Lost Newbie

[Atom0023]

I have been all over the place Nano-300 gal.

I have dropped the huge tank from my mind until I have a house and can do it "right" Nano seams to small unstable. No sps over time.

I am thinking of getting a 92-150 gallon corner tank.

My main goal is sps but I think that is a ways off. I am having trouble figuring out what I need as far as parts and maintenance.

I guess my main question is would a tank of 92-150ish be an ok starter size and are there any huge concerns with corner units?

[Angel*Fish]

If you get a 125 long, you will have more options as as to the fish you can get. Some fish need a long tank. I think it's an ok starter size as long as you do research and plan ahead. Make sure you know all the equipment you'll need. Plan out how water changes will work. A good idea is to start figuring out what animals you want to keep before you buy anything.

[sczlars]

should be a great size to get started with. You can stay there too... lots of nice tanks in that size range.

Corner unit.. should be fine too. Maybe watch out for having it up close to a poorly insulated outer wall.

[Atom0023]

If you get a 125 long, you will have more options as as to the fish you can get. Some fish need a long tank. I think it's an ok starter size as long as you do research and plan ahead. Make sure you know all the equipment you'll need. Plan out how water changes will work. A good idea is to start figuring out what animals you want to keep before you buy anything.

Yeah, I haven't really got to the point where I know exactly what kind of livestock I want. I think that I need to focus first on plumbing and parts.

[Atom0023]

should be a great size to get started with. You can stay there too... lots of nice tanks in that size range.

Corner unit.. should be fine too. Maybe watch out for having it up close to a poorly insulated outer wall.

Wow, that is a very good point. It is going to be on an exterior wall. My house is like 100 years old and there is no insulation. I might need a chiller or what other concerns is it?

[sjwitt]

Why don't you start with a 55 or 75 g? That's big enough for many corals yet small enough to manage while you get the hang of things and NOT break the bank. You will outgrow it if you're really looking to go 300 g but it will teach you a lot AND cure a good bit of Live Rock in the meantime. And when you're ready to sell (for whatever reason) tanks this size should move pretty quick.

[Lynnmw1208]

I think a 90 gallon is a great place to start if you're wanting to cut costs initially as well. It cost a lot of money for a 6 foot long tank like mine :uhoh3: you just can't have a tang or anything as they need 6 feet of swimming space most of them. on that note, a 150 would be quite a large tank to start with, but you may curb your need for an upgrade right away :)

[Angel*Fish]

Exactly. And some need even longer tanksYeah, I haven't really got to the point where I know exactly what kind of livestock I want. I think that I need to focus first on plumbing and parts.In terms of tank shape and size you need to have an idea what fish you want to keep most. I see tons of threads by people very disappointed that they didn't know they couldn't keep a certain fish in a certain tank. Even though you are looking at larger tanks, it's still an issue. Especially with certain angels and tangs.

[enerfin]

which ever tank you get is great, bigger the better :) plumb it right with quick disconnects and lots of shutoff valves just in case of an emergency or expansion. try to keep everything external (pumps, heaters, returns, etc) so there is no stray electricity when its full of rare sps, acans and chalices. i recommend mh and t5 lighing but NOT just t5's. as far as equipment i would keep it kind of simple,
PH controller
Kalk reactor (to counterbalance the natural drop of ph)
chiller
RO/DI unit


and your reef will grow like this
http://i262.photobucket.com/albums/ii108/joelb69/IMG_0020.jpg

[enerfin]

oh and of coarse a good skimmer. good luck

[Palting]

I have dropped the huge tank from my mind until I have a house and can do it "right"

I guess this is the one part of your statement I would disagree with. Regardless of tank size, it should always be done right, otherwise you are going to be a frustrated reefer.

With that in mind, 90-150 gal is a bit on the large size for a starter tank. You will need more equipment and materials, and they will also cost more. The flip side is that a lot of the equipment may transfer into the 300 gal tank of the future. If you want to go this route, I would suggest a 125 gal, 72x18x24. Good length, and the equipment such as lights, pumps, powerheads can easily be transferred to a 72" 300 gal tank.

My suggestion, however, is to go with a 55-75 gal rectangular tank, 48" length, and "do it right". Get a good sized sump, skimmer rated for a 150-300gal, good lights. Other ancillary equipment, like an RODI unit, reservoir tanks, testing equipment, and even heaters and controllers can go with you to the bigger tank of the future. Go with this set-up for a few years. You will learn a lot, make a lot of mistakes, but it shouldn't cost you as much. Once you get to the big tank, the original DT can become the sump for the big tank.

Corner units are a little more challenging. Like for lights and flow, positioning of supportive equipemtn, and will be hard to find use for at a later date when you go with the bigger tank.

[on the spot]

A good idea is to start figuring out what animals you want to keep before you buy anything.

Best advice you have received in this thread.

It will save your from :headwallblue:

[jcolletteiii]

If you're in an apartment, I'd say smaller is probably better. In your original post, you mention corner, and that's a great place to start. I have a 36 non-reef ready (no overflow, no sump), and it is working out great. If you want an overflow, the 54g. size might be better.

Also, keeping it simple on the equipment side will probably be beneficial. I would not even bother looking into pH controllers, calk reactors, etc. They are unnecessary, complicated, fidgety pieces of equipment best suited to large systems. I would also stay away from metal halide for lighting, as it will raise both the temperature of your water and your room very quickly. I would use t5 or LED for lighting - that way you will not need a chiller, and living here in SoCal, you will be hating yourself for running MH when you see your electricity bill!

I recommend your original corner tank 54g. reef ready. You'll need:
1 x 10 or 15 gallon sump (depending on size constraints under the stand)
Plumbing parts (home depot)
1 x small skimmer. (I use a cpr bakpak on my 36 and it skims fantastically - also, if you use a hang-on, you can maximize space in your sump)
1 x return pump. I suggest something very energy efficient, like perhaps a waterblaster hy-2000 - uses 22watts and pumps 500 gph.
At least one media reactor. Probably 2 would be better - that way you can run carbon in one and GFO in the other.
2 x Koralia evo 1400's for in tank water movement. These pumps are nearly silent, unlike the vortecs which will make you want to pull your hair out when watching tv. Not to mention you could buy 10 of them for the price of a single vortec.
1 x 150 or 200w heater.
1 x dosing unit. If you go with a self contained unit, such as the Bubble Magus, you don't need a reef controller right away.
Chemicals and containers for dosing Alk, Ca, and Mg. I suggest Bulk Reef Supply - great prices and very fast shipping, and they have pre-measured packages that make 1 gallon of liquid supplements.
1 x auto topoff system and reservoir. I suggest autotopoff.com - nice cheap, reliable ATO's, and they make both sump and tank mount, AND they will customize it for you.
Lighting. As mentioned, I'd stay away from MH. I suggest either T5 or LED, with a strong preference for LED. With LED there is no bulb replacement, most units allow independent control of blue and white - so achieving any color temp you want is easy. Also, and this is key - LED will not affect the temperature of your water, which means you don't have to by that 500 dollar chiller. You also will not have to replace bulbs, something you will also have to do with the T5. Definitely costlier to purchase initially, but the break even point will be in around 4 years, after which you will save significantly over either MH or T5, especially with our electric costs here in SoCal.

I may have forgotten a few things, but those are the big pieces that you'll need to get a sps-capable system up and running. You will probably want to add a reef controller, like a reefkeeper or apex to this as well. I have an Apex myself, but would probably go with the reefkeeper if I did it again - my display unit died after 9 months of use and it was not warrantied because I bought my equipment 4 or 5 months before setting up my system, just IMO. Whatever you decide, good luck! Where in SoCal, by the way?

[Reverend Reefer]

1. tanks and plumbing
while you're considering tank sizes, you might as well start thinking about sump sizes as well. if you're going to do it right, then consider that you need to buy 2 aquariums, one for your display and one for your sump. then you can start thinking about plumbing and drilling the tank(s).

- lots of things to think about here, glass vs. acrylic, drilling, depth of tank (how long are your arms?), length of tank, etc.
- do you want a closed loop for circulation?
- do you want a refugium in your sump? how will you setup the sump?

2. lighting and electrical
the next most expensive thing to consider is lighting and electrical stuff

- lighting will depend on the size of your tank and also what species you would like to keep and their lighting demands, how much money you got, etc.
- GFCI, get one!
- outlets and available power, this also depends on your lighting (for example, metal halides eat up a lot of power, add powerheads, pumps, fans, heater, etc., and you might just blow a fuse if that particular outlet can't handle it)

3. equipment
- now that you're broke from the display tank, sump, and lighting, you will likely want: a) skimmer, b) a return pump, and circulation pump/powerheads, c) additional equipment of your choice (maybe a GFO/carbon reactor, dosing pumps, calcium reactor, kalkwasser set up, auto-top off unit, the list goes on and on)

4. live rock/biological filtration/starting it up
- once you have all that setup, then you can buy some saltwater mix, make some saltwater, buy some live rock, cure it, go through the cycles, and then, you can finally begin, mmmmmwuahahahaha!

[Reverend Reefer]

1. tanks and plumbing
while you're considering tank sizes, you might as well start thinking about sump sizes as well. if you're going to do it right, then consider that you need to buy 2 aquariums, one for your display and one for your sump. then you can start thinking about plumbing and drilling the tank(s).

- lots of things to think about here, glass vs. acrylic, drilling, depth of tank (how long are your arms?), length of tank, etc.
- do you want a closed loop for circulation?
- do you want a refugium in your sump? how will you setup the sump?

2. lighting and electrical
the next most expensive thing to consider is lighting and electrical stuff

- lighting will depend on the size of your tank and also what species you would like to keep and their lighting demands, how much money you got, etc.
- GFCI, get one!
- outlets and available power, this also depends on your lighting (for example, metal halides eat up a lot of power, add powerheads, pumps, fans, heater, etc., and you might just blow a fuse if that particular outlet can't handle it)

3. equipment
- now that you're broke from the display tank, sump, and lighting, you will likely want: a) skimmer, b) a return pump, and circulation pump/powerheads, c) additional equipment of your choice (maybe a GFO/carbon reactor, dosing pumps, calcium reactor, kalkwasser set up, auto-top off unit, the list goes on and on)

4. live rock/biological filtration/starting it up
- once you have all that setup, then you can buy some saltwater mix, make some saltwater, buy some live rock, cure it, go through the cycles, and then, you can finally begin, mmmmmwuahahahaha!

[Atom0023]

I guess this is the one part of your statement I would disagree with. Regardless of tank size, it should always be done right, otherwise you are going to be a frustrated reefer.

With that in mind, 90-150 gal is a bit on the large size for a starter tank. You will need more equipment and materials, and they will also cost more. The flip side is that a lot of the equipment may transfer into the 300 gal tank of the future. If you want to go this route, I would suggest a 125 gal, 72x18x24. Good length, and the equipment such as lights, pumps, powerheads can easily be transferred to a 72" 300 gal tank.

My suggestion, however, is to go with a 55-75 gal rectangular tank, 48" length, and "do it right". Get a good sized sump, skimmer rated for a 150-300gal, good lights. Other ancillary equipment, like an RODI unit, reservoir tanks, testing equipment, and even heaters and controllers can go with you to the bigger tank of the future. Go with this set-up for a few years. You will learn a lot, make a lot of mistakes, but it shouldn't cost you as much. Once you get to the big tank, the original DT can become the sump for the big tank.

Corner units are a little more challenging. Like for lights and flow, positioning of supportive equipemtn, and will be hard to find use for at a later date when you go with the bigger tank.

Wow, Thank you all for all the replies.

First of all. What I meant by not wanting a 300 gal now was because I couldn't make it the way I want by tearing walls converting closet to fish room etc. DOING IT RIGHT.

I try to do everything I do my best and a smaller tank is easier to do right. From what I see you don't need half a house to run a smaller tank.

[Atom0023]

I guess live stock is the what to look at first.

I am starting to get concerned with the corner unit. However it seams like the only place I have to put my tank right now.

I live in an apartment. So tearing down walls or an addition is out of the question.