Some Newbie Questions

Hello All,

I am currently in the research phase of starting a new tank setup. Nobody cringe when I say this, but yes I am trying to do this with somewhat of a budget. I am thinking in the 20-30 gallon range due to the space I have available etc... After making several trips to the LFS(There is only one as I live in West Texas) I had them do a quote on everything.
Here is what they came up with:

29g tank
Bak Pak 2R Skimmer
Aqueon Circulation Pump
Glass Top
CaribSea Seaflor Reef Sand
Cured Live Rock ($6/lb) 30lbs
Aqueon Power Filter
Aquatic Life 36" T5HO 4 lamp with lunar LED (4x24W 2-10K, 2-Actinic)
Hydrometer
Various Testing Supplies
Digital Thermometer
Aqueon Pro Heater

All to the tune of $880

My First question is this, I have patience and am not in a rush to do this so can I do without the skimmer and light setup for right now while the tank cycles etc?

My other questions pertain to those particular pieces of equipment as well as the live rock(3 most expensive items). Is it necessary to spend $290 on the Aquatic Life light when Odyssea has a T5HO 4 lamp with LEDs for $80 as well as a skimmer for 1/3 the cost of the Bak Pak?

As for the live rock, do you need to have all 30lbs as soon as you start the tank or can you add more after it has cycled?

I hear everyone say you get what you pay for but as someone just getting into this is it necessary to spend that much? I have a great job and income will increase as time goes on so upgrading doesn't seem like something I will resent/regret in the future. I just want to make sure I can do this.
Sorry for the book, but I look forward to everyones help/responses.

 

Tried craigslist for anything? Ive saved a ton of money that way.

 

I would go with the Odyssea has a T5HO 4 lamp with LEDs for $80 and forget the other light. I would also suggest just buying some base rock and buy 1 really nice piece of live rock with a lot of coraline algae on it to seed the rest with after the tank is cycled. Check out BRS for the skimmer and filter and anything else that they sell that you might need. There are a lot of sponsors on here that give discounts to 3reef members as well. And check out craigslist for sure. You might be able to find a complete setup already established for cheaper then buying everything brand new at the LFS. Don't be afraid to order stuff off of the internet. I usually save the LFS for emergencies only. Where I live, they are always way overpriced.

 

You dont need a skimmer or lights while the tank is cycling and you can add rock after the tank is cycled. When adding rock to a cycled tank you can't add to much at one time or you could cause the tank to cycle again but a little at a time is fine.

 

You can get away without a skimmer, if you do routine water changes and watch your bio-load and feedings.

Look perhaps at Power compact lighting.

Do not skimp on the amount of rock, get dry base rock. Rock is going to play a large part of filtering your tank. For the cost you spend on rock, you save in water quality, and reduction of fatalities.

You can do a tank on a budget, just keep researching. Look at petco for biocubes or some AIO tanks.

 

Welcome to 3reef. Some people have given you good advice but nobody has asked you the most important question, is this going to be a fish only tank, or are you going to keep corals? This plays a huge part in the equipment. Definitely go with the odyssea T5 light. I own one and its a solid unit for the price. If this is going to be a fish only tank, you can even get a 2 bulb fixture instead of a 4. Power compact lighting is outdated, and the bulb selection is terrible. The skimmer you saw from odyssea CAN be a good unit, but requires some mods that I wouldn't reccomend for a newbie. A skimmer isn't necessary on a fish only tank, and IMO you don't need one for a soft coral tank either. That quote is very high for a 29 gallon setup. I agree with the others, just get dry rock and seed it with a piece of live. That will save you some money.

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Thanks for all the advice so far. Please keep it coming. I am planning on doing fish and corals with the tank, thats why I was looking at 4 Lamp lighting.

 

Some great advice has been given by others, here's my 2 cents based on my exp starting up.

I say start with FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock) & work yourself up to a reef from there. Beginning with an easier set-up will teach you loads about the SW hobby and make you feel a lot more confident ramping up to a reef.

I think the most important parts of a SW tank consist of a good amount of Live Rock to establish your bio filtration and using RO/DI water is very important right out the gate.

What I would do is

-get a mix of 30% Live Rock & 70% Base Rock to minimize cost and let the LR seed the BR.
- get an RO/DI unit (SpectraPure is a great brand $120 for a 90gpd refurb)
- get 30lbs of aragonite sand, live or inert
- fill the tank with RO/DI, put your sand & rock in
- let the tank fully cycle and become stable
- get a refractometer to test salinity (more accurate than a hydro)
- get an API Master SW kit to monitor your cycle
- get powerheads, Koralia Evo's

Those are just a few tips, you won't need a good light for a FOWLR, the fish don't mind what they're under. A skimmer is a good thing IMO as you start adding a CUC of inverts and your first fish. I'm not sure if you have a sump or not?

As you go you will start getting into topping off your system with fresh RO/DI to maintain your salnity level due to evaporation. You will also most likely want to get a reactor to run media that will keep your Phosphate levels down to minimize annoying algae growth. With research you will begin to know what you want for corals and how to support them in terms of light and additives.

Hope those tips help a little, best of luck & welcome!

 

We are just getting started in this hobby as well and found ourselves in a similar situation. Didn't want to sink a grip 'o' cash into it and figure out 4 months from now that we weren't all that into it. So, what we did was go buy a 29g Biocube to get us started. It's an all in one unit so you don't have to really buy anything else right off the bat, and they're relatively easy to upgrade when the time comes for corals and other type stuff. There are lights, fuges, skimmers etc etc you can put in those puppies. Another bonus is they're amazingly quiet.

Good luck with whatever route you decide to go....

 

Plus cube tanks are cool

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