Might be joining the hobby, looking for discussion

[SaintPhillipz]

Good looking out man, I appreciate it.

 

I'll be heeding your advice and calling around as soon as I hear back from the seller- I'm pretty sure my local shop will do this and if they dont Ill just go talk to the worker I talked with earlier this week (the one who told me they would take the fish back if i ever wanted) and see about offering him some cash to help after work

[burtbollinger]

if this comes to pass, you also gonna want some new, properly mixed, heated matched salt water on stand by in case something unforseen happens, and you need to do a water change....another great reason to have the LFS assist, and leave you with about 10 gallons of mixed salt water.

you probably should call the LFS now just to see if they do this or not....if not, search until you find one.

 

Also, really push seller to give you a week or two. Pay if need be up front. Shoot the breeze about his parameters, also get lots of pics from different angles so you can figure out how to re-stack rock during your set-up.

any questions post here or PM any time

yeah, hiring the LFS guy under the table is also a very good option worst case....you want his expertise and his equipment.

 

make a list of everything i told you here, and run it by him if necessary...what you need, etc.

[SaintPhillipz]

Agreed with everything Burt has said.

 

If you do pull this off successfully (I do have doubts as it's quite the undertaking for a new hobbyist), Christmas will have come late for you.

 

Hope it all works out!

lol- if I end up dropping $500 this will be my next 3 Christmases wrapped up in one - Started talking to the wife a couple weeks ago about a freshwater tank we could have walked out the door with for under $200 with everything and little to no risk -

 

Nah if i can get it here and the fish survive the stress I think I'll be okay- Fortunately it looks like its only going to be 10-15 mins away so that should help somewhat with getting the water temps back (assuming they drop too far in transit) and *fingers crossed* hopefully I can get some expert help .

[burtbollinger]

you need the temps to not drop in transit. hence need for efficiency, and a heated vehicle warmed up and ready to roll.

 

fish should survive just fine.

 

you can do this....just know that day-of is gonna be a bit intense for about 2-3 hours.

also, the dude is in the process of planning a move....not moving. so he should be able to give you the time window you need to plan this out.

 

Oh...I don't see a stand....you'll want a table or a stand that can accomodate....looks like a 20g long.

[SaintPhillipz]

if this comes to pass, you also gonna want some new, properly mixed, heated matched salt water on stand by in case something unforseen happens, and you need to do a water change....another great reason to have the LFS assist, and leave you with about 10 gallons of mixed salt water.

you probably should call the LFS now just to see if they do this or not....if not, search until you find one.

 

Also, really push seller to give you a week or two. Pay if need be up front. Shoot the breeze about his parameters, also get lots of pics from different angles so you can figure out how to re-stack rock during your set-up.

any questions post here or PM any time

yeah, hiring the LFS guy under the table is also a very good option worst case....you want his expertise and his equipment.

 

make a list of everything i told you here, and run it by him if necessary...what you need, etc.

I really appreciate all this man, for real...majorly.

 

My local store will do it- It might end up being cheaper than $200 . They will do it for $100 min and then it will depend on time but they claim that if its in town it should run me under $200.

 

*fingers crossed*

 

edit- I have a stand I planned on using, it was for a 40 inch HDTV but is solid and really well build and doesnt look like a TV stand. Should hold the weight because its real wood and not particle board.

[burtbollinger]

My guess was $150....but they need to leave you 2-five gallon jugs of mixed salt water when they leave for 'just in case'.

 

so thats another 40. Those plastic jugs run about 15 a pop + the salt water.

 

just thinking about very basic stuff you may need pronto:

you will want to buy a small heater (i like eheim jager 100 watt - 30 bucks) and have a large rubbermade or similar container in house should you need to heat that water and do a water change, btw.

 

depending on what heater he has, LATER ON...you may want to use the nice eheim you get for the tank, and relegate his crappy one to the mix station. bad, runaway heaters will kill your tank. At first though, use his heater, you don't wanna mess with anything like that in the first week or so. (explore a heater controller once you are settled in a few weeks)

 

you also need some clear tubing to do that water change if necessary.

[SaintPhillipz]

My guess was $150....but they need to leave you 2-five gallon jugs of mixed salt water when they leave for 'just in case'.

 

so thats another 40. Those plastic jugs run about 15 a pop + the salt water.

 

just thinking about very basic stuff you may need pronto:

 

you will want to buy a small heater (i like eheim jager 100 watt) and have a rubber made container in house should you need to heat that water and do a water change, btw.

 

you also need some clear tubing to do that water change if necessary.

Yeah Im pretty well off on everything Ill need for water changes, except the additional heater .

 

After all that, the test kits and water I'll be right around (or a bit over) where I wanted to be. I think even with all that this seems like a hell of a deal.

 

Now if i can only find a baby great white for the tank =P

 

EDIT- WOW I'm talking to the guy now and this deal is getting sweeter by the moment. I really just got a steal.

[burtbollinger]

details?

[SaintPhillipz]

details?

I bought the setup for $150 and hes going to help me with everything and include all the things ill need plus help me long term.

 

he said he doesnt really care about the money but wants the tank to go to someone who appreciates it and will take care of his fish- He knows im a total noob to this and so hes going to stay in touch long term and help me with advice and stuff- Will be doing the move friday.

 

..Wow.

 

I couldnt ask for anything more- cannot wait to tell my wife.

[burtbollinger]

nice! congrats. his involvement will make a ton of difference.

 

still check in here, and talk to LFS about equipment needs, etc.

 

Protip. Tell the wife it was 300. Pocket 150 for future coral.

[SelectedByNature]

I bought the setup for $150 and hes going to help me with everything and include all the things ill need plus help me long term.

 

he said he doesnt really care about the money but wants the tank to go to someone who appreciates it and will take care of his fish- He knows im a total noob to this and so hes going to stay in touch long term and help me with advice and stuff- Will be doing the move friday.

 

..Wow.

 

I couldnt ask for anything more- cannot wait to tell my wife.

Man that's amazing haha. Happy for you!

 

Keep us posted and setup a new thread with many pictures documenting when you set it back up at home!!

[SaintPhillipz]

nice! congrats. his involvement will make a ton of difference.

 

still check in here, and talk to LFS about equipment needs, etc.

 

Protip. Tell the wife it was 300. Pocket 150 for future coral.

hahahaha- $500, gunna need beer money.

 

Yeah , it makes a huge difference- Plus hes not giving me a protein skimmer so I can get that all set up as well and still be insanely underbudget.

 

And for sure, you guys have been invaluable with everything and since I'm taking the plunge with no turning back i'll be a regular here so I can learn as much as I can and try to avoid dumb mistakes.

 

This is fantastic, I'm tripping- Now just hope he doesnt back out before I get the tank, he could since I havnt given him money yet and he doesnt want it till we do this Friday evening-I dont think he will though, seems like a really nice guy and I believe this will go through smoothly- I'll keep you posted and post some pics once its here and set up.

 

Thanks again you guys-

[Clown79]

Hello and Welcome

 

It is possible to do a reef tank on a budget but not a tank for dirt cheap.

 

Its not necessary to buy every piece of equipment abd many have success with simple systems.

 

You can do a 13.5g fluval evo which is nice, it has the built in filteration system(i would use custom media which is cheaper in the long run and far better to use) it has a pump, and lighting which will work for softies and lps corals.

 

You could do 2 clowns in this set up, or another fish and goby, or a fish and blenny. Plus hermits, snails, a pom pom crab.

 

You easily can also go with a standard 15-20g with a hang on filter(custom media used as well), get a powerhead, heater etc. You then could do 2 clowns and a goby, 2 clowns and a small blenny etc. You will need to doend money on t lighting with this option. Depending on budget here are some options

 

Ai Prim

Ai Hydra

Nanobox

Mars Aqua

Aquamaxx nemolight

Current orbit

 

you will need to budget these items as well;

 

 

Test kits

Filteration media like filter floss, carbon

Buckets

Salt

Refractometer

Powerhead for salt mixing

Heater for salt mixing

Rocks(liverock, dry reef rock, or caribsea life rock)

Sand

 

Water(either buying distilled or an ro/di unit)

 

The only interchangeable things from sw to fw would be the tanks, filters, heaters, not the sand, rocks possibly.

[SaintPhillipz]

Morning guys =)

 

A small update-

 

Tomorrow is the big day!!!! I'm freaking dying from excitement

 

TBH I was really leery about doing anything off craigslist because theres so many unethical people out there (and just plain evil people too) and buying something used from a stranger , especially living creatures, is something that I never imagined myself doing. Well, ive really gotten lucky with this entire thing because this guy not only REALLY cares about his animals and has taken excellent care of his equipment, but is just an all around nice guy- TBH, its too bad hes moving because this is the type of person I would actually be friends with.

 

Went and spoke with him and we planned out exactly how we were going to do the tear down/set up and we went over the parameters of how to care for the water (hence the fish) and then I mentioned that my wife and I were going to Petsmart to go pickup all the supplies like food, testing equipment, etc... He said not to worry because hes giving me everything he has (and its alot of stuff- Like everything) and hes just going to start fresh once he moves-

 

So, tomorrow at 2pm were heading over there and then making the move-Should be done by 5ish

 

he was in the process of getting ready to upgrade to either a 40 or 55 gallon so the lighting system, pump and heater are all rated for a much larger tank (the orbit pro lighting system is the coolest thing ive ever seen and even has special effects and is fully programmable but its for a much bugger tank and hangs over the edge) so after discussing things we've decided to move everything here and then in a couple months get a larger tank when we have the funds to get something really nice...That means if all goes well we can add sand at that time and get our beloved Goby/pistol shrimp combo lol...We thought about just grabbing a tank now but decided itll be best to leave things as they are and then possibly have more funds to get the best tank we can when the time comes.

 

I'll keep you guys posted and probably have a ton of questions as things progress- Just really happy about this entire thing- Somehow we have managed to just end up dealing with the right person at the right time and are getting everything we wanted (and more) for $150- In a few months we can use the remainder of our budget for a really nice tank and protein skimmer (assuming all goes well) and end up with more than I imagined we would ever have.

 

You guys are awesome- been reading the hell out of this forum and am amazed at the knowledge thats here,

[burtbollinger]

congrats!

I'd avoid petsmart as much as possible....certainly avoid for livestock. for me and this hobby, 2 names stand out. Bulk Reef Supply and Marine Depot. DO NOT be afraid to order online.

 

sand added when you upgrade is ideal. research that before moving ahead...cheap plug for Tropic Eden sand, btw...yes, 40 sounds perfect. skip the 55...bad dimensions, IMO.

 

I nice HOB skimmer would be ideal. Do the research...you can probably get by without one...I think your better bet is get an RO/DI first and be militant about waterchanges....then get skimmer later.

 

If you can find an MJ1200 pump I might have an old Aqua C Remora around I can send you for 30 bucks....no rush on that though...and not sure if that's even a good deal....and they run a bit loud.

[SaintPhillipz]

Yeah we were only going to petsmart because they had the cheapest test kits/salinity meter (forget the name) food and salt- Our fish store has the same stuff but its alot cheaper at petsmart- As for fish, when we're ready for them it'll be the local store for sure because they said that if they dont carry it ,they can order it for me and even if its a bit more I trust buying fish more from them so they can check it out for me.

 

Hes giving us his mini protein skimmer (wasnt part of the original deal) but its only for a small tank so thats something that will probably be needed if/when we upgrade.

 

As for the RO/DI , were going to be buying the water (at least for the time being)since it doesnt seem too expensive for what we'll need with the 20 gallon but yeah- It will break us trying to do 30% water changes with a 40 gallon every week and having to buy the water. Better to just pay a lump sum and save money in the long haul- Now, are the countertop systems decent do you know? I know it'll end up taking quite a bit of time to get the amount of water i need that way but I also might be able to get one for nearly free or very cheap.

 

We're trying to be careful about the noise issue (if thats even possible) since we're keeping the tank in our bedroom at least for now since we have blackout curtains on the windows so theres pretty much no sunlight but were just hoping it doesnt keep us awake- The protein skimmer that were getting wasnt hooked up so I have no idea how noisy it will be but thats something I hadnt even considered... Hmmmmmmm.... Maybe I need to find that out before everything is set up 2 feet from our bed hahahaha

[SelectedByNature]

Amazing man you really lucked out!

 

Inheriting a setup can be a blessing and a curse... But based on what you've said about the guy, it seems like he knew what he was doing.

 

If nothing else, it's a perfect and cheap opportunity to see whether or not this hobby is for you.

 

Best of luck!

[SaintPhillipz]

Amazing man you really lucked out!

 

Inheriting a setup can be a blessing and a curse... But based on what you've said about the guy, it seems like he knew what he was doing.

 

If nothing else, it's a perfect and cheap opportunity to see whether or not this hobby is for you.

 

Best of luck!

Yeah, we were thinking there has to be some catch and we may end up with an algae tank lol.

 

That seriously crossed our minds too- like we get the tank and it has major problems with algae or parasites or something but we figured at worst case scenario we would have to tear down the tank, sterilize and start completely fresh but still the equipment alone would be worth it in the worst case scenario.

 

But yeah, after seeing it and talking to the seller I'm pretty certain we just came across the deal of a lifetime- he is seriously really only concerned about his fish and making sure someone gets it who will appreciate it and care for it properly which is a good thing- He doesnt want to give it up but he got a job offer he cant pass up and hes even having to move right now and continue paying for his apartment since its under lease.

 

And you're exactly correct- This is the perfect opportunity to find out how much I like the hobby and how into it I will get (but man...I'm thinking right now this is going to become another expensive addiction next to my computer gaming addiction)- I just had to promise him that if I decide its not for me (unlikely) I'm not going to piece out the parts and sell them but will try to find someone to take everything over who will care for it properly- Which is perfect imho.

 

And thanks- I'm thrilled and probably wont sleep tonight- have everything pretty much all set on my end and now i'm just wacthing the damn clock tick slowly...too slowly.

[burtbollinger]

reef tanks vs gaming....I was a semi-pro gamer at one point (Day of Defeat)...have not touched a keyboard/mouse or controller in months. (occasional Battlefield 1) reef tanks totally scratch that same zone in the brain.

[ajmckay]

Yeah I'll be paying shipping or buying from a local shop.

 

I'm in Michigan so pretty much everything is going to end up coming from across the nation/world. I have some friends in Florida who can get alot of things far cheaper than I can butby the time its shipped I imagine it'll be nearly as cheap just at the local fish store- FYI we have a really good and highly ratet pet store to go to which is specialized and seems about as cheap as the big box stores ive found online

I'm pretty close by in Sterling Heights - Lots of great stuff here in MI actually. Maybe I'll see you at the Lansing Frag Swap in Feb! You should definitely go.

 

Hey guys, thanks for all the info and replies-

 

ive been looking and found this- https://jxn.craigslist.org/for/5948287298.html it looks like a steal to me, any thoughts?

 

And can I add sand to an already established tank without killing the fish? Its weird looking at getting something already established when everything ive researched has been more step by step to set something up fresh...I want sand though (not bare bottom) but beggars cant be choosers either and this is around half my budget...I'm close to just grabbing this up but would appreciate unbiased opinions from you guys.

This is a phenomenal deal. Very basic but has your "wishlist" covered it seems.

 

I bought the setup for $150 and hes going to help me with everything and include all the things ill need plus help me long term.

 

he said he doesnt really care about the money but wants the tank to go to someone who appreciates it and will take care of his fish- He knows im a total noob to this and so hes going to stay in touch long term and help me with advice and stuff- Will be doing the move friday.

 

..Wow.

 

I couldnt ask for anything more- cannot wait to tell my wife.

CONGRATS - he's basically giving it to you.

 

 

nice! congrats. his involvement will make a ton of difference.

 

still check in here, and talk to LFS about equipment needs, etc.

 

Protip. Tell the wife it was 300. Pocket 150 for future coral.

YES! Do this absolutely. You'll want to get something I'm sure and 1 thing stands out to me. An ATO (auto topoff). Topping off your tank is an essential duty and ideally should be done daily. ATO's automate this and keep your tank full all the time - you just refill a reservoir occasionally. I built my own for $40-50 including the reservoir.

 

 

Good luck with the move tomorrow - do a search for Stevie T moving guide and there's some great stuff in there on how to move a tank. It's not really that hard honestly if you prep right.

 

Noise could be an issue. Cheap protein skimmers are notoriously loud. The filter will have a slight hum. Is there a reason it has to go in the bedroom? You know that's bad Feng Shui, right? Hahahaha. Think of maintenance too - you'll be hauling a bucket of water around once a week so I find it's best to have the tank in a spot where you can clean up little spills easily.

 

My last suggestion is once you get your tank set up post all the details as well as a proposed maintenance routine and ask for feedback. Creating a maintenance routine is important as falling behind in maintenance is how a tank turns to algae soup and things decline in health or die. Since you're hitting the ground running consider writing it down so it's easy to follow until you get the routine established.

 

Good luck.

 

*I don't know anything about Feng Shui really - so you might want to fact check that statement if you're interested...

[burtbollinger]

Is there a reason it has to go in the bedroom? You know that's bad Feng Shui, right? Hahahaha. Think of maintenance too - you'll be hauling a bucket of water around once a week so I find it's best to have the tank in a spot where you can clean up little spills easily.

 

 

Legit. You really don't want it in the bedroom.

 

Living room....not in the center.

[SaintPhillipz]

ha!

 

We were considering our bedroom because tbh its where we spend the most time- Our bedroom is set up with our computers , blackout curtains , fully stocked bar and my makeshift office area-Plus we have a bathroom attached. My wife works nights and we sleep during the day generally and have an odd schedule so we pretty much have the hook up in our bedroom. Its funny too because our place is pretty big but now that our kids are gone we pretty much barely use any of it except for our room, the kitchen and dining room(makes cleaning a breeze lol)

 

If its in the living room we wont see it all that much except when we have guests over.

 

I am a little leery though now that I found out the protein skimmer will be loud- I kinda liked the sound of the water and thought it would be nice but now I'm not so sure... decisions, decisions- problem with this is that once its here and set up theres no moving it so I have to make the right one.

 

-And I looked at that Swap meet up in lansing and I'll probably be there for sure- I'm directly between Lansing and Ann Arbor and thats a 25 min trip tops and looks like itll be a blast.

 

As far as an auto-topper thats a fantastic idea. My mom and dad have an amazing pond , in fact ill see if I have pictures- Anyhow it has 2 ponds, a waterfall and a stream and my dads was an engineer and rigged up an auto-topper system that connects right to the lake and I'm sure he could help me make something like that. In fact, i'm trying to get him to set up a tank too since he loves fish (he just went from an aquarium to a pond ) and I think he'll end up doing it which will be cool because I'll have someone in the hobby and we can help each other out.

[SelectedByNature]

reef tanks vs gaming....I was a semi-pro gamer at one point (Day of Defeat)...have not touched a keyboard/mouse or controller in months. (occasional Battlefield 1) reef tanks totally scratch that same zone in the brain.

That's funny man and same here.

 

I haven't touched a game in a few months and that's the ongoing joke in my circle of friends that I don't game.

 

Granted I have a full time job and a side business with which I have a few government contracts to uphold after-hours... Even without my tanks my free time is limited.

[SaintPhillipz]

-Heres the only pictures I have of the pond and they dont do it justice at all- We actually built this probably 25 years ago and its an amazing self contained system- Draws lake water and filtration is in the stream...Its heated and the fish live there all year round ...There beautiful coy in there and the only danger to them are the raccoons.

 

You cant really see but theres a larger pond on the top- My dad designed this himself and him, my brother in law and me built the entire thing - Very proud of it tbh.

 

Its piped underground that goes to a pump system that is connected to the dockwhere it pumps lake water into the top pond as needed and the bottom pond pumps back into the top at the same rate as the waterfall- hard to explain but basically runs itself except the fish still need fed and general maintenance.

 

 

 

[Clown79]

Just don't use a skimmer. Its not necessary if you are diligent on weekly waterchanges and don't over feed. On bigger tanks, its very beneficial but on small tanks not really necessary.

 

How big is the tank?

 

Skimmers tend to be loud. I had a remora which was great but it was loud.

 

I use distilled water. On small tanks its easy to purchase water and easy for manual top up.

 

When i had my 55g, lugging big jugs of water was a pain, and lifting them for top up everyday was worse.