tank

[hnf2k]

i was told to buy the biggest i can for the space i have and the money i have.
why are you saying to start small?

 

[fshhub]

whosaid to start small?
you do want to buy the largest you can afford and fit, for 2 reasons
1 you will inevitably want a larger tank anyhow, and
2 the larger tanks allow for a greater margine when it comes to err, the more water takes more err to be lethal and the larger footprint provides a larger biofilter by offering more surface area for bacteria to grow on, which in turn allows for increased stbility

 

[slick]

I agree the BIGGER the better.

 

[bab]

the bigger your tank is, the easier it is to be in control of the wastes fish/reef (ammonia) becomes.. think of say a 2 foot tnk and you have one fish in the tank and it secretes ammonia into the tanks water.. now think of 5 foot tank with the same fish releasing waste into the 5ft tank, the water would not be as polluted as the smaller tank because it has more water to dillute it. Although when starting you should get the basic equipment and a medium sized tank, and upgrade to more expensive items later when you find they may help keep your fish healthier and give you more enjoyment.

 

[demosthenes]

I agree on the Bigger is Better, but not on the last statement by BAB. If you just get the basic equipment now, it may save you some money now, but cost lives of fish, corals, inverts, plus you will end up having to purchase the equipment later, only now, the whole tank will end up costing more. Plan ahead and get everything the first time around.

 

[hnf2k]

so for a first timer, never had a saltwater tank before...you are saying it would be better for me to get a 300 gallon tank than a 150?

 

[steamboat1569]

Yep, thats the gist of it. If you have the time, money, equipment, and above all patients, a 300 gallon is better than a 150. Of course you will have to consider plumbing, sump, a floor that will hold a 300 gallon, and on, and on, and on. It will take a lot of time, research, and money, money, money.
As ageneral rule, the more water you have, the easier it is to take care of. Less chance for error.

 

[hnf2k]

if the floor can hold the 150 im sure it can hold the 300...because the 300 is longer and wider so it's weight is distributed more.

 

[demosthenes]

Don't be so quick to assume that. In this hobby, patience is more important than money, equipment, etc, and by just assuming that the floor will hold that, seems a little impatient. Also, with such a huge investment, thousands of dollars, it would be bad for it all to go through the floor.

 

[hnf2k]

well, im getting the 150, and haven't there ever been times where you people had a party or something and there about a 100 or so people in your house? and your floor didn't go out...so why would it go out now?

 

[demosthenes]

Yeah, but those people are spread out, evenly across the whole floor, unless you plan on stacking them on top of each other in an area the size of the tank.

 

[mb4000]

If you are sure that your floor will hold a 300 gallon tank then I would get the 300 gallon tank. I think it will fall through the floor but we all could be wrong.

 

[fshhub]

actualy, in an instance as you describe, a 150 is plenty to handle, there is a point of being too large, for a beginner, IMO, a 300would be easier, but is a bit of work for a a beginner, and definitely much more cost, b/c the cost is n ot only of the equipment, but also of the rock and sand(which is very expensive)
in any case,a 150 is a very good investment for a beginner, IMO i would get between a 75and 150 rectangle tank for a beginning tank(i would not reccomend anyhting smaller than a75 even though they are feasible to use), and if you wnat the 150 then go for it, it will make a nice tank and be easier to handle than most tanks we start with
good luck, you're gonna love it

 

[hnf2k]

thanks, i think im gonna stay with the 150. i want an aggressive tank.
im gonna get, a lionfish, an eel(probably moray), pufferfish(dogface and porcupine), possibly a triggerfish. what else would you recommend to go with it, and do i have enough room for all of those and if i do what else should i get?
i think im going to start out with 45-50 pounds of live rock and i dont know how many pounds of live sand to get....any suggestions on the fish or the rock and sand?

 

[fshhub]

to gues, i would think the ls is gonna be a killer, i am thinking in excess of 300 lbs, so i would start with 250 and build from there
lr, iw ould go with more if feasible, and use dry sand, the lr will seed it
as for fish, the only i can see is to watch out for the lion, triggers and pufers may like to nibble on its fins a bit, and not only is this a problem, the attractivenes most of us have to lions is the beauty of their fins
hth and good luck

 

[hnf2k]

well i would plan on adding more live rock, how much would you say to start out with?

 

[fshhub]

well, you may not like this, but for a tank that big(150 gallon), i would start with 200+ lbs, myself i would use at least 250+, costly but worth it if you can manage it
hth

 

[jake22]

I would say at least 1 pound of live rock per gallon. It is the best thing for you tank. For me having one pound of live rock per gallon helped the cycle complete much faster than my friends cycle where he only bought about 30 pounds for his 75 gallon. So 150 pounds of live rock will be exspenisve but i think it will be the best thing for your tank. A dsb will probably help if you are planning on triggers and puffers.

 

[hnf2k]

ok, so i need 4 inches of live sand for the bed, and lets say i get 150 pounds of live rock to start with...how long will my tank take to cycle, or until i can put a lionfish in?

 

[fshhub]

one other nice thing about using lr, you can eeconomize slightly by using little or no ls, the lr will seed it if you use dry sand, and it cna make a huge difference in the cost, i used 85% dry southdown in leiu of live saned in our one tank at work, and let teh lr do the work for me
as for time, there is no way anyone can really guess, even if you were to use everythign i did adn all from the same places and all the same age and same exact quantities, you tank Will be different
i would as mentioned in one of your posts cycle fishless then add the lion(s)