Maintenance Time?

[puffy_fish]

I got a good deal on a reef ready 175 gallon bow front tank and I am questioning whether to sell it or set it up. How much time a week do large tank holders typically spend?
Also anything you wish you would have known before getting started...let me know.
Thanks!!!

 

[b bauer]

it takes a lot of time and $

 

[al mc]

Things I learned the hard way before you start:
1. Stock lightly for the first 5-6 months
2. Quarantine everything, if possible, in a separate tank(s) to keep the chance of disease spread to a minimum
3. Set up a sump/refugium if space and money permits
4. Buy the best skimmer you can afford and make sure it is rated for at least 50% more than your total water volume
5. If a reef: buy the best light source you can afford
6. The aquarium and stand are probably one of the smallest expenses you will have
It is a great hobby IMHO but a 175 gallon system can be very nice, but very expensive.

 

[alix2.0]

as far as time is concerned, lets just say i spend about 15 hours a week mainaining a 30 GALLON tank. sOoOo... expect more than that.

 

[al mc]

Oh...
and #7. Get an RO, or even better, an RODI system. Better than hauling water
from a local fish store or wally world mart.

 

[waterlogged]

Originally Posted by PUFFY_FISH
I got a good deal on a reef ready 175 gallon bow front tank and I am questioning whether to sell it or set it up. How much time a week do large tank holders typically spend?
Also anything you wish you would have known before getting started...let me know.
Thanks!!!
I wish I would have known: Lady at LFS told me I could switch 55g from fresh to salt for $350. If I could track her down

Be ready to spend thousands!

 

[alix2.0]

Originally Posted by Waterlogged
I wish I would have known: Lady at LFS told me I could switch 55g from fresh to salt for $350. If I could track her down

Be ready to spend thousands!

for real

 

[topfins-mj]

I have a 46 gallons reef and just this month alone in supplies I spent 300 bucks, plus I just re-aquascaped, spent 5 hours breaking my back.
Everyone's x-mass gifts are going to be

A 175 gallon system needs top notch equipment.
Pumps, wavemakers, reefcontrollers, sump, Did I say SALT & WATER, Light fixtures can run you about $1,200 and not to mention that you will have so much room that the corals you get, will run you lots of cash and fish too.

 

[mcbdz]

If this is really what you want to do you can manage it.
I would start off with FOWLR. Not as expensive and you will get the jiff of what you can handle.
Is this new or used?

if you want saltwater this will be a wonderful size. For me bigger is better. Once it is set up you shouldn't have to do too much. A 10-15% water change weekly. Once you have a water mixing station going will only take 30mins tops. A good scrubbibg with water change once a month(scraping glass and filters, shouldn't take 45min).
The set up will cost you depending on what you already have. Read the sticky threads at the top and it will help you have a better understanding of what is to come.
It sounds scary at first but you will quickly become addicted and enjoy doing these.
If you decide to set up you have come to the right place and just ask if you need help.

 

[waterlogged]

Originally Posted by PUFFY_FISH
I got a good deal on a reef ready 175 gallon bow front tank and I am questioning whether to sell it or set it up. How much time a week do large tank holders typically spend?
Also anything you wish you would have known before getting started...let me know.
Thanks!!!
1.5 pounds of LR per gallon is 263 pounds. Let's say you can find it for $5 a pound. That is $1315.
Oh, I forgot to say you might want to sit down before you read this!

 

[puffy_fish]

Money isn't as much of an issue. I can calculate that fairly close and I know it is going to be high. It is just the way some people on this site talk about it being so much a hassle. I have a 25 gallon saltwater tank know. I top-it off, feed the fish, clean any obvious algae daily. Weekly, I test the water. Monthly I do a water change and remove any obvious dirt. I mean I know it is going to take longer with a larger tank, but the water change is the most time consuming thing which isn't terrible. Maybe I am missing something, but I don't see this taking that much of anyone's time.

 

[stdreb27]

It doesn't take long once you get your tank established. And make sure it is where you want it to go! Your not moving 175 gallons. The problem is, you'll never be done, there will always be something you HAVE to try or play with. And well that is where I get in trouble, I can't leave well enough alone. Right now I probably spend an hour a week total doing stuff for my big tank. I'm fixing to revamp the fuge and sump that I have set up. But once again, can't leave well enough alone.

 

[puffy_fish]

But that is half the fun of it...right...it is a hobby.

 

[fishpoor]

This needs to be a hobby that you LOVE, one that you can't live without! If you have cold feet..."run run as fast as you can and sell your tank to a craigslist fan"!
I love my tank and my fish but most nights I have bad dreams about my fish, dying or getting sick, one time a shark came through my front door and swallowed my whole tank! LOL its stressful! I HAVE 5 KIDS AND THEY ARE LESS WORK! (although my tank isn't as loud)

 

[zsqure]

Set it up!!! I have a 90(my first tank)

, not near as big still not big enough. Would love to have a larger tank but since I took the plunge and bought the correct lights I'm stuck withit for a few yrs. Start off as FOWLR, quality components are the key, regular waterchanges are just as important. Research before you set it up. You already have a set up so you have an idea of what to do. 99% of us don't have the "mad money" it takes to go wild in this hobby, do like the rest of us and take it one step at a time.

 

[snakeblitz33]

Heck yes, it's a hobby, and one of the best and most rewarding one's that you can find!
I would say go for it. I maintain large aquariums as a professional in my home town. There are soo many ways for you to save money and time and energy on doing routine things. For example, for every one of my clients, I use rubbermaid tubs for their sumps and fuges. Easier to drill holes for bulkheads etc. Just section off the rubbermaids with acrylic and eggcrate with some silicone sealant.
As for topoff and water changes, draw yourself out a system. use an RO Unit and a float valve to keep up with the evaporation rate in your sump. With a rubbermaid sump, that's easy! Also, I use two 25 gallon rubbermaids with float valves stacked one on top of the other, so the RO Unit will fill those up, you can mix your saltwater over the course of the week, and your bottom rubbermaid is used for old water. Take a powerhead and place it into your sump and drain water from your sump into your storage container, then use a bulkhead, ball valve and some PVC to either run it down the drain somewhere, or into some mountain spring bottles. Though, I would prefer just to tie into a drain.
All of that makes maintenance EASY and very very very fast. Also, through the use of simular materials, you can save yourself a TON of money and time.
Also, one more thing. You DO NOT have to use completely live rock in all the live rock that is going to be in your tank. Get some nice honeycomb base rock, and lay it on bottom, and then lay some actual live rock on top. That will save a lot of time and effort. With base rock, you don't have to worry about it drying out. Over time, your base rock will become live rock, just not taken out of the ocean.
There are so many things that you can do to save yourself time and energy. Just research and a little handy work will help.

 

[snakeblitz33]

By the way, if you're going to do anything that I mentioned, make sure you know what you are doing or ask someone. Also, this system is supposed to be used in a conspicuous area, preferally a room behind the aquarium where it will not be seen, or built into a wall which would be even more preferable, and not as hard as you might think.

 

[puffy_fish]

Yeah I need to figure out my sump and fug. I have gone back and forth with so many ideas. The problem is I do not have a room to hide this stuff so it has to be under the tank. I am thinking of using 2 x 30 gallon tanks for the sump and fuge. I have basicaly been reading books, online articles, and forums for the past 3 months and still know little. I have made diagrams of my sump and fuge, but I am struggling to find the best one (because I do not want it to overflow).

 

[snakeblitz33]

a 175gallon aquarium is going to have maybe 5 to 7 gallons of overflow water. Not much at all! Just test your max water level when you set everything up. Oh, btw, it would probably be easier to get one very large sump and have a skimmer and a fuge in it.
I would recommend about a 55gallon aquarium for that. Have fun!

 

[puffy_fish]

Yeah I just need to figure out what can fit under my tank since I do not have like a room I can run everything too. The tank is 7 feet long and I want to do a pretty large refug. So many options...it is crazy.