newbie to saltwater aquariums

eggy5404

eggy5404

Member
Hello, I am new to the salt water hobby but I've been researching off and on for the past 2-3 years on the topic. I know I have to start of buy reading and owning some books (I surf the net mostly) but I have some general questions so maybe you guys can help. I am planning on setting up a new tank soon. Actually there will be two diff tanks eventually. The first tank I wanted to set up would be in my living room. The problem is I wanted to get atleast a 125 gallon tank (glass) but according to the LFS, it may be too heavy as the beams in the floor will be running in the same direction as the tank.. Do you think it will be possible for me to have the same size tank but get an acrylic one instead of glass which may be lighter in weight once filled?? My second question is I may start off with my first tank in my basement where my family room is. If that is the case, I will get atleast a 150 galloon glass tank. Any idea how much $$$ I will have to spend on setting up this size tank with the right equipment. Thank you in advance for you help.
 
eggy5404

eggy5404

Member
actually I'm thinking of doing a fish only tank possibly with some LR. I don't think it would be a good idea for me to start with a reef tank until I get some experience.
 
slick

slick

Active Member
First of all the weight saved on a acrylic tank compared to a glass tank won't be enough to save your floor. Second your tank will be more along the lines of $800 for the 150. A 125 in my area is like $350. You should get a tank that is drilled and has a built in overflow. This will cause less problems down the road. 4 - 6 inch DSB and around 125 to 180 lbs of LR. Usually around 1 lb per gallon. It's hard to give prices because they are different depending where you are. Put it this way I have about $3,500 into my 90g reef. I'm just guessing around $2,000 - $4,000+ for a 150 fowlr.
 
dirtybilge

dirtybilge

Member
What ever you buy, get the better quality stuff you will end up replacing junk skimmers and pumps and cheap light down the road. Metal Halide's use alot of electricty but look the coolest and your corals will love them, also you don't have to replce the bulbs half as offen as you need to replace PC's and FLo tubes.
 
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