Advice

[Boots_Electric]

Hello everyone Im looking to start up a salt water tank...My family use to have one a few years ago but im seeing alot has changed since then, and this will be my first one on my own...We are thinking of a bow front tank around 40 gallons. My Question is what all will i need to get it up and running and some recomendations on good products at a reasonable price. I know i have alot to learn about the salt water but im very excited about geting this journey underway.

 

[Bebop]

You need to decide if you want to do Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR) or a reef tank. If you want a reef tank, then you need to figure out if you want to do softies, LPS, or SPS. This will all affect how you want to run your tank and what equipment you need. For starters, I'd do FOWLR.

My advice for price: Scour craigslist until you find a good deal. Usually you can get a tank and a stand for a few hundred (or less).

Other than that you will NEED to get:

Lighting (appropriate for your tank life)
Heater (5w per gallon I believe is what you need.)
Filter (skimmer, HOB, there are a few types, I'm sure the others can give you more advice)
Powerheads
Rock! (generally 1.25 - 2 lbs per gallon. I prefer buying the rock dead and then seeding it yourself, but that takes a while (it is cheaper))

Things you will WANT to get (most of these make tank life easier and/or are easier to put in NOW than if your tank is set up and running)

Sump (and a refugium)
Any reactors you want (calcium, algae, ect.)

Uhh that's all I can think of, I'm sure the other people here will have more to add.

 

[Boots_Electric]

Thanks Bebop, for right now i like we are gona do FOWLR but we talked about maybe adding some soft corals once we get a better ideal of what were doing.

What are some good brands for Heaters, powerheads, lights, filters?

What exactally is s sump, refugium, and reactors?

 

[chichimom79]

Try doing a search on each of these things and doing some research. There are a ton of great threads and articles on this site to help you get started.
A sump is a tank underneath your main display. You can put a skimmer, heater, extra filtration down there and keep your main display free of a lot of clutter. They also increase your water volume creating a more stable environment.
A refugium can be built into your sump or it can be separate. It's a place for you to put some macro algae to lower nitrate levels. Some people make really nice refugiums called a display refugium where they grow different types of algae and include live sand and live rock in it. You can do a lot of neat things with refugiums.
A reactor is a type of filter. You can usually put different types of media in them to control different things.
Welcome to the site, and good luck with your tank!

 

[Smitty]

Welcome to the site.

 

[little_fish]

Hello and Welcome!!

Before you commit to a bowfront, make sure you and your family spend some time looking at a bowfront. The distortion can make some people feel ill or give them a headache.

 

[kevdogg]

H The distortion can make some people feel ill or give them a headache.

Ive never heard of that! I guess it makes sense though.

 

[little_fish]

Ya, i have a bowfront and looking at the tank doesnt bother me but it bothers my roommate quite a bit

 

[kevdogg]

My FW tank was a bow and I never had anyone complain about it... The darn thing wouldn't sell so now it sits empty as a backup/QT. I was looking for a 225 bow when I got my 265 but they were discontinued. I dont miss trying to clean the bow with a magnet... I hated getting my hands wet. Seems like I have my hands in my tank every day now.