Help me make my shopping list please.

[wartooth]

Ok folks,
The time has finally come where I am just about ready to make my purchases and get my tank started
However, the only equipment recommendations I've had were from the salespeople, so I don't know if what was suggested was actually good, or if the guy just needed to make a sale. So let me tell you what I have and plan to build, and you can tell me what I should pick up to achive this goal.
Ok, at the moment I have an empty 90 gallon tank with stand. At this time I would only want to have fish and inverts (no coral), but maybe later down the road I would consider "upgrading" to a reef setup.
Now at this early stage of the tanks life (1st month) before any life is added, what is the essential and what can I buy later down the road?
I figure at this time, a filter, lighting, a powerhead, heater/thermometer, chemical test kit, live rock and live sand? Anything left out? Any models/brands that are particularly good?
At this time I only want to purchace what is needed for this stage of the tank's life, and will get additional equipment when its needed.
Thanks in advance!

 

[teresaq]

I will give a few. Google Key Largo rock. Its very nice base rock and is much less then adding all live rock. A lot of people use this rock. Then you can seed it with just a few pounds of live rock.
Are you going with a sump????? this would be your best bet for a 90 gal tank. Is your tank drilled?? Then you will need an overflow. Look in the diy section for sump designs, You can put one together very easily. If i can do it anyone can.
At least two power heads, look at hydor Koralia's ----- The new magnums look nice I have the regular koralias.
I dont use a heater
Lights, -- If you plan on corals down the road, i would just go with t5's at least a 4 bulb fixture

 

[flower]

Welcome to the site!
I got the linkable T5HO lights, they can be linked up to three. The first one is good for fish only and low light corals such as mushrooms and Kenya tree. The second linked up with it gives off enough light for just about any LPS and soft corals. Add all three links and it has enough light for an anemone, the most light needy critter I know of.
I think each unit costs $134.99 for a 48 inch light 2 X 54w and to add and upgrade will only cost $134.99 more. That means the entire three units will cost $404.97 so for the cost of a Power Compact unit that is only good for soft corals, you can build slow and have all the light you need.
I spent a fortune on upgrades for lights. On my 30g tank I got smart and went this route. My 90g lights got upgraded 4 times, 1[sup]st[/sup] PC cost me $300.00, the next upgrade of PC lighting cost me a bit over $400.00. Then I went with Metal Halides retro fit for $1000.00…they didn’t last past a year. I now have the Coralife Elite for $600.00.

 

[monsinour]

Filter for a 90 is a good discussion. If you are not going to go with a sump, i would suggest a canister filter for good return flow. I would get a Fluval canister as all the research I have read said they are one of the best canisters to get.
Power heads, I have Korilias in my tank and I love they way they work and how easy it is to clean them.
Lights, Fowlr can have a basic lamp next to it to make it work. But you will be bitten by the coral bug eventually so I would suggest a T5HO system of some kind. The only way to go differntly is to go with a DIY LED setup.
Rock, get as much base/dead rock as you can because you wont need much live rock to seed it with.
Sand, same as above. Get as much base/dead sand as you can. Then go to your LFS and ask to purchase a scoup of their sand/mud from their system to seed the sandbed.
Dont forget to start researching a skimmer of some kind. While its not needed right away, you will need one eventually.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/385619/help-me-make-my-shopping-list-please#post_3382621
Filter for a 90 is a good discussion. If you are not going to go with a sump, i would suggest a canister filter for good return flow. I would get a Fluval canister as all the research I have read said they are one of the best canisters to get.
I have a sump/ refugium on my 90g now...I like it best.
I ran two canister filters on my 90g for many years. The spray bars are great for moving the surface water and freeing up the power heads to make waves elswhere.
I run a sump/refugium and a canister (Fluval) on my Seahorse tank. I have no power heads in that tank because horses hitch on everything, and I feared they would get their tails where they could get hurt. In the canister I only have carbon and white filament that I replace every other week.