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Beginner! Completely!

Meggie :)

Meggie :)

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Hey everyone! So after having a 50 gallon tank for almost a year now, just sitting EMPTY (agonizing), I am finally going to start it...today I think. It will be my first ever saltwater and I have heard that 50 US gallons (180 liters) is a decent size...I'm hoping...it's four feet long anyway...

So today I think I'm going to get some live rock and sand and sal and begin my cycle...should I d live sand or normal sand? What do you suggest? And how do I get live sand?

Anyway, I've been reading up lots on here...like all the stuff in the beginner section here...but I have a few questions...I can't really spend a whole lot of money on equipment right now...I'm going to have to upgrade or add equipment slowly as I go along...but I have a heater and two big strong hob filters...will this be okay for now or shouldi get something else as well? (like I said, not much money to play aound with right now but i wan to start it right)...

Please, any suggestions you can offer me would be great (my mom has had a sw before but it was a long time ago and processes like cyclin have changed...or new ones have been invented anyway...)

Edit: sorry for any mistakes I'm trying to type on my iPad.... :rolleyes:

Thank you all!
Meg
 
Hi and welcome to the salty world :) I have a 180 litre tank and for me it's the perfect size to build a small maintainable reef :) are you planning a reef (with corals) or just fish and rock? ( FOWLR). It's always easier if you decide this from the beginning. Also it's a good idea to start by adding as much rock (if not all of it :p) at once, because when you add it bit by bit your more likely to Interupt your cycling process by creating "mini spikes" usually prompting you to do anuther water change to control it (plus I found it super easily to rescape as I gotta be honest I changed my scape like 4 times within 4 days :p in the early days).

Can I ask how much flow rate your HOB filters provide? ... As flow rate is critical with your marine tank, because your live rock becomes your biological filter controlling you're nitrates & nitrites, in fact in a proven method called the "Berlin method" people successfully keep marine tanks with just powerheads and live rock makin sure their flow rate is high, a good goal to aim for Is your whole tank turned over by 25x a hour. If your unsure on how to work this out I'll use my tank as a example, I have 2x power heads that run at 3000litres per hour and 1 external filter that runs at 2000 LPH (supposedly :p), so you add it all up which makes 8000LPH then divide it by my water volume (which is the same as yours) 180litres and it roughly equals 44 times my tank is turned over a hour. So my 1st thing for your list would be a powerhead or 2?

As for the live sand issue I got some for my tank cost me like £20, i can't say how amazing it is tbh I didn't really notice :p apparently live sand in the US is amazing because the life still survives by the time it's in your tank.

Oh sorry if you just read all this in the MARC section and ie just compiled a text wall for no reason or totally confused you with all this :p I've tried my best to keep it simple lol
 
Hey, i have recently set up a saltwater tank, and i'm still learning too

The tank size is good, but what do you want to keep in the way of coral? Because lighting plays a big part in the growth of these. Do you know what lighting is in there at the moment (if any)

I would not use the 'live sand' because it really is a waste of money. (and others will agree) Personally i would go for crushed coral as substrate, it raises the PH, and will eventually become 'live' over time.
If you can, try and seed some 'live sand' from another matured aquarium to get things going.

If you want to save money i would look for local adds on the live rock. Far cheaper than buying from an aquatic shop. (which was my mistake)

The water is alittle different on the salty side. You can't mix the salt with De-chlorinated tap water, because of the risk of metals in the water which will be harmful in the aquarium. You can either buy a RO system, that filters your house water so that it comes out pure, with no additives. Costs around £50 (i have no experiences with these, but many do).
With my tank being smaller, i have a 20ltr water carrier that i take to my local aquatic shop and get it filled with RO water for £5, and then i mix the salt myself.

With the HOB filters it depends on how much turn over there is. Because the majority of filtration will be done by the live rock, there is really no need for filter media in the HOB filters, although it can be used. The HOB's would be used for flow.
I would suggest getting 1 or 2 power heads, they can be bought as cheap as £20, to as expensive as £50>.
What you don't want is dead spots (low water flow) in the aquarium, so good water flow is paramount really.

Have you got a hydrometer, refractometer? (for measuring salt levels)

Check out local adds to find bargains! :good:

Hope i've helped

Gethin
 
I hate being the party pooper, but I will be because I don't mind and to be honest, my tanks speak for themselves.

Don't start the tank until you have money saved to purchase at least adequate equipment and to setup the tank the way you want it from the beginning.

I know, I know, but you want the tank now... :lol:

IMO, a few things a beginner can't skimp on...

1. flow, flow, flow, flow, achieved with powerheads, filters, etc. I don't dislike the 25x turnover mentioned above. Some of my picos approach 40x or greater.
2. Protein skimmer. Most larger systems will need this. Ainsy just wrote a very nice article on protein skimming in the Marine hardware section.
3. Liverock, don't go cheapie or cut corners. It's more of a cut corners thing. You can find great deals on quality LR, but get quality LR. Please.
4. Lighting, especially if you desire a reef. "Oh I'll just start off with softies..." That soon turns into "Darn, I wish I purchased those Metal Halides in the beginning because those acros look soooo cool..." So, you're stuck now with two lighting fixtures... One cheapo one that you started off with because you wanted to save money and the quality one you bought later. Get quality now.
5. Invest in a refractometer, not a hydrometer, more accurate.
6. Invest in quality salt

Sorry, I just see it all the time, with myself too. Just get the quality stuff from the beginning. Yes, your tank'll take longer to setup, but you won't have to waste money on upgrades later.

There is never any rush to setup a SW tank unless you have a terrible emergency. Do it right from the getgo.

L
 
Have you owned freshwater before? If you havent, you might want to start with it. I own 2 nanos, and they are tough. A 50 is great. Use Red Sea Pro salt. Its the best. I also type for these responses on my ipad!
 
FishAreFriendsNotFood10 said:
Beat u gethin an llj muahaha ;) 3 buses came along at once ! Lol i'd go with the most experienced bus (and oldest cough cough :p) of LLJ her advice has been spot on always ;)
Click to expand...

:p Yes, I'm old.

I also like Crazy's advice. If you've not done marine before, go with the larger tank or start out first with FW.

Two books for you to read...

Jeffrey Kurtz's Simple Guide to the Mini reef
Michael Paletta's The New Marine Aquarium.

L
 
Thank you all so much for your help! Oh yea and I forgot to mention we do have an RO system here :) and also forgot to mention I have been keeping freshwater for a little over 4 years now...I've got 5...they are all pretty small though...mostly betta tanks, but I put a LOT of time and effort into them (3 are planted, the other two are betta bowls, two gallons) so I am DEFINATELY prepared to put a lot of work into this tank :)

Just found out that my two hob filters each have a flow rate of 300 gph. If i had bouught my own, I wouldn't have gone for these, but they came with the tank (I got the tank, filters, heater, some gravel that. Won't be using haha, backgrounds, a very large siphon, a pretty nice black stand, and a few other things for $125...so I thought it was an amazing deal I didn't care about the filters at that point...the tank is second hand by the way)...

Well the good thing about my situation is that my grandparents will be putting money into (if not buying all of) the LR...it was my birthday present from them (nice driftwood or LR for the 50 gal, depending on if I chose saltwater or freshwater)...so the money I don't have to spend on that I can spend on other things..

Guppy man, I do see what you're saying about the crushed coral, but if I can I think I might prefer
sand...and the ph in this are is already pretty high...here with my freshwater tanks it's about 7.8 ish...maybe a little more

I don't mind spending extra money if it means i will have a good tank...I do want to do this right from the getgo. But the things I can wait on I want to build them slowly...like a sump if I don't need one now, I can invest money in the future...

And yes I definitely do want coral and anemone (hopefully!) I need all the help I can get with this tank!

Change of plan! I might not be able to get things completely running today...it depends on what equipment I need...because my parents still have to pay off our school so...she said make a list of the things I need before I can get it set up and we can try to find good deals on them (if it's a lot I need)...and I'm hoping you all can help we with that! And also forgot to mention I am getting a refractometer..

Anything I'm missing? Dunno...hah :rolleyes:

Thank you all soo much! I am really excited to set this up! And I hope it works out!
Meg
 
Start up a journal, lets see pictures =). lol.

I agree so much with the LR. Get the good stuff. But search for people breaking down tanks. (cheap!) lol. Might even get some good equipment you can sterilize in boiling water and use.

-Tyler
 
All I know so far equipment wise is power heads...don't k ow how many...do I need new filters? Protein skimmer? Sump? Refugium? Hydrometer or refractometer? Coulhget eg a hydrometer for now and invest in a refractometer later? what lighting should I get? Ahhhh so much! :eek: which of these do I need? Do I need anything else?
 
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