Somewhat beginner with a new tank

J

jbrother

Reefing newb
Hi there! I've posted before and this forum community has always been there with great input.

I'm going to be getting a 50gal. tank next week to replace my cramped 20gal (yes I'm beyond excited) and I want to make sure my checklist is perfect for equipment to buy. My current tank had the bare minimum for equipment and I want to do away with minimalism.

Here is the checklist, please let me know what I'm missing OR if you could suggest a specific brand/vendor for the item. (Price is going to be as modest as possible but I'm not afraid to spend whats necessary)

  • Bio-filter
  • Protein Skimmer
  • Powerhead
  • Live Sand (Not sure how much to purchase to give a good enough depth)
  • Approx 50lb live rock
  • What else?
  • I already have the necessary test equiment
  • Does anyone know what I should expect for pricing on the 50gal? My LFS lists for $500. Is that about right?
I apologize though if this seems like I'm asking you all to do my job for me but it's not. I trust what's said in here and want to make sure my fish have the best home possible.

Thanks! :Cheers:
 
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protein skimmer.. reef octopus makes a nice one..

powerheads.. hydor koralia are nice maybe 2 750's...

live sand.. doesnt have to be live will turn live for you

rock sounds good.. 1 to 2 pds per gallon

heater? I would put two smaller ones myself, they break more often then anything else in our hobby..

do away with the bio filter it is not something needed with the rest of your list..

only other thing I can suggest is good lighting,, do it right the first time so you dont have to upgrade it soon..
 
You might want to consider dry rock and seed it with a few pounds of live rock. Dry rock is much cheaper and you can get more rock or you $ that way. Check out Marco Rocks (marcorocks.com) for dry rock. That's what I did for my 180 and saved a lot of $ and in no time it becomes live rock. My :twocents:
 
+1 Everyone

Also that is crazy expensive for a 50 gal tank unless it was a total setup. You would be much better off catching the Petco $1 a gallon sale going on right now and then buying one of their stands
 
little_fish said:
Also that is crazy expensive for a 50 gal tank unless it was a total setup. You would be much better off catching the Petco $1 a gallon sale going on right now and then buying one of their stands
Click to expand...

+1 to the great replies.

Good to know little_fish. It was a setup including the tank, hood and stand. For that price would you say its fair? I'm looking through Petco right now but I'm not seeing this $1 a gallon sale. Pardon my confusion but do you also mean $1 per gallon for the tank? (Wishful thinking)

Links to Petco's more "fair" prices:
SeaClear Rectangular 50 Gallon Aquarium Combos at PETCO

Acrylic Aquarium Tank: SeaClear Bowfront Aquarium Tank at Petco

I'll be heading to the store tomorrow to check them out in person. But what is your opinion of those? Decent or keep looking?

Again, thank you.
 
jbrother said:
+1 to the great replies.

Good to know little_fish. It was a setup including the tank, hood and stand. For that price would you say its fair? I'm looking through Petco right now but I'm not seeing this $1 a gallon sale. Pardon my confusion but do you also mean $1 per gallon for the tank? (Wishful thinking)

Again, thank you.
Click to expand...

That's super-expensive for a 50 gallon set-up! I got my 50 gallon and stand from petco for $100 total! And you don't need the hood. You'll be getting different lights anyway, so hold out on buying that set-up for now. Check out craigslist for deals! I just saw a 150 gallon tank/stand/hood set-up for $400 in my area......
 
Great to know! Sadly, that means I wasted a LOT of money on the 20gal we bought from that same fish store...I don't even want to tell you what we paid for it. Oh the things I learn. I guess if we save a lot of money then I'll be able to get some really high end equipment and do everything right.

+1 to everyone for the advice and for possibly saving me $$
 
New questions. For a 50gal would you all recommend I study sump building? I'm not sure if it's a little much just for that sized tank.

Filtration is my biggest worry atm. Would my HoB protein skimmer and live rock be perfectly fine to handle the tank?
 
sumps are really handy because it give you a place to hide ugly equipment, set up an ATO and more water will help keep the tank more stable. But they arent a must, plenty of rock, a skimmer and regular water change are good enough :)
 
jbrother said:
Here is the checklist, please let me know what I'm missing OR if you could suggest a specific brand/vendor for the item. (Price is going to be as modest as possible but I'm not afraid to spend whats necessary)
Click to expand...

  • Bio-filter
    NO
  • Protein Skimmer
    Reef octopus only ones I use but I love them
  • Powerhead
    Koralias are the best and I have tried them all!
  • Live Sand (Not sure how much to purchase to give a good enough depth)
    Really is personal but I would just start with a 20lb bag of live sand I prefer the smaller grains its better for the sand sifting creatures
  • Approx 50lb live rock
    Yes you could also do a mix of live and dry which will save you a lot of money. Try Bulk Aquarium Supplies - Reef Aquarium Supplies | BulkReefSupply.com they are great!
  • What else?
    GOOD lights I use T5s because you can change the colors and the corals love them!
    A heater
    hang on back filter to run an occasional carbon
  • I already have the necessary test equiment
    Yes
  • Does anyone know what I should expect for pricing on the 50gal? My LFS lists for $500. Is that about right?
    Sound horrible expensive to me! I just got my 55g with a stand for about $200 at petco/petsmart shop around.

Good luck!
 
Wow...I went to Petco last night and priced a 40 breeder w/ stand for get this...$110! Man...the regret I have for not shopping around. My 20gal. ended up costing us near $250. Live and learn =)

+1 to the helpful replies little_fish and Amber
 
Dont let it get you down , most people have been in that exact place at one time or another in this hobby, We all learn from our mistakes(hopefully) some of us are a little slower then others( me) but we do learn. Its that human trait where we like to have trust in a business ( I learned the hard way also, dealing with wholesalers with my business I had)... Just put it behind you and move forward learning from it..
 
I paid 300 for my 125g tank n stand glass tops.new!! My lfs has a special 90g blow front tank n stand.$500, a 100g for $300 tANK n stand. Or a 55g for $250 tank n stand. I got my 30g free a craigslist.
 

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