Newbie with Questions

[Narmical]

Hi!

Im new to the board and aqurium keping in general. For the pase few months ive been slowly researching and preparing to set up a system of my own. I just found out about this site yesterday and it seems like a great place (esp because i live in manhattan). Ill give a rundown of the decisions ive made so far, and then ill ask a bunch of questions.

one thing to keep im mind, im a PhD student, so budgeting is a BIG issue for me.

Physical Setup

55g Glass Tank
350B Penguin Bio-Wheel Filter (330 gph recommended for 70g tank)
Prizm Protein Skimmer (recommended for 90g tank)
sweeping head power head (160 gph to have more water circulation in the tank)
200 watt submersible heater
150 lbs of Tropical Play Sand (its aragonite sand but less expensive because its marketed for sand boxes, i plan to have a deep sand bed, i estimate this will be enough for the task)

Other Things On The Shopping List

Thermometer
Water Quality Test Kit
Salt Mix
Hydrometer
Hose

Live Rock (as much as i can get for 50 to 100 dollars, i realize this is not much, but I'm on a budget and cant afford more)

Livestock

Cerith Snail 20
Turbo Snails 20
Peppermint shrimp 2

Chocolate Chip Star Fish (this is the main animal i want to keep)

Questions
Sump?
Should i or should i not. I purchsed a 20g tall tank off craigs list yesterday with the intention of builing a sump out of it. Im not extremly handy but i have friends that are (one is a set builder, the other is a head custdian of an elimentry school). If i do build a sump, would the sump remove the need for the bio-wheel filter? From my research it seems like it could. If it can, what design conciderations are there to get the sump to fill this role.

Lighting?
As im not planing to have any light requrering animals would just normal incandesant or floresant lighting suffice?

Stand?
If i do get a sump, id like some place to hide it away. However the cabinate type stands can be very expensive. Any sugestions on where i could posibly get a cheeper cabinate type stand?

Live Rock?
any advice on the amount of live rock would be great.

Thanks in advance for any help

 

[Awibrandy]

Hi there! Welcome to MR! I'm sure it was just a slip that your thread didn't get noticed. I will give it my best shot at answering some of your questions, and I'm sure others will chime in, and correct me where ever I messed up.
Good you are doing your research first.
Sump is a much better option, you will also need a overflow box and a pump for the return.
Lighting is upto you as long as you don't plan on any corals, or anemone.
Stand, I imagine you are getting the metal stand w/the tank. If so you can make a skirt with three pieces of plywood, or osb, and paint it. Very cheap.
Live rock for $100 if you catch a deal here (sometimes $2.50 per lb.) you could probably get 40lbs. not bad for starters.
Hope this helps..

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

This is a species only CC Stafrish tank?

 

[fritz]

For reefing on a budget I'd check out garf.org
It's much more maintenance but can be done on the cheap.

The zoo med power sweep is total garbage, don't buy it.
The prism is also junk. Look for a cheap used Remora or Remora pro protein skimmer made by Aqua C

 

[daisy]

Welcome aboard!

do you have a tank and stand already? I have a 55 gal AGA aquarium with wood stand (not gorgeous, but not bad and in good shape) that I will be looking to get rid of very soon for very very cheap (worth more to me out of my house than in...). I may have a pump or two that I don't need after this weekend also. (I'm upgrading from a 55 to a 75 this weekend)

If you're interested in any of this, and if you're free on Sunday to come and meet some MR folks, PM me! Some very cool people will be here and you can get some great ideas!

-daisy

 

[Ashlar]

Might I make a suggestion? Invest in a good refractometer and ditch the hydrometer. As they age, hydrometers seem to drift up or down.

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

Hi you back

Chocolate Chip Star Fish (this is the main animal i want to keep)

How interesting!

Show us some pics when your system up running

Oh, also when you find the playsand can you let us where-I have dying to get them myself.

 

[cali_reef]

Livestock

Cerith Snail 20
Turbo Snails 20
Peppermint shrimp 2

Chocolate Chip Star Fish (this is the main animal i want to keep)

You can keep all of that in a 10 gallon tank, maybe you should because your list sounds like a plan for failure. This is not a cheap hobby, you can't keep a thriving reef tank by going cheap.

 

[NYreefNoob]

welcome to mr

is money is a real issues i would suggest getting a nano cube. few member's here have them and if you plan to keep a basic set-up this would be your best bet. it com'es complete. less money to fill tank with rock, sand ect. basically all of the equipment you listed is junk. save your money and spend it for the right equipment the first time. it will make reefing easier for you and cost less in the long run

 

[Narmical]

You can keep all of that in a 10 gallon tank, maybe you should because your list sounds like a plan for failure. This is not a cheap hobby, you can't keep a thriving reef tank by going cheap.

all these animals would realy fit into a 10 gal tank?

Other people i spoke too said the starfish needed more space than just a 10 gal.

Aditionaly many many people have said that the more water the easer to keep it stable and that small tanks like 10 gallons are hard for beginers to keep.

what is so wrong with my setup btw? why do you think its soo doomed to fail?

 

[Narmical]

is money is a real issues i would suggest getting a nano cube. few member's here have them and if you plan to keep a basic set-up this would be your best bet. it com'es complete. less money to fill tank with rock, sand ect. basically all of the equipment you listed is junk. save your money and spend it for the right equipment the first time. it will make reefing easier for you and cost less in the long run

Ok, why is my equipment choices a bad idea?

what is your "right" equipment

Doesnt a nono cube take alot of skill to keep runing do to the small water volumn?

 

[Narmical]

This sunday i went to the pet store and bought me all the stuff i figured i needed. Of note, I got a diffrent skimmer than i intended. I got a seaclone 100.

Any more thoughts?

 

[charile1]

Return it!

 

[Narmical]

Return it!

why?

and buy what instead?

 

[charile1]

anything but a seaclone. There's a couple of Remora skimmers available in the for sale forum. What else did you buy?

 

[Narmical]

the filter i picked out in the first post.
also a 300watt heater.

 

[Narmical]

This is a species only CC Stafrish tank?

yes. Is that a bad thing?

 

[Narmical]

Hi you back
Oh, also when you find the playsand can you let us where-I have dying to get them myself.

i got it at home deopt in pourtchester NY (its upstate a bit).

 

[cali_reef]

This sunday i went to the pet store and bought me all the stuff i figured i needed. Of note, I got a diffrent skimmer than i intended. I got a seaclone 100.

Any more thoughts?

So much for asking for advice then doing the exact things people tell you is bad.

 

[cali_reef]

all these animals would realy fit into a 10 gal tank?

Other people i spoke too said the starfish needed more space than just a 10 gal.

Aditionaly many many people have said that the more water the easer to keep it stable and that small tanks like 10 gallons are hard for beginers to keep.

what is so wrong with my setup btw? why do you think its soo doomed to fail?

Yes, they will all fit, but you would not need 40 snails to keep a 10 gallon tank clean. You will just end up with bunch shells after they starve to death.
Do you even know what are the habitat and diet requirement for a CC star?