Thinking of getting started.... advise please

[Menace2Authority]

I'm thinking of getting into saltwater. I currently am enjoying the african cichlid hobby and would like to convert one of my tanks into a saltwater tank. Most likely my 68 Gal which is my largest tank.
I've spent countless hours researching saltwater, and still am almost lost at where to start, other than walking into an LFS and saying "I'm an idiot.... here's my credit card..."
My tank is tempered glass and cannot be drilled for starters. So.. that being said, what do I need as far as hardware goes? And could you post links explaining what and how the respective items work and their purpose.
I've gone into large stores and seen "saltwater starter kits" which don't even so much as include a protein skimmer.... I was under the impression that skimmers are very important... yet some of these expensive kits don't include them. What about sumps/overflows and such? I have room under the tank stand for a sump, and have a spare 25 gal tank I could convert for that purpose, but aren't sumps for use with drilled tanks?
Anyway, any help would be appreciated. If someone is able to tell me what I'd need to convert over to saltwater, then at least I can start researching those items as opposed to having no clue what I'm supposed to be looking for.
Thank you.

 

[Melonbob]

Ok, here goes.....

you don't have to have a sump, but it really helps. It gives you more water volume which is important, keeps all your equipment out of sight. It gives you a place to put rock, cheato, and other good stuff. You can do a sump without drilling, you can buy overflow boxes, but they tend to be problematic.

Having said that, I started my first tank last year, a 46g bow without a sump, and it's been a very successful reef. there are some really good Hang-on-Back skimmers now.

What do you "need"? In my opinion, a tank, a skimmer, a light, powerheads, heater, rock and sand. Spend the bulk of your budget on your light, then your skimmer. I'm saying especially your light because a 68g tank is probably 4ft long, and if you decide to upgrade to a 90g or even a 120short in the future, you can use the same light. buy powerheads, I like the Hydor korailas, I'd recommend at least a couple of #2's, maybe even #3's for that size tank. buy a pound of rock per gallon of tank. This is all you "need", although I guarantee thats not where you will stop. Good luck!

 

[Piggy]

Welcome.

Seeing you have a spare 25 lying around I would go ahead and do a sump/refurgium. These are very easy to make. If you do go with a sump you'll need a overflow box and a return pump. Plus pvc for plumbing. I agree the bulk of your budget should be spent the lights and protein skimmer. Then you'll need powerheads and a heater. Then there's sand,salt and LR. To save money you can buy base rock and seed it with live rock. Most go with 1-2 pounds of LR per gallon. Don't forget test kits,nitrites,nitrates,ph,ammonia,and alkalinity. If you plan on having corals later on you'll need calcium and magnesium test kits. Just take it one step at a time.

 

[Bifferwine]

You don't NEED a sump or a refugium, but they help. And you can have them without drilling the tank, just buy an overflow box as Piggy said.

A protein skimmer is very important. If you have a sump, you can get an in-sump model. If not, you'll need an HOB (hang-on-back) model. Octopus is the most recommended brand for bang-for-the-buck.

The basic test kits you'll need are ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH and alkalinity. If you keep corals, you'll need others, but those are the ones you'll need for fish only.

If you want corals, you'll specialized lights, which will be one of the most expensive components of your tank. A set of T5s would be best for your tank.

1 to 2 lbs of live rock per gallon is recommended, and use aragonite sand as a substrate, not crushed coral.

Those are the basics, I think. Any more specific questions?

 

[yote]

Looks like my friends already have you pretty well covered.So.
Welcome to the reef.

 

[dustin_P74]

welcome to the site

 

[RyanG]

Welcome, check out the Articles section for a lot of great information collected by Jhnrb. Also if you are truely interested pick up a copy of "The Conscientous Marine Aquarist" by Robert Fenner. This book was suggested to me when I was contemplating jumping it and it is a great book filled with the proper way of setting up a great reef tank.