new tank new to sw tanks

[kgb]

hello all i am new here and would just like to say hi to all the peeps out there

ok i know you guys prob have heard this before a thousand time

but could you help a beginner out?

ok i have been keeping tropical fish such as luo hans and frontosas and arowanas and such for bout 2 years and tropical fish for like 5 years and have finaly got enough nerves to try a saltwater tank. i have been wanting to start one for like a year but people tell me that its to hard to start and keep anything alive so i didnt do it . but after the bueatiful tanks i see in the lfs i am going to try.

i am buying a 20 gallon tank on friday and i want to start something small and i am going to university so i am broke except the patetic paychecks i get from walmart.

i am just curious what i should buy for the tank

the only info i got is to buy like 10 pounds of live rock (i dont know what kind to get ) and the oolite (or what ever its called )

but i dont know what i will need for filtration. i have been told that all i need is 2 powerheads for filtration

 

ok but do i need a heater if so how many watts . what types of lights should i get the lfs is selling a floresent fixture for 70 dollars so i am wondering what else could i use that doesnt cost so much .

eheh from reading this so far you can see i am very lost so any help would be very much apprecated that you all

ok i am going out to buy a 20 gal tank

[reef93]

Most important, you have to tell us what you plan to keep for you 20gal tank. If FO(fish only) then you will not need to spend lot of money in lighting. In other hand, if you plan to keep corals it will be different story.

[Satchmo]

If you're going to rely on only live rock and circulation for your filtration (which is recommended), you will need at least 1lb of rock per gallon, so 20lbs minimum. For sand, go to a Home Depot and get Southdown if you can, Play Sand if you can't. Seed that with a scoop of sand from your LFS's tank.

 

For a heater, you'll need at least 100w. Like Reef93 said, if you just want to keep fish, you'll need no specialized lighting. If you want to get into corals, you have to buck up the cash. It's not cheap to properly light a tank, and you can't skimp in that department as the lighting will be your most important piece of equiptment.

 

Let us know exactly what you're looking to do.

[kgb]

this is going to be a coral and fish tank like the ones i see posted here wit the clams and shrooms and such.

ok at walmart i can get a regent power head for like 10 dollars because i am friends with my boss and the flow rate is 170 gals and hour is this good ? or maybe it was liters i will hav to look again . also could you help me on the litghting ?what should i get and what should i get till i can aford the nice lighting in 2 weeks

[Satchmo]

Don't get anything until you can afford the good lighting. You mentioned clams and I'd suggest holding off on them until you have a better idea of what's involved. They require excellent lighting, water quality, and specialized feeding.

 

Get 2 of those powerheads you mentioned an you should be OK.

 

For lighting, a 2x55w PC kit would do nicely on a 20 (assuming it's a 20-long). Check out www.ahsupply.com and www.hellolights.com This would give you enough light to keep most of the "basic" corals. If you're really interested in clams, you might be better off going with metal halide lighting, but this is much more expensive.

 

I would strongly suggest doing more reading before leaping in. Look through some of the older threads here, there's some really good information. You sound like you're rushing into this a bit, which is a recipe for disaster. Good luck.

[reef93]

Clams require the most light.. you probably able to get away with 2x55w retrofit kit from www.ahsupply.com. Or http://www.hellolights.com/2x55wretrofit.html. But you don't expecting adding the clam within months. HTH

[Satchmo]

Reef93-

Great minds think alike You're from my neck 'o the woods, got anything interesting to trade?

[reef93]

Sure Satchmo, what you looking for?

[Satchmo]

Nice. Shoot me a PM with what you have available. I'll do the same

[Sahin]

Hello, welcome to the board.

 

The best advice I can give you at the moment is:

 

go and read the articles here:

http://www.nano-reef.com/articles/index.html

 

Also read here:

http://www.reefcorner.com/reef%20keeping_101.htm

 

The articles contained in those links will give you a very good idea about reefkeeping. They will help you decide the kind of setup you need depending on what you want to have in the tank as corals, eg Soft corals, LPS corals, SPS corals and clams etc.

 

After doing that, post a thread of your basic intended setup, and poeple can then give advice about say diferent makes of skimmers etc.

 

Well, for a 20G:

You'de need:

 

At least 2x55w PC lights or similar

Skimmer? Or skimmerless?

DSB, need about 30lbs sand

Live rock, about 20lbs (Fiji Type OK)

Powerheads eg 2xMaxijet 400/600's

150w heater

 

If you are thinking of skimping on the lighting, then my best advice would be to forget a reef setup. NO flourescents can be used to some sucess, but the tank needs to be shallow and water quality excellent. And they end up being almost costing the same as a basic PC light setup.

Ie for that 20G you can either go 2x55w or 4x25w NO (providing the long tubes fit the hood, add the cost for 4 tubes and 2double ballasts and it just adds up) and you dont get the same amount of light intesity with the NO as the PC.

 

If you want to keep clams, you need at least 1x96w and an addittional 2x32w.

 

You really need to figure out what you iintend to keep and what you can buy for those intended livestock.

 

Well, hope this helps.

Good luck.

[kgb]

hey guys i dont know if they are cklams or not heeh

and as for lighting i want cheap but i will only buy something if it works if the cheapest thing i will get is a double balist or what ever then i will get it . the thing is i am going to cycle the tank for 2 weeks with the live rock (do i need a super good light for this ) and next paycheck go out and buy the exspensive lights . the lfs has a double light setup for like $130 with what you guys are talking bout with one purple like light and one white bulb. hehe i have seen a pic of one on here so i suppose its the right ones (the store also specializes in sw stuff like fish coral and all) ok here a pic of some of the stuff i would like in my tank

 

for the pic i got it here cant remember whos it is so sorry for taking it but i am useing it as an example for my tank

[kgb]

the thin in the bottom middle

[kgb]

Hey guys

one more thing ok my moms boy friend is an electrican

he says he will help me out with the lights but what do i need for them ? is there a way to build the same good quality light for cheaper this way

[kgb]

yeah i will have mostly soft corals and such . i read most of the articles so tomorrow i am going to start cycleing my tank with one 170 gal/h power head and a hundred watt heater (What type of heater ?like full submerseve or one that hangs on the tank and is a 100 watt heater good enough ?) also i am adding rock in 2 days with sand . do i need a really good light then or when i get the coral because i am going to cycle the tank for bout 2 to 3 weeks and in 2 weeks time i am going to buy the good light unless my dad pays me the 200 he owes me .

but yeah do i need any thing else and got any tips on seting up the tank

[kgb]

yeah i will have mostly soft corals and such . i read most of the articles so tomorrow i am going to start cycleing my tank with one 170 gal/h power head and a hundred watt heater (What type of heater ?like full submerseve or one that hangs on the tank and is a 100 watt heater good enough ?) also i am adding rock in 2 days with sand . do i need a really good light then or when i get the coral because i am going to cycle the tank for bout 2 to 3 weeks and in 2 weeks time i am going to buy the good light unless my dad pays me the 200 he owes me .

but yeah do i need any thing else and got any tips on seting up the tank

[Satchmo]

A 100w heater would do, but if you haven't bought it yet, get the next size up. Ebu Jager would be my recommendation. If you have an electrition to help you set up the lights, he'll know what you need in terms of ballasts and wiring. But keep in mind you have to use reef-appropriate bulbs. You should buy these online or from a LFS. Bulbs from the hardware store are not going to cut it. They have to burn at the correct color temperature for corals to properly use them. All this information is well-covered in the articles here.

 

I would wait on getting the rock until you have your lighting set up. LR typically comes with all sorts of photosynthetic life on it that you will loose if kept in the dark for three weeks. And there's really no reason to cycle now, as you'll only have to do it again once you add the LR.

 

DON'T BE IN A RUSH. I wouldn't even set the tank up yet until you can afford everthing you need. In the meantime, become a knowledge sponge. Get a book and search through the web and read, read, read. Have fun.

[kgb]

hey there

heh ok i am not trying to rush in and i dont plan on sdoing that.

it might sound like it by i am really controlling my self eheh

ok i got 190 dollars to buy a light .I got a 20 gallon tank with glass lid, 170 g al/h power head , 250 skilter, broken coral.2 lfs told me i dont need a heater ? no clue but yeah this is what i got and have been reading up on sw.any one have any web sites or links that have lots of info

 

also do i need the skilter ?

also any tips on starting the tank or any other such stuff .

[kgb]

hehe still havent put water in just waiting for some more funds

but yeah is there any mopre sites any one can recommend ? or any other info you could give me

[NaNO ReeFiN]

Originally posted by kgb

the thin in the bottom middle

 

You want Green Star Polyps...? Those are pretty hardy and look awesome, that was my first coral..

[kgb]

hehe man i think they are the best

but yeah any one have an opion on ther setup i got going so far

[LookItsTT]

"ok i got 190 dollars to buy a light "

 

 

man wit that u can get MH! but i wouldn't recommend u getting it now...hehe

[J-Bass]

Get a Pro-Heat Titanium Heater by Won Bros. Usually go for around $25 on most online stores. They came out with a new digital one for like 10 bucks more(fishsupply.com).