help out a noob

[atmetcalf]

ok i am new here, and i have a question. i am about to get a 72 gallon bow front all glass tank. it comes with a Red Sea Prizm skimmer. 1 JBJ 48X4 PC light fixture.
now my question is, will this canister filter be good, i am starting to run low on funds but this looked good. Fluval MSF 404 Filter 340 GPH. can anyone give me some information on this.
i am thinking about a 2 inch base of live sand, with i dont know maybe 50 lbs of live rock to start off, and i will add more later.
any and all help is appreciated
thanks again
i am thinking about making this a fish only with live rock and live sand

 

[drakken]

Bump up the sand bed to at least 4". You can use good old play sand from Home Depot or Lowe's, CLEANED of course, for the first 2 inches. Then add 2 inches of LS and your LR. The Fluval is OK (I use one for my 54 corner) just be sure you clean it frequently after the cycle is complete.
Post any other questions you have.

 

[atmetcalf]

Originally posted by Drakken
Bump up the sand bed to at least 4". You can use good old play sand from Home Depot or Lowe's, CLEANED of course, for the first 2 inches. Then add 2 inches of LS and your LR. The Fluval is OK (I use one for my 54 corner) just be sure you clean it frequently after the cycle is complete.
Post any other questions you have.
thanks alot, how many pounds of sand would this be, or a 2 inch base of live sand, and 2 inches of play sand. im not to worried about fish right away because i dont have the money yet, (i hate being in high school) and two, i want to get it all set up before i worry about that.
so the Fluval is alright, would i need a bigger canister filter? should i also get 2 powerheads and have them on opposite sides of the tanks. anyone with 72 gallon bows show some pictures of their setups and that would be greatly appreciated
thanks again

 

[drakken]

Sorry, I don't know how many pounds that is - but there is a table on this forum if you search for it. The Fluval and some powerheads with the skimmer would work. It depends on your rock work on how many powerheads you need but 2 should be OK.
BTW, search this forum and READ, READ, READ!! I understand you are on a budget which is fine. Just be sure you reseach before you buy livestock so you know if you are set up correctly for them.

 

[thomas712]

72 gallon tank - good start. Best recommondation is to have and internal overflow and have your tank drilled for wet/dry or sump.
Prisim skimmer, an ok skimmer, not great but ok. In sump models are better.
Nothing wrong with a 2 inch sand bed. Thats about all I have in a 90 gallon tank and don't plan on going deeper any time soon. You can start with the 2 inches and later if you really want to can add more sometime down the road.
50 pounds of liverock won't seem like much in your tank but is a good start.
Best natural filtration will be your livesand and your liverock, anytime you can add to this later will be fine, with 2 inches of sand and 50 pounds of rock you will have enough to start a tank with, and save your money for later. You can also save money by using dry playsand like was mentioned (Southdown) and or baserock. Eventually they will both become live if you seed it with some livesand and or live rock, both is better.
Fluval canisters have there place, but its really not much in the way of filtration IMO, IME. I would rather put that money into a sump or wet/dry, drilled tank, and internal overflow, and a few powerheads like Maxi Jet 900's.
Before using a DSB, do a search on DSB's and do some reading.
If you get overwhelmed at any time take a step back, time off, and refigure your plans. We will be here to offer you help and to give our opinions.
Welcome to the Board
Thomas

 

[atmetcalf]

i have been reading things on the boards for a while, and i decided that i should just become a member and get some help. i will just keep searching the board for information. thanks for all your help

 

[terminus est]

you can go 3-4 inches on the sand. I would go all aragonite sand and then add a cup or two of LS after it cycles. That will save you a bundle of money and accoplish the same thing since the cycle will kill off most of the critters in the LS.
Skip the filter and the wet dry. Use that money to buy a 20 or 29 gallon tank, and a water pump to pump water up into the main tank. If its not drilled already get an overflow. Put a couple inches of sand in here along with LR rubble and some macro algae after you get finished cycling. From my experiences this is my prefered method. I ended up taking the bio-balls out of my wet dry and the nitrates fell. For sump/fugium lighting just use an old NO light fixture you can buy at HD and a 10k light buld. Easy and cheap and hellaciously more effective than any filter system.