Thinking of getting a 55 - 75 gal What do I need??

[sigmachris]

Also I would be wary of ***** or any large chain.
See if there is a good independent LFS in your area. Sounds like you are young but everything is negotiable in life. An independent fish store is probably more willing to wheel and deal. For example if you buy your tank from him ask him for a half off discount on the LR you will buy from him. Or go another route have him price out the tank, 100 lbs of LR and a lighting fixture and see what kind of deal he will give you. The IMPORTANT thing is though, you need to do your research ahead of time and now what the prices are of each individual item. That is the only way to know if you are getting a good deal.

 

[nigerbang]

Originally Posted by SpiderWoman
http:///forum/post/2516909
For fish you are better off either going with a trusted LFS that in time you see having healthy fish and tanks or from sites like SWF.com where you get a 2 week guarantee on your fish. I personally like the guarantee
Guarantee's are worth about as much as the fish you sell....
But Onward...I would go for the 75...More water means more room for error.lol..Dont skimp on a skimmer, one of the most important parts of the assembly..Decide early on if you are going Reef or not...It will save you headache in lighting later on, not to mention money..

 

[matt b]

Originally Posted by SpiderWoman
http:///forum/post/2516808
You can get a really nice one from ***** for under $300 ($299). We just picked up one yesterday for our new 75.

Dang I wish I would have known about this stand when I setup my 75! But ya I would get the 75 over the 55 for one its bigger

and 2 IMO its alot easier to aquascape

 

[jessed244]

Thanks for all the response, I know the 75g is only 40.00 more than the 55g, and I know you can have a better variety of fish in a 75g, But it is a lot bigger, so i gotta get the measurements and see wich fits best.
The hardest part for me about the equipment is I Dont know what is good and what is ok and what is crappy lol. How can I find out what is best for my tank? I want good equipment, but not stuff that will seriously break the bank

 

[matt b]

Originally Posted by jessed244
http:///forum/post/2518833
Thanks for all the response, I know the 75g is only 40.00 more than the 55g, and I know you can have a better variety of fish in a 75g, But it is a lot bigger, so i gotta get the measurements and see wich fits best.
The hardest part for me about the equipment is I Dont know what is good and what is ok and what is crappy lol. How can I find out what is best for my tank? I want good equipment, but not stuff that will seriously break the bank
I will try and name some stuff but just post what you have questions about. if you are dong reef I would go a nova 4 bulb t-5 setup fpr the 55 and for a 75 get the 6 bulb, For powerheads you could do sureflow modded maxijets or hydro koralias, for heater I just use a jager i think it called, skimmer depends on if your going to have a sump or not if you want a in sump skimmer I cant really help you but for a hang on back skimmer look into octopus HOB at aquacave or some would say remoras but not me.

 

[jessed244]

Originally Posted by MaTT B
http:///forum/post/2518895
I will try and name some stuff but just post what you have questions about. if you are dong reef I would go a nova 4 bulb t-5 setup fpr the 55 and for a 75 get the 6 bulb, For powerheads you could do sureflow modded maxijets or hydro koralias, for heater I just use a jager i think it called, skimmer depends on if your going to have a sump or not if you want a in sump skimmer I cant really help you but for a hang on back skimmer look into octopus HOB at aquacave or some would say remoras but not me.
Ok that helps, I am not planning on haveing a sump, so it would be the hand on back one. What About the filter??? I dont want something EXPENSIVE, But I dont want some big ugly cheap thing either. I dont know what to do about the lights ( i think I eventually want a reef, but i dont have any idea how much that light costs) I saw the one that is the light, then a blueish light, and then a moon light. How much does that setup run? Thanks

 

[texasmetal]

Unless you buy it used, it's always better to get the quality equipment at the highter price. Cheap stuff is exactly that, cheap. I'd forget about the HOB filter and just get a really nice skimmer, and maybe a HOB refugium. Actually... no maybe about it. The refugium was the best thing I ever did for my tank. Rely on lots of macro algae to absorb the excess nutrients, and just prune it regularly. Much cheaper than replacing filter cartridges, and if you have herbivorous fish you can just pull it out of the refugium and feed it to them, and it provides a place for the little pods to flourish, providing another source of food for your fish.