Reef Newbie in need of sound Advice..

[treedog5]

Hello all, I'm in the planing stages of setting up my first salt water tank. My number one deciding factor in each choice i make will be cost, i am on a very strict budget but I know i can make this happen. So i need all the best advice that i can get to help steer me in the right direction. I have been doing lots of research and reading on here and RC as well, lots of great advice but no single pattern that i see everyone going by. Here is what i have in mind, feel free to let me know if i'm making any wrong choices here.
1. 30-45 gallon tank (Bigger = More Expensive)
2. Marine Land canister filter C-220 (sump and protein skimmer= $$)
3. Live rock and some Live sand. (CaribSea Aragonite )
4. Aqueon Circulation Pump 950 ( might get 2 smaller ones)
5. SolarMax HE T5 lighting.
Of course i will get the other minor stuff like salt and test equipment, etc.
So, please help me out here so i can get this tank underway. Very excited :biglaugh:

 

[Will]

Everything sounds good except , I would not use a canister filter.For the price of that canister filter you could buy a used HOB skimmer like a Remora or similar. If you just want to run carbon in something , use a good HOB filter such as an Aquaclear. It will also provide oxegen to the tank.... I have run small simple saltwater reef tanks for years using just such things.

 

[Ziggy]

Why not setting up all in one tank? That what I will do simple solution in many ways. That is my opinion. What ever you do good luck with you tank and welcome to reef family.

 

[treedog5]

Everything sounds good except , I would not use a canister filter.For the price of that canister filter you could buy a used HOB skimmer like a Remora or similar. If you just want to run carbon in something , use a good HOB filter such as an Aquaclear. It will also provide oxegen to the tank.... I have run small simple saltwater reef tanks for years using just such things.

Hey Will, thanks for your quick reply. 2 questions for you. I had looked at getting a HOB skimmer but that the prices were getting a bit up there, so i decided to go with the canister that was over rated for my size tank in hopes that it would pick up more than enough waste. Is that good reasoning? also if i were to go with the HOB skimmer would i also need a HOB filter to work along side it to get proper filtration? I would love to see some pics of some of your smaller set ups to get a good idea..

 

[treedog5]

Why not setting up all in one tank? That what I will do simple solution in many ways. That is my opinion. What ever you do good luck with you tank and welcome to reef family.

Hello Ziggy, thanks for your reply also. Could you please give more details in what you mean by setting it up all in one tank? I will only have one tank, so i'm confused about what you meant.

 

[JimmyR1rider]

Do not forget about a protein skimmer and I wouldn't try to save money on a lesser model. Get the best one that fits your application gallonage wise. You will thank yourself each time you empty the collection cup that you didn't get a cheap one.

 

[cmantis]

Buy used! You can score a nice setup with most everything on the cheap if you know what you are looking for and scour the usual places.

 

[treedog5]

Buy used! You can score a nice setup with most everything on the cheap if you know what you are looking for and scour the usual places.

cmantis, thanks for the advice. i know what im looking for but don't what the usual places are to search for reef equipment. could you please enlighten me? I've been searching craigslist, not sure were else to look. I'm located in NC if that matters.. thanks
Thanks for your reply also Jimmy, i think i will look at getting a HOB skimmer instead of the canister filter.

 

[Arnaldo24]

+1 with the money you will spend on new equipment you can score a use and complete setup to run an effective saltwater reef good luck

 

[jcdeng]

All In One (AIO) tanks are usually smaller tanks ranging from 15-30 plus gallons. All in one mean the tank itself will contain segregated compartments inside the tank (usually in the back) that can house your equipments. As if you take the sump, compress it, place it inside the tank in the back. They usually have 3-4 sections so you can put in your filtration equipment; nano/mini skimmer or filter pads in the first, refugium/rubble rock/heater in the second, and return pump in the last that pumps the water back into the tank.


Hope that helps, and welcome to the salty side!

 

[Will]

A reef tank can be as simple or as complicated as you want it to be.
A skimmer will take excees waste (proteins ) out of the water and if you don't have a sump , a HOB filter can be used for mechanical filteration or a place for carbon. Do you need them...? Technically ....NO.... You could do a water change every day instead....But I don't think you want to do that..LOL..I have a RR 58 Oceanic upstairs (complicated)and a 20L in my basement(uncomplicated). The 20L is as simple as you can get.(I've uploaded a few pics, I really don't spend much time on it unfortunately) A power head in one corner and a interal filter with a small sponge and some carbon in it. It has a spray bar on it to supply O2 . No skimmer and I do 2.5 gal W/C on it once a week.It has a small 6line and a clown fish , some mushrooms and yellow pollups. Super Simple.Only problem is a few Aptasia.
For a first tank, I would go as uncomplicated as I could but as most find out , this hobby can be addictive and lead down a road of spending alot more money than you ever thought you would..........

 

[treedog5]

Hey Will, cmantis, jcdeng, jimmy, and arnaldo thanks for all the helpful advise. So far i have decided to skip the canister filter and try to find a good price on a Aqua C remora HOB skimmer and get a small marineland filter to have the carbon in. Also i looked at some AIO units and the prices were really up there. I'm having a hard time finding places to look for used equipment, all i know to check is craigs list. Could someone point me in the right direction for that? Keep the advice coming guys..

 

[Imbarrie]

Buying used is a great idea, I did when I first started just to make sure I knew more about what I really wanted.
I would also think about getting a reef ready tank and putting a skimmer in the sump. You have a much larger selection and they work much better.
The tank looks better without all the added mechanicals also.

NC is far but if you are in the NYC area I will be happy to donate a 30 AGA tank with glass sections that I used as a sump. Its not the best looking but clean it up and it will be a great size for what you want it for.

 

[treedog5]

I tried making two post but neither showed up..

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Reefs

 

[Will]

Craigslist never has much in the way of used reef equiptment. I would try the marketplace here or try Reef Central or Ebay...

 

[SteveZ15]

Keep checking the market place here,I got my tanks/stand. t5 mh fixture and chiller here for less than half of the cost.The page is constantly being updated wiith new stuff check at least 10 pages back because things move down so fast lots of equipment still for sale sometimes the sellers dont bump to the to often.

 

[Imbarrie]

I would not but a used tank. Too many things could go wrong in a bad way.
Anything else is ok.

 

[treedog5]

Hey guys, thanks for giving all this great advice. So know i'm hearing it's not good to buy used tanks, does everyone agree with that? also i can't find the life of me find the market place on this site. maybe i'm sleepy but i even did a search for it..

 

[treedog5]

Dang, just found the marketplace ( on the front page you dummy )....:duh::duh::backtotop

 

[prattreef]

You are doing the right thing by asking a lot of questions here and elsewhere. I would also look into checking out a club in your area. Members are always eager to take new folks under their wing, and there is always used equipment to be had.