hey guys im saltyguy NEWBIE!!!

[saltyguy]

hey all i just recently fell into the fish aquarium life ive always been a freshwater but now i wanna step up to the big saltwater tanks! Im a sophmore in college and work a great job, went to a local fish shop and i am now hooked!!!!!

Anywho i have been reading alot and trying to gain all the knowledge i can about them before persuing i had a friend tell me of this website so long and behold here i am! so my question is....

i plan on doing a 40 gallon tank with a 10 gallon refugie(sorry if its not spelled right) i hear thats the best..
but i need to know what all i need to get it started i wanna do i couple live rock and some dummie rock im mainly wanting a fish tank setup ive got my eyes on a couple fish but still reading on wether not they will be ok to keep together

also i am doing a 15 gallon quarintine tank i hear its the way to go!

anywho i need help ive seen some pretty sick setups and would really appreciate the help from you all knowing salty guys lol so thanks for reading

AND I AM A NEWBIE I KNOW NEXT TO NOTHING so if i say something crzy lmk THANKS FELLOW members!!!!!!

 

[dine]

Sounds like you Want a fowlr (fish only with live rock) tank. I would skip that dummy Rock and stay with actual live Rock. Can't have too much natural filtration.

Also be certain the coral bug won't bite. There are some really cool fish having a fish only tank will allow, but if you decide later you want coral they may not mix well.

As far as size goes the bigger the better (thats what she...nvm). Bigger water volumes allow for a larger margin of error. Smaller tanks react more drastically to problems and can be more difficult for the beginner. You can add to your water volume by increasing your display tank size or your sump/fuge size.

Best advice I can give is this. Go slow. Find someone in the area that has a setup you like. Ask questions. Research equipment. This hobby can get expensive and buying things twice because you "wish you would have done it different" doesn't help. Keep the sump easily accessible. Know what maintenance you will be doing on a regular basis and plan that into your setup. Make sure you keep the daily, weekly, and monthly routine as simple as you can. The easier the maintenance the more likely you are to do it.

Welcome!

 

[saltyguy]

thanks for the tips dine so bigger setup then what would you do as far as begginer? 55 gal

and thanks again!

 

[frantz]

Welcome to the club, the bite is nasty and its contagious! You're on the right track with research. I am a book guy and read probably 10 books before I started. Sure, they all say pretty much the same thing, but reading the first one, half the material went way over my head! I would recommend at least a 20g sump/fuge. The 10g will barely have room for a good sized pump and skimmer, all of a sudden you'll be out of room for the natural filtration! On that note, while you're getting started think of the filtration as your body when you want to lose weight. Calories in, calories out. It's an over simplification but it works. Nutrients in (fish food) nutrients out (skimmer, filter, algae, ect). Water changes are you friend! Also, if you can, get a drilled tank for drain and return, they are so much nicer to deal with IMO. As you learn more don't be shy about asking questions. There are some good newb questions answered in many sticky post, and if you read what others are asking in the beginners section you'll find alot of the questions you have (or should have) are the same. Good luck!

 

[dine]

I think 40 is doable. 55 is better. 120 is better still. Of course space in your home has to be considered and while we all want 1000g systems there comes a point where space and maintenance become more then is reasonable. I'd go as big as you can

 

[saltyguy]

thanks frantz! yea i saw a drilled tank is that for the overflow???????

Edit: saw this http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/images/graphics/marineaquarium.jpg

i have the four layer filtration i got for free literally would this setup work????

 

[frantz]

indeed it is. The problem with a HOB (hang on back) overflow is that in time air bubbles get trapped in the siphon and can cause the siphon to fail.. then the pump empties the sump and nothing goes back to sump, often leaving a small flood and a burnt out pump. Drilled tanks are also a cleaner look.

 

[saltyguy]

Hey dine i would love to do a big arse tank but i live in a apprtment on the third floor and yea haha but i was looking at doing a 55 gallon at my dads lol he said maybe haha so who knows

Edit: frantz ahhh i see and sounds like the best way and thats smart!

 

[dine]

If 40 is what you have room for by all means do a 40. I just wanted you to know how it worked. A lot of new people think starting smaller is better when it's actually the opposite. If this was a 2 gallon tank I'd tell you you must go bigger to start. A 40 though is different, if that's what you have room for do it. I agree with the drilled tank and also agree with a larger sump. You get more water volume and you get more room for equipment.

 

[saltyguy]

ok yea but why is biigger better fish tanks that is...
and then ill do a 20 but did you see the pic????

 

[dine]

Think of it this way. If you had a 1 gallon tank and Put 1 drop of red food coloring the tank would turn red right? But if you had a 100g tank not much would change. That concept applies to any changes in water chemistry. The larger the tank the less it's affected by change and thus the more wiggle room you have.

 

[saltyguy]

ahh i see thanks for the info dine!

i think a 55 gallon is what ill look for then !

what do you think of //of the above pic??

>http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/images/graphics/marineaquarium.jpg</a>

 

[dine]

i think that would work but thats not how i would do it. i would do away with the cannister filter all together. the uv sterilizer wouldnt hurt but there are plenty of people that dont run one so i would say optional. to keep it simple id have the skimmer in the sump. under the stand is a tight place so having the skimmer in sump can help.

this is roughly the setup id use in terms of flow. i wouldnt worry about the fuge so much. that can go various places for various reasons.

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[rdnelson]

Lot of great responses in this thread. Welcome to ARC and good luck. Pay attention to the advice these guys and other give you and you will have a gorgeous tank in no time. If I could, I would reiterate one thing Dine said early on. Be very sure you wont want a reef tank (with corals) before you start buying fish. Go look at some tanks that are full of corals. I know in my case, as much as I love some of the fish that are not reef safe, I couldn't do fowlr unless it was a second tank. When I started it was about the fish, now it is all about the corals. LOL

 

[picoreefguy]

i agree with rich and dine most people that i know that started with FOWLR tanks end up going reef so be absolutly sure and if you think you might want to do a reef down the road but just want fish for now than go with fish that you know will not bother corals that way there wont be much of a problem later

 

[snowmansnow]

allow for corals in the future and build the system from there....

just my opinion, but chances are you're gonna want corals at some point.

b

 

[ripped tide]

I would choose a 40breeder or a 65 or 75 over a 55.

55s are tall and narrow(only 12" from front to back), and this makes it extremely difficult to aqua scape. I would leave the 55 at petsmart for someone with an oscar... Or 5.

The other three tank sizes are 18" from front to back and this makes it a lot easier When you aRe trying to build your aqua scape.

 

[saltyguy]

sorry guys ive been busy visiting the few saltwater only places here in oakwood i found the guys at atlanta aquarium are awesome and so are the old dudes at avarium sweet places!!!!

Also thank you to all that have commented and helped me !!!!!! love the site !!!


and another note ive changed my ideas to go coral i wanna try something with a coral wall nothing big but just so you see i have coral and i wanna try a hangover filter with a water jet to move the water, any thoughts ? if not ill probably just buy a tank set up with a overflow will take time unless someone can help put a hole in a glass bottom tank thanks

thanks again to all who are giving me great advice