Hey Guys!

hey guys, i just wanted to introduce myself. i actually stumbled upon this forum looking up info and researching for my marine tank that i plan on doing. this will be my first marine tank and hopefully you guys can help me out if i run into problematic situations or if i just have any general questions. =]

here is what im trying to do.
55 Gallon Tank

Canister filter for my chem/mech filtering w/ a HOB filter as a secondary.
looking at a eHIEM 2213 or JEBO 829(cheap but i heard it works well) & Penguin 350

Protien Skimmer (nothing too fancy)
Vsi-Jet powerhead venturi style skimmer

60lbs of Carbisea "live" sand

40lbs dry rock/20lbs live rock

2 Maxi-Jet 1200 Powerheads.

Marineland Stealth Heater 250w

i will be using water from the tap, i know this looked down upon but i have no other choice. i dont have budget to get an RO device.

any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. i dont have any of the above mentioned except for the tank. im still tryin to weigh my options and plan accordingly so any suggestions are welcome! i do have a budget though so nothing to expensive, if anything cost cutting would be great! thanks!

 

So do you have your 55gal tank?

You have a couple of ways of doing things, this is the right time to ask.

You don't need a RO/DI. Do you not have a fish store around to get water?

 

yeah i have my tank, i have acouple of LFS but im not sure if i can get water from them. i will ask next time im around the area.

 

They have water. Even Pet CO here has DI water.

First the good news.... you don't need a canister filter. Don't even bother. Now the bad news.... skimmers are not secondary, and you need a good one.

There are some better HOB skimmers out now, but thet all have their limitations. The best is a H2 by Warner Marine, but it's a little over $200. Aqua C remoras are lees exspensive and works good.

What would be ideal is to have a sump that you can put a regular skimmer in. Now it sounds like I'm spending a lot of your money, but I'm not. You can use a siphon overflow, or get a glass shop to drill your tank. You can drill yuor tank, but you have to buy a bit.

You can get a good skimmer under $200, don't bother with a canister.

Now you really need what you need to have the best chance at sucsess. Most people on a budget wind up spending more in the long run upgrading stuff they wasted their money on.

You can get a 10g tank for a sump at most garage sales. Look in Craigs list for a 10g 20g tank they are really cheap. You just need one baffle so would not take much.

Next a skimmer.... you are in a good position. Most folks sell off stuff upgrading to bigger and better. Don't be afraid to buy used. (Obviously you need to be carefull). The absolute best place to save money is from a local reef club. Look for a local reef forum covering your area and look at their classified. Put up a WTB thread of what you want. You do not have to spend a fortune , you just have to be patient and look for deals. Again Craigs list. Or go to a forum and look at their classified. I've bought a bunch of my stuff used and saved quite a bit.

Or look for a good HOB skimmer. The Maxi Jets are good and a heater. DRY/live rock is a good mix. If you are really on a budget... skip it all together. The only thing that makes sand and rock live are bacteria. You will have that anyway once you get your tank going. Just get regular sand and dry rock. You will save a ton. Again though... usually the going rate for live rock on Craigs List is $2/lb. If you have a local club, you can pick up rock and sand for a steal if anyone is moving stuff.

 

Hello and welcome to 3reef

 

We just bought live rock at our local Petco for our 3Gallon Pico and we got two large pieces for $20 it's better than spending $9.99 a pound at some of our Local Fish Stores. You could really save alot by just buying dry rock and aragonite and seeding it. Alot of folks pay a premium for live rock and its really not a must have. If you can find it cheap enough though its worth it. If you havent purchased any filtration yet there are several options and you'll more then likely read about them all on here. We just run an Eheim pro series canister on our reef tank, a single maxi jet 1200 for flow and no skimmer and it works great for us. A sump is by far the best option but you need room for it, it can be pricey, alot of them are noisy and above all very ugly unless they are hidden. The plus is that if you set one up correctly it can go un-noticed and house everything such as the skimmer, heater etc. which really cleans up the overall look inside the tank. If you plan on only keeping fish any kind of lighting will do, if you plan on making it a reef tank though the lighting will be one of the biggest investments. A good tip is to try craigslist for alot of the stuff. Buying used is awesome and you can find alot of great deals on really nice stuff, just make sure you test it out before making a purchase. There is also alot of DIY stuff you can do if you're handy. Lastly about the water, check around at your local stores. Most of them sell ro/di and premixed saltwater by the gallon very cheap. An ro/di unit is great to have but its a huge investment and its one of those things that you should not skimp on if you purchase it. Welcome to the site you will find alot of good advice and great people on here.

 

Hello and welcome to 3reef
don`t get to confused with all the info you will get.everyone here will try and save you from mistakes(costly I might add)..after all you got to crawl before you can run....
I also dont see anything about lighting(sorry if i missed it)...you will need to first decide if your gonna go FO,FOWLR,REEF..then go from there..

 

I also welcome you to 3reef, the best website for saltwater enthousiasts!!! Keep active on this site and you will benefit from the experience of others!! Good luck with the project, I will be following your thread... and post some pics if you can...

 

Hello and welcome to 3reef.