Size of Tank to Start With
- Thread starter joyful23
- Start date
fishrule
Member
IMO I would first see how much it would cost for a nice sump setup with a good skimmer and pumps. Then Price lights that will allow for you to add corals later on when the tank is well established. Also make sure you setup a smaller quarantine tank for sick fishes.Once your price that stuff out, you can determine what type of tank you can afford.
Also Live rock is very expensive and if you want to do a 90g correctly, it will cost you at least $600.00 to stock it with about 90lbs of Live Rock.
“I’m not an expert by any means and am probably the last person on here to be giving you advice, but there are things I wish I knew before setting up my tank that would have saved me money in the long run.
Just as an example:
Lets say you go with a 90g tank. It will most likely be 48" long.
Lighting:
I suggest PC lighting, but I am still new to this and someone may say MH are better. I think PC lights are the best price for the buck. Most good PC lights will cost you about $250.00+
Protein Skimmers are also a costly part of the system, but what I have been told by many people on this forum is to not skimp on this piece of the system. The nice skimmers cost $200.00+
Then you have your sump systems. You will want to get better advise on this part because I’m still researching about sumps. I do know you want a lot of flow going to and from the sump so you will need good pumps. Most sumps setups I have seen for a 90g cost around $300.00+ for the sump and pump setups with the proper plumbing.
Then you have your blowers. Also a topic I don’t know enough about, but I do believe you will want at least 1000gph water flow in your tank. If you use just the plain power heads as I do, it will cost you about $120.00+ to get enough for a 1000gph flow. I have a feeling there are better setups out there, but not sure on their price tag...
I also don’t know much about heater systems and I’m sure there are parts of the setup I’m leaving out, but at least you can see where I’m taking you.
If you buy the parts I have suggested you are looking at about $870.00+600.00 (90lbs Live Rock) = 1,470.00...
That doesn’t leave much money for your tank and tank stand, which will depend on what appeals to you visually... You can either get a cheap glass tank and build your own stand and hood or you can buy a nice acrylic setup with show stand....
So I would figure out the best price for all the parts to run either a 75g or 90g tank including enough Live Rock to start and then figure out what type of tank you want to buy...
Hope this helps...
P.S. I have a 100g tank with too little live rock running on only 600gph water flow and a basic bio filter with 1 10000k light and 1 actinic blue light. My tank has good water quality, but I have yet to keep fish in good health and have to monitor my water more than I would had I known what I do now about the parts my tank would need to run properly.
There is no cheap way about doing this hobby and if there is I haven’t figured it out yet... ; )
Also Live rock is very expensive and if you want to do a 90g correctly, it will cost you at least $600.00 to stock it with about 90lbs of Live Rock.
“I’m not an expert by any means and am probably the last person on here to be giving you advice, but there are things I wish I knew before setting up my tank that would have saved me money in the long run.
Just as an example:
Lets say you go with a 90g tank. It will most likely be 48" long.
Lighting:
I suggest PC lighting, but I am still new to this and someone may say MH are better. I think PC lights are the best price for the buck. Most good PC lights will cost you about $250.00+
Protein Skimmers are also a costly part of the system, but what I have been told by many people on this forum is to not skimp on this piece of the system. The nice skimmers cost $200.00+
Then you have your sump systems. You will want to get better advise on this part because I’m still researching about sumps. I do know you want a lot of flow going to and from the sump so you will need good pumps. Most sumps setups I have seen for a 90g cost around $300.00+ for the sump and pump setups with the proper plumbing.
Then you have your blowers. Also a topic I don’t know enough about, but I do believe you will want at least 1000gph water flow in your tank. If you use just the plain power heads as I do, it will cost you about $120.00+ to get enough for a 1000gph flow. I have a feeling there are better setups out there, but not sure on their price tag...
I also don’t know much about heater systems and I’m sure there are parts of the setup I’m leaving out, but at least you can see where I’m taking you.
If you buy the parts I have suggested you are looking at about $870.00+600.00 (90lbs Live Rock) = 1,470.00...
That doesn’t leave much money for your tank and tank stand, which will depend on what appeals to you visually... You can either get a cheap glass tank and build your own stand and hood or you can buy a nice acrylic setup with show stand....
So I would figure out the best price for all the parts to run either a 75g or 90g tank including enough Live Rock to start and then figure out what type of tank you want to buy...
Hope this helps...
P.S. I have a 100g tank with too little live rock running on only 600gph water flow and a basic bio filter with 1 10000k light and 1 actinic blue light. My tank has good water quality, but I have yet to keep fish in good health and have to monitor my water more than I would had I known what I do now about the parts my tank would need to run properly.
There is no cheap way about doing this hobby and if there is I haven’t figured it out yet... ; )
aredmon
Member
Tank
stand
heater
sand or substrate
some rock (All of it recomended so you don't have another mini cycle if you add more)
filtration
test kits
Before you add fish or anything livingyou will want to add
protien skimmer
powerheads
more LR if needed
lighting
:happyfish You can add fish at this point.
I can take you that far because again I only have a Fish only with Live Rock (FOWLR)
aredmon
Member
I have a hang on back filter. Like the bio wheel kind. I am wanting to get a refugium though. Or if I were you I would get a wet/dry filter and use LR rubble instead of bio balls or if you do go with bio balls clean them regularly in salt water or you could develope nitrate problems.
aredmon
Member
I started on a hair brain idea. I still have much to learn. And I mean much. But I like to help were I can. I will let you know what I have. I have what some would call a primitive set up compared to others on this board but it is running just fine.
I have a 75gal FOWLER
2 hang on back filters ( biggest I could find)
2 maxi jet power heads
40lbs of play sand
13lbs of LR
a small heater
glass tops
regular floresent lights
some decoration for hiding (till I get more LR)
I also keep a 10gal QT tank
And a 25 gal Seahorse tank
I am not done yet by far and it is "primitive" but it works and I have no problems with my system yet.
I have a 75gal FOWLER
2 hang on back filters ( biggest I could find)
2 maxi jet power heads
40lbs of play sand
13lbs of LR
a small heater
glass tops
regular floresent lights
some decoration for hiding (till I get more LR)
I also keep a 10gal QT tank
And a 25 gal Seahorse tank
I am not done yet by far and it is "primitive" but it works and I have no problems with my system yet.
aredmon
Member
I have only had the seahorse for about a week but they are very wonderful little guys. They love to ride any current in the tank. They chase there food all over the place. And I was amazed by them the other day. One got stuck between the thermomiter and suction cup so the other one swam over wrapped his tail around the other ones tail and pulled and pulled till he pulled the other one free. Goes to show fish comunicate.
You would need a bigger tank to house two tangs but I am pretty sure it can be done.
You would need a bigger tank to house two tangs but I am pretty sure it can be done.
aredmon
Member
A blue hippo need a min of 70gal and a yellow tang needs a min of 50gal. You need at least 4gal of water per every inch of fish. A Blue hippo gets about 1' and a yellow tang gets about 8". This equals about 80gal. Thus not leaving any space for any other fish. If you keep in mind the 1in per 4 gal you can figure out what fish you can have for what size tank you want.
joyful23
Member
I guess I'm getting a little bit ahead of myself here...Haven't even purchased thetank yet!
But I think I have decided on a 120g. I'm afraid if I go with a 75g I will be sorry and wish I would have went bigger. I'm just looking down the road and thinking of the expense to go to a bigger tank.
aredmon
Member
Personaly I think you will always wish you had gone bigger. I agree with the others. Go with as big as you can afford. Remember you are going to have this tank for a long time so if you don't get the fish you want now you can always get it when the fish you have go to the big fishy heaven in the sky. This hobby is like a drug you get hooked to easy. But it will be a long one.
edwar050
Member
If you buy used and paitently you could save mega cash. My 120 Drilled RR cost 200$ DIY Stand and canopy 150 lights 200$ seios 120 mag 12 75 so I guess I spent around 1k for my tank, granted I already had most of the stuff needed "LR etc." to set it up and a 30 sump. I agree with the 75 and up and would stay away from the 55 due to often temper and difficulty aquascaping.
rstiles
Member
The biggest mistake I made not getting pre drilled tanks,that way you can have a sump under the tank in the stand,heaters,protine skimmer,can go into the sump,you don't
need anything fancy for a sump look around for a used 55 gal tank an go from there adding the other things to it- your looking to move 600 gph from the sump so use some power heads in the main tank to move the water if its fish only and rock look to move about 10 times the tank size 120 gal tank =1200 gal per hour
=
need anything fancy for a sump look around for a used 55 gal tank an go from there adding the other things to it- your looking to move 600 gph from the sump so use some power heads in the main tank to move the water if its fish only and rock look to move about 10 times the tank size 120 gal tank =1200 gal per hour
=
turningtim
Active Member
Look around for a preowned set up or parts, there are some pretty good deals out there for the size tank your looking for! You are doing the right thing by doing your research and READING congrats to you!
Don't skimp, esp. with skimmer and lights. Also if you are at all handy a DIY stand is the way togo. This insures that you have enough room for your equip. and for any future upgrades. If you can I would also set-up sump/fuge, if may cost more now and take some setting up but you'll want these things down the road anyway!
Take it from somebody who just jumped in! I have more crp then I need and am upgradeing to a bigger tank, which have to get the stuff I need all over again. I did however get a "decent" deal on a 125 w/MH lights, ev180 skimmer, base rock, 3 pumps, asst PHs and other stuff for $450.00. No stand and the tank is in pretty rough shape (will be sump/fuge) but the lights and the skimmer made it worth it.
I suggest reading "plumbing 101" (search) at least the first couple of pages, it really lays out the thought process and gives GOALS for what you want.
Welcome to the boards!
HTH
Tim
Take it from somebody who just jumped in! I have more crp then I need and am upgradeing to a bigger tank, which have to get the stuff I need all over again. I did however get a "decent" deal on a 125 w/MH lights, ev180 skimmer, base rock, 3 pumps, asst PHs and other stuff for $450.00. No stand and the tank is in pretty rough shape (will be sump/fuge) but the lights and the skimmer made it worth it.
I suggest reading "plumbing 101" (search) at least the first couple of pages, it really lays out the thought process and gives GOALS for what you want.
Welcome to the boards!
HTH
Tim