terrified teacher

[skabooya]

ya know the 30gal tank is looking better and better. Its just as high as a 20 but its wider and longer. I would need to get 36" lights. And again the Nova extreme 4x39 T5 HO 36" fixture with moonlights is lookin pretty good again. But its an extra $100, i will need to get a K2 instead of the K1. Thats an extra $10, 35lbs of LR instead of 25. Thats a price increase of about $80 not including the shipping.

 

With the same bioload however i will have more stable params. Should work be crazy i dont need to freak out should i forget to do a WC one week. Every other week might be okay. Will need to research this more.

 

I am reading more about having a group of cleaner shrimp in a tank. They breed and voila free coral food. It would be nice if some survived though.

 

With a larger surface area evaporation will be a bigger concern. So now i am also looking at a refractometer $60 and a glass top. Im not worried about temp because the tank will be in my office which is cooler anyway except in the summer. I can always take the lid off for the summer anyway.

 

Because of this huge increase in $ i will be set back in bringing this simple tank into fruition. After talking with my hubby it looks like we will be waiting until the end of summer to see what kind of $ we have left and to see if i even have a job when september comes.

Im a teacher and my contract was for this semester only. If another job posting comes up i will apply for that along with many other teachers. Then they will choose the best for that position. I guess its just more planning and shopping around and decision making until summer is over. *sigh*

[skabooya]

AHHHHH GUYS/GALS!!!! I NEED HALP!!!

 

i was reading the local paper today and guess what i saw..... 40gal and 75gal saltwater tank for sale includes everything but the water and fish. 400obo

 

So in a frenzy i give the guy a call. no one home so i left a message. I want to ask a few questions so help me out. Im more interested in the 40 because it would be less work.

 

1. is the 40 a sump for the 75?

2. Does it include a skimmer? What kind?

3.Does it include a hydrometer/refractometer?

4. Does it include salt? How much? What kind?

5. How many lbs of LR? What kind?

6. Apista? Mantis? Cyno? Hair algae? Any troubles with the LR over the past?

7. What kind of sand? How many lbs? How old is the sand bed?

8. Does this setup include coral? What kinds softy, lps, sps?

9.Lights: what kind? Age of bulbs? Wattage?

10. Powerheads: what kind how many?

11.Test kits included?

12. Age of setup?

13. Is the $400 for the two tanks or for each tank?

14. Are the tanks drilled?

 

 

 

Can anyone think of any other questions i could ask this person?? Please Help me!!!!

 

Thanks

[skabooya]

Wow well i just got off the phone with the seller. She knows next to nothing about saltwater. I dont claim to know a lot but WOW!

She couldnt answer very many of my questions at all.

The ad is for both the 75 and the 40gal but the 75 leaks and needs to be re sealed. the 40 didnt leak when she unplugged it but its OLD.

The LR is dead, the Sand is dead and has been for a year.

The tanks have been sitting in a corner as a dry display for a while now. BUT everytime she goes down to kelowna she buys new stuff for the tanks.

 

She has a seaclone 100 HOB skimmer still in the box

a "new" 5 year old pump (her words not mine)

Hydromoter (although i had to describe to her what that was)

Salt (no idea what kind but she said the good stuff)

She said she had coral (fake/dead)

Test kit... Whats a test kit?

Lights: No idea there are lots. Some are crappy and some she just bought. Aparently she bought whatever the lfs told her to buy.

She says there is a ton more stuff and she wants it all gone for $400 obo

 

hmmmm. Im gonna go over there later today and take a look although i think the tanks are a write off.

 

So now looking at all of that i will still need to buy

a new tank

possibly new lights

LR but how much? the rest of the stuff is dead so maybe i can seed it?

possibly new power heads

Maybe test kit (Even if she does have it, it will be old and innacurate)

Maybe a heater (depends on what she has)

 

Sheesh i dont know if this is worth it. $400 sounds like a lot now for two crappy tanks and a whole bunch of old stuff, Dead sand and LR.

[skabooya]

no one?

Am i just better off buying everything from scratch?

 

 

 

Edit: just got off the phone with the lfs. A 40gal breederish tank from them is $189 (just the glass box)

they dont have 30gal tanks but they have 27,28,29,,32,33 etc. $120ish +- depending on exact size but all are in that range.

[skabooya]

I spoke with the husband of the seller and he doesnt know much about the tank either. I went with my gut and decided to wait and save up over the summer and plan and get everything from scratch. This way i get what i want and i know that whatever goes wrong will be completly my fault and not from bad whatever i got from the sellers.

[dsoz]

Did you ever go over and check out what there was for the $400? If all the other "stuff" is worth it, then go ahead and do it.

 

Redoing silicone is easy! I have done reseal jobs on several tanks, and if you take your time to do it right (clean and prep is a must!) it comes out as good as new. It would cost maybe $10 for the silicone to do the 75g tank. You can do it!

 

Even "dead" rock and sand can be cleaned up and made into "live" rock and sand. And it would be a lot cheaper if you got it used.

 

Maybe the lights would be useful as well. If not, you could always piece them out and make some money back.

 

Keep thinking about it.

 

dsoz

[skabooya]

no i didnt go to see the 'stuff'. I figure why am i going to pay $400 for crap that i would have a hard time selling anyway. What she called new was actually old. The example i gave was her new 5 year old pump.

I dont want the hassle of having to re-silicone a tank. I dont have the time or energy to do it anytime soon. I am currently doing home renos and blah blah blah excuses house stuff.

But yea it was a good deal but not for the amount of useless stuff she had. It was all old and she told me over the phone that it was breaking down and she was slowly replacing things.

I dont want to deal with things breaking down a week after i set up a salty tank.

[skabooya]

hey guys/gals. nothing new just wanted to say im still here and looking around. I am sooo not doing a 20 anymore esp since im going to Fogo island Newfoundland next summer for 4-5 weeks.

Im looking at the 29gal tank from walmart (~$80) not including stand OR getting another 32gal from the lfs with stand (~ $400). The 29 is 30" long and the 32 is 31.5" long.

I could light the 29 with a 30" sunpod 150mh or a 30" USA current T5HO fixture both are little over $300. I could also stick with the 4x24T5HO nova extreme but im worried about it reaching down to 18" depth.

 

If i go with the 32 (its a nice tank) I think i would have an issue lighting it because of its length. Would the legs of a 30" fixture adjust to go out a few inches?

 

Would i just need to think about dimensions and look at either a 36" long tank or a 30". My lfs has weird dimensions so i would need to talk to them about that.

 

I want the larger tank to keep params as stable as possible. Very low bioload and i may need to look at a DIY auto top off or get a buddy that will come over daily and fill up the tank with fresh water to "the line"

 

Still kina scary 4-5 weeks gone *bites nails*

But hey the 40br is being seductive too but money wise i think i can only go for the 30.

[supreme_spork]

hey guys/gals. nothing new just wanted to say im still here and looking around. I am sooo not doing a 20 anymore esp since im going to Fogo island Newfoundland next summer for 4-5 weeks.

Im looking at the 29gal tank from walmart (~$80) not including stand OR getting another 32gal from the lfs with stand (~ $400). The 29 is 30" long and the 32 is 31.5" long.

I could light the 29 with a 30" sunpod 150mh or a 30" USA current T5HO fixture both are little over $300. I could also stick with the 4x24T5HO nova extreme but im worried about it reaching down to 18" depth.

 

If i go with the 32 (its a nice tank) I think i would have an issue lighting it because of its length. Would the legs of a 30" fixture adjust to go out a few inches?

 

Would i just need to think about dimensions and look at either a 36" long tank or a 30". My lfs has weird dimensions so i would need to talk to them about that.

 

I want the larger tank to keep params as stable as possible. Very low bioload and i may need to look at a DIY auto top off or get a buddy that will come over daily and fill up the tank with fresh water to "the line"

 

Still kina scary 4-5 weeks gone *bites nails*

But hey the 40br is being seductive too but money wise i think i can only go for the 30.

 

my god, there's WAY too much talking and WAY too little buying going on here.

 

JUST GET SOMETHING ALREADY, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.

 

 

 

 

 

[skabooya]

spork.

 

I know but i want to get the right equiptment and not buy once and then think Crap!

I like a lot of foreplay before the action begins

In other words, Im doing all the planning first and then as mentioned in a prevous post my hubby said to wait until the end of the summer so we can see how much we have $ wise because of all the house reno's we are doing this summer. AND THEN i will begin.

 

Im going to Prince George in another month or so SO im hoping that the people im going with will allow me to check out the pet shops to look at tanks and other equiptment.

[skabooya]

Just putting this down here because im afraid im gonnna loose my paper at home. So REFERENCE POST for myself.

30gal ish 36" tank

JLA:

Aqua C Remora HOB Protein Skimmer 189.95

Ocean Master Test Kit 47.95

20lbs Fiji Pink Substrate Caribsea 29.95

Hydor Koralia 3 42.95

Instant Ocean Hydrometer 10.85

Instant Ocean Sea Salt 160gal mix 44.95

Total with taxes etc = 452.56

 

OA:

Nova extreme T5 36" 4x39 232.99

Medium Cleaning Rod 16.99

Total with taxes etc= 279.98

 

JLA 35lbs LR approx $300 with shipping

 

Total overall $1032.54

 

not including tank, corals, and fish

[Whacked]

Get a refractometer instead of the hydrometer. can get one at DF&S for about $40

Hydrometers tend to not be very accurate. The ones that bob in the water are better and of course, refractometers are the best.

That is one piece of equipment where its better not to skimp.

 

The price for the AquaC is a bit much. Ive seen it much cheaper

like $50 cheaper

[skabooya]

I had a refractometer on the list for about $50 but then i read a lot of posts about the IO hydrometer and that even though its off it does allow you to keep a stable salinity. I was thinking of doing what many others do which is to get it calibrated with a refractometer to find out how much its off and then just use that calibration to keep my salinity as stable as possible.

 

And the Aqua C is not the nano version its the actual Aqua C which is more expensive. The nano is rated for tanks up to 25gal. The aqua C is rated for tanks 20-75 i believe. So since im going for a 30 or more than likely a 28gal (36" long) i figured the Aqua C would be better than the nano.

 

If my thinking is wrong please let me know. If the nano is good enough then thats what i will go for. If there is anyone else who also has experience with the instant ocean hydrometer not keeping salinity stable then please let me know that too.

PS i read about the air bubbles in the hydrometer thing making readings slightly off. It just needs to be tapped. I also read about the water needed to be a certain temp for accurate readings. I also read about the deep six being completely awful. I have also read about refractometers being banged around a little and then not working anymore or having to replace one every 2 years or so.

So please let me know

[Weetabix7]

Sounds like you're off to a good start, esp. as far as researching everything first.

I would like to also say that there really is a big difference between using a hydrometer and a refractometer. When I first started out, I did what you were talking about and used a hydrometer that had been calibrated against a refractometer. It is doable, but getting a refractometer was SO much better.

When you finally get your tank set up, you should start a thread on it in the Members Aquariums Forum.

[skabooya]

Weetabix i do plan on starting a new thread on the members forum with a link to this one when i get started up:)

 

Im thinking ill just start with the IO hydrometer since i wont be keeping much starting out. I may not even have fish for quite some time. I will have a small selection of corals so i need to choose carefully because im in it for the long haul.

If a refractometer comes up for a good price then i will grab it, otherwise i will just use the hydrometer for now.

 

Ive been thinking about the skimmer. Because softies like the tank a bit "dirty" and i will have a low bioload 2 true percs only or one large fish like a coral beauty then would a Aqua C nano rated for up to 25gal be good enough?

It wont be as efficient because the tank is larger than it can handle BUT thats counting the water volume right? In a 28gal long with the LR displacement the volume wont be 28gals anymore it would be less, around the 25mark. Therefore the Aqua C nano with the mj900 would justify the tank size and be just fine correct?

OR should i stick with the aqua C with the mj1200. Im wondering this because my hubby sometimes buys fish for me instead of the 'flowers' that men usually get for us when they are in the dog house. Im worried because he knows my fav fish is the coral beauty but i would also like two true percs. Im gonna have 2 true percs in that tank because i think they are cute and he likes them too BUT he could very well go out and get me a coral beauty in which case im stuck with it. (lfs doesnt do take backs very well)

So should i stick with the aqua c remora with mj1200 or go with the remora nano mj900 for a 28gal long tank??????

[Weetabix7]

Either choice should work just fine on the skimmers.

[skabooya]

are u saying that a aqua c remora nano would work well on the 28gal even though i may end up with more fish than i want?

Will the remora be going crazy with the skimming because its underrated for the tank size? Wont it strain or will i just need to empty out the cup more often?

 

Please elaborate as to why either one would be fine.

[skabooya]

alright after more reasearching about the particular corals that i want i figure the Aqua C nano will be more than enough. If the water is too perfect then my coral will starve. Well at least that saves me about $40

[Kraylen]

tagging along.

[skabooya]

I ordered the tank today. Its a 28gal 36" Long x 12"wide by 15" high. Cost before taxes $124.99

YAY! It should be in within the next month or so. woo hoo.

 

Take that supreme_spork

[skabooya]

It finally came in. Im gonna pick it up this weekend. Then i will start a new thread in the members tanks section

OH and i decided to go with a tunze nano 9002. Its $10 more than the aqua C nano and the tunze is more efficient more quiet and just all around better. The tunze name is considered one of the best so i figure $10 more pfft ill just get that.

 

YAY i cant wait but now im also starting to freak out. eeek im worried im gonna do something wrong or my tank will totally crash. Gonna go slow but, someone hold my hand!!! lol.