Rebecca Posted November 30, 2003 Author Share Posted November 30, 2003 OT- I had a Bearded dragon my room mates cat got him. The cat managed to get in right by the heat lamp (hopfully burned it's butt) and got it out. I found it but the internal injuries were too bad. I do agree they are totally cool. I was just starting to get him tame too. I'm not worried about the money I was just saying it costs more. I plan on having my tank all set up on paper before I buy anything. Once it's all set up like that then I'll start buying the sand and all that. I want to have a few fish and some corals. I really want a clown fish, just like nemo!! Well I wanted one before that but you get the idea. I did at one point in time have a list of corals I wanted but not sure what happened to it. Also if I went down to the pet store and got a normal tube light like for a fresh water tank would that work, or do I have to buy a special one?? I can't really find anything that answers that. I know I have to buy a special light with the right out put and that but the fixture itself?? Link to comment
onthefly Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Back on topic........Silica is NOT the anit-christ!!!!! I have never had a diatom or hair algae bloom......despite the curse everybody said I would unleash by using silica. I know FlyGTI, Jflysmooth, and myself all have silica based tanks.....and we have said in many threads...no problems. In terms of fauna, my nano has more fauna than my 45 ga with aragonite. The only problem I have noticed after 6 months, is maintaining pH....obviously! But I put a dash of buffer in my top off and that problem is solved. SD and aragonite are very expensive on the west coast (depending on area)......that's why I went with the quikrete. Rebecca, if you can get aragonite at a decent price, go for it!!!! However, silica is an option. Link to comment
maroonclown Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Rebecca, if you want corals, a single strip light will never be enough. If you don't have a problem with cost, I suggest you look into a single 175 watt or a 150 DE HQI (double ended) Metal Halide. If you do that, the only limit on corals will be how many can fit peacefully. This lights may seem expensive, but look at it this way: I spent $150 on a coralife aqualight. I could have bought a 150 watt HQI with 2 15 watt actinics for $180. Bulb replacment for the PC lamps will probably cost $100 a year, assuming you change them twice a year. This is the only way that I am aware of, for PC to match a MH light. Metal Halide, for the fixture I mentioned above, would cost about $100 a year. MH is the closest thing to the sun you can get. If you plan on having corals, MH is the best way to go. Also, when you buy your lights, make sure you will never need to upgrade them, by either keeping what will thrive under what you use, or buy MH. HTH P.S., I'm still ####ed I didn't get the Halide. Link to comment
onthefly Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 I totally agree with MC! If you're can go MH + PC Ac03 suppliments....that would be the better way to start. I started with PCs and I'm now switching to MH. Bottomline, PCs cost me $70 to start. MH would have been $130 to start...now I'm spending a total of $210. Could have bought MH and an aquafuge for the same price if I had done that from the beginning. Link to comment
Rebecca Posted December 1, 2003 Author Share Posted December 1, 2003 Ok the lighting totally confuses me. I have spent tons of time trying to figure it out but somehow it just does not sink in. I've searched and all that and think I get a handle on it but then I go to a site and get confused all over agian. I don't want to spend a bunch of dollars to start with. The reason being is that, I might not decide I want any of the coral that need the higher output. I also don't know what coral I want. Is there a coral you'd recommend?? I just want something bright and colorful. Birdman I'm in Canada. As far as I can tell they don't ship here. Link to comment
maroonclown Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 You just made your first mistake. You have to expect to spend alot, this is saltwater, you're running with the big boys now. To chose your lighting system, think of how much light you want, then double it, maybe even triple it. Besides, if you want bright and colorful corals, you need halide. If you don't want to get halide, then you're stuck with softies and LPS corals. and you need a minimum of 3 watts per gallon. Nanos need more light than regular tanks. Think, it might be cheaper to get a single 175 watt halide. Trust me, if you get an opportunity to see corals that have browned out from lack of intense light, you will want halide. Link to comment
xxaquanutxx Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Rebecca- you can go to a home depot or lowes, or any hardware store for that matter and buy some aragonite sand.. Here is the link to a thread in Reefcentral.com that discusses which sands to use and why.... Here it is.. goodluck! http://reefcentral.com/forums/showt...&highlight=sand Link to comment
birdman204 Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 becca, this sounds like your best option for lighting, and you will get full enjoyment out of it for now. look to spend between 100 and 200 Canadian. http://www.customsealife.com/ call and ask for a Can dealer. go for the fixture with 2 power compacts and the moonlights built in, You will love them. http://www.marinedepot.com/a_lt_pc_csl.asp...sp?CartId=#pcml just find the size as wide as your tank. Link to comment
reef_god Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 now here is a question for you, what is the diff, between the 180$ halides at LFS and the 35$ halides at the home depot store???? and i have read you dont always need halides for the smaller tanks, Link to comment
maroonclown Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 The Halides at home depot aren't the correct color spectrum. The corals can barely use the light the put out. Yes, you don't NEED halides for a nano, so then why use them? If the health of your corals and clams matters, halide. If you don't want your prize acros browning out, halide. If you want to potentially save money, halide. If you have a huge tax refund, multiple halides. If you like the shimmering effect, halide. Need I continue this? Halide is the closest thing to the sun that we can still have control over. You'll kick your own ass if you bought something other than halide (trust me, I know from experience). Link to comment
onthefly Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 "Rebecca- you can go to a home depot or lowes, or any hardware store for that matter and buy some aragonite sand.. " WRONG! That is only an east coast (maybe some midwest states too) thing. Here, the all the sands that HD and lowes carry are silica based. To get aragonite or SD, it will cost a bunch to have it shipped. My LFS sell it like gold. That being said, I just saw the Petsmart is carrying a good supply of SW products, one being aragamax by Caribsea......that would be your best option Rebecca. It was $17 for a 20lb bag. Link to comment
maroonclown Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 I know, the HD near me only gets SD in the summer. I use the crushed puka shell with aragonite to give it a "real" texture. 20lbs aragonite: about $25. 10lbs puka (fine grade) $9. Buy a bag of both and mix them. That's the best advice I can give. Link to comment
onthefly Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 That would be a good look....I might try that in my next tank! Link to comment
Rebecca Posted December 1, 2003 Author Share Posted December 1, 2003 I don't have a petsmart anywhere near me. I don't think they are even in Canada (could be wrong though I'm sure someone will correct me) Link to comment
reef_god Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 i do believe you can order off of petsmart.com i am not sure what the shipping is, but it might pay off to check it out, also you can go to thatfishplace.com and see about there shipping to not sure being CAN hopes its helps www.petsmart.com www.thatfishplace.com www.petsolutions.com Link to comment
Rebecca Posted December 1, 2003 Author Share Posted December 1, 2003 Ok what is a retro fit kit?? I think it is a kit to replace the lights in your alreadsy existing lighting hood thing. Am I right?? If so I have a hood the is for my 20g could I just use that and buy a kit for it?? Or should I just buy the whole thing?? Link to comment
maroonclown Posted December 1, 2003 Share Posted December 1, 2003 Buy the whole thing. Good luck trying to pack retros into a standard hood, and then try to keep the temp. under control. Just buy a fan cooled unit. Link to comment
Rebecca Posted December 1, 2003 Author Share Posted December 1, 2003 Ok. Sounds good. Ok with reguards to sand. With sand can I buy the marine stuff that petland sells?? I don't know anything about it (FS is in a different town bout 2hrs away) other then I know it comes in different colors. Would that be ok to use and then use LR to start the cycle?? Link to comment
xxaquanutxx Posted December 2, 2003 Share Posted December 2, 2003 Well if it is sold in a marine store, for fish tanks, then it must be ok. Ask one of the people who work there for some info.. or search the internet for their brand and/or andy faq's Link to comment
Rebecca Posted December 2, 2003 Author Share Posted December 2, 2003 I hate to say it but the store is just like any other petstore I know more then they do. Also it's not a marine store the sand say marine on it. The store is just a general petstore. Link to comment
maroonclown Posted December 3, 2003 Share Posted December 3, 2003 Yeah, that's going to happen more and more. Go to a pet store, and you will know more than the employees. Companies hire 16 and 17 year old pot-heads for their fish dept. It would be nice if they actually hired fishkeepers, but it is easier and cheaper to hire a bunch of pot-heads. Go to an LFS, and most of the employees keep tanks of their own. Aways support the mom and pop LFS vs. the know-nothing chain stores like PetCo. Link to comment
Rebecca Posted December 3, 2003 Author Share Posted December 3, 2003 Ya I totally second that. Although sometimes they don't know much either. Link to comment
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