Starting a 55g Tank - Few Questions?

[phxjosh]

Hello,
After years of keeping FW tanks, I have decided to do a SW setup. I just purchased a 55g tank (long) and an appropriate stand, and before I get started I am looking for some advice. I have been doing a lot of research these last few weeks, but I am still a little confused.
I would like to do either a fish only or reef tank, I am still a little undecided as to what would be best for me? I am not wanting to use a sump, I will be using a hang on protein skimmer, most likley the "octopus" brand. What type of lighting is appropriate for a FO tank? I am looking for a hood/canopy for this tank currently, but not sure what type I would need?
What type of filter do I need? I currently have a Whisper "bio-bag" filtration system from my old FW setup, should I use this?
How many powerheads will I need?
As for cost, is there a big difference between a reef tank and a FO tank? I was looking at LR, and I would need almost $500 to fill my tank, so that is really out of my budget.
If I do a FO setup, what type of rock do I use? I want a bright and colorful look to the tank, can I use fake corals?

 

[sk8fergy]

Well Im new to sw my self but what i can tell you is you definitely need live rock. I have a 29gal with 30lbs and a 55with 80lbs. The experienced people will chime in and give you great advice. Start researching all the beginner threads on this site to begin with. I did alot of research and listened and have not lost a single fish yet. Start with fish only with live rock its easier. JMO. Spend the money now and it will save you in the long run. Live rock is key. Good luck.

 

[phxjosh]

Can I do a combo of base rock and live rock? Say I do 25lbs of live rock and 30lbs of base rock?

 

[bpro32]

You could realistically do all base rock and all dry sand as well. The only downfall to that would be that it would take longer for your cycle to complete but I would happily take that considering the fact that I am also working this out on a budget.

 

[phxjosh]

How long would it take to cycle if I used about 70% base rock and 30% live rock? I have plenty of time and patience, I just want to do it right the first time if possible.
For a FOWLR tank, what type of sand should I use then? I found some aragonite sand at the pet store for $28 for a 40lb bag, is this the appropiate sand?

 

[kas2247]

I was in the same position 2 years ago... not sure if I wanted to do reef or fish only, not wanting to spend more than I had to, trying to cut corners... I've regretted some of my decisions, but I almost have them all fixed now, so I'll tell ya my opinion on the Live Rock. Get AS MUCH as will fit in your tank and you can afford. And you can use a good amount of base rock. I had almost all base rock with just one or two pieces of LR and the LR never grew anything but gross algae. I know it had the beneficial bacteria, but it was ugly and I couldn't get coralline to grow on it for anything. I just recently found a place online where you can get LR for $3/lb shipped, so I finally took the plunge. It is absolutely beautiful. Tons of pink, green, red, purple coralline, sponges, coral skeletons, etc. I kept some of my base rock (only on the base so it will be mostly covered by sand) and added the LR, so I probalby have around 70-80lbs of rock in my tank now. It would have been so much easier to do it this way the first time. If you want more info on where I bought my rock, just PM me... competitor links can't be posted here.
As for lights, in a FO you don't need any special lighting. You can use just the regular fluorescent hood that comes with most tanks. If you want to go reef, you'll need to upgrade. I slowly acquired pieces to do a 4x54w T5 retrofit kit with individual reflectors and I was told I could keep most any coral under that. Now that I have all of my LR in I'll be attempting corals soon!
Good luck! And keep asking questions! You wouldn't believe how much you can learn just lurking in the background, I've been doing it for years now

 

[geridoc]

I think that Kas has it right. In addition, forget the Bio bag filter. If you want to use filtration, use bioballs in an under-tank sump (in a FO tank, not a reef).

 

[kas2247]

I forgot to answer the other questions...
The only filtration I use is LR & a skimmer. I used a HOB carbon filter from my FW tanks at first, but it didn't do much good and was just a pain to keep up with.
For powerheads in my 55gal, I have 1 Koralia2 and 1 Koralia3. They are AWESOME powerheads and do a great job. They can be a little pricey, but well worth the money... and if you keep an eye on classifieds you can usually find them in good shape for a lesser price.
I don't think many people here will recommend fake corals in a SW tank. And if you want the bright & colorful look, it sounds like you eventually want to work towards a reef. I'd suggest getting the bright colors from real corals and/or from coralline growth on your LR.
And lastly, yes you want Aragonite based sand. Just make sure whatever you use is not silica based (another one of the mistakes I made trying to cut corners). It will cause all kinds of algae and will just make a mess in the long run. I have 80lbs of LS coming in the mail on Friday that I found for a good price. If you PM me for the rock info I'll let you know where I got the sand and what I think of it once it comes. I can send you some pics too. Just let me know!

 

[robertmathern]

+1 I know where he got those rocks from. It is a good deal.

 

[phxjosh]

Thanks for the tips guys!
I would like to have a few inverts, maybe a starfish later on, and just a few crabs or shrimp, can I do that with basic flourescent lighting, or should I get the combo of a 10,000 bulb and a 50/50 bulb?
As for plants, do I need live plants, or any plants at all?
I am trying to avoid using a sump, so I am just going to save up and try to get a 50/50 combo of LR and BR for the tank, and let it cycle for what, 60 days?
I have been reading a lot of setup guides, so I have the whole setup and cycle understood now, which is great.
So would a combo of LR and a good skimmer be enough filtration? I don't have the room for a sump at this point, I can add one in 6-8 months or so, but can I get away with just the LR and skimmer for now?

 

[kas2247]

A lot of people use only live rock & a skimmer. You'd be fine with that, just make sure you try to keep up with 10% water changes weekly. That helps tremendously in keeping water clean & replacing trace elements.
The basic fluorescent lighting is fine for any critters until you decide to add corals (and you could even find a few low-light corals or non-photosynthetic corals to help brighten up the tank).
50/50 LR & BR sounds great. You'd probably be fine only letting it cycle for 30 days, but you'd just have to watch and make sure you know where it is in the cycle. Once nitrates spike you can do a water change and start slowly adding fish & inverts. And if you don't have a lot of patience, like me, it will be the longest 30 days of your life

but worth every minute in the long run.

If you can add a sump down the road I'd highly recommend it. It's great to have no big equipment in the main display. And a fuge in the sump will help with water quality (deep sand bed, live rock rubble, & chaeto are what's in my fuge right now).
I don't know much about saltwater plants, I don't think most people use much more than chaeto in a fuge to help with excess nutrients (and keep nitrates down). It works like a charm, but isn't necessary.

 

[bpro32]

the average cycle time with no lr is 6 weeks so yours should be shorter than that with a 50/50 combo of lr and br.
MAKE A FUGE!!!
I don't have one and it is hard for me to keep good water quality. Even with no fish my nitrates are hard to control... I'm in the middle of setting up a fuge though just need to pick up the bulkhead and plumbing tomorrow

 

[phxjosh]

I plan to start with the LR & BR combo for now, then upgrade to a sump or fuge in 3-6 months.
I just want to get the cycle started, so I am focusing my research on that right now, I have the tank, I am working on finding a water source since I was told tap water is not good?
So the LR and Octopus BH-100 skimmer will be enough filtration for the tank? Also, are the skimmers loud? Like, if I wanted to put this in my bedroom, would it be loud when I sleep?

 

[robertmathern]

most skimmers are very quiet. I have never used to octo brand so I cant comment. But keebler has one in his bedroom I think. I have not herd him complain yet. Infact he recomends it to everyone on the boards. So something must be good with them.

 

[phxjosh]

I can wait to buy the skimmer until after the cycle right? This gives me more money now for live rock, since I don't need to buy everything with this paycheck. I plan to get $150-$200 worth of LR so hopefully my LFS has some deals.

 

[phxjosh]

If I am buying the LR from my LFS, would that be considered cured? It's in a big tub with water flowing through it.
If I buy uncured fiji rock, does that lengthen the cycle?

 

[pete159]

the sooner you get a skimmer running the faster it will 'break in' and work good. live rock is more important so if you need to wait to get a skimmer thats fine as well. buying uncured live rock will result in die off and a longer cycle, but thats also fine because it will also mean you have a more powerful bio filter.

 

[donald]

its been said before but i agree, go ahead and make a fuge. In the long run it will help the health of your tank and its inhabitants. If you can't do a fuge for 6 months then wait for it, trust me its worth the extra time and money to do it right. Also with the fuge built and installed you can up grade to a reef tank in the future, if you choose. Forget the filter, I bought one when i first started out and quickly did away with it and added a fuge to great benifit. By using the fuge you can use less powerheads in the tank, which makes it look nicer. I have a 55 gal also. I run a reef tank with a 25 gal fuge that i built myself, plumbed myself and built the stand and canopy myself. Do what you can yourself it gives a great sence of accomplistment, but do your reasearch first or it can cost you more money

I sounds like you are going about this the right way, be patient and change your water often. I used dry agronite from my LFS for the substrate and added a small bag of "live sand" from there too. I added about 45-55 lbs of live rock to that. I also have about 5 lbs of LR in my fuge along with several inches of agro. Good luck

 

[phxjosh]

I think I might add a fuge or a sump in the next few months, but for now I just don't have the room, I am trying to get rid of some couches in my room to make more room for it.
I keep reading different things when it comes to setting it up, can someone clear this up?
From my understand, once I have my tank on my stand, I add the water, do I add a premixed batch of SW, or just add the water, then mix in the salt in the tank?
Once I have my tank filled with saltwater, do I then add the live rock and live sand? Or wait like 1-2 days before?

 

[kas2247]

If it's the first time you're adding water, you can just mix it in the tank w/a powerhead & heater. I'd wait 24hrs before adding rock & sand, just to make sure everything is mixed and temp is up where you want it. Put the rock in and aquascape, then add the sand around the base of the rock.