New To The Salty Side

[sOul]

Hello all!

This is momentous day. I have made my mind up. After keeping Trops for years and wanting, nay yearning for a Marine tank, I have decided to take the plunge. Helped in no small way by sitting reading this forum for the past 2 nights. Seffie and Trod's journey into the saltyness had me at some points wanting to get in the car, zoom to my lfs and get cracking as soon as possibly able (Though this was at 4am and I didn't fancy the wait in the cold, so I had a hot chocolate and went to bed instead).

So.... Onto the journal (hopefully I'll keep it updated and I pray you'll all bare with me through my impatience, joy, tears and tantrums)


Stage 1 - Decisions

I already own a blank canvas. It's a 20"(w) x 20"(l) x 32"(h)(!!) - Aprox 200L. Custom built tank. Here she is:

I only mention it in passing as I'm now trying to flog it! ha! The reason being I don't think the tank will be suitable for keeping any sort of Nano. The height of the #41#### thing is just too much and I can see it being a real nightmare with regards to light penetration at that depth. Plus the fact I'd have to go out and purchase filter, skimmer, heater, and everything else to boot.

Thus... I've decided to purchase, the one.... the only.... Buyo Orca TL 550! I've seen the pics, I've read the reviews and I think it's going to be my best option as a Salty newbie on my onward journey to Rocky, coraly, fishy heaven.


Stage 2 - Initial Purchasing Plans

1. I intend to visit my lfs and purchase the Orca 550 in the next few days.
2. I guess I'm ready to rock? The tank is plug and play. But is it really? Do I need to get anything else before my camping shop visit and the Water container, RO water filling up stage?
3. Sand and LR - Do I get this at the same time as my water?









Disclaimer: I've kept Fish before, but am a total newbie to Marine - I WILL ask lots of questions

 

[SchottayB]

Hey I know how you feel reading through other peoples progress makes you want to do more with your tank!

I'm not a salty person but I love reading everyones progress, I will be following this one!

Goodluck

 

[sorgan]

that tank looks amazing! would be great for seahorses and pipefish!

if you got a MH over it then corals would be fine

filter can be scrapped as we dont use em
what you would need is a few powerheads, heater and a HOB skimmer, maybe a thin internal jobby!
the things i could do with gorgs in that tank but alas if you mind is set on orca's....

 

[seffieuk]

and thanks for reading the journel - we had a lot of fun with those tanks and we both miss them

As Sorgan said, that tank could be used with metal halides, but to be honest it would be a total trying to get to the bottom of the tank, to move things around etc and we on the salty side do like to move stuff around

However have you considered just buying a good old bog standard tank, with t5 lighting or even better looking out for someone selling a godiva or the like second hand?

You asked about the sand, ro water and live rock - you can buy your live rock at any time, as long as you have somwhere to store it with heat and a powerhead, when I upgraded I kept rock in plastic containers and someone on here kept theirs in a bath!

So, you put your water in, bring up to temp and SG, laeve for at least 12 hours, then in goes the rock, shortly followed by the sand

Re: other stuff to buy, refractometer and test kits

Looking forward to watching your progress and on board