Hi. My name is Shawn, and I'm starting a new tank.A salt water tank, I'll take all the advice , I can get. I have a 55gal, with 2 good filters and all the other equipment . How to add the salt ? No clue , when no clue either .. I'll take all advice from start to finish . I wanna set it up on the 1st for the new year, and hopefully add some fish the following month. A cool dude name Gary did give me some of his bacteria from his salt water tank, which is a great start..
New marine tank
- Thread starter Python
- Start date
Hi Shawn - welcome to MR 
Do tell us about 'all of the equipment' ..what do you have specifically please?
Not to be negative, but a 55G is probably the worst size to try and set up a reef tank..they are so narrow at only 12" wide that they tend to look more like a rock 'wall' when trying to aquascape them. If there is any possibility of switching tanks before you begin, a 40G breeder tank would be far more appropriate in size..and Petco has them in their $1 /gallon sale currently
Do you have an RO or Ro/di unit to make your water?
A refractometer to measure the salinity?
A heater? What size?
Is the tank drilled, do you have a sump with it?
As far as the actual mixing of the water, ideally you will get a Brute (garbage) pail to do this in. SW should never be mixed IN the display tank unless it is the very first time you are setting it up.
Let's start with these few questions and go from there
Do tell us about 'all of the equipment' ..what do you have specifically please?
Not to be negative, but a 55G is probably the worst size to try and set up a reef tank..they are so narrow at only 12" wide that they tend to look more like a rock 'wall' when trying to aquascape them. If there is any possibility of switching tanks before you begin, a 40G breeder tank would be far more appropriate in size..and Petco has them in their $1 /gallon sale currently
Do you have an RO or Ro/di unit to make your water?
A refractometer to measure the salinity?
A heater? What size?
Is the tank drilled, do you have a sump with it?
As far as the actual mixing of the water, ideally you will get a Brute (garbage) pail to do this in. SW should never be mixed IN the display tank unless it is the very first time you are setting it up.
Let's start with these few questions and go from there
- Location
- 10022
1.5 LBS of salt makes 5 Gal of sea water with a SG of 1.023
mix for about 24 hrs
mix for about 24 hrs
- Location
- Queens
First start by answering kathys questions then read alot, plan, plan, and plan some more! All the planning you do in the begining will save lots of headaches in the future.
Hi. Well I got the tank for free.. So that helps me in saving money. As far as equip, I have 2 big filters on the back. I was told I didn't need the power head or skimmer just yet. I have the heater I used for my last 55gal yrs ago. Sand no , but I think I want to do crush coral, so I won't be sucking in sand as far as water changes go. Haven't brought any rock or hydrometer or salt yet..I have 250$ credit at a marine petshop so I could use that at least to buy some items.. How many pieces of live rock do I need? I will buy all my products to set it up on the 1st- so I could get fish by feb1-2014. I like the eels and lion fish can they co-exist ?
- Location
- Albany, NY
Patience
The best advice I have ever been given in this hobby is to not rush out and get things, but to take your time, learn and plan as a first step. Your becoming a member and posting your question is a great first. That said rushing into setting up the tank or buying even rock can be disastrous if you have not adequately planned for how to operate the tank. Even with lots of planning things sometimes go wrong, but the chance of errors which kill your precious creatures is minimized. There are a number of posts here as well as some good youtube videos on how to set up a salt water tank. If your not going to get a book and go through it, at least take some time and watch the videos as they can help to give you the basics of not just setting up the system, but most importantly how to operate it so that the living creatures not only live but thrive. Best wishes and welcome to this amazing hobby.
John
The best advice I have ever been given in this hobby is to not rush out and get things, but to take your time, learn and plan as a first step. Your becoming a member and posting your question is a great first. That said rushing into setting up the tank or buying even rock can be disastrous if you have not adequately planned for how to operate the tank. Even with lots of planning things sometimes go wrong, but the chance of errors which kill your precious creatures is minimized. There are a number of posts here as well as some good youtube videos on how to set up a salt water tank. If your not going to get a book and go through it, at least take some time and watch the videos as they can help to give you the basics of not just setting up the system, but most importantly how to operate it so that the living creatures not only live but thrive. Best wishes and welcome to this amazing hobby.
John
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HOB filters?
You don't want crushed coral, it becomes a detritus trap and you will see your nitrate level skyrocket due to this choice
You don't want a hydrometer - they are extremely inaccurate, you do want a refractometer..will set you back about $30
LR from a LFS is extremely expensive and you would get a much better deal buying it on here from another reefer..or you could buy dry rock (at a more reasonable cost) and seed it yourself with 1 piece of live rock. This way you aren't getting rock that is already loaded with phosphates.
For a 55 G - you want approximately 75+ pounds of LR..some rock is more dense than other types, so the weigh of the rock isn't really an accurate measure in figuring out how much to get.
Eels...you need an extremely tight fitting cover to be able to house an eel. Don't even consider one without having a cover first or you will have a dead eel in no time
Lion fish - interesting fish but..they pack a powerful sting..something to consider if you are putting your hands in the tank. They also don't play well with other smaller fish ...
Are you planning on adding coral to the tank?
Do you have a light yet? If so, what kind?
The only real bad part of your plan is putting in fish by Feb 1. Not saying it is impossible but ... Anyway, listen to Kathy and besides that do a lot of reading. Otherwise you will just spend a lot and kill a bunch of animals.
All forms of filtration can become nitrate factories. Just make sure you clean them. Put ceramic rings in the filter. The best type of learning is hands on. Get sand, salt, some rock and set up the tank. Them pictures and we will move on to the cycling stage.
- Location
- Bergenfield NJ
welcome to MR Python!
- Location
- Queens, NY
I see you'll be using old equipment, best to give it a vinegar soak to kill anything that might somehow still be on there. The power head is def one of the first purchases, need flow in a tank, especially with salt and water. Test kits are always a great idea. with a FOWLR you dont need any of hte crazy lights, but do look into a 2 bulb 50/50 setup to bring out the colors on the fish you do end up getting.
read and read and ask questions then read and ask questions. then get fustrated punch a wall, and keep on reading. remember its always best to measure twice and cut once. a small mistake in planning phase can cost lots of money in the future, and even risk live stock
read and read and ask questions then read and ask questions. then get fustrated punch a wall, and keep on reading. remember its always best to measure twice and cut once. a small mistake in planning phase can cost lots of money in the future, and even risk live stock
- Location
- Swansea, MA
Welcome! This is the best hobby!! Happy reefing!
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