New to the hobby

[monsterM]

Hi,

My husband and I have decided to add a 55 gal tank to our home decor. We both have had fresh water fish in the past and want to try something new. We have done some research and feel confident that it can be done. This is what we have so far: 55 gal tank and stand, heater, power filter, standard flo. light, and thermometer. We have an idea on some of the other equipment that we need, like protein skimmer,sand, test kits etc.. What I would like to know is what type of sand or gravel would be the best to start with and where should I get it? Also do I really need a RO/DI for my tank or can I do without it?
Thanks for listening and any other tips would be great. I really excited to start.
one more question: Is cycling your tank the same as maturing the water?

[irabren]

Hi,

My husband and I have decided to add a 55 gal tank to our home decor. We both have had fresh water fish in the past and want to try something new. We have done some research and feel confident that it can be done. This is what we have so far: 55 gal tank and stand, heater, power filter, standard flo. light, and thermometer. We have an idea on some of the other equipment that we need, like protein skimmer,sand, test kits etc.. What I would like to know is what type of sand or gravel would be the best to start with and where should I get it? Also do I really need a RO/DI for my tank or can I do without it?
Thanks for listening and any other tips would be great. I really excited to start.
one more question: Is cycling your tank the same as maturing the water?

You should get live sand and rock. A very good place to get it is: http://tampabaysaltwater.com/. YOU NEED TO USE RO water and for a tank that size- you need an RO Unit

[salttanker]

RO/DI water would be ideal, but at the minimum, I would suggest RO water. You can even buy an RO unit at home depot that can go under the kitchen sink. Tap water has way too many toxins and is difficult to manage over time, and brown algae will most always be present. Protein skimmers, IMO is a must for any marine tank, and adequate filtration as well. 55G X 10 = 550GPH would be the minimum you would want.
Cycling - This process usually takes about 6 weeks to reach tolerable levels. Some people put a piece of raw shrimp in there to begin the cycle period. You could use Damsels, but I wouldn't. During this time, let your filtration, and lighting be natural. I have my lighting on a timer for 8 hours, which makes it easier since I'm at work all day. Get a good test kit (important).
Will this be a FO, FOWLR, or Reef tank? I ask this because most people like myself start out wanting a FO tank, then a FOWLR, then a reef. I would start out with, like Irabren said, live sand and live rock. You can even add some base rock at hirocks.com to start as well. This is a hobby that requires patience, so take your time with it. let us know if you have anymore questions regarding setup. Good luck and keep us up to date! HTH

Mike

[patsfan1130]

Welcome to Reefland!

Everyone has different opinions but personally,I would go with FOWLR (fish only with live rock) The live rock is all you need for biological filtration and a good protein skimmer (cpr bak-pak & aquac remora) are 2 great choices and are reasonably priced. You do not need the power filter but will do a good job polishing your water. You need to clean them weekly to avoid any nitrate problems down the road. Add a few powerheads for water circulation and you are all set.

In my opinion,sand is the best substrate out there. crushed coral tends to harbor nasty detrious that accumulates and causes problems. nitates etc.

Salifert test kits are very good and are quite resonable in price

I highly recommend RO/DI water. All fish tanks live & die by the water quality. You could either but a unit (you must consider the amount of waste water they produce = higher water bill) or purchase the water from your local LFS (if they offer it) or a lot of super walmarts sell purified water as well. Distilled water is another option or you could go with what was suggested above. albeit not as good but in most cases,considerably better than tap water.

Your tank does need to cycle just like a fresh water tank. I do not suggest you use damsels to cycle your tank as it is flat out cruel. Using fully cured live rock,It can take a couple days to a couple months (Mother nature is in charge of that) and patience,coupled witht he above is all that is needed to accomplish this.

Hope this helps a bit!

Mark

[the_blue_tuna]

As you are just starting out , my number one suggestion would be to have your tank drilled for overflows and returns. This would allow you to then run a sump , which has many advantages. You can put almost all your equipment in it so it is out of the main tank and out of sight. Having all your equipment in the tank or hanging on the back is not all that appealing to look at and that is what you are starting out to make right , something beautiful to look at. The type of sand you would be most happy with would be an aragonite base sand made up of fine (sugar size and slightly larger) grains. You can find southdown play sand at many of the home depots on the east coast for $3-4 a bag and it is exactly the same as the high priced fish store stuff. How much sand you will need depends on what you want your sand bed to do . If you are looking for something to aid in filtration ( a deep sand bed ) then you will need 4 inches or so , if you dont want it to aid in filtration then an inch or less will do you fine. Live rock and protein skimming is ( IMO ) about the best way to go .This will give you good results and is generally very easy to maintain. The RO water is nice as it will stop alot of the problems that people new to the hobby encounter. Having your own filter is nice because it is convienent , but it is not a must have when first starting out , as long as you live by a LFS or super walmart that offers good water. Just a word of caution , just because water comes from a LFS does not gaurantee it is good water. I know the feeling of being excited and ready to go , but try to fight it and do your research thoroughly . You will be much more satisfied in the end .Good luck , ask lots of questions , read even more and WELCOME to Reefland

[Poseidon]

Yup I would also say do the live rock and use sand (the really fine stuff)

[RayPollett]

First I do things differently. I do things the KISS way and cheap ( =save money without hurting the tank setup).

First what type of tank do you want? Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR), Softy coral reef tank or full blown reef tank? With out these everything said so far is wasted in my opinion. You set tanks up for what you want to keep, not set up a tank and then change it for the animals.

Ray