Idea to save money?

[curtis12282]

I was thinking about setting up a 10 gal reef type tank with a 55 gal sump would this be ok? The reason I want to set up the 10 gal tank is because my cash is very limited right now and I would like to start learning to take care of corals and inverts without having to invest several hundreds of dollars. Please feel free to post your thoughts ideas and concerns. Also, if anyone knows of a good website that talks about sumps and how to set up one well please let me know, I’ve never done it before.

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by Curtis12282
I was thinking about setting up a 10 gal reef type tank with a 55 gal sump would this be ok? The reason I want to set up the 10 gal tank is because my cash is very limited right now and I would like to start learning to take care of corals and inverts without having to invest several hundreds of dollars. Please feel free to post your thoughts ideas and concerns. Also, if anyone knows of a good website that talks about sumps and how to set up one well please let me know, I’ve never done it before.
If you want to do it on the cheap, just use the 10g. make you own rocks from concrete (bout $20.00 and two month to cure), use playsand ($3.00), set it up near a window and use sunlight. Add some macros/plants and see what happens. You probably will have to use something for circulation.

 

[curtis12282]

Well, i have a good bit of equipment because i started off on the 55 and later relized i didnt have the cash i needed to do what i want so and have a good bit of LS and LR(plenty for a 10 gal tank) a protine skimmer and so on.

 

[sinner's girl]

smaller tanks are harder to keep esp for a beginner...you may want to try the Nano board for tips/ideas
using sunlight will cause algea growth.
why not just get up the 55gl if you already have the stuff? you don't have to have tons of lr and ls...you can add as you go...
beaslbob - will "concrete" based rock rock become live?
check the DYI board on how to set up a sump...I know many here have done it, so if you search you should be able to find what you need.

 

[buzz]

What is a good bit of LS and LR? You may be able to do more with the 55g than you initially think.

 

[curtis12282]

Originally posted by Sinner's Girl
smaller tanks are harder to keep esp for a beginner...you may want to try the Nano board for tips/ideas
I was under the impression that the Nano tanks are hard to maintain because there is so little water that any poluntants that contaminate the water source contaminate it heavaly and quickly. I think having a large sump would aleveate this problem thus making a nano tank much easyer to keep, I think....

 

[curtis12282]

Originally posted by Buzz
What is a good bit of LS and LR? You may be able to do more with the 55g than you initially think.
30 lbs of each.

 

[daniel411]

I think what Curtis is trying to come accross saying, is???
He wants to try corals, and understands having a 10 gallon is more difficult to do than a 55. To avoid the costs such as live rock, lights, corals, of a 55. He wants to just get enough to fill a 10 gallon and have a 55 for a sump, so the water parameters aren't so difficult to maintain.
Correct?

 

[curtis12282]

You said it better then me...
Correct

 

[buzz]

Your water parameters will be more difficult to maintain on the 10g than the 55g.
If you have 30 lbs of each, I would use the 55g as your main tank. There are ways to fill the rest cheaply, and you all ready have enough to get the tank going.
Southdown sand is available for like $5 for a 50lb bag on the East Coast. On the West Coast, it is like $15. You wouldn't need all that much of it.
And if you want corals, keep looking around for people selling their older set ups. You can probably pick up some moderate lighting for the same price you'd pay for new lighting for the 10g.
And if you have 30 lbs of LR, did you know that if you got some base rock and stack it against the LR, it will become LR itself? That is much cheaper.

 

[beaslbob]

sounds to me like setting up your 55g would be the way to go. If you already have 30# of lr and ls then use that to seed play sand and base rock.

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by Sinner's Girl
smaller tanks are harder to keep esp for a beginner...you may want to try the Nano board for tips/ideas
using sunlight will cause algea growth.
So will lights, just that sunlight is cheaper.
...
beaslbob - will "concrete" based rock rock become live?
Yep

 

[jarvis]

I would set up the 55 gal tank as a display. Some cost saving ideas is use some base rock with live rock (Check out ----). The lights dont have to come untill your ready for corals. Just try it with fish and inverts first. Read up on any equipment you are going to buy so it doesnt sit in your garage after you find out its junk. My system is constantly being upgraded.

 

[curtis12282]

Originally posted by beaslbob
sounds to me like setting up your 55g would be the way to go. If you already have 30# of lr and ls then use that to seed play sand and base rock.
But lights would cost a bundle and I said I wanted to do a mini reef. Also, we live in an older neighborhood so trees are grown up all around our property so I don’t get much direct sunlight coming in my window.

 

[jarvis]

Originally posted by beaslbob So will lights, just that sunlight is cheaper.
LOL Reminds me of Reef keeping mags April fools edition tank of the month.

 

[beaslbob]

Originally posted by Curtis12282
But lights would cost a bundle and I said I wanted to do a mini reef. Also, we live in an older neighborhood so trees are grown up all around our property so I don’t get much direct sunlight coming in my window.
understand. so do a mini with some macro/marine plants. and use the 55 for a freshwater tank

 

[bwmichael21]

Sun light may be cheaper but you'll have uncontrolled algea growth !!!!

 

[reefnut]

Doesn't salt break down concrete?

 

[bwmichael21]

overtime salt will break down concrete, that is why many places put sand on the roads instead of salt. However am not sure what salt or if most salts do this

 

[curtis12282]

Well, Ideally I would like to set my 55 up as a reef with corals inverts and a FEW fish. The thing I'm worried about is spending all that money to set a 55 reef and finding it to be something that doesn’t interest me as much as I thought it would. I would rather start small do that for a good while, see if I enjoy it, and then progress to something bigger. I am on a very tight budget between school rent and other things.