NOVICE- Starting New Aquarium
- Thread starter mercy
- Start date
T
t3d
Guest
The only difficult thing is patience and working those OT hours to buy that equipment.
I would first plan on if you would like fish only on if you would like some coral.
If fish only then pllan on how big of a tank you would like
If you would like some coral, then plan on how much live rock you can afford, then double that price to get a range on how much the correct lighting will cost you. Remember 1.5 lbs per gallon of live rock. So for a 20 gallon tnak be ready to pay $150 for rock and thats at $5 a pound, and the lighting cost you about 200 for a 20 gallon tank.
I would first plan on if you would like fish only on if you would like some coral.
If fish only then pllan on how big of a tank you would like
If you would like some coral, then plan on how much live rock you can afford, then double that price to get a range on how much the correct lighting will cost you. Remember 1.5 lbs per gallon of live rock. So for a 20 gallon tnak be ready to pay $150 for rock and thats at $5 a pound, and the lighting cost you about 200 for a 20 gallon tank.
the reef
Member
here is a list of things you will need
1 chose how big of a tank you want
2 you need a filter for that size of tank
3 2-4 inches of sandbed should be about 1 pound a gallon and if not deep enough more
4 one pound of live rock per gallon for fish only and 1.5 pounds up to 2 pounds per gallon for reef
5 sea salt make shure you premix your sea salt in a five gallon bucket and airate before
adding to the tank.
6 next you will need a protin skimmer that will handel how big the tank is
7 now you will need enough watter movment so check how many gph your filter does and your
protin skimmer. you will need 10 gph for every gallon of watter. If your filter and protin skimmer
does not provide enough gph you can add on a power head that will be big enough to make up
the rest of the gph you need.
8 next chose a lighting fluorescent, power compact fluorescent, mercury vapor,metal halide, for
fish only you only need a white acent light but can use the blue acent light with it as well, but
for the reef you will need to make shure your lighting has all three lighting systems in it the
white acent light, the blue acent light, and a luner light as well.
9 you will need 2-3 watts per gallon for fish only and 4-5 watts per gallon for reef tank so when
chosing your lighting be shure it has enough watts for the type of tank you want.
10 you will need testing suplies for amonia, nitrite, nitrate, sg or salinity {spacific gravity or
salinity} to meshure the amount of salt, calcium, magnisum, and phosphate.
11 you will need ro watter to mix the salt in so i suggest buying a ro unit to make your own.
12 and not a must but a air pump with a controll valve on it so you can do a slow flow of bubles
helping the gas exchange between the carbon dioxide and the oxygen. Not manditory but tanks
using air to help the gas exchange show better watter quality.
13 the last step is alot of patients
14 you will also need a uv sterilizer i would recomend 9 watts per 50 gallons
so there you have it my 14 steeps to setting up an aquarium if you have any questions on any steps or about anything else let me know also let me know if i left anything out. take care and hope you have fun again ask any questions you need help with k
1 chose how big of a tank you want
2 you need a filter for that size of tank
3 2-4 inches of sandbed should be about 1 pound a gallon and if not deep enough more
4 one pound of live rock per gallon for fish only and 1.5 pounds up to 2 pounds per gallon for reef
5 sea salt make shure you premix your sea salt in a five gallon bucket and airate before
adding to the tank.
6 next you will need a protin skimmer that will handel how big the tank is
7 now you will need enough watter movment so check how many gph your filter does and your
protin skimmer. you will need 10 gph for every gallon of watter. If your filter and protin skimmer
does not provide enough gph you can add on a power head that will be big enough to make up
the rest of the gph you need.
8 next chose a lighting fluorescent, power compact fluorescent, mercury vapor,metal halide, for
fish only you only need a white acent light but can use the blue acent light with it as well, but
for the reef you will need to make shure your lighting has all three lighting systems in it the
white acent light, the blue acent light, and a luner light as well.
9 you will need 2-3 watts per gallon for fish only and 4-5 watts per gallon for reef tank so when
chosing your lighting be shure it has enough watts for the type of tank you want.
10 you will need testing suplies for amonia, nitrite, nitrate, sg or salinity {spacific gravity or
salinity} to meshure the amount of salt, calcium, magnisum, and phosphate.
11 you will need ro watter to mix the salt in so i suggest buying a ro unit to make your own.
12 and not a must but a air pump with a controll valve on it so you can do a slow flow of bubles
helping the gas exchange between the carbon dioxide and the oxygen. Not manditory but tanks
using air to help the gas exchange show better watter quality.
13 the last step is alot of patients
14 you will also need a uv sterilizer i would recomend 9 watts per 50 gallons
so there you have it my 14 steeps to setting up an aquarium if you have any questions on any steps or about anything else let me know also let me know if i left anything out. take care and hope you have fun again ask any questions you need help with k
the reef
Member
you probly could but you would have to truck it around and I would also find out if their is any law in forced that would keep you from taking the watter from the oacan to be on the safe side. and still if you can get it from their check the sg level and still airate it for 24 hours to make shure it has enough oxygen I would also check the ph of the watter as well for the most part the watter should be in good quality unless alot of people are in it along the shore in the oacen soap and oils and other things that get put in the watter dont make to much a diffrence cuz it has a huge filltering system but if you get those contaminents in your tank it can be a fatel death for all the fish you buy
the reef
Member
Originally Posted by Mercy
I just thought that the ocean water would be better, but it seems that maybe it is not. Thanks for all your help. I am off to start looking for my 1st tank this weekend wish me luck. Going for a 75 to 90 gl. tank! :happy:
That is a good size of tank just remember if you want more fish go with the bigger tank when it comes to deciding what fish you want go buy a one inch of fish per 2 gallons of watter rule so if you see a blue tang that is small just rember you have to go buy how big he will get to so I would say he should get 8 inches thats how many inches you go buy is how big they will get and some fish cant go buy that rule because they need a certin amout of swimming room the one inch of fish per two gallon rule is for your bio load capasity.
I just thought that the ocean water would be better, but it seems that maybe it is not. Thanks for all your help. I am off to start looking for my 1st tank this weekend wish me luck. Going for a 75 to 90 gl. tank! :happy:
That is a good size of tank just remember if you want more fish go with the bigger tank when it comes to deciding what fish you want go buy a one inch of fish per 2 gallons of watter rule so if you see a blue tang that is small just rember you have to go buy how big he will get to so I would say he should get 8 inches thats how many inches you go buy is how big they will get and some fish cant go buy that rule because they need a certin amout of swimming room the one inch of fish per two gallon rule is for your bio load capasity.
airforceb2
Active Member
Originally Posted by Mercy
Question: Every one talks about adding salt to water, Could I just use Water I get from the Ocean, I live in Miami 15 minutes from the beaches.
I wouldn't recomend getting water from the ocean. It will contain pollutants that will go crazy in a controlled envirenment.
Question: Every one talks about adding salt to water, Could I just use Water I get from the Ocean, I live in Miami 15 minutes from the beaches.
I wouldn't recomend getting water from the ocean. It will contain pollutants that will go crazy in a controlled envirenment.