new here and to the wonderful hobby... some ???

[ladderguy27]

Hey guys new here and to the hobby. I'm in the process of purchasing a 57g rimless for deep blue. Its going to go into our basement and used as a furniture piece (how I talked wife into it). I plan on only doing a fowlr for the first few years. My son really wants a salt tank so were taking the plunge. Now for my questions.

I'm getting the tank and stand for $450. Is that a good price?

LFS worker recommended a wet dry filter. Yes or no? Then he said I didn't need a filter and the live rock and sand take care of it.

What budget light would you recommend? Not getting into corals for a few years.

Heater?

[delor-02]

Hi, I'm paul and I'm addicted to saltwater... Welcome to the addiction! Now to answer some questions: Heater yes. Light requirements are pretty lax for FOWLR, but I would suggest at least power compact fluorescents or t5. They will cost a little more upfront, but once you start, you will end up wanting to keep some basic corals. PC or t5 will allow this. . I personally don't like canister filters. I prefer natural filtration. Your live rock will do all the filtration you need, assuming you get enough (I would suggest at least 40lbs).

The best suggestion is to read, research, read more, and do more research! There are some great beginner threads that answer many basic questions. As you start to move past the basics and have more question, don't be afraid to ask, just remember to be specific and provide basic info when asking questions. If you post a "my fish is dying, please help me!" thread, you need to include water parameters also. We can't help without knowing the basics.

I think you will find this addiction/hobby a great way to connect with your son. Both of my children have grown up with me having a tank (with an exception of about 2 years after the great anemone suicide bomber of '08). They have both learned a great deal about ecosystems and living systems. I preach the difference of surviving vs thriving. I want my tank to thrive, not just survive. A sailfin tang might survive in a 29 gal bio cube, but it won't thive (that's an over exaggeration, but you get the idea).

One last piece advice after the reading part. Remember that the only things that happen quickly in this hobby are bad things! Take your time and go slow. It is much more rewarding in the long run to have a thriving slice of the ocean in your house!

[ladderguy27]

Thanks for the response. I know the heater is required I was asking which type you would recommend.

I was thinking about adding a power head for circulation of water?

And yeah I'm already hooked just from reading, I can't wait to start!

[nmotz]

Hey guys new here and to the hobby. I'm in the process of purchasing a 57g rimless for deep blue. Its going to go into our basement and used as a furniture piece (how I talked wife into it). I plan on only doing a fowlr for the first few years. My son really wants a salt tank so were taking the plunge. Now for my questions.

I'm getting the tank and stand for $450. Is that a good price?

LFS worker recommended a wet dry filter. Yes or no? Then he said I didn't need a filter and the live rock and sand take care of it.

What budget light would you recommend? Not getting into corals for a few years.

Heater?

I agree with the above poster about reading and research. The more you do, the more you enjoy the hobby honestly.

I think that's a pretty fair price for a 57G tank and stand. You could do better than that if you looked around on Craigslist (I got a 40G breeder for $50), but if you want all new equipment then $450 is probably about as good as you can get.

I'm actually not too familiar with wet/dry filters. If I were you, I'd buy an HOB protein skimmer and just get plenty of live rock. What the LFS worker was referring to was biological filtration where bacteria in the live rock and sand do the work of processing ammonia into nitrites and nitrates. In a FOWLR, some nitrates aren't that big of a deal, but a protein skimmer will help control the build-up of excess nutrients. The Reef Octopus BH-1000 has pretty good reviews but do some research and get what's best for you.

In my opinion, titanium heaters are better. Mine is the ViaAqua heater and it's good. Many people also like the newer Cobalt Neo-Therm heaters. The most important thing is making sure you have the right size heater for your tank
(~200W). I will add that if possible it's easier to control the temperature of the room so that the heater doesn't have to work as hard to maintain the right temperature.

Just about any light will do for a FOWLR tank. But I would recommend you buy a light now that will also be useful for growing corals later. Otherwise you'll just buy twice and that's foolish. The AquaticLife T5 unit is fairly inexpensive and has great reviews. Just check the dimensions of your tank first so that you don't buy the wrong size light.

[nmotz]

Thanks for the response. I know the heater is required I was asking which type you would recommend.

I was thinking about adding a power head for circulation of water?

And yeah I'm already hooked just from reading, I can't wait to start!

I have Koralia powerheads, which are inexpensive and generally get the job done. In a tank your size I'd recommend getting one for either side of the tank. I like higher flow tanks because the strong current prevents some of the detritus from settling to the bottom. But again, how much flow you'll need is dependent on what you want in the tank. Buy for the future. You said you want corals someday so I'd recommend buying a powerhead with that in mind.

[koko maung]

Welcome to hobby! I am almost the same like you. Joined the hobby and forum little over a week and bought a setup from craigslist.

[itzonlithai]

Hey guys new here and to the hobby. I'm in the process of purchasing a 57g rimless for deep blue. Its going to go into our basement and used as a furniture piece (how I talked wife into it). I plan on only doing a fowlr for the first few years. My son really wants a salt tank so were taking the plunge. Now for my questions.

I'm getting the tank and stand for $450. Is that a good price?

LFS worker recommended a wet dry filter. Yes or no? Then he said I didn't need a filter and the live rock and sand take care of it.

What budget light would you recommend? Not getting into corals for a few years.

Heater?

A Rimless Tank and stand for $450 is a decent deal. For a heater I'd recommend Eheim Jagers controlled with a Ranco controller or something similar. The filtration will be taken care of by your rocks and sand, but make sure you have adequate flow. Flow will ensure that the nutrients are being circulated and taken care of by your biological filtration. This won't happen or won't be as efficient in a stagnant tank and flow will also prevent detritus from settling in your tank. Koralias have always been a good choice for powerheads.

As for your lighting, anything will do for a fish only system. Get a cheap timer to turn it on and off.

[ladderguy27]

Another question. The tank I have my eye on is "reef ready". Now eventually I do want a reef but not for a full year or two. Can I use this tank as fowlr? It has a overflow with two holes in it already, how would I go about that situation

[julie180]

With a reef ready tank, you would setup a sump below the tank. The purpose of a sump is a place to house unsightly equipment (heaters, skimmers, return pumps etc), it give you added water volume which is always good. A smaller tank is actually more demanding than a big one because a small change can have catastrophic affects (the solution to pollution is dilution).
Trying to use a reef ready tank without using the overflows, you will have to keep the water level below the intakes, if you let water into them, it has no way out and will get nasty.
Don't worry so much about the heater brand as getting a reliable controller, when heaters fail, and they are known to, they usually stick on and can cook a tank. Ranco makes a very nice and simple controller for about 60 bucks. I went to you tube and found a video on wiring it and it was a breeze.
If you are planning on coral down the road, and you will probably find out "down the road" happens pretty fast, get equipment that can support them now. Its more initial upfront cost, but cheaper in the long run since you won't have to be replacing equipment when you are ready.
Welcome to a very rewarding hobby.

[hkgar]

I don't want to disagree with Julie180, but a sump is not necessary, it is desirable. I ran my first tank, a 40 gallon with soft corals, for a couple years without a sump. You do need a skimmer, so without a sump it will need to be a hang on back (HOB) - that's what I did. They are probably less efficient then an in sump. An even though they hide the return pump, you don't need one if you don't have a sump.

[ladderguy27]

OK I bought a canister filter with UV. I'm setting it up. I washed the carbon in the mesh bag and came to these instructions. Wash carbon in mesh bag. Add carbon directly to filter. So do I take it out of the bag or leave it in once I put it in the filter

[Martini5788]

Leave it in the bag.

[Martini5788]

But I would go with the sump. Seriously. I decided to go with a canister filter with uv? And I wish I would have spent the money on a sump. And your tank is already drilled. If I could go back in time, I would return the canister filter and get the sump, no questions asked. Just my input

[julie180]

I was not saying a sump is mandatory, just explaining how a reef ready tank works.

[ZeeSparrow]

Trying to use a reef ready tank without using the overflows, you will have to keep the water level below the intakes, if you let water into them, it has no way out and will get nasty.

I learned something new! (My RR tank is currently sitting dry on my living room floor, waiting for me to build the stand.)

[Martini5788]

If you can't return the canister filter, a lot of people use them as reactors later on. Which is probably what I will end up doing. The uv sterilization came in handy though when I was cycling my tank, bacterial blooms and such. I definitely wouldn't throw it away if you have it, but you can connect it to your sump later on. That's what I will do when I finally figure out what kind of sump I can do( I have an oddly shaped tank and stand). Just be sure to clean out any debris from the filter pads on a weekly basis.

[ladderguy27]

Thanks for all of the replies. Really appreciate it. I ended up buying a 45 gallon rimless tank, not reef ready. Just going to do fowlr for a little bit until I get the hang of everything.

What do you guys scrub the inside and outside of the tank with?

Right Now I have 40 lbs live sand and 30 pounds Fiji live rock.

How many fish would you stock? Not trying to overcrowd the tank once i add fish.

[Martini5788]

Vinegar and a razor blade to get tough stuff, if it's glass. Just be sure to rinse it well. I would start doing research on what is intriguing you livestock wise and then ask on the sticky in new to the hobby about
Intended stocking list

[ReefsandGeeks]

Don't forget to cycle the tank, in case you didn't already mention that. There's ton of threads on how to do a fishless cycle. I also have a 40g sumpless reef with all sorts of coral. It can be done, but reef ready is much nicer for that, and hiding equipment. Don't forget about patience. If I would have been patient, this hobby would have been much cheaper (reletivaly speaking) for me. I've bought plenty of equipment or "quick cures" when starting out that as anyone on RC will tell you, don't work. I also said that coral would be a couple years away. Ended up only being able to hold out 6 months before taking the reef plunge. Some people, me included, don't know what to do when there's nothing left to do with the tank.

[hkgar]

MAKE SURE YOUR CYCLE IS COMPLETE 0 AMMONIA AND 0 NITRITES

As you start planning you fish purchases is is a compatibility chart to do some initial screening. Also note that some species won't accept fish of the same species. If you have long range coral plans, you might want to keep in mind that not all are considered reef safe - that is they may nip at and cause damage to corals.