gpix
Reefing newb
Hi all,
I am new to the forum and new to the hobby (I know this isn't the introduction thread, but I had a question as well so I figured I will kill two birds with one stone).
I have already started a saltwater tank; it was started on Sunday, July 14th. I will be starting a tank thread tonight!
Currently, I have reason to believe that my tank has cycled already due to the fact that ammonia is 0, nitrites are 0, and nitrates are at 0-5 ppm I believe. I am not in any hurry to add fish or corals because fortunately I can be patient since I'd rather do it as right as possible the first time. Here are some tank specs so you're all aware:
20 Gallon tank
11 lbs of Live dry rock from LFS
~5 or 6 lbs of live rock from LFS
Live sand from LFS
Marineland 900 powerhead
Aqueon 100w heater
Aquaclear 50 filter
T5 lighting unit (whose brand I cannot remember as I am not at home...)
**Note: given that all live rock that I put into my tank (whether dry or live) was cured, I probably had very little die off, and with live sand, my tank probably went through a shorter cycle with a smaller ammonia spike.**
My question is:
The PetCo around here has a sale going on right now until July 27th where their tanks are $1/gallon (i.e. a 10 gallon tank is $10). With a 20 gallon tank, I probably don't need a sump if I do frequent water changes, but it certainly wouldn't hurt I imagine. Should I go ahead and buy a 10 gallon or 15 gallon tank right now for a sump (or another tank I guess) if I decide to do that? I guess now that I think about it that seems like a no-brainer. YES. However, since I'm just getting into the hobby, I don't have a stand yet, and frankly I haven't designed how I want the sump to be, is it worth my investment to buy a premade tank with the vision that it will be a sump?
Please, any thoughts or suggestions are welcome.
Thanks, everyone! :Cheers:
I am new to the forum and new to the hobby (I know this isn't the introduction thread, but I had a question as well so I figured I will kill two birds with one stone).
I have already started a saltwater tank; it was started on Sunday, July 14th. I will be starting a tank thread tonight!
Currently, I have reason to believe that my tank has cycled already due to the fact that ammonia is 0, nitrites are 0, and nitrates are at 0-5 ppm I believe. I am not in any hurry to add fish or corals because fortunately I can be patient since I'd rather do it as right as possible the first time. Here are some tank specs so you're all aware:
20 Gallon tank
11 lbs of Live dry rock from LFS
~5 or 6 lbs of live rock from LFS
Live sand from LFS
Marineland 900 powerhead
Aqueon 100w heater
Aquaclear 50 filter
T5 lighting unit (whose brand I cannot remember as I am not at home...)
**Note: given that all live rock that I put into my tank (whether dry or live) was cured, I probably had very little die off, and with live sand, my tank probably went through a shorter cycle with a smaller ammonia spike.**
My question is:
The PetCo around here has a sale going on right now until July 27th where their tanks are $1/gallon (i.e. a 10 gallon tank is $10). With a 20 gallon tank, I probably don't need a sump if I do frequent water changes, but it certainly wouldn't hurt I imagine. Should I go ahead and buy a 10 gallon or 15 gallon tank right now for a sump (or another tank I guess) if I decide to do that? I guess now that I think about it that seems like a no-brainer. YES. However, since I'm just getting into the hobby, I don't have a stand yet, and frankly I haven't designed how I want the sump to be, is it worth my investment to buy a premade tank with the vision that it will be a sump?
Please, any thoughts or suggestions are welcome.
Thanks, everyone! :Cheers: