Couple Questions

[tclark828]

I have a few questions, and the first is about live rock. Does it really matter all that much where i get it? Everyone says there's is the best, and why i should buy it from them. I have seen a great difference in price as well. I am going to need about 135lbs, so price is of a concern. Also, is it generally easy to arrange the rocks with hiding places/cave like places for whatever fish/etc that would need secluded places to hide? I have no idea how to go about arranging the rock. I'm also looking at some RO systems on ----. It seems that i can get a 50gpd one for under $150. I know absolutely nothing about these. It's advertised as being for reef tanks. One model came with a choice of hooking up to a garden hose, or a faucet. Which would be better for what i need? Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[jthomas0385]

Live rock is expensive, there's not really any way around it. One thing you can do to soften the blow is to buy both live rock and base rock, which is rock that is used for aquascaping, as it is a little cheaper. As for how to arrange the rock, you just need to be creative. Look at pictures through out the forums to try and gain an idea of what you can do. I would buy a RO unit based on what fits your needs the best. Do you have a utility sink near your tank? Is your tank in a spot where you have access to a hose?
Be prepared to spend quite a bit of money. In this hobby you don't want to go to cheap on things because it will cost you in the long run.

 

[maryg]

You can purchase dry base rock and seed it with some nice ultra premium live rock. You can go half and half and it will help alot with the cost. I will PM you a site for the RO system. I want to save up for one myself. All the guys in my reef club go here to get theirs but it is local for us but they do have a web site.

 

[kube]

yeah i have to agree get the right equipment now, because if you dont you'll run into troubles down the road and buy it anyways so save your self the headache.
I got my rodi off of sleave bay for 105 including shipping, 6 stage, been going 3 months now with no problems and always turns out 0 TDS
Welcome Aboard

 

[tclark828]

Thanks for all of the help so far. I am getting my tank this week, and want to know exactly what i need to have on hand before i order my live rock. It is an 88 gallon bow front Aquarium. With it is an Aqua-Vim Eco smart sump combo. Apparently it has a protein skimmer built in to it. It says to "Use it with refugium mud and caulerpa plants", what and where do i get these? The light i got was a 36" 4bulb T5HO. I'm assuming the bulbs aren't included in this, so what kind should i get? For future reference, what kind of lighting requirements can i meet with this setup...low/medium/high? I ordered an RO unit so i will always have that on hand. Will i need a UV sterilizer? Also, what kind of test kit am i looking for? Thanks for the help guys.

 

[mboswell1982]

if you are strapped for cash, get the red sea test kits, but, if you have money to blow, get the salifert and tunze test kits

 

[cal559]

You could wait on the UV sterilizer...there mainly for when you have a fish only with live rock and when your tank is fully stocked with fish.
Lighting Issue: Are you gonna try corals out or just going with the fish only with live rock(fowlr)? Different corals requires different lighting...

 

[tclark828]

I would like to eventually get into some soft corals. I guess it all depends on how everything goes with all of this. I just noticed in browsing through alot of the descriptions some of them had different lighting requirements. I was just wondering what requirements my set-up would be able to meet.

 

[cal559]

Most Soft corals and LPS corals don't require strong lighting just medium output...