Originally Posted by
bsmith22
http:///forum/post/2892120
Hi All!
I am just starting out with my first SW tank and I am pretty confused! I have a 55-gal tank. I would like to start a reef tank with a few fish to be added later. I'm not sure which items I need to buy first and which types. There are so many to choose from! Obviously I need a filter.. which kind? Wet/dry with refugium? I'd like a list of start-up essentials if anyone has the time...
Thanks so much! I'm excited!
Quick list of what you Absolutely need for a Reef is as follows
1. Sand bed. You need a sand bed.
2. Live Rock
3. Powerheads
4. Sump
5. 55g tank
6. Lights
7. RO/DI unit
8. Master Salt water test kit.
9. Skimmer
10. Salt
11. Refractomeater
Now to not scare you off but give you some Idea of what you are getting into.
To give you an Idea of what you will spend
Sand bed for 55g tank. You will need at the Least for just a bed 1 inch of sand. This will be about 3 to 4 bags of Live sand. at 20$+ a bag
30 to 55Lbs of Live rock. Rock goes for about 30.00 for 10lbs
Power heads can be from 19 to 50$ a Head so we will call this at 40$
Sump. You can get some pre-made sumps off of a popular Bidding site Like E--y for around $150 Sometimes them may have a skimmer. But the skimmers are iffy at best.
RO/DI unit. You can get them for 90$ But a good 1 will be Between 100$ and 300$ We will call this at 110.00 due to shipping if you get it off the affor-mentioned website
Master test kit. You want a good 1. Not a cheep Local fish and pet store 1. You are looking at $60 to $80. So we will call it $70
Salt. You will want to get 2 bags right off the bat. You will need to do water changes. They are $20 a bag to do a 50g tank so $40 right there
Refractomeater. A good 1 can cost you $20 to $30 if you get it off of the affor-mentioned website so say $25
Lights. For a reef you will need the Best for all the hard and soft corals and other critters. 2 150 Metal Halides should cover that. Now you can get kits where you still have to do electrical wiring. Or Pre-made. But you are looking at spending $70 to $190 Per fixture. And this is for the absolute Hard lighting, not the PC lights that you would WANT to help ease the stress off of your critters. By that I mean have lower power lights come on b4 the Big 1s come on. Think of how it is when you wakeup because some one opened the curtain and the daylight came blasting in right on to you. with the Metal halide that is what you are doing to the fish. You want to ease them in to the light. so add another $30 for some PC strips. You will need 2 so there is 100+100+60+60 = $320
$80
$90
$40
$150
$110
$70
$40
$25
$320
So there is $790 b4 all the Fish and corals.
