New To SW 50 gal on a budget

[owen386]

Hey All,


Brand new to the saltwater game, been keeping a planted FW 20 gal tank for the last 3 months, decided to make the plunge into the ocean about 2 weeks ago.

Bought a used 50 gal 48by20by12 off craigs list for a 150 bucks it came with:
tank,stand,heater,crappy lights, hood, aqua clear 110 filter, 15lbs LR 20lbs LS
everything works nothing leaks !!

First thing I did was Research...Research....Research

Current Work Done:

Turned Filter into Refugium (plenty of Chaetto,LR,LS,Light)
Purchased 45 lbs live rock from Liveaquaria.com (very pleased 50lbs+ huge thriving pieces)
20lbs live sand from LFS
Built Exoskeleteon for ugly Wrought Iron stand
Currently Cycling

To Be done or Bought

HOB Proteim Skimmer (next pay check)
MH lighting( pay check in near future... lol)
2 800gph Power heads (in the mail should be here this week)

Please Let me know what yall think Will be udating soon with more pics of the actual build, currently thinkin of stock will definatlly be asking for advice on that

 

[Bifferwine]

Great start. It looks like you've got some really nice pieces of rock, so that's a plus. It's great that you are researching before you buy. It's fine to gradually buy what you need! Another option for lighting is T5s. Lots of people like the shimmering effect and results of using MH, but T5s work well for a tank that size as well.

 

[little_fish]

+1 Bifferwine

Looks like you are off to a great start!

 

[Smitty]

Looking good! :)

 

[owen386]

What am I looking for wattage on the t5 fixture would something like this be good. http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-48-216W-T5-...ultDomain_0&hash=item2310a8e80d#ht_1932wt_792 Going to be doing soft corals, and hopefullyna clam down the road so I don't wanna short change it and have to sell them on cl for half what I paid for them in order to update. Thanks!


-Owen

 

[Bifferwine]

Those would be fine -- you could keep anything you wanted with those lights.

 

[owen386]

Hey all hope all is well,

Having little trouble figuring out the top of my tank, currently I have crappy perfecto light fixture with matching top. I can't figure out how the current hood is going to work with the fixture I want to buy as they all seem to have legs that connect to side lips of tank. Do I just do an open top tank? I would not mind this as I like the look, but how is evaporation? Would I need to purchase auto top off ? Thanks guys!


-Owen

 

[little_fish]

An open top tank is just fine, and in many ways a little better because you get better air flow through there, so it runs cooler and you have better gas exchange.

And you can get an ATO, or just dump in some water every couple of days to make up for what evaporated.

 

[Bifferwine]

+1 Hannah. You will have more evaporation, but your tank will probably be healthier.

 

[owen386]

Alright Then Well A Healthy Tank Sounds Good To Me!! Thanks Guys.

Question about the lighting will i need glass over my tank or do the t5 fixtures usually come with glass covering the lights? or Do I even Need glass For T5 lights??

Sorry I have not got anymore pictures up been real busy with work and such actually posting this at work eating lunch! seems like the only time I get but I have this W.E off and will be updating with Pics thanks for all the help guys! Since I have a Few more minutes will let you guys in on my stock list and maybe you can let me know if it sounds good.

CUC this W.E (long as tank is Cycled)
2 weeks after that paired clown fish
then some sort of wrasse or two
FireFish
then Flame Angel

and then onto coral!! (thinking like July

Sound Good?


-Owen

 

[Bifferwine]

Hello,
You will not need a glass top for your tank. The lights will come with a shield.

I think your stocking list is great! You may want to consider adding a small group of firefish (3). They tend to do better that way than solo. You can also add easy corals when you add fish. Many corals are easier to keep than fish. So you don't necessarily need to wait so long to add those.

 

[owen386]

Alright So Have not updated for a While as there is not much to update
Got my test kit and power heads on Thursday May19th Currently still cycling Test are as follows:

Date Ammonia PH Nitrate Nitrite

May 19th 0 7.8 80+ off charts
MAy 20th 0 8.0 20-40 1-2 ppm
May 21st 0 8.0 20 .75-1.2
May 22nd 0 7.8 20 .50-1.0
May 23rd 0 7.8 20 .25-.50
May 24th 0 7.8 40 .25

So it seems Im on my way to being cycled should be hopefully adding the CUC This W.E !!! Very Excited was thinking 20 snails, Dozen or so Hermits, Star fish (any Suggestions?) and Coral Banded Shrimp.

Still need to build Doors for stand.

Refugium has a ton of brown algae in it but none in display tank. This is good right? this is what im going for? I Assume its diatoms.

Might be a stupid question but as yall are probably aware memorial day is this W.E Yay!! official start of summer anyways I will be staying in York ME for the weekend and i wonder if it was possible to grab some rock from the ocean? Thanks for All Help Guys!

Included is a Pic of My FW I am very proud of so yall looking at this post will have something to look at other than rocks in a tank :(


-Owen

 

[Bifferwine]

Before you add any animals, I would do some water changes to get the nitrates down -- they are pretty high. High nitrates are normal after a cycle, so it's okay. Water changes should take care of them.

Don't add too many snails at once -- if there is not enough food for them, they will just starve. I'd add half a dozen to start, then add more if you need to. Brittle or serpent stars would make a great choice to start with. Coral banded shrimp usually grow up to be aggressive and can attack and kill fish. If you are willing to risk that, that's your choice, but I wouldn't put one in a reef tank!

I wouldn't take rock from the ocean for the tank. It's from a cold water environment, so anything living on it is not going to survive in a warm reef tank, and you never know what kind of parasites or diseases it could carry. Also, local laws in many places prohibit removing rocks.

 

[owen386]

Cool cool good looks bifferwine I know this is the case in freshwater after a cycle, I did almost full water change after my fw fish less cycle to get nitrates down. Thanks for letting me know this is the same for salt as I have not really seen any one metionion to do big water change after cycle in a salt water. Was wondering why my nitrate were starting to go up as my nitrites were going down. Kinda figured that about the rocks coming from a cold water environment into my warm cozy tropical setting, thanks for the confirmation. Alright so along as my test confirm my cycle is complete I will do pwc to get nitrates down and go ahead and purchase my first cuc on Thursday.
6 hermit crabs
4 nassisurus snails
2 something else snails? Suggestions?
1 Serpent star
1 some sort of cleaner shrimp suggestions?

Thanks guys! Hope all is well

-Owen

 

[Bifferwine]

I would get astraea snails. And I would also hold off on the shrimp for a bit, or get some peppermint shrimp to start.

 

[owen386]

Hey All,

ALL CYCLED!!!!!

Little Update: WOWWWWW is the LFS expensive!

Currently Drip Acclimating The Following 3 hermit 3 nassirus snails 3 astraea snails 2 peppermint shrimp around 40$ !!!! To much ?? or Competitive? Guy at the store suggested I not add any stars yet as my tank is just a little baby at the moment.
Also got Tigger Pods (live Copepods) was refrigerated and packed on may 2nd was around 20$ Excited to finnaly have some living creatures in my Tank!!

-Owen

 

[buddy08]

peppermint shrimp at my LFS are 8$ each, so 2 is $16 the snails are 4 for 10$ so thats 26 and the hermits are 10 for $10 making it 36... add 10% tax and that brings us to a grand total of $39.60 so thats about right i suppose. are the hermits blue legged hermits? i know its 4 for $10 with the blue legs here. as for snails, i highly recommend reefcleaners.org... Veeeery cheap and can even give you a custom CUC for your tank based on the information you give them. you may also get a discount for being a member here at livingreefs but im not 100% sure so dont quote me on that one, maybe some one else can verify that

 

[Bifferwine]

You do get a Living Reefs discount. Check the thread in the Vendors forum for the code. :)

 

[buddy08]

You do get a Living Reefs discount. Check the thread in the Vendors forum for the code. :)

there you have it!

 

[owen386]

Figured this is a "tank thread" should probably update some time. Things are going pretty good, have had a pretty good brown algae blooms in HOB refugium and the dt, seams to be residing, hopefully due to cycle. Water is quite stable and been that way since end of cycle, completing 10% water changes weekly, nitrates are holding on to 0-5 ppm :( errr... Suggestions? 3/4 done with my stand, still need to build doors and the trim. Lights will be here next Friday and I can finally buy some coral! Last night I bought my first pair of fish occerlis clowns pause for cliche named nemo and marlin,obviously my gf influence there I don't really name my fish 30$ for pair at LFS plus free 8.00 yay! Got an emerald crab. What do you guys suggest I feed these guys? Bought a bottle of pods for like 25$ at LFS 3 weeks ago thought it was a bad batch..... After suggestions on here to look at your tank with a flash light when the lights are out WOW! My skin started iching.... Will update with pics in lil bit still waking up...