New to the board...looking for advice

sm_in_la

sm_in_la

New Member
Hi all. I've been lurking around on this board for a few weeks now and have learned quite a bit. I took a recommendation and bought "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Bob Fenner and finished it, but I'm still left with a few questions that the book didn't really cover.
Let me start off by saying that I have not yet purchased anything, but I do have a good idea of what I want.
-75 gal tank with fish and some hardy inverts (hardy enough that I would not need extreme lighting.)
-Live Rock/Sand
-a SUMP I will build from an old glass 20 gal tank. (is that large enough?)
-A canopy and stand that I will build myself (any plans available for a 75 gal tank)?
Here are some of my questions:
1) How much of an increase can I expect on my energy bill a month? I'm not really too worried about it, just curious.
2) Do I need a heater in my sump or main tank? My condo usually stays at a constant 76-78 degrees.
3) Does most live rock/sand come cured? Is the LR sold on this site already cured? Good price? My LFS wants $6/lb for Fiji (cured), which seems a bit high.
4) The 75 gal tank that I found at a store down here is from Ocean View. Do they make good tanks? The store wants $170 for it, which doesn't seem too bad if it's a quality tank.
I went to my LFS this afternoon and they helped me a little bit, but they didn't really tell me anything I didn't already know. I stopped in because I was in the area and didn't have all my questions prepared (yes, I have a long, long list of questions!) I'll dump them all into a post real soon! :eek:
Thanks everyone. Your board has kept me very busy these past few weeks.
_Scott
 
krunk

krunk

Member
1. Not real sure, if you are going reef, it will cost a bit more, because the lights are higher wattages, and other things.
2.Most people like there water at around 80-82 degrees, i would buy 300 watt heater(25$). (i like thermal pre-sets)
3. yes the rock from here is cured, but from the trip it may have some die-off.
4.170$ isnt very bad for a 75 tank. I'm buying my 75 all-glass tank from pet supplies plus, they only want 117$. So if they are buy where you live, give them a call.
 
dvs

dvs

Member
Hey Scott.
Newbie here too. Well, IMO, I think the 20 gal will be okay for a sump. Thats what Im gonna use. Also, I plan on a 150 watt heater in my tank and one in the sump. Around here (Louisville) most LR is cured. Theres a few LFS that sell uncured LR wicked cheap. I might go through the mess and cure it myself. Still undecided about that. As for Ocean View, Im not sure. Hell, Im not even sure who made my tank, lol.
Good luck in your ventures. This place has been a great deal of help for me and Im always learning new things.
Welcome to SWF!
Jen
 
sm_in_la

sm_in_la

New Member
ok, adding a heater to the list of things I need to get...
Anyway, about the LR/LS. I don't think I'd be able to buy uncured LR because I live in a condo. I don't really have anywhere to put it while it's curing. I hear it can stink pretty bad. How much do you suspect I would need. I'd like to buy as little as possible because of the price of course, but I would still like my tank to look "full" and my fish to be happy. Also, how much LS would give me the right size bed for my tank?
And thanks for the posts guys.
_Scott
 
cboyfan2020

cboyfan2020

Active Member
1)depends on what the elec.company charges but probably around $20
2)I would put a heater in the sump. I keep mine at 78 degrees.
3) I would buy uncured rock and use it too cycle the tank since it is much cheaper and you could probably get more life from it. I pay $8/lb for cured fiji around here:mad:
4)Not sure about oceanview but $170 doesnt seem to bad. I would suggest buying as big a tank as you can afford because the "big tank" bug hits like a ton of bricks.:D I paid $350 for my 120 and that was supposedly wholesale.
look in the classifieds section of this and other boards and in the newspaper for good tank deals. They are out there.
Good luck
 
hvy_dty

hvy_dty

Member
Hi Scott! Welcome to the board! I'm a newbie also. :cool:
1) I can't really speak to the electricity issue yet...this is my first month with everything running, so I'm curious to see what the bill looks like. Keep your fingers crossed!
2) In regards to the heaters, I bought a few 150 watt EBO heaters online for $18 ea. I keep a few extras in case one breaks or dies. I keep one in my sump and it keeps the temp between 78-80. Better to have 'em in your sump because they're easier to reach if necessary.
3) You can buy LR cured or uncured. Uncured is always cheaper. $6 /lb for cured LR isn't horribly bad. . I bought all my rock (uncured) at once and cured it in my main tank. I cycled with that rock too. It saved me $$$ and I didn't have to cure the rock in a seperate container. The stench can get very bad, so make sure you have ventilation if you go this route.
4) Never heard of OceanView before. I went with a 72g All Glass bowfront. Just make sure it's reef-ready, meaning the overflow holes are already cut.
Good luck and welcome!
Jeff
 
wrassecal

wrassecal

Active Member

Originally posted by sm_in_la
Hi all. I've been lurking around on this board for a few weeks now and have learned quite a bit. I took a recommendation and bought "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Bob Fenner and finished it, but I'm still left with a few questions that the book didn't really cover.
Let me start off by saying that I have not yet purchased anything, but I do have a good idea of what I want.
-75 gal tank with fish and some hardy inverts (hardy enough that I would not need extreme lighting.)
-Live Rock/Sand
-a SUMP I will build from an old glass 20 gal tank. (is that large enough?)
-A canopy and stand that I will build myself (any plans available for a 75 gal tank)?
Here are some of my questions:
1) How much of an increase can I expect on my energy bill a month? I'm not really too worried about it, just curious.
2) Do I need a heater in my sump or main tank? My condo usually stays at a constant 76-78 degrees.
3) Does most live rock/sand come cured? Is the LR sold on this site already cured? Good price? My LFS wants $6/lb for Fiji (cured), which seems a bit high.
4) The 75 gal tank that I found at a store down here is from Ocean View. Do they make good tanks? The store wants $170 for it, which doesn't seem too bad if it's a quality tank.
_Scott
1. I wouldn't expect you to see much of an increase in your bill, about $15 - 20 depending on what all you get.
2. If you have a sump, put the heater in your sump. Heaters are not that expensive I have a titanium pro heat 300 watts and only paid like $30.00 for it and there are cheaper.I don't know where you live but I've already taken my heater out for the summer.
3.$6 may sound high to you but doesn't sound high to me. If you are not going reef just fish and inverts you won't need to worry about lighting as much as we do with reefs, you can go pc or vho and even 2 -3 watts per gallon would be fine. WARNING - if you are like me the reef stuff wil soon be calling your name:) If you can afford it I'd start with about 40lbs of cured live rock, your sand, your water, equipment etc and let it cycle. the die-off from the live rock will be enough to cycle your tank. You don't need any fish or anything to cycle.Once you are sure your cycle is complete you can add 5 - 8lbs of cured live rock as you develop your system and it won't cause a cycle. If you have a good lfs I recommend buying your lr there. Shipping it is expensive and more die-off.
4. Nature's View is the less expensive tank made by oceanic. You can get specs on it at oceanicsystems.com. The glass is not as thick as the "Oceanic" brand name but there is nothing wrong with the tank.
If you do a search in diy there are lots of plans for sumps, canopies, stands etc that have been posted there.
A 20 gal would do for a sump for a 75 but I'd go to Wal Mart or somewhere and get a 30 gal (if you can) HTH
 
fishies

fishies

Member
Welcome:)
Just my opinions on two things. With the heater, I second the titanium placed in the sump. They may be a bit more spendy, but they're hardy, won't crack or break, and you control the temp from outside of the tank. Six dollars is not a bad price for LR, and, just my opinion, is better for cycling as opposed to uncured. Good luck with your tank, and have fun:)
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
W E L C O M E !
Everything sounds well planned, good job.
On the heater I would suggest a pair of 150 watt heaters. Sometimes heaters fail on so large heater can be bad that way. With summer coming up you could probably buy one now and the second in the fall.
I STRONGLY suggest a built-in overflow with the tank drilled on the bottom.
 
sm_in_la

sm_in_la

New Member
Funny you should mention the built-in overflow Bang Guy.
I was thinking the same thing and I'm going to look at a 75 gal Oceanic RR with a built in overflow the afternoon. The LFS wants $260 for it which seems pretty reasonable.
I was talking with a friend of a friend who has been in this hobby for 15 years and he told me that basically, SUMPS are a pain in the butt. He said that they cause alot of water evaporation and need to be topped-off alot. And the evaporation can leave a mess underneath the tank with salt residue everywhere. He's always used UF, which I know (from reading everwhere) is just outdated.
After reading all the posts about SUMPS on this board though, I've never heard anyone complaining about them. To be honest, it sounded like the guy was tying to talk me out of SW fish in general.
 
wrassecal

wrassecal

Active Member
$260.00 for a 75 Oceanic RR sound reasonable to me too. Just remember Oceanic only guarentees their tanks if you use their stands.
 
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