This is what i wanna do & this is what i have. What else do i need?

[knee-you-bee]

Just visited the site, and registered. Looks like a very helpful place. I haven't read all of the "A extremely helpful thread" sticky yet.
Just a few things i have questions about and just to let you more advanced guys help me out with the questions without searching forever for a simple answer.
Well he is a list of what i have, i bought this a few days ago because i was tired of my little 20 gal. freshwater tank.

• 55 Gallon "All Glass Aquarium" Fish tank
• Fish Net
• 200 Watt Heater
• (2) 24" Aquarium Reflector (15 watt flouresent bulb)
• Whisper 60 Bio Wheel Filter
• Mag-Float Cleaner
• Test strips
• "No Spill" tube with hose to connect to sink water changer
  Natures Ocean Premium Marine Substrates
  Oceanic sea salt mix packages
  Bio-Active Live aragonite (reef sand) 20lb
  Marine Starter Kit (Hydrometer & Thermometer, Marine Gro, Buff Supplement, PH-Alkalinity & Nitrite test kit) Read Sea Salt
  Kordon- Amquel plus
  API stress Zyme
  API stress Coat

This is what i want to do with all this if possible. I know im going to need to buy more stuff. But, i want to have a tank that has coral, sea anemone, colorful fish that move around alot. I know some fish aren't compatible with coral (a reason i need to read about) Im guessing they eat the coral? I know you need a protein skimmer, and a different type of filter. I need to read why i need everything.
Well guys if you see anything i need on top of what i have, plz let me know and explain why it's needed or a link that explains it. Well im off to read everything on this forum. Might be here for a couple days SO MUCH TO READ.

 

[mlwoods007]

welcome to the site first off. this site is extremely beneficial as you will soon know. I don't know where I'd be if i had never found it. I'm going to let some of the pros answer your tech questions. My own advise is do "extensive " research before buying anything else to save you money in the long run. And if you really want a reef, ask every question you have before investing in livestock.Coral are a lot more sensitive to things than fish (harder to keep). Good luck with your setup. Once you go salt, you never go back. Just know it's an expensive hobby so be prepared, lol.

 

[mlwoods007]

first and formost though, you need a skimmer, Live Rock, a few powerheads, and at least power compacts. If you don't have one installed directly into your plumbing, you're going to need an ro/di water purification system too. Start with fish, and then work your way into corals. Take your time, as patience is a must in this hobby.

 

[knee-you-bee]

Originally Posted by mlwoods007
welcome to the site first off. this site is extremely beneficial as you will soon know. I don't know where I'd be if i had never found it. I'm going to let some of the pros answer your tech questions. My own advise is do "extensive " research before buying anything else to save you money in the long run. And if you really want a reef, ask every question you have before investing in livestock.Coral are a lot more sensitive to things than fish (harder to keep). Good luck with your setup. Once you go salt, you never go back. Just know it's an expensive hobby so be prepared, lol.
Thanks for the welcome, and yes it seems to be extremely beneficial from what i can already see.
Yes, i learned my lesson on researching and asking questions with my freshwater tank. I also learned Cichlids should be called colorful pirahana's.

Expensive... ha, i already had to sell one of my -- Helicopter's just to afford the fish tank and the supplies. Thats one reason why i wanna know what else i need, that way if i decide i dont want to do it or cant afford it. I can sell the kit brand new.

 

[knee-you-bee]

first and formost though, you need a skimmer yeah, for the reef correct?, Live Rock, a few powerheads for my circulation for my reef and to keep fish waste from settling. Correct?, and at least power compacts Lights? Why those? Just asking . If you don't have one installed directly into your plumbing, you're going to need an ro/di water purification system too kinda like a water purifier you see under a sink?. Start with fish, and then work your way into corals. Is that the way you went? or is that the way it's suppose to go when starting a new tank? I was thinking of the opposite, coral first then add the fish. Plz explain further. Take your time, as patience is a must in this hobby.Patience?... What the hell is that?

 

[mlwoods007]

alot of these site have a local club forum where you can find other fish enthusiasts in your area. That's the best way to buy your hardware. It will save you alot. In my opinion, I'd sell the kit, do research, and then hold out until you find someone tearing down their tank. People get in and out of this hobby all the time, so it probably wouldn't take too long to find a good deal. I found a 125 with a sump, stand, canopy, powerheads, heaters, salt, 4 fish, 100lbs LR, few mag floats, and a ton of other stuff for $600 not to long ago. There's no reason why you can't add on to what you have though. Just some food for thought

 

[mlwoods007]

skimmer - more or less takes out waste without it collecting on media (filter pads), which build up nitrates and other bad things. yes for reef
LiveRock- a place for beneficial organisms to live and grow
Powerheads - yes for circulation.
Lights- higher intensity light is required for most corals to live and grow. Not to mention they put off a different hue which makes eveything look 1000x better.
RO/DI- yes, what you see under sink. takes out chemicals and metals which = happy fish and no bad algae (big one)
Haha, don't even think about trying to go with coral before you try fish. You'll end up frustrated and out a ton of $. Like I said, fish are easier and you'll learn alot from trial and error if you start with them. It's alot harder to tell if a corals getting sick and not doing well, rather than a fish. Yes, it's the way I went. Things get expensive even when your tank is healthy, not to mention when you have to keep buying things cuz you can;t figure out why they're dying and your tank looks like crap. I've only had my tank for maybe 6 months now and only have some soft corals becasue they came with my LR (live rock). Lol, you have no clue what you're in for if you're trying to start with corals before fish on your first salt tank. hahaha, you crack me up. I'm impatient too, but you just have to take your time and do everything as correctly as you can from the get go, to eliminate bigger probs in the end. I tried your method with my 90gal two years ago, and got so frustrated, I sold the thing. I figured i'd give it another shot, and it;s so worth it if you can do it.

 

[earlybird]

Originally Posted by Knee-you-bee
Just visited the site, and registered. Looks like a very helpful place. I haven't read all of the "A extremely helpful thread" sticky yet.
Just a few things i have questions about and just to let you more advanced guys help me out with the questions without searching forever for a simple answer.
Well he is a list of what i have, i bought this a few days ago because i was tired of my little 20 gal. freshwater tank.

• 55 Gallon "All Glass Aquarium" Fish tank
• Fish Net
• 200 Watt Heater
• (2) 24" Aquarium Reflector (15 watt flouresent bulb) Not enough for corals
• Whisper 60 Bio Wheel Filter Depending on how large of a stock list you have you might want a bigger filter or sump
• Mag-Float Cleaner
• Test strips don't have a good track record as being very accurate
• "No Spill" tube with hose to connect to sink water changer Most tap water is not good for marine tanks RO or RO/DI is the way to go
  Natures Ocean Premium Marine Substrates No clue what this is? Guessing sand. How many pounds?
  Oceanic sea salt mix packages
  Bio-Active Live aragonite (reef sand) 20lb
  Marine Starter Kit (Hydrometer & Thermometer, Marine Gro, Buff Supplement, PH-Alkalinity & Nitrite test kit) Read Sea Salt Read up on buffers and I don't know what marine gro is
  Kordon- Amquel plus great de-chlorinator but depending on your tap water it's not recommended to use tap water and you won't need this product
  API stress Zyme Don't need it. Not very effective and just a marketing ploy
  API stress Coat another marketing ploy IMO

This is what i want to do with all this if possible. I know im going to need to buy more stuff. But, i want to have a tank that has coral, sea anemone, colorful fish that move around alot. I know some fish aren't compatible with coral (a reason i need to read about) Im guessing they eat the coral? I know you need a protein skimmer, and a different type of filter. I need to read why i need everything.
Well guys if you see anything i need on top of what i have, plz let me know and explain why it's needed or a link that explains it. Well im off to read everything on this forum. Might be here for a couple days SO MUCH TO READ.
You will really have to increase that lighting to house an anenome. You are off to the right start by coming here. Try to research first before you purchase anything else. There are a lot of decent local fish stores and you have to be an informed consumer before you can really tell the difference (normally in the advice they give you). Remember they are trying to make a living and some will try to sell you stuff you don't need. Spend some time here and use the "search" function to help you research. Get Fenner's book The Conscientious Marine Aquarist and read it. It is an excellent book. Good luck.

 

[mcbdz]

Get Fenner's book The Conscientious Marine Aquarist and read it. Agreed!

 

[knee-you-bee]

Ok, i been doing some reading and i have the book that yall recommended on order @ the local book store.
Couple more questions that i have.
Metal Halides are way to expensive, $800 for the length of my tank. Do i need it all across the tank? What size do you recommend if i dont need it full length?
Can i use other type of light to still grow coral that i can use my pair of 24" hood light fixtures? If so, what kind? Power compacts?

 

[peckhead]

you would be able to keep most softies and some lps with power compacts. you would really need MH for an anemone. maybe t5 ....
you can use any light for a fish and live rock tank until you have money for pc or mh lights and then you can get coral.

 

[knee-you-bee]

Originally Posted by peckhead
you would be able to keep most softies and some lps with power compacts. you would really need MH for an anemone. maybe t5 ....
you can use any light for a fish and live rock tank until you have money for pc or mh lights and then you can get coral.
Are MH lights that expensive or im i just looking @ the wrong place to buy?

 

[beatlesfan]

Originally Posted by Knee-you-bee
Ok, i been doing some reading and i have the book that yall recommended on order @ the local book store.
Couple more questions that i have.
Metal Halides are way to expensive, $800 for the length of my tank. Do i need it all across the tank? What size do you recommend if i dont need it full length?
Can i use other type of light to still grow coral that i can use my pair of 24" hood light fixtures? If so, what kind? Power compacts?
PC's (power compacts) MIGHt be able to grow soft corals but not SPS and not anemones. Even T5's arn't good enough for anemones and SPS. I am sure you can find some good deals on ----. I found a brand new 72" MH lighting system for 500 you can find one for less than that.

 

[beatlesfan]

I just checked and found some AWSOMe lighting fixtures on ---- for just $330. go to ---- and search "48" metal halide reef", there'll be 3 option.

 

[beatlesfan]

oyh it blocks it out well I mean that big bidding website