I just got a tank for free. What do need to buy.

[joedokes28]

I got this tank for free and want to set it up for saltwater. My plans for this tank are FOWLR. I want something relatively easy to take care of. Here's pics of what I got:
http://members.cox.net/joedokes28/tank/tank2.JPG
http://members.cox.net/joedokes28/tank/filter.JPG
http://members.cox.net/joedokes28/tank/lights1.JPG

I think it's a 55gal. I just went to the LFS and they recommended a fluval 304 and a powerhead. The filter was $119 and the powerhead was about $30. I wanna keep this setup under $400 if possible. Any advice is appreciated.

Sorry about the size of the pics.

[nanoman123]

for a FOWLR your gonna want some form of actinic lighting. VHOs would be good. for a 55 gal mabye like a 30-40 watt VHO would be good.
(the lighting would be probably around 100$)

depending on the fish you get, you probably would want a skimmer.
i reccomend the aqua C remora for your skimmer.

get some test kits, salt (i reccomend IO), sand (live if you have the money) any stuff that you would need to dose, and just stay away from tap water. use distilled. for fish ill leave that decision up to you :)

good luck with your tank and welcome to coralforum!!

~Matt~

[joedokes28]

So would recommend going with a canister type filter or something else.

What the diff between live sand and crushed coral other than appearance?

Thanks for the advice.

[MikeS]

Nice looking tank for free! :D Welcome to the Forum and to the hobby!

For a FOWLR, those existing lights will do, I'd replace the bulbs and get new ones, a good mix for a twin tube assembly like that would be a 6500K daylight lamp and an "actinic" lamp. However, like Matt said, if you wish to keep any photosynthetic corals down the road, an upgrade to VHO, T5, PC's or even MH (depending on what you want to keep) will be necessary. And an upgrade in lights now for the FOWLR tank won't hurt a bit if you can afford it.

Ok....filtration and circulation...

skip the Fluval, it will become a nitrate factory. All the filtration you will need you can get from enough live rock (about 1-1.5lbs per gallon), a good skimmer, and adequate water circulation. So if that's a 55 gal, you'll want between 50-80 lbs of live rock. This will probably be your single largest expense.

The AquaC remora is a great skimmer for a tank your size, usually priced around $200., give or take a few dollors. The CPR Bak Pak is also a good skimmer, priced usually around $130, give or take. Avoid the older counter current airpump driven skimmers, avoid the Skilter, and avoid the VisiJet, they all are pretty much worthless in a tank your size.

Circulation- you'll need about 10-15 times the volume of your tank in GPH of circulation, so around 500-750 GPH total circulation in a 55 gallon. This figure can be the combined total of your powerheads and skimmer. Maxijet make good, affordable powerheads...2 maxijet 900's or 1200's should do the trick. (about $15-$20 apiece)

Substrate....

First....you will not need that unergravel filter that is at the bottom of your tank, remove it. UGF's tend to become problematic in most marine tanks.

Most marine tank keepers put some sort of substrate in the bottom of the tank. They vary from a shallow layer intended mostly for looks with some areobic biological benefits, to 4"-6" deed sand beds intended to provide anerobic conditions for nitrate reduction. The choice is up to you. If you choose to use a deep sand bed, be sure to do a lot of research on the topic before making that commitment. DSB's are not a magic cure-all and they are not perfect, don't make the decision to use one lightly...here's a thread that will help get you started researching on that topic...
http://www.coralforum.com/ftopic1687.html

Crushed coral and aragonite sand are two popular substrate media. Of the two, I recommend aragonite sand.

Heater....get a good heater, it's probably one of the most important pieces of equipment. I have used both Acura and AS Visitherms, both are good heaters, you'll need one in the 150-200 watt range. Either will run about $15-20.

As Matt said, you'll need test kits...Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, calcium, alkalintiy. Other helpfull kits to have for the FOWLR would be phosphate and magnesium. You'll also need a hydrometer to measure the specific gravity of the water.

Other helpfull items include 5 gallon buckets, a turkey baster (no tank should be without one... :D ) Hose for siphoning, magnet glass cleaner, gloves for handling LR, and a net or two.
Another very good investment is an RO/DI filter for water, tap water should not be used in the marine tank.

Here are a few articles on getting set up...and there are plenty more in our article section...

http://www.coralforum.com/cms_articles.php?cid=9

http://www.coralforum.com/reference48.html

Remember, take your time, do your research, and good luck!

MikeS

[nanoman123]

man u sure did forget alot of stuff lol. i think i just learned some stuff too :)

u said gloves for handling LR? is that just to protect your hands? or does it help to not damage life on the rock? because i dont use gloves. if its healthier for the rock to use gloves then i better go get some (im planning out osme aquascaping ideas)

sorry i dont mean to throw this thread off-topic.



joedokes do you plan on setting up a sump or a wet dry of some kind?

not to jump to far ahead, but what do you plan on getting for cleaning crew? are you going to get any preditory fish?

~Matt~

[joedokes28]

Matt, not sure what you mean by a sump or wet-dry. I haven't really thought about fish yet. I'll probably just have damsels in there for a while until it becomes stable. What type of organism do you recommend for the "cleanup crew"?

Also, can I buy uncured live rock online and cure it in my tank since I'm starting from scratch?

[nanoman123]

a sump or wet/dry is a filteration system. its a tank with LR, LS, bio-balls, skimmer, whatever. water from your tank is drained into it. then, a pump will pump the water back into your tank. its a method of natural filteration. you could probably find mroe about this off the internet, or from a fellow coralforum member.

as for cleanup crew, your gonna want lots of hermits, and snails. possible some cleaner shrimp and crabs too. but, you might not be able to get some of these depending on the fish you get.

good luck with your tank and have fun with it! keep us informed about it! :)


~Matt~

[MikeS]

On the sump....this is probably a piece of equipment you can always add later, not really necessary IMO in the beginning.

Matt...I always wear gloves when working in the tank, not just to protect the LR and corals, but for my protection as well. There are a multitude of stinging critters on LR, and some corals can pack a bit of a punch as well. Cutting your hand on LR can cause a pretty nasty infection, I got a bad one once from a LR cut. Gloves are a must have item when working in the tank, IMO. :D

Mike