help please

bubashrimp

bubashrimp

Member
hello im im from minnesota and am thinking of starting an acuraium..
k im very new. think back to before u even had a tank and u wanted to get one.thats where im at. im thinking i want a 55g but i dont realy know where to get one i have a pet store near by but it only sells freshwater sutff so they cant realy help much.. well this pet staore has a 55g for about $175.is that a good price??also i dont know how to add this salt water into the tank i mean do i just put water in and add salt fomr the kitchen??jk but i realy dont know where to get the stuff or how to do it.please help!! i also dont know where to get the sutff to make my accuarium look good like the ones iv seen on here. please if u have the time to help gett me started i would realy like it..
thx
 
pallan

pallan

Member
ok first off start doing alot of research on this site
a good book will help as well
as to size of tank get the biggest you can afford never fails you always buy on to small and want to upgrade anyway
you will need
tank
stand
lights (type depends on what you want to keep reg flourecent is ok for fish only to keep corals you will need pc for some or metal halides to keep anything pretty much.
live sand ammount depends on size of tank
live rock ammount depends on size of tank
filtration many diffrent varaities, sump/fuge, canister, hang on tank
powerheads for circulation
testing equipment for PH, Amm, Nitrite, Nitrate, Calcium, Phosphate, Alk, and maybe more
refractometer to test salt level
salt to mix
heater
misc aguarium supples (cleaners nets, chemicals)
Protien skimmer
Have i scared you off yet

it seems daunting and it should be you need top have alot of patience and do alot of research before adding your fist fish
i didnt and i payed the price along with severl fish
your taking a good first step keep reading and posting questions it is expensive but it is worth it.
Hope this helps some i know i probably just gave you more questions than answers but you can research all the above and make they desicions about what kinda system you really want
 
pallan

pallan

Member
Originally Posted by bubashrimp
yep u scared me. i mean where do i get all this stuff at?
well since you dont have an LFS, and if you did it be pretty expensive anyway you can get it online. some at this site some at other online retailers (sorry i cant post links here) but do a search online and you will turn up many retailers being in minnesota you may even be able to get a decent setup used online here in the classifieds of this site if your near the cities. Might be worth looking into
 
bubashrimp

bubashrimp

Member
wow iv just researched a couple of things live rock/sand this is going to cast alot
also about those links to the other sites sen them to me at
 
pallan

pallan

Member
Originally Posted by bubashrimp
well on average how much this going to cost me
ohh tuff question ehh
i have 75 gallon that i upgraded from a 45 gallon im still pumping money into it and not including fish and corals a wild quess is ive got 1500 into it
most was purchased new so the cost benifit of buying a gently used complete setup is worth looking into
im sure you could do this for less but id dont think to much less if going new
problem with used is salt and equipment dont mix well so replacement cost for some items due to wear and tear should be considered as well.
 
bubashrimp

bubashrimp

Member
holy god i didnt think it was going to cost me that much money i was looking at spending like 300-400 not in the thousands!
 
pallan

pallan

Member
Originally Posted by bubashrimp
holy god i didnt think it was going to cost me that much money i was looking at spending like 300-400 not in the thousands!
yep its not a cheap hobby
300-400 would be a tuff buy expecially to fill a 55+ gallon tank. i have seen them go for used at that price but i can not speak for quality
 
stevil

stevil

New Member
Hey buba - I am originally from Minnesota to, but I got into this hobby after I left.
Since you are close to the Cities I'd be there is a good saltwater fish store around:
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=e...149&q=aquarium
You should definitely get a book and do some research as a first step. A great, short, easy book that explains a lot but is a pretty easy read is T"he New Marine Aquarium: Step-By-Step Setup & Stocking Guide".
This isn't a cheap hobby. I've pretty much purchased everything used (including live rock) and have about $1500 into it, and I only have 3 cheap fish so far...:) However, I have a 90 gallon with a sump, protein skimmer, and some quality lights. You could probably start with a smaller system, but you will still need to make a pretty sizeable investment.
 
bubashrimp

bubashrimp

Member
wow this hobby is way to expensive for me
i add up some numbers and like the least amount i can spend on it is like $630
 
omgsaltwat

omgsaltwat

Member
I have a 125gal and have spent about $2500 so far and not close to being finished. but to me its well worth it the only hobby I have that I can't get enouht of. I have already oreded a 520gal tank. Its the most relaxing thing I have found to destress from work. To find new life in the tank is so cool.... :jumping:
 
symon

symon

Member
Far from being a cheap Hobby, But without a doubt very rewarding! Take your time and go very slow and you'll never even notice the missing money !
 
dr.vinyl

dr.vinyl

Member
Originally Posted by Symon
Far from being a cheap Hobby, But without a doubt very rewarding! Take your time and go very slow and you'll never even notice the missing money !

LOL thats great Im new and I so hope thats true
wallet already empty, Credit Card companys smileing
 
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