Newish... lotsa questions

[EvilVOG]

Thinking about setting up a saltwater aquarium, i've had one in the past but it was pretty much a disaster as far as fish were concerned... the pet shop i went to for most of my equipment fish and advice selling me the wrong equipment, and giving the wrong advice was mostly to blame... Did have coral and stuff that did ok tho.

Anyway onto the new setup... The pet shop that got me interested in a saltwater tank had a "display-only" small tank containing live rock, an anemone, and a Clown fish that would just sit in the anemone. This is basically all i wanted out of my saltwater tank. Unfortunately they sold me a 3 gallon tank with a bio-wheel filtration system, and then much later told me the light it had wasn't good enough for coral.:grumble:

I would still like to have that tank, but there's some stuff i need help/advice to make my dream tank happen. I've been doing research on everything from tank sizes to filtration and it seems not alot of people agree on anything. So i'd like to hear your opinions on the following:

The fish i want is the Ocellaris Clownfish... the guides say 20-30 gallon tank size
Filtration... Sump, undergravel, no filter just powerheads... one big spot no one agrees on.
I do have a tank i may get free that is somewhere in the size range and it would come with a penguin 160 external bio-wheel type deal and a small air pump... would any of that be useful?
i'm excessively cheap, so some components might come off of eBay. Any thoughts of what's worthwile? i saw cheap protein skimmers, and a few no reserve auctions for a powerhead/ skimmer combo.

I've read the stickies here and on a few other boards... pretty much everything i read contradicts something else... so any help you have shoot it my way

 

[Jmck]

Always do research before getting to a hobby, especially one that is as delicate as reef tanks!

so the most imprtant thing to remember is that you will have to do weekly water changes to keep the water healthy. A skimmer is very useful and as a starting tank, I would suggest getting a 55g tank with a drilled sump or overflow system

In the sump, you will keep a skimmer and possibly a refugium which is just a spot for macro algae to grow and eat nitrates in the tank.

You will need 2 powerheads in that tank, preferably about 300 gallons per hour if my memory serves right.

Lighting, if you want to keep coral, a T5 fixture is great, probably the cheapest, but globes will need replacing once a year. Other than that you could get metal halide or LED systems

You will not want any form of bio wheel or other filtration these do not work! The only other thing is live rock in the tank which will help filter your water, and this is essential for looks and for filtration! Hope this helps. Craigslist is a great place to look for items

 

[EvilVOG]

right i've heard that about the powerwheel media but what about stripped of media instead of a power head? (i realize i'll still need at least one power head in addition to it)

 

[fastrd400]

I'd look around for something like a 29 gallon bio cube. If you can find an LED or GAO set up at a decent price, get it. This is seriously the wrong hobby to get into if you are excessively cheap as you put it. Good equipment will be worth the money spent, cheap stuff will just frustrate you to the point of replacing it later.

This is a good place to ask questions, most all of us have been there and are more than willing to help you out.

Welcome to the site.

 

[Jmck]

you are right on the cost, I just put 2000 Australian dollars into a skimmer and dosing pump :/

 

[Smitty]

Hello and welcome to the site...i agree with Fast, find a nice 29 gal bio-cube, and 1-2lbs of live rock per gallon, 1-2in sand bed. A protein skimmer is important, but not necessary. Anemones need strong lighting, and mature tanks. Fish stores are in business to make money, so you can't believe everything they say.

 

[JustinsReefTank]

Hello and Welcome Aboard!! I think they have you covered

 

[little_fish]

Hello and Welcome!

The boys have you covered!

 

[EvilVOG]

Thanks for the responses so far...

But what about those powerhead/protien skimmers on ebay? specifically this one:
Brand new PS 160 Protein Skimmer with Power Head | eBay

And what about using the bio wheel without the bio wheel and filter, just to move water?

 

[little_fish]

I would be worried about picking up a nameless skimmer, there are lots of crappy skimmers out there.

And a powerhead is much better way to move water around, far more efficient. You want the water of your tank turned over at least 30x per hour, more if you want to keep SPS corals