Woot! I Scored On A Cheep Marine Tank!

[Thunk]

Well we have a new LFS here and he had some extra 50 gals sitting around predrilled!!!! so I had to pick one up, then I kinda splurged and got a 20 gallon sump to increase my water volume some. He's got a pump on order for me and possibly a used lighting system (not a MH tho). I am soooo stoked!!!

Now I am planning on going reef, even tho this is my first saltwater setup. Luckily this stuff is so expensive I have to go very slowly anyways, lol. I am still doing research but thought I might go ahead and ask anyways. I want fish obviously, lol. Probably going to have to stick to soft corals since I cant afford MH. Some neat inverts, cleaner shrimp, some crabs, maybe a sea cucumber??? not a poison one tho , a starfish. And finally a anemone, tho I know these are hard to keep, I really like the clown fish and their relationship.

So while I keep talking to everyone I know in the hobby and reading article after article, how would you begin stocking this tank? Of course way after its cycled and running smothly with some damsels which my LFS will give me on loan.

Any advice or thoughts will be very welcomed.
-Thunk

 

[STD]

Well we have a new LFS here and he had some extra 50 gals sitting around predrilled!!!! so I had to pick one up, then I kinda splurged and got a 20 gallon sump to increase my water volume some. He's got a pump on order for me and possibly a used lighting system (not a MH tho). I am soooo stoked!!!

Now I am planning on going reef, even tho this is my first saltwater setup. Luckily this stuff is so expensive I have to go very slowly anyways, lol. I am still doing research but thought I might go ahead and ask anyways. I want fish obviously, lol. Probably going to have to stick to soft corals since I cant afford MH. Some neat inverts, cleaner shrimp, some crabs, maybe a sea cucumber??? not a poison one tho , a starfish. And finally a anemone, tho I know these are hard to keep, I really like the clown fish and their relationship.

So while I keep talking to everyone I know in the hobby and reading article after article, how would you begin stocking this tank? Of course way after its cycled and running smothly with some damsels which my LFS will give me on loan.

Any advice or thoughts will be very welcomed.
-Thunk

Are you intending to get a skimmer?

Also I would advise live rock and an RO unit

IMO you are better of without the anemone - in the wild they can live indefinitatly as they dont age but their survival rates in a tank is not great

Clowns are just as happy living in a soft coral

 

[Thunk]

Well we have a new LFS here and he had some extra 50 gals sitting around predrilled!!!! so I had to pick one up, then I kinda splurged and got a 20 gallon sump to increase my water volume some. He's got a pump on order for me and possibly a used lighting system (not a MH tho). I am soooo stoked!!!

Now I am planning on going reef, even tho this is my first saltwater setup. Luckily this stuff is so expensive I have to go very slowly anyways, lol. I am still doing research but thought I might go ahead and ask anyways. I want fish obviously, lol. Probably going to have to stick to soft corals since I cant afford MH. Some neat inverts, cleaner shrimp, some crabs, maybe a sea cucumber??? not a poison one tho , a starfish. And finally a anemone, tho I know these are hard to keep, I really like the clown fish and their relationship.

So while I keep talking to everyone I know in the hobby and reading article after article, how would you begin stocking this tank? Of course way after its cycled and running smothly with some damsels which my LFS will give me on loan.

Any advice or thoughts will be very welcomed.
-Thunk

Are you intending to get a skimmer?

Also I would advise live rock and an RO unit

IMO you are better of without the anemone - in the wild they can live indefinitatly as they dont age but their survival rates in a tank is not great

Clowns are just as happy living in a soft coral

I have not really decided on a skimmer yet, I figured I would start with the live rock and see how things progress as I slowly stock. Also as I am in an apartment I dont know if I can hook up a RO unit. All my waterfixtures get used on a daily basis, lol.

Ah thats awsome that Clowns will use a soft coral, That was really what I wanted to do anyways.

 

[Ian H]

clowns will not always live in one though, better chance if they are wild caught

 

[STD]

clowns will not always live in one though, better chance if they are wild caught

I don't think it makes any difference whether they are wild caught or not

Personally I'd always buy tank bred clowns

 

[Thunk]

I also have a few options as to where to setup the tank. I am making a stand for it and had an idea to put it at the back side of my kitchen island for a 360 degree view. I jsut think that would be awsome!!!!! however I have a nice little 28 gallon currently Freshwater that I could put this new tank next to. That opens up the option to run the 28 gallon as a SW tank also off the same sump. maybe for some sea horses? course that would be a bit further down road.

I really think I want the 360 view since I love the fact that with a sump i can run all the equipment hidden. What say you? lol.