Tank and Stand

[Darrellthefish]

Hi all.

First of all, let me say that I'm new to the marine side of the hobby but have some freshwater experience, mainly angels, mollies, platies, guppies, fancy goldfish, etc...and have also kept live plant only tanks.

I've always been fascinated with marine life in general and reefs in particular, but never kept a marine tank due to time and financial constraints. I'm now ready to take the plunge. I have the time to devote to the care of the inhabitants and can afford the equipment and upkeep expenses as long as I don't get too extravagant.

I want to do this right and not throw away a lot of money on inferior, unnecessary or undersized equipment, but I'm not rich either, so I'll be asking for a lot of advice from time to time so I can hopefully get the most bang for my buck. I fully understand that the lives of the inhabitants of my tank depend on my commitment, so I will spend the bucks where necessary, of course. I just don't want to spend them unnecessarily.

My first expense, of course, is a tank and stand. I want to go with a 75 or possibly 90 gallon glass tank and a nice looking wooden stand. I don't have anyplace to build a stand so I'll have to buy one. Does anyone have recommendations on quality, affordable tanks and stands that will stand the test of time?

I will, of course, be keeping a sump with a skimmer underneath, and possibly a refugium (I haven't decided yet). I dont want equipment hanging on the back or sides of the main tank. Suggestions?

 

[ChrisRD]

Hi Darrell and :welcome:

IMO a 75 gallon tank is a perfect size for a first tank. It's easy to light as it's relatively shallow and the length coincides with common fluorescent lamp sizes. A 90 is nice too, but personally, if I was going to a 2' tall tank I would get a 120. It doesn't really take up much more space, can use the same lighting, and gives you the extra front-to-back depth for aquascaping.

The sump is a good idea, and I recommend something like an ASM or Euro-Reef skimmer for filtration as they're very easy to setup/use and are energy efficient. For live rock I prefer the Pacific stuff - probably about 50 pounds. Some will recommend more, but it's not necessary for filtration purposes, and personally, I don't like a tank full of rock. I prefer to leave room for future coral growth and for fish to swim. As for sand - my opinion is use whatever depth you want (or none). IME it doesn't much matter unless you're strictly into SPS and want mega flow in your tank (in which case it's hard to keep the sand on the bottom! :wink: ).

We can make more specific recommendations for other equipment (such as lighting, circulation, etc.) if you tell us what you plan to keep in the system. Also, check out our library for recommended newcomer books and a quick read through the beginner's guide.

HTH and welcome aboard. :wink:

 

[Darrellthefish]

Thanks for the welcome. I haven't really decided on specific inhabitants and will be asking for advice on that subject later on (before purchasing pumps and lighting, of course) but I know I want some mushrooms and polyps along with all the fascinating little critters that will hitch a ride on the rock and in the sand. I also want an anemone or three and some clowns. Probably not much else in the way of fish, other than perhaps a mandarin or 1 or 2 other small reef safe fish. I want to keep the fish to a minimum, just enough to add some additional activity and interest to the tank but not so many as to place a heavy biological load on the tank. Basically, I want to keep it simple for now and not take on something I can't handle before I'm ready. I'm sure I'll want other creatures down the road, as I gain experience, so I don't want to overstock the tank early on and not have any room for those special additions down the road.

 

[Anonymous]

First thing to do is decide what are your 'must haves' in terms of tank inhabitants. Research their needs and build the tank accordingly it will save you A LOT of time, money and possibly dead livestock.

For example, you said you want clownfish and anemones, you should start looking into what anemones require (lighting needs, execellent water quality); their habits of 'wandering' around the tank it they aren't happy (which can cause a problem if they decide to settle on your prized coral and sting it to death) and the rather agressive nature of mated clownfish which can limit what else you can add to the tank.

You also mentioned mandarins, they required tons of live food (a majority won't be trained to feed otherwise) in the form of small copepods which you really must propagate (by how your system is set up and keeping other critters which eat the same thing down to a minimum) in order to be sucessful. These aren't really problems if you plan ahead and take them into consideration.

You are off to a great start by planning before you buy anything as that, and time and patience are key to this hobby. Don't be afraid to ask questions.