New And Confused

[tiuser]

I'm new to this board, but been readin' for a while. I want to set up my first ever sw tank (plannin' FOWLR) and have been tryin' to do my homework. I went to 4 lfs to try to get info (or opinions) on setting up a tank (I have an extra 20g I was thinking of using). The only thing these 4 different places had in common is the answer "harder to do the smaller tank thing-easier w/bigger tank" which is the feeling on this forum also.
So here I go lookin' for opinions again. The difference is I don't think you folks are salespeople trying to sell sell sell sell.
I want to set up a tank with fish and live rock, not ready for anything too difficult-remember I AM A BEGINNER.... I want to keep it as SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE. I have no problem upgrading down the line and plan to once I get the hang of this and see if sw is for me or not.
please explain any answers. thanks
1. can I use a 20g w/ an aqua clear 200? if not what size is a good STARTER tank?
2. starter set up, what do I need to start off ?
3. starter fish recommended once tank is ready (for tank size and ease)-not talking for cycling the tank
4. any equipment brand names to get or not to get
any info is appreciated.
I have a question re: regal tangs and tanks (easy........I am not planning on getting a regal tang.) This general opinion is a larger tank. Some say min of 75g, some say min 90-100g. how does this apply to the different shapes of tanks ex: hexagon, corner etc. is any 90g tank good enough?
thanks in advance
Thom

 

[thomas712]

Welcome aboard
As to the smaller the tank the harder? yes they are. The larger volumes of water are more forgiving of our mistakes and lazyness.
You can do a 20gal with a aquaclear 200 but a penquin filter with bio wheel would be better in my opinion.
A good size starter tank is a 55. Gives you more room for error, much of the equipment that you may use on a 55 could be used for an upgrade latter on depending on setup. A 55 would take more filtration than the 20 of course.
Good starter fish are Clowns (true or false perculas) or a sebea or saddleback. Blue/Green chromis. All of these are from the damsal family.
As far as equipment good powerheads are Maxi Jets. Stay away from Rio pumps. Never waste your money on a Skilter Filter. Most other equipment is always up for debate. Live rock and live sand is always good.
A tank could be any shape you want, however the classic rectangle offers a good opertunity for surface gas exchange, whereas the hex would not, nor would the hex offer the swimming room needed for a tang..
And as always the investment in some books before you start out is never a bad idea as far as introduction into this hobby on methods, equipment..etc...
Thomas

 

[krishj39]

Of course, all advice given by Thomas712 is good. IMO, 20gal is about as small as I would go for starting out in saltwater. I'd also recommend a 30 gallon, or 40 gallon (these are both 3 feet long, the 40 gallon is just higher) if you don't wanna 55 gallon. I started out with a 40 gallon and was quite happy with it before I upgraded to the 90 gallon. Only my Maxi-jets (I agree these are the best) and my skimmer were carried over from the 40 to my 90. All other equipment had to be upgraded.
On the topic of different shapes of tanks, most fish want the most usable horizonal swimming room. So, a tank that has a big "footprint" is better than a skinny and tall one. Hex tanks are a perfect example of this. It may be a 65 gallon tank, but it is only a few feet across. Basically, fish need horizontal space more than vertical.
On filtration, you can go with a powerfilter (like aquaclear) but I also agree that a bio-wheel and/or lots of LR is a must then. Biowheels, wet/dry filters, and LR are three things most used at biological filtration. I listed them in my opinion of effectiveness from least to greatest. So, a biowheel is better than nothing, but a good amount of LR would be better. Basically, as a general rule, the best thing to do is overdue your filtration as much as possible. You can't really overdue it.
As far as fish, again I agree with the clowns, they just can't be beat for personality and easy to care for. You know that any fish that can be commonly found in the beginners tank and in the most expert tank HAS to be a great fish.
You'll need a good heater. I'd get either an Ebo Jager, or a titanium heater. As a guestimate, get enough heating power for 4watts per gallon of water. Not at all neccessary, but many, including myself get 2 smaller heaters instead of one. This provides a little security if one malfunctions. Get a good skimmer. This, IMO, is priceless for a healthy tank. I don't wanna get into brands, but get one that is rated high above the number of gallons your tank is. There are plenty of other details but I'll let others fill in the gaps.

 

[dopey33]

Tiuser, you and i are in the same boat...im starting with a 10 gal. they are as i have heard harder but they way i see it the harder the better. When i do upgrade ill be more than ready for most problems that come my way.
Some advise i can give is read as much on here as possible and pay very close attention to the the things you read...especially by sharks they seem to be the most knowledgeable. but everone has something to add...ask as many questions as you can think of and trust your LFS. thats best info i can give ya being im not much more along than you are.
Good luck!

 

[javatech]

http://www.simplifiedreefkeeping.com/faq/faq.htm

 

[tiuser]

[but a good amount of LR would be better]
does live rock require better lighting? example?
thanks for the link to the simplified reef keeping site. lots of info.
(the info sponge in my head is gettin' bigger-maybe that's why my hair is fallin' out )
thanks for the info
Thom

 

[krishj39]

LR requires no light to be functional. However, the coralline algae that most encourage to grow on their rock DOES require lighting. This is the algae that looks like pink spotches on the glass. This is what gives the rock a nice purple and pink color. So, the answer is no, but in the long run it will look better with more than a single flourescent bulb over it.

 

[shep]

smaller = harder sometimes. If you do a water top off a 10 nano is effortless almost. Mine ran for 2 years without problems until my wife wanted more dresser space. I used a 1 gallon top off system and that would last forever.

 

[clownfish2]

TIUSER, If all else fails this is what I am going to do. I am going to purchase the book The New Marine Aquarium by Michael Paletta. This book will cover from a to z to building your marine aquarium. Just some food for thought for you. Good luck and allways look forward. Clownfish2

 

[leigh]

If you want to add a lil stability too...use your spare 20 gal as a sump for whatever size tank you chose (I too would recommend a 50 or 55 gal tank as a starter tank). Then the bigger tank and 20 will work well as a sump and refugium for a really big tank down the road

 

[tiuser]

Originally posted by Clownfish2
TIUSER, If all else fails this is what I am going to do. I am going to purchase the book The New Marine Aquarium by Michael Paletta. This book will cover from a to z to building your marine aquarium. Just some food for thought for you. Good luck and allways look forward. Clownfish2
I ordered The Marine Aquarium handbook and the Marine Aquarium Reference by Michael Moe( I think that is the author). been hearin alot of people talkin bout the book you are gettin too. good idea.
Originally posted by leigh
If you want to add a lil stability too...use your spare 20 gal as a sump for whatever size tank you chose (I too would recommend a 50 or 55 gal tank as a starter tank). Then the bigger tank and 20 will work well as a sump and refugium for a really big tank down the road
this is what this extremely sharp kid at a LFS said to do also. I have been kickin around this idea. I have been eyeballin a 60g quite heavily.
Thom

 

[jlem]

If you go with a sump then you midas well get a bigger tank and use the hang on and forget the sump until you get the hang of things. Fish will have more swimming room and the volume of water will be the same. Once you go sump then you have alot more evaporation, you have plumbing that can leak and unless the tank is drilled you have to spend money on overflows. You also have the pumps and keeping the sump topped off to the proper level unless you go with an auto topper offer thingamagigger ( my word for the day ) which cost even more money. If you want the simplist way then get a decent size tank 40-50 gallons and get a good HOB filter like the emperor 400 which is under $40.00 online.

 

[leigh]

jlem, i respectfully disagree. a 20 gal sump/fuge (can put some caulerpa in there and light it with a cheap home depot light) will add a ton of stability to the system which is much needed, particularly for a beginner's tank. you have evaporation either way and it's way easier to put water in to top off the sump (down at roughly ground level) then to top off water on top of a tank--likely lifting a 5 gal jug 4 ft in the air. unless you pump water in in which case setting up an auto-top off is easy as pie. just my 2c, but when i set up a 20 gal sumpfugium for my 50 gal tank i was thrilled with the results. tiuser--in case you're curious, i'm attaching a lil schematic of how i had that system plumbed--it was about as simple and cheap as you can get--if you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.
-leigh

 

[tiuser]

OK, I just bought a 60g & wet/dry filter(rated for 75g), the over the back of the tank kind not the drilled in the bottom of the tank kind(the LFS said it's the best). I am really nervous bout the wet/dry filter messing up on me:
1. the thing is huge and the only way I could get it in the cabinet was through the top so if it has to come out for any reason I have to remove the tank(we all know what is involved in that).
2. I'm afraid it will over flow. I did simulate power loss to see if I would over flow and it was fine. But....what happens if it looses suction?????????????the pump will still pump and there is no room in the tank for that water.
it is working but I am kinda uneasy right now. I know alot of people use this or similar systems but I'm new to this concept and it's in my living room!!!!!!!!! any safety ideas or help?????
Thom