. My wife's co-worker tells me that no matter what size I buy, I'm going to want one bigger. I'm sure. But my question is, where should I start? I priced a 75 gallon tank with base and top on the way home and it came out to $460 or so... my wife warns me that's a bit outta my price range. Now, if I can convince her, I may be able to push that... But, since I've never owned a saltwater tank, should I try something smaller? 30 gallon? 55 gallon? What's the experts here advice?

 

[ktsdad]

First of all...Welcome to the boards!
Yes this hobby is very addictive! And, yes you will want to go bigger and bigger!
As someone who has had tanks ranging in size from 30 gallon up to 250 gallon (currently), let me say this - the bigger the tank (water volume actually) the easier it is to keep stable water parameters. Stable water parameters is very important in this hobby.
But like most of us, sounds like you have a budget that you must stay within.
Check around, you can get some really good deals on tanks, you just have to look hard.
I will be willing to bet you will be able to beat the price of the tank you mentioned from a local fish store (LFS). Maybe your wife's friend can get something wholesale for you????
Maybe get the canopy later? That would free up some money initially to get a bigger tank/stand? Just a thought!
Another expense you will need to address is lighting. If you want fish only, then you can get some nice lights for around $250 for a 75 gallon tank. If you want to go reef you will be spending much more for lights!
If you have a friend that builds filters for saltwater tanks, then you are way ahead of most beginners! Obviously the filtration is very important, make sure you get a good protien skimmer.
Just keep asking questions, there are many, many smart people on this website that love to help!
Good Luck!

 

[rockies]

Yeah, get the largest you can afford, but be careful to ensure you can get all the extras to get started. For instance, you should plan on live rock, substrate and accessories. These all cost something (not a lot if you shop around and are frugal - you also don't need it all up front). An lights just like ktsdad said; they can get expensive depending on what you need to do with them.
A great resource for planning a tank is the book entitled "The Concientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert M. Fenner. I highly recommend it. It's extremely thorough at discussing most of the options available (rather than a narrow recommendation like a lot of books out there). This can save you a bunch of money in the long run - learn from his mistakes, not your own.
Welcome to this board and the hobby. Sounds like you have a good wife (not as good as mine, but I'm biased).
Cheers.

 

[thangbom]

the way i see it.. a noob should get something from 75- 150 gallons.. why?? well too small and they might not be able to keep what they want.. and will be to much of a task to keep the water stable.. but if too big.. they dont want to keep to the rutine of wc's and such maintenence.. anyhow.. as for the sand,rock.filter,light... imo it's only a minor margin going from a small to a bigger.. only reason is because, the larger you go the more you get out of it for the $$ you pay.. ( just look at vho... the leight and wattage..... as per price you pay.. )
anyhow.. i say read up on this stuff before you go and buy stuff.. the more you can learn from other people mistake the less $$ you will wast... ohh and try no tto go skimppy on the equipment in this hobby... almost everything is it's cost..

 

[turningtim]

I agree with all the above! If you think you're in the 75-125 gal range check for a pre-owned set-up. Somethimes you get a great deal from someone that doesn't know about SWF.com and just wants to get out. Also some local reef clubs or local fish stores will take things on consignment. Check newspaper and craigslist if theres one in your area. I got a used 125 from the auction site that was in my area. If you buy new I suggest staying away from "Package deals" rarely have I seen one that has all the things needed with the quaility that you want. And some just have things that are not nessasary.
I also recommend Fenners book its top notch! Read/research more then you think is enough. Don't buy cheap stuff b/c you'll end up with a junk pile in the end.
You really need to figuire out what you want to keep and plan accordingly.
Welcome to the boards!
HTH
Tim

 

[mrstwig]

Hello and welcome to the boards! I too am pretty new at this and I too live in Illinois. I would suggest that you check with classified ads and see what you can find there too as an option. I was patient but was able to find a 90 reef ready setup with an awesome stand and canopy, live rock, three mature reef safe fish and all the equipment and "ok" lighting for much much less than if I would have bought it singly. So I am suggesting you see what is out there, even if it means traveling 50 or 100 miles there are people that either are upgrading or just don't have the time to devote any longer to this hobby and have to sell reasonably.
Also, by buying a mature tank, and by moving every drop of the water, I was able to bypass that cycling part of the initial tank set up. Feel free to email me if you live in midstate IL and I will give you some ideas on local sources too. windhaven77@mchsi.com
Good luck and enjoy!! :happyfish

 

[nemo's mom]

I have about $1000 in my 55 gallon tank I set-up 2 months ago. There are only 3 fish in it, 2 corals, 2 anemones and a mushroom along with a brittle star, my clean-up crew and the basics such as rock, etc. You will need test kits, pumps etc. It's by no means a cheap hobby

 

[wax32]

¡Hola! WELCOME TO THE BOARDS!

Just to prepare you: the tank/stand is the cheapest part!
You will spend the most on live rock... it's recommended that you go with 1-1.5 pounds per gallon. At 75 gallons you would want 75-100 pounds or so. Multiply that by $6 which is an average price, you can get it cheaper, and you are looking at $450-$600 just for rocks.
The good news is you don't have to buy all the rock at once.
As recommended above, pick up some books and start reading before you do anything else! I like the book they mentioned and also Reef Invertebrates by Anthony Calfo and Robert Fenner. Both are great books for a beginner!
Welcome to your new addiction!

 

[slammy16]

Just be patient, that is very important. As said above check your local papers and you can find good deals on tanks and lighting. I have a 72 gallon, i started last march and have upgraded my lighting 2 times, and let me tell you if you plan on having corals that lighting is huge.

 

[bishop_gid]

whew... lots of info here! Thanks everyone!
Well... my wife agreed to let me get the 75 gallon tank... yay team!
My guy... (might as well throw him a plug here... http://www.hurricanefilters.com/ ) has decided that I should start with a fish only tank and work my way up from there if I feel comfortable.
And beleive it or not, this is going to be the cheaper of my many hobbies (photography, lawnmower racing, and now an aquarium)...
Heh, my wife just told me she wants the fish out of finding Nemo... LOL... I'll have to see if they are all actually compatible... but I don't like the tank in finding Nemo, I want something that looks more "real" ish... no little sunken ships or stuff like that...
Well... we'll have to see where I can finally find a tank. I'm going to be buying (ordering) a tank on (very near) Feb 24th... wish me luck!

 

[murph]

Since money is a factor for your situation I would buck the conventional "bigger is better" advice and set up a smaller system. Keep in mind that all the equipment I list here can be used as a sump or fuge if the reef bug hits you and you decide to set up a larger system so it is not money down the drain.
Tank; 20 gallon long; 35 bucks.
Lighting ordering over INTERNET; Current USA 30" Satellite Fixture 2 x 65 watt power compacts with 1 lunar moonlights. Built in fan 30.5" x 7.5" x 2.75" ; 120 bucks
Get the mounting legs for the fixture when you order. Probably another ten bucks.
One bag home depot play sand. 3 bucks.
One bag Red Sea salt mix. 17 bucks
One hydrometer. 15 bucks
One hang on back filter with bio wheel. 30 bucks
One Maxi jet 900 Power head. 20 bucks
15 pounds base rock from LFS 10 pounds Live rock. Around 80 bucks.
Thirty gallons of RO purified water from Wally World; ten bucks
Ammonia, nitrite and nitrate test kits. Around 25 bucks
Heater; 30 bucks
That should get you started all under 400 bucks.
In a couple months you should add a skimmer but I bet you could pay for half of that just by tossing your loose change in a coffee can for a couple of months.
It is true the smaller the tank the faster the water chemistry can change on you and cause problems but if attention is payed to the tank on a daily basis and is kept lightly stocked there is no reason a tank this size could work for you.
When and if the reef bug really hits you, you can take out a second

[hr]
on the house.

Starting on the smaller scale will give you time to make sure you really want to dedicate yourself to the daily task that are mandatory of any size system and if not you haven't sunk a bunch of money into it.

 

[bishop_gid]

Ok... so I'm going sunday to check out a 110 gallon (factory second) tank and a oak stand. The price is REALLY good.... the guy says that the tank is in great condition, better than most used tanks I'd find. No scratches in the glass.
So, if I pick that up on Sunday, it won't be too long till I get everything up and running... I just have to wait until the first or second week of March to get my wet dry filter... he's a bit backed up at this point.
Thanks for everyone's help... I'm starting to put together a list of the things I want, and then I'm going to let him tell me "that fish would kill the other ones... can't do that... pick another one..."
Question time!
- 110 gallon tank, how many fish can I handle? The rule is what, 1" per gallon of something like that? I thought I read that someplace...
- Lion fish and clown fish, can I keep them in the same tank? I love the look of a lion fish, but my wife loves the look of a clown fish... gotta try and keep the wife happy of course...
- Since it is going to be a fish only tank, do I need to have "day lights" and "moon lights"?
It's getting to the point I can't sleep at night I'm thinking about this tank so much... my wife tells me "quit acting like an 8 year old! you're 32!!!" and I tell her, not until saturday... then I turn "old"...

 

[aredmon]

Find out how big the fish you want will get and then times that by 4. You need about 4gal per every inch of fish. You might be able to keep a fuzzy dwarf lion with a clown fish but you have to be careful because lions are aggressive. Keep the lion well fed and you should be fine with a dwarf lion. It is kind of hit and miss. I have a 75 fowlr (fish only with live rock) and all I have is the regular floresents that came with the set up. You don't need any special lighting for fish. Welcome to your new addiction.

 

[bishop_gid]

Well... looks like my guy veto'ed the 110 gallon "factory second"... he doesn't want to see my living room flooded if something goes wrong with it... and my wife agrees...
man... that would have been nice... oh well, back to pricing 75 gallon tanks...

 

[aredmon]

sometimes you can catch a very good price on that world known auction sight. You know eba*.

 

[aredmon]

Also if you are not in a huge hurry. (Hard to say because I was so in a hurry to get my first tank) ***** or Petsmart will have sales on tanks everyonce in a while. I actualy seen a sale for $1 per gallon. BTW I live in IL also. I am halfway between St. Louis and Springfield. If you live around here I could give you some fish places to shop. Oh man I forgot try the web sight glasscages dot com. They are very cheap.

 

[bishop_gid]

aredmon - I'm kinda in a hurry... I want to buy or order this weekend... not that I need to be in a hurry... but the bug has bit and I'm ready to go!...
I just looked at *****/petsmart... the largest tank I found was 50 gallon... I'm looking at 75 if I can find one at a decent price... do they do special orders or something?
I live further up north than you... right around aurora, il....

 

[aredmon]

Did you check out glasscages dot com. They are very cheap and you can pick it up at one of their shows. You could probably go bigger for the same price with them.

 

[bishop_gid]

Originally Posted by aredmon
Did you check out glasscages dot com. They are very cheap and you can pick it up at one of their shows. You could probably go bigger for the same price with them.
I did check them out, I'm still looking at what they have...
I seem to remember reading someplace... either here or another board that lots of people were having problems with their tanks.... I'll see... I found another place north of me that looks like has good prices on tanks and stands...
They even have 72g bow fronts in my price range... with a stand... now, the question is, do I want a bow front, or a standard... hmmm...

 

[aredmon]

I hear alot of complaints about bow fronts having a distorted image to them. How is your search going??