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SaltyDog143
09-22-2014, 04:29 PM
Hi all,
the wife and I have decided to take the plunge after debating this for more than a year. We have done a fair bit of reading and research but have a long ways to go, we are in no rush and money is a factor.

our initial thoughts after reading were to buy nothing smaller than 75g and nothing bigger than 120g, we want sump instead of tank mounted fixtures we know we want both corals and fish, shrimp, crabs etc.

we got our hands on a 120g tank yesterday (48"x24"x24") back has the overflow and drains externally, we also purchased the guys RO system, so that is our beginning........ I know the sump and stand are next but what is the order to purchase equipment from here?

What are the bare minimum I need to start, I read I dont need a skimmer right off the bat, but maybe a month or two after up and running. Are pumps next? Lights, etc?

i just want some help to develop my plan and pick up some used equipment here and there until we hit the, "ok now we buy rock and sand" stage.

thanks
Randy

Slyguy00
09-22-2014, 05:05 PM
The essentials would include, sand and rock, lighting, filtration, flow and temp control. Without any of those nothing is going to survive. The order in which you choose to purchase them in is up to you.

WarDog
09-22-2014, 05:07 PM
Welcome to Canreef! I'm not sure where you are getting your information from, but in my honest opinion I wouldn't put water in a tank without a skimmer. No real order in which you need equipment either. Keep an eye on the buy/sell forum and check out other members tank builds. Lots of useful info there!

Slyguy00
09-22-2014, 05:21 PM
Welcome to Canreef! I'm not sure where you are getting your information from, but in my honest opinion I wouldn't put water in a tank without a skimmer. No real order in which you need equipment either. Keep an eye on the buy/sell forum and check out other members tank builds. Lots of useful info there!

I ran my tank skimmerless and sumpless for almost a year. Not necessarily the best way to do it, but it works just fine. The sooner you get a skimmer the better though. They certainly make a big difference.

SaltyDog143
09-22-2014, 05:30 PM
If memory serves me correct...and some times it doesnt, was suggested in some reading that it isnt necessary to have skimmer until after the tank cycles and your rock is all upnd properly seeded, or however you want to refer to it

the reason I ask about the order to buy is because I cant exactly go buy my rock and sand before i get the filters, lights, etc I need all this other stuff in place first, it will be a slow process for us, going to start with the basics and work our way up, our hope it to have a fully function beginners reef tank by spring.

I just need to figure out things like how big the pumps need to be, how big the skimmer needs to be, what lights we need, etc

thanks again
Randy

pinkreef
09-22-2014, 05:37 PM
Make sure your tank is level, add rock water and sand(if you want sand).
mixing the water in the tank before you add anything else is one way of doing it. Add a heater and powerhead. get a skimmer rated for 100gallon at lease and get it going.
now you can watch your tank come to life
oops you need a light to be able to watch it
enjoy:biggrin:

ronau
09-22-2014, 05:51 PM
I'd buy some Rubbermaid brutes and start curing your rock now while you are collecting your equipment. It'll speed up the cycle time once you have your equipment.

SaltyDog143
09-22-2014, 06:09 PM
Thanks for the input guys,
on the rubbermaid idea....could we potentially leave the rock in there for a month or so while we were getting everything else together? I am thinking the lighting is going to be the biggest hurdle as thats a big investment.

Slyguy00
09-22-2014, 06:20 PM
yea you can leave it in the rubber maids as long as you have flow in the water and temperature control.

SaltyDog143
09-22-2014, 06:42 PM
Ok so I am gonna surmise here.......

Get a stand and sump,
next pumps and heaters
then go buy rock put it in the tank, fill it with RO water start circulating and bring up to temp
Install internal fans, current makers, whatever you call them to get water flow

bam, we have started

next get lights on the tank, then a skimmer and watch your tank start to evolve, slowly.......

am I starting to get the idea straight?
or am i still out to lunch

oh ya dont forget the salt, lol

Randy

Slyguy00
09-22-2014, 07:02 PM
Almost got it lol. I wouldnt add the rock to RO water or you will kill whatever life is on it. Make your salt water, add it to the tank, then add rock. Then your rockin :mrgreen: That is if you plan on using live rock anyway.

SaltyDog143
09-22-2014, 07:09 PM
Yes live rock, but gonna do approx, 80/20 or 70/30 dry to live mix to start, like I said no rush and limited funds

Slyguy00
09-22-2014, 07:12 PM
Thats always a good way to do it. Just don't add live rock to fresh water and you'll be good to go.

Coralgurl
09-22-2014, 07:46 PM
I'd take the time to plan your stand and sump at this point. You can get a metal stand or make a wood one, either will work. But, how you plan your stand may limit the size of your sump. You'll want big enough to hold all your equipment (skimmer, heaters, reactors, etc.), plus any overflow from your tank.

Your stand/sump will also determine your skimmer, you'll need room to remove the skimmer for cleaning maintenance. I've run my tanks skimmerless, but mostly after the tanks have been established (running a year or more). I can't remove my skimmer body from my tank, so if anything happens to the skimmer, I have to drain the sump, and do whatever maintenance is required in the sump, or take it completely apart to remove. A bit of a pain!!

You are also going to need a return pump (didn't see that on your list), to get the water from the sump back to the tank).

Watch the forums for sales, shut downs etc., you can get everything you need to start at a fraction of what you pay retail. (Except for plumbing parts, you should buy new). Sounds like this is going to be a good build, nothing in this hobby happens fast, so continue to take your time, acquire the things you need.

When you are ready to buy and unsure if it's going to work, ask the questions. This is a good group of people here, ready and willing to help out. Remember there are a lot of different opinions, so take what you want and leave the rest.

Oh, and what are your plans for lighting??

Welcome aboard!!

SaltyDog143
09-22-2014, 08:22 PM
I have no clue what I need for lighting just yet, we do want to do corals, some soft some hard, we plan on using the easy/beginner types that are easier to not kill, if you get my drift, we do want your typical clown fish, blennies, dragonettes, crabs, maybe an erchen one day? Honestly we are trying to keet it simple until we get to know what we are doing, would prefer led's so we don't have to buy another set of lights within a year.

thanks for the input everyone

Dearth
09-22-2014, 09:07 PM
Welcome aboard.

In this hobby it pays to take your time don't Rush and more importantly if your not sure ask here on the forum we have many members with years of experience and will try not to steer you wrong


It took me 5 months to get everything I needed for my big tank I lucked out in many respects though as I was able to get several items second hand and did some basic DIY to save money here and there. Three things that I suggest not skimping on these are my suggestions only so others may vary

1) Power bar with built in timers for your lights average cost $60-100

2) lights regardless of what you get expect to pay a pretty penny cost range in between $400-3000

3) Skimmer if and when you decide to get one after lights generally the second biggest investment $200-2000


You may also luck out and find stuff second hand or gifted to you by another reefer remember take your time and by all means ask we will help

Coralgurl
09-22-2014, 09:11 PM
I had my best results with T5's and LED combo with corals. If you want corals and it sounds like you do, then your lights will be important from the beginning. Once you get comfortable with the easy corals, you'll move to the more challenging ones, and if you have the right lights from the beginning, you are good to go. Lighting is not as important for fishes...:biggrin:

I'm using Radions now (Gen 1), they are a good fixture and have come down substantially in pricing. Others have converted back to T5's and metal halide from LED, so when you are ready to make a decision, ask questions. When it comes to lighting, heat will be a concern, but there are a lot of options available (DIY), so deal with that aspect once you start exploring your lighting options.

intarsiabox
09-22-2014, 11:24 PM
Sumps are pretty simple to build and don't need to be pretty to be functional. I have seen a few really cheap 75g tanks for sale that would probably work nicely. I usually like to go a little bigger on the sump so there is always room for the overflow water when the power goes out or the return pump stops, don't rely on check valves (I won't even install them). LxWxH in inches then divide by 231 gives you gallons to calculate the volume. Flow through the sump does not need to be fast. I usually aim for around 5X tank volume (600 gph in your case) at head. If you decide on a skimmer before hand you can plan your sump baffles to suit.

Dearth
09-22-2014, 11:35 PM
For a sump if you want to save on money you can use a food grade bin it's not pretty but it will do the job until you can afford what you want I used a 50 gallon bin from Costco until I had my sump setup about a month later wasn't pretty but it worked and that is all that counts in my book

Kellyscoral
09-23-2014, 12:26 AM
Welcome to the money pit! When I started my tank about a year ago I bought an okay light - I recently upgraded to a radion and I cannot over emphasize how much more color and growth I have. My advice - that I never listened to but wish I had - buy the best lights you can.

intarsiabox
09-23-2014, 01:19 AM
Also when choosing a return pump also consider future use. You may want to tee off it to feed a refugium or run some GFO/Carbon canisters. If you get one with more capacity than you need at first you can just put a ball valve on the discharge to get the flow you want. There are also variable speed DC pumps that are at a reasonable price these days but I have never used one so I can't comment.

BubblesUp
09-23-2014, 01:35 AM
I have a small 20g aquarium that I converted last year from a freshwater discus tank but it's already 10g over landlord max. As I was going to go for seahorses, a staff member at J&L recommended I use Real Reef Rock (http://realreefrock.com/) which I'm glad I did. No bad stuff from the start and eco-responsible. If there's something I regret, it's not taking the plunge and going for a good LED from the start. Recently I was able to get a 120w LED with great spread, good feedback, etc on eBay for around $200. Here's the review: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=109013 and everything has been growing like mad. I use the Instant Ocean Reef Crystals and suggest you might start with something like that from the beginning. In restrospect, I should have invested in a good new plastic gas tank for mixing salt water that allows for easy pouring into the tank and an air knob so there's less spillage/splash. I got a large skimmer early-on but didn't do much but produce micro-bubbles until recently. Now I see why it's important. Members of Canreef have been helpful, have mentioned great "tips & tricks" and I got some great starter coral in the Buy/Sell/Trade section.

Abe
09-23-2014, 02:35 AM
Welcome to Canreef. Where about in Alberta are you? . If you are Edmonton, I can come by and give you some lessons or if you preffer you can come over to see my set up. Also if you are in the area I would have free soft coral that you can have whenever you tank is ready. I also have a 36" lighting unit that I used on my 60G, it has 2x 150W MH and 2x 65W Power comact and moon lighting. It was more than enough to start my tank, it needs new light bulbs tho. I can let it go for $125 if you are interested.

SaltyDog143
09-23-2014, 01:42 PM
I am in Lloydminster but come to Edmonton quite often, thanks for the offer, I just may take you up on coming by for a visit to check out your tank

Randy

Abe
09-23-2014, 08:29 PM
Anytime. Just let me when you are coming and we can plan something.