NEW to SALTWATER.. NEED HELP with 65gal tank

[kgoodfish]

HI everyone.. have recently decided to start a saltwater aquarium for my viewing pleasure. I dont know anything about saltwater other than what i have read and been told in various pet stores smh.. My brother has told me that i need to take it really slow and be patient (which are two traits im still workin on).. and now that im all excited about this new adventure ive realized that my OCD has kicked in and i have saltwater on the brain til 3-4am for the past couple of nights.. so if someone will PLEASE help me thru this process I would be soo greatful. I dont have much besides a location of where i want to put the tank and the tank itself. i am ordering the stand tomorrow. once that gets here.. i want to figure out what else i need.. filtration, heating, pumps, sumps, lighting.....


Now i just want a tank with pretty fish. ( i know i sound like a rookie..lol).. but i do want to work my way up to corals.. but for now i just want live rocks and maybe plants with my fish.. but i want to get my "environment" right before i add any fish..

[muttley000]

I would get a good book! I recommend this one!
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists, (1890087998), Robert M. Fenner, Textbooks - Barnes & Noble

[Mad Mead]

Hello and Welcome, kgoodfish to reefland
You have come across a great helpful Forum. We love to help and even more for you to learn to be a safe fish hobbyist. Your bother is a good bro and right. (you don't have to say it, He's right) It does take time and you know what its not a bad thing. Just like you said

i want to get my "environment" right before i add any fish..

time is all you need right now, to learn and to let the tank cycle. These Two thing are what you should learn first How to Make a Successful Water Change
and What is Water Quality
next you should learn about tank cycle The Secret Cycle this is to start you off.
there are tons of Sticky here that give you load of info in them. Take the time to read them as many as you can it helped me out. all ways ask it doesn't hurt you or me.
To You and a good Start

[FoMoCo Master Tech]

Hi kgoodfish! Welcome too Reefland. I was just like you when I first started the hobby. I had no clue what to do but knew I wanted to get it done.Keep in mind that a fish only tank ( or fish only with live rock) and a reef tank are different in some pretty important ways. That equates to some big differences in equipment and filtration options. If you think you'll eventually add corals, aim for setting up a reef tank from the start. If you're like me, you wont last more than 5 months before tossing in your first Hardy coral frags.A solid foundation for getting a tank ready to add livestock can be found in this link: Setting Up a FOWLR Aquarium. I know we're throwing a bunch of links at you but research is super important in this hobby. Advice can only take you so far.65 gallon tanks are almost the perfect size for beginners ( IMO, 75 gallons is the perfect size). Read up, ask a bunch of questions, force yourself to TAKE IT SLOW, and watch the magic happen.Heck, I'm over a year into this hobby and I still haven't added all the fish I wanted to have yet!

[kgoodfish]

Thanks everyone...im sooo.excited! I will definitely get the books and read all the links...never tooo much information. Sadly ive already had my first mishap. Bought this"65 gal" from a craigslister but in my excitement I didnt measure the tank and when I bought my 20 gal sump (that ill be building) thats when I realized that its not 65 gal (36x18x23) but a 47 gal (30x18x23). ahhhhhh! (luckily I only paid very little for it and I can put this tank in the livinroom). So tomorrow im headed to the pet store to get my 65 gal tank stand double light and top. Ive been reading every discussion I find on getting started...i can feel the knowledge growing.. Now off to read more about lighting, circulation,heating, and im saving filtration for last since its the most involved.. Ill keep everyone abreast on my progress and stumbles along the way. Thanks again!

[Original Fin]

When you're at the LFS, ask them to show you a "reef ready" tank. You're already on the right track planning for a sump. A reef ready tank has a built in overflow with plumbing that exits through the bottom of the tank, and this makes incorporating a sump 10 times easier and safer than external add ons and other compromise methods.
Its one of those "if I knew then what I know now" sort of things.



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[kgoodfish]

Thanks orginial fin.....whats LFS ? (FISH STORE-??) Yes my brother says a reef ready tank is the was to go also... I found a great sight that sells them so now all I need to do is figure out how much I wanna spend on a tank been reading about tank cycles and its all flashing me back to AP biology and chem...but great news is o stumbled across my stand at a local pet store and nego the price down to 99..hee hee more to come

[Original Fin]

"local" fish store

This hobby loves it's acronyms!


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[Original Fin]

It's worth mentioning that reef tanks can be a little noisy too. Especially those with sump systems. It's not crazy loud, but for those that are not yet accustomed to it, it's something you might want to know ahead of time before planning to put one in your audiophile listening room.

If you know that you (or your spouse for that matter) would be unhappy with a constant hum, trickling and gurgling in your chosen location, there are specific countermeasures you can build into your system. A lot of that has to do with the quality of pumps you purchase, as well as some creative plumbing noise suppressors, but that alone will not get you to completely silent. If completely silent is important to you, then you want to look into custom "in wall" tanks and/or custom coast to coast (calfo) overflows with either a "Beananimal" or "Herbie" style plumbing scheme. Google will bring up tons of info on them.



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[kgoodfish]

thanks.. yes i was thinking about the "aquatic" sounds in the bedroom..but between me and my husband a little noise shouldnt be a problem.. he normally falls asleep fast with the tv on.. lol.. but i will look into everything you suggested thank you.. Also... to update everyone.... The 20 galloon tank that i was goin to use as my sump is now a cute aquarium atop my half wall book shelf in the living/dining area.. * i just couldnt wait to put some fish in the tank.. not salt water of course but still some nice fish to take care of.. simple and elegant.. The reason i did this is because my stand wouldnt fit the tank underneath... so i went and bought a 10 gallon.. *i tried even the odd 15 gallon.. the dimensions are just not fit to get it under the stand.. smh.. but i was able to push rotate and turn the 10 gallon inside..??? dont know how i feel about that just yet) As far as my tank.. since i couldnt get the sump size i wanted i decided to keep the 47gal tank and upgrade to the 65 at a later time.. probably next year (who knows maybe i wont get gallonitis like everyone else..?? lol) Sooooo...now after all the stumbles.. im goin deep into studying about building my sump.. i know i know.. its just small.. i might have to do a canister.. what do ya'll think? should i even bother with a sump or just go canister? ima research and see.. i still have no idea of what goes into a sump but ill find out... TIL NEXT TIME>..... have a goodfish and a goodnite.

[kgoodfish]

okay i know its been awhile but i have been busy busy busy. but ive gotten some updated info.. now that im more versed in saltwater information.. Okay first of all the final tank size is 56gal.. looks like i will not be doing a sump.. i have my tank and i have my stand.. now i am looking at purchasing a canister filter ( i know i know.. i really want to do a sump but the size i need wont fit under my stand.. and im not doing any mods or purchasing another stand.) So i am looking at either a fluval or marineland.. any suggestions out there. ?? Thanks

[Reefing Madness]

Yup, neither. why are you looking at getting a filter? Get a skimmer reated at twice your water volume, and 1.5lbs of Live rock per gallon, and your all set. You do not need a filter. Heck i'm running a 240g tank with no sump and no filter. Just skimmer, Powerheads and Live Rock.

[ohiojeff]

i am new too, but a little further down the road than you are. i made mistakes along the way, and it will ultimately cost me money. i hope to help you avoid my mistakes. one piece of advice i have is to make friends with someone you trust, and lean on them. one problem i found is that there are more ways than one of doing things. if you just ask for advice you are going to be swamped with so many different opinions and directions it will confuse you.

another piece of advice is go big. i tried saving money by finding deals, and what i ended up with were things that just wouldnt do what i wanted to do. i ended up with a skimmer that was rated for my tank for example, but it turns out you want one much bigger than that. i ended up with a 4bulb t5 lamp, only to learn it limits me a lot. trust me, part of that patience thing is saving and working on gathering the equipment you need to do it right. make a plan, as far as where you want to go with this, and stick to it.

[chrisfont23]

i am new too, but a little further down the road than you are. i made mistakes along the way, and it will ultimately cost me money. i hope to help you avoid my mistakes. one piece of advice i have is to make friends with someone you trust, and lean on them. one problem i found is that there are more ways than one of doing things. if you just ask for advice you are going to be swamped with so many different opinions and directions it will confuse you.

another piece of advice is go big. i tried saving money by finding deals, and what i ended up with were things that just wouldnt do what i wanted to do. i ended up with a skimmer that was rated for my tank for example, but it turns out you want one much bigger than that. i ended up with a 4bulb t5 lamp, only to learn it limits me a lot. trust me, part of that patience thing is saving and working on gathering the equipment you need to do it right. make a plan, as far as where you want to go with this, and stick to it.

Great advice. I would also add, a lot of this involves going slowly. Cramming 150 lbs of rock, water, sand, corals and fish into a tank in a weekend is going to get you only frustrated. I am not perfect, but I planned my 90 by playing with a 29g over the course of a year. Made some mistakes - yes. Went slow - yes. Paid off, well, check out my thread and you be the judge.

[kgoodfish]

thanks guys.. but yeah i know all about the pit falls.. luckily im was too OCD so, so far there hasnt been any money lost.. just spent about 7 months reading learning talking to my h/mbfffe (husbands and my best friend and fish expert) getting all the details and all the options that there are out there for me. Im kinda of a freak for information..


Ive purchased my filter its the Fluval 406 I am still waiting for it to arrive.. Next stop is getting my lighting.. I really want Reef tank so i'll be investing in nice coralife T5 light... Then Ill get the little stuff like power heads ect.. and then ill get my skimmer (havent decided on which one yet).. and then ill get my sand (still debating on my floor substrate.. might switch it up to crushed coral)... but first ill be researching which corals i want to start with and which fish ill ultimately want to have in the tank..

Keep me posted on things. and ill do the same. Thanks guys!

[chrisfont23]

I would leave the Fluval 406 in the box and send it back, saving $200 and a host of nitrate problems down the road. With a reef tank, the biological filter is provided by your live rock and sand. The porosity of the rock serves as this filter and providing both the aerobic and anaerobic filtration you would get from your Fluval 406. The nitrate problems may compound using a canister filter unless they are maintained (cleaned etc) so that detritus and other uneaten food/waste doesn't build up.

[kgoodfish]

Thanks for the info.. i didnt think about the advantages of the live rocks.. what would you recommend... i was orginally tryin for a sump.. but the size i need just wont fit without mod the stand *def not doing* and i do not want to get a separate power supply incase of power outage ( live in an area where storms seem to knock out the power sometimes.. especially during huricane season). I dont mind cleaning the filters often.. with that canister.. its super easy.. but it hasnt been delivered yet.. so any ideas on filtration would be great.

[ohiojeff]

i sounds strange, but the rock and sand are all the filter you need. what you need is water movement. without a sump, you will need several power heads to move the water around the tank. i would think four placed on all four corners, two higher and two lower. you want to go at least 10x the volume or your tank. at least 650gph. since there is no sump you will need a good hang on skimmer rated at least twice the size of your tank. dont skimp on the skimmer. reef octopus or something along those lines, a good name brand one. also on your light, i would recommend looking into LED lighting. a reef capable set of LED is cheaper than getting into metal halide or the like. a 4 bulb T5 light is just not enough. i got one, and it limits me on the corals i can keep. go bigger, and LED seems to be the most bang for the buck to me, but make sure to get a good one, not the cheap marineland ones that arent bright enough. just my opinions. hope it helps.

[kgoodfish]

thanks.. yeah i will def get a good skimmer. the tank is in our bedroom and i need one that is good and quiet (as quiet as i can get it at least).. and i was planning on getting a coralife light fixture for the tank..i need one with high k so it can reach deep into the tank. ill let ya know what i find..

[chrisfont23]

There are a lot of good ideas here. A sump is not a must but it makes things easier. For example, if u lay out everything correctly, you can avoid running hunks of crap hanging off of your display tank. And if you measure the water volume correctly and align your ATO properly, you should never have a flood. That is all owner induced my friend .

IMO, A good skimmer is never quiet without a mod. Since they all require some air intake to run, there will be noise . I run an undersized skimmer on my tank, called an Aquamaxx HOB 1. It hangs off the sump and while i can hear it, the silencer they included makes the noise very muffled and quiet. This skimmer, together with my fuge and DSB keeps my nutrients safely leveled.

As for LEDs you have options. The Marineland units are not capable of growing corals. The studies on par for these units shows that they are undersized and inadequate for the long haul. Several companies, like CreeLED and Ecoxotic make LED strips that provide you what you need. I have all LEDs on my tank and the results are incredible. Compared to the T5s I ran on my old tank compared 4 months into each tank, the LEDs are an improvement. They are an investment however, and cost quite a bit of cash to do it right. Oh and if you go this route, get dimmers. The coral life lunar t5ho is a great light. I ran one of the 4 bulb units on my 29 and if I enjoyed it. I think it was 96 total watts with 2 moonlights. Nice light. But it drove up the heatin my small tank, and needless to say my electricity bill. Fortunately enough for me, LEDs were in my budget. My tank is at a cool constant 76 to 77 degrees and the lights do the job.