Guess what?

jinky3dper

jinky3dper

Member
It's Tax return time/bonus time for me, so I have some extra money.
So far, I have the salt, a submersible 100W heater, and my hydrometer.
So, what I'm asking is, could all of you give me your thoughts on
what your idea set up would be with a 20gal. and possible 10gal for a sump (I have one just sitting in the closet so I figured I could use it...it'd increase # of gals a bit....).
Include what filters, skimmers (if any), #s of LS, #s of LR. I'm setting this bad boy up and it's about time!!!! :)
TIA!
 
acez28

acez28

Member
i would invest into a bigger tank and used the 20 gal as a sump and the 10 gal as a refugium.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
For those just starting out I would recommend a 55 gal tank, so see if you can fit that into your budget and use the 20 gal as a sump.
Thomas
 
jtroutine

jtroutine

Member
I second that, every where I go I here that anything smaller then a 55 is even hard for the expierenced!!! the 20 gal wiould be hard to place under a stand of a 55gal but a ten gal works great here is a pic of the dsighn I used, please do not direct credit to me for design it is not mine
 
jinky3dper

jinky3dper

Member
a 55 would be a serious consideration for me...
hmmm....man, i was only planning on keeping a 20 (i know the smaller the more difficult)
but the 55 is going to take more LR, more LS, skimmer, etc.
don't get me wrong, i was going to get some/all of that stuff, but for a 20 gal scale.
 
jtroutine

jtroutine

Member
yeh that is more costly I am going throught the beginning stages too, but at the same time I am finding myself staring at a tank with just sand and a stupi cocktail shrimp so all the steps are interesting, the only reason why I even put a c.shrimp ion is because I have to wait anothor week or two til I can afford all my rock, so it is slow but just keep telling your self it will be worth it. Another thing that is good with having to stay within a budget is the fact that you are forced to take your time which is a good thing, hang in there
 
R

rogeta

Guest
55 here...i was gonna go with a 20, had it bought and everything. But i took it back in favor of a 55 because not only should it prove to be easier but i'll also have more room for differnt fish, my main reason I got in his hobby :D. But i deffinetly hear you guys on the money thing. Over a period of 3-4months i have spent 600+ and have whats in my sig..expensive hobbie...but so far a great one :D
~Rocco~
 
entice59

entice59

Active Member
i would do what everyone says, go with the 55. For the 15 at most i can add 2 small fish and a shrimp MAX, for a 20 its 3 small fish. in the 55 you can add more fish, theres sooo many choices you want to have them all. If your going to use the 20 gallon, be sure not to add too much fish or else it really screws up your tank.
 
dindi

dindi

Member
My first tank was a 75 gal, would have bought a 90 but it was to deep for me:D Go with the big gals, it is more expensive but your fish will love you for it. I have spent 4k to keep everyone happy this past year, not cheap, loads of your time, I had to make a date with my tank every week:p I told my clients sorry I'm booked that day which is better than saying I gotta clean my fish tank:) Hey it still costs money, you never seem to have everything you need. Good luck:eek:
 
eelfreakrobi

eelfreakrobi

Member
you might also want to check out the trading and classifieds since lately I have seen a lot of tanks for sell at very good prices.
 
R

rogeta

Guest
i have whats in my sig...I think i paid too much for the tank and stand, but i have about $650-670 in it i think
~Rocco~
 
eelfreakrobi

eelfreakrobi

Member
good luck, and also be sure to check out all the details, some are fakes, I remember about 2 months ago I think there was this bidder selling a "125 fully equiped reef with fish" and it had everything you wanted for a very cheap price, turns out that after reading some details its just a cd with coupons of where he got his stuff or something like that. So be very aware of the details.
 
chef jaysen

chef jaysen

Member
Arent 55's cheap at walmart. I would just buy one there for less then 100. Cheap at pet smart as well I believe. Just FYI.
 
jinky3dper

jinky3dper

Member
it's all good in the hood.
thing is, the guy that's selling it is only about 10-15min from my apartment. it's a furniture looking one, not the same looking setup as the walmart one. they want like 160 for the tank (including a cheezy filter and some other odds n ends) and another 60 or 70 for the put together stand. the one i'm all over has a nice canopy that matches the base and it just looks like a true show tank. i emailed the seller telling him how close i was and that i'd be able to pick it up easily. he emailed back if i wanted to come up and take a look at it. i'm just waiting on a response from him. dude, it's a sweet looking setup. plus he was gonna include some odds n ends in on the deal. def. right on. anything i should look out for when i go see it???
 
jtroutine

jtroutine

Member
I wouldnt buy the actual aquarium from wal mart as the glass in my opinion is very thin, but they have a very nice stand though for less then a 100 I think
 
jcsurfn

jcsurfn

Member
How is that sump fuge working? The one in the pic? Good? I like the design. What kind of overflow box did you get? and what kind of return pump? You growing anything in the fuge part? Or LR?
 
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