Hi everyone, Im new! :)

[rowena]

Hello everyone, I am new here and to the whole idea of a salt water tank. My husband and I were browsing a pet store a few days ago, and he became enamored of the salt water tank. I have always been in awe of one, but never really thought about it, because I have heard they can be quite a bit of work, and I did not want that to be all my responsibility. He saw a mandarin dragonet *I think thats the right name* and said: I have to have one of those! lol So asked me to do some research online to find out what it takes to set up a salt water tank. So far Im a little overwhelmed at everything I have been reading, but I plan on continuing. We wouldnt be even remotely ready until next spring, so I figure I have plenty of time!
One question I wanted to ask, just so we can start saving up and have an idea, is what would be a good estimate for a tank setup? He wants a reef tank, but Im not sure if we are gonna go that route right away as beginners. And, for beginners, what would be a good size? I dont want to go too small, as I have read they can be harder to care for, but I dont want to go gigantic and be totally overwhelmed!
Thanks so much And I look forward to getting to know you all as I learn, and then teach my hubby about this hobby
Virginia

 

[airforceb2]

Hello Virginia and welcome to the wonderful world of salt water fish. Fist of all...he fell in love with a very hard fish to keep for a beginner. Mandarins don't eat normal food. They eat copepods that the tank must furnish. Not to mention the size of the tank must be at least 75 gallons if not more.
A good rule of thumb...and it is just that...a rule of thumb is that this hobby will cost you anywhere from $30 to $50 per gallon. So a 75 gallon tank will cost you roughly $2250 to $3750 not counting nice corals or fish. A preferred tank would be a 125 but will cost a little more. Just make sure you get the biggest tank you can afford and maintain. This is not a cheap hobby but definately has its benefits later on. If you decide to go reef...you can frag off your corals and trade them in to the fish store for other stuff so you hardly pay anything out of pocket.

 

[rowena]

Thanks! I will be sure to tell him that. And it would figure he would like a difficult one. There are others we like though, so we can wait on the cool ones lol
Wow, using the $50 per gallon, a 125 will run around $6300! lol He wants the biggest tank we can afford to get, and I think a 125 would be good.
Gosh, better start saving up.......might see if someone here could make a basics list? So maybe we can start buying stuff a few pieces at a time or something
Virginia

 

[airforceb2]

Essentials:
(assuming you get the 125 gal tank. will be different for a 75)
Heater-500 watt or 2-300 watt
Thermometer-I like the Lifeguard Big Digital (it has an alarm that goes off when temp is outta wack)
Sump-a 30 gallon tank would do if you or the hubby are do-it-yourselfers...otherwise you can get them pre-made for about twice as much.
Skimmer-A MUST for salt water. Euro Reef or EVSS or AquaC EV Series are nice.
Lights-for a nice reef you will want 5-7 watts per gallon. 2-400 watt Metal halides and 2-110 VHO would be very nice!!
Tank and stand-self explanitory
Salt-I prefer Instant Ocean
Reverse Osmosis filter-For a tank that size, I would suggest getting one. You can get them off the auction site for around $100.
Test kit-at least ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, phosphate, calcuim and pH.
Refractometer/Hydrometer-your choice. refractometers are a lot more acurate and durable but pricy.
This is about all you can get piece by piece. After all this, you can start adding in rock, sand, salt and water.

 

[rowena]

Thank you again! I will start researching this and see where I can find it all at decent prices. We are going to be moving, and maybe there will be a good fish place there. To at least get supplies from. I know we were looking at all the stuff at the pet store we were at, and I was like: Where would we even begin? Glad I found this forum
Virginia

 

[rowena]

What about pumps and powerheads????? How do I know what Id need for that? And whats that wavemaster thing for that I saw on here? Is it any good?
Virginia

 

[scotts]

First off welcome to the board.

There are ways to things on the more economical side. Such as you can check the classified section on this site. I know I got a great deal for my 125. Another way to save some money on your live sand is to buy some southdown sand. What the he$$ is that you ask? Do a search on this site for Southdwon and argonite. Search is at the top right of this screen. I guarantee you will learn more about sand than you ever thought you would. Yes sand is the substrate that you want, do not go crushed coral.
Good job on starting your tank the right way. :yes: I can tell you from my bad experiences to research EVERYTHING before you buy it. For instace that mandarin your hubby wants, not a good choice for at least a year.
Good luck and once again welcome.
Scott

 

[airforceb2]

Oh my, I forgot one of the important things. Please forgive me. You want 15x turnover in your tank for a fish only (FO) tank and 25x turnover for a reef. This means that if you were to get your 125, you would want the total water flow in your tank (sump return, power heads and skimmer (only if it ISN'T in your sump) to be around 1875 gallons per hour for FO and a little over 3000 gph with a reef. Maxi-jet 1200's are nice efficient pumps. Also, as a sump return I would get a Mag-7. That will give you about 500gph alone. Also look into powersweeps (they rotate as they pump water). Once you start your reef, you will want to simulate a current. The powersweeps and wavemasters will help you create this.

 

[rowena]

Thanks again! I told him already that the one he likes will be awhile lol
Ok, I am making a list and then will start looking around. I do plan on checking out the classifieds Any way to save a little money would be great!
Virginia

 

[f1shman]

I don't know about the $50 a gallon thing, but it may be true. If you just wanted the mandarin and some other small fish, you could get a 30. If you want a really nice big reef tank i'd recommend 40+, i know 40 isnt big, but a 40 breeder tank (36"x18"x16") is an awesome size for a reef tank, especially for a beginner (like yourselves :cheer: ) if you can afford a 125, go for it! Bigger is always better

You can have basically any fish you want (not really but a lot more variety then what you can have fish wise for a 30 gallon) and its easier to keep good water quality. Good luck!! Also for a "Must-Have" list there are many many many different ways to go for a saltwater tank, filtration, lighting, everything. Also the lights will be one of the most expensive components of a tank, especially a 125 gallon. If you want to hold all corals for a tank that size they can be
$1000 +. Good luck!! and if you have any questions, feel free to ask!!

 

[acrylic51]

Again Welcome to the boards and to the saltwater hobby!!!!!!! It's a hobby you'll love and after awhile you'll see why you go to work to support the habit....No just kidding!!!!!!!! :cheer:
I have to agree with Airforceb2 on alot of what he had advised.....I do agree with going with the tank you can afford and manage.......I believe you should use 2 smaller heater instead of 1 larger heater in case that 1 large heater would stick and cook the tank, then with 2 smaller heaters the chances are slimmer.....
For a tank of a 125 I would definitely go bigger than a 30 gallon sump.....Most people run in sump skimmers, heater, pump, and at that size you have no room for anything else basically. If you or your husband are handy and like DIY projects building your own sump would be a great project for the both of you. Really only requires basic hand tools, and there is a good site melevsreef dot com that will explain more in detail about sumps and sizing and building techniques as well!!!!!!!
Skimmers I have to agree with Airforceb2 again on all except 1 which is the EuroReef....Good skimmer from what I've heard customer service is lacking and the price of the product is outrageous and their are several similar skimmers ie: ASM, Geo that are basically similar except price....Why pay for a name....... There are other skimmers choices as well....These skimmers mentioned are needlewheel skimmers, and there are venturi style skimmers, beckett style skimmers etc......
Lighting again depends on what your planning on keeping in the tank....FO doesn't really require the same type of lighting as a reef.....I think 400W MH would be a little overkill for a 125 IMO....
An RO/DI unit I would definitely suggest as putting on top of your priority list......Some people depend on their LFS to supply them with water or the grocery store, but when you stop and think about the initial investment of the RO/DI unit you might cringe a bit, but stop and think about what your paying for fish and corals as well and over the long run the RO/DI unit will pay for itself......
A good test kit is a must and do not depend again on your LFS to test your water.......Salt brands vary with people.....I use to use Instant Ocean, but have been using Reef Crystals for several years now....I have tried Oceanic as well, but didn't see the benefits others have claimed, but again each persons tank is totally different and what works for 1 might not work for the other even if the tanks are set up identical...
The biggest thing within the hobby is to read and research and ask questions.....Research and Research before spending the hard earned cash on something only to find out that you shouldn't have skimped or just a impulse buy......There are a lot of geat knowledgeable people in the site and they are always willing to help were needed....Someone always has an answer or idea!!!!!!!!!
Again Welcome :joy:

 

[airforceb2]

I don't know about keeping a mandarin in a 40?? You would need about 80 lbs of LR to supply enough pods for him to eat. And even then I think you are cutting it close. But that is just my opinion.

 

[xjayx]

Originally Posted by Rowena
Thanks! I will be sure to tell him that. And it would figure he would like a difficult one. There are others we like though, so we can wait on the cool ones lol
Wow, using the $50 per gallon, a 125 will run around $6300! lol He wants the biggest tank we can afford to get, and I think a 125 would be good.
Gosh, better start saving up.......might see if someone here could make a basics list? So maybe we can start buying stuff a few pieces at a time or something
Virginia

There are some websites that offer full reef starter kits and a couple of the local fish stores around here have them as well. A lot of times, if you go to the better local fish stores, they'll sell you the full aquarium, stand, hood, lighting, and all the filtration you'll need for a reef at a pretty good price. Sometimes, buying the whole set up at once can save you a couple hundred dollars. I'd just stay away from bigger chain stores like petsmart or ***** cause they don't negotiate prices and they wouldn't be able to cut you a deal...
I've actually found a 125 - 150 gal starter kit that comes with just about all the equipment you'll need for under two thousand dollars.
Anyway, check out
https://www.saltwaterfish.com/vb/showthread.php?t=80022
That's everything you'll need to know as far as set up, equipment, etc goes.
As for a mandrain, you will need at least 75 lbs of live rock and you would have to wait till your tank matures at least 6 months...
But as far as salt water goes, the bigger the tank, the easier it is to take care of.

 

[dskidmore]

When conisdering the size of the tank, also consider where you are going to put it. Inside walls are better insulated than outside walls for temperature reasons. You don't want to put the tank in direct sunlight. You don't want a glass aquarim in a high traffic area where people or pets may bang into it. There needs to be a supply of power. Optionally, you could place the tank near a source of water, so your RO/DI unit can be right near the tank. Optionally you could put the tank up against a wall with a closet on the other side, to drill into it to hide the aquarium equiptment.
Once you figure out where you're putting it, figure out what footprint you can put there. How much wall space is there? Do you need space for decorations or access on either side? How far into the room can the tank project without being in the way? There is usually a limited selection of tanks of a specific footprint, so it should make the decision easy.

 

[madmax50]

I bought a 75gal with stand filter reef ready tank for $450.00

 

[teresaq1]

Hi, and welcome. Give me an e-mail, and i'lll give you a few sites to order catologs for supplys. It'd easier to compare prices.
m0m24@earthlink.net

 

[rowena]

Wow thanks again everyone You have all been a great help! We are going to be moving, so as soon as we do, Im going to start looking for a fish place. Hopefully I can find one that knows what they are talking about! Would be awesome to be able to just buy a setup, but if not, we'll go piece by piece.
Ill need to do some more research on a mandarin, but I know for SURE he wants some of those, or however many he could have lol So a 125 sounds like a good size. He said he doesnt care if we have to wait awhile before getting one, but he wants one
And Teresa, you have mail
Virginia

 

[acrylic51]

Go piece by piece IMO.....You'll be happier that way and get what works and not just a package deal that appears to be a good price at the time and a few months down the road your replacing items that just don't work....Do alot of research and homework on equipment before a major purchase.....Around here somebody has tried it; it seems!!!!