# First salt water setup-55



## Linilou (Oct 15, 2009)

So im planing on doing a sw set up next august,55 gallons, 

I say 55 gallons and not 75 because as of right now, i can get a 55 for about, 50$(tank and stand), but a 75 would cost me about 175-200$ (bare tank)

First, the stocking list, 
1 chainlink moray http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/eels/chainlinkmoray/
or
1 snowflake eel http://www.marinecenter.com/fish/eels/snowflakeeel/

+ anything you guys suggest would be compatable, i really am lost on what these guys wont bother, anything large enoughf that they wont eat im assuming.

But now on to the actual questions,

1.could i use this sump set up for a sw tank?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9CVVb-C-eY

2.besides the sump, what other filtration would i need?

3.Skimmer, its absoutley nessicary right?

4. Is this a good plan of action, 
set up tank.
get live rock+live sand, cycle in tank
when cycle is finished, add a cleanup-crew
add a hearty fish
when every thing seems to be going ok, add eel, gradually what ever other fish id like, 
when tank is established, buy lights
when lights are bought, start looking into corals/anemonies ect.

5.What type of power heads do you reccomend?

6. Would i have to wait till the end for all corals, or could I get some low light ones allong the way?

7. could i use mangroves instead of a skimer? http://www.oceanproaquatics.com/sho...ve-nitrates-toxins-unwanted-algae-p-1929.html
any comments would be very appreciated. thankyou!


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Linilou said:


> But now on to the actual questions,
> 
> 1.could i use this sump set up for a sw tank?
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P9CVVb-C-eY


Although that one would be good for filtration, I see no way to put a skimmer in there. Most SW sumps have the skimmer in the sump. Many sumps also have a refugium on them, although they are not needed.



> 2.besides the sump, what other filtration would i need?


Protien skimmer. Possibly a GFO reactor.



> 3.Skimmer, its absoutley nessicary right?


In a tank that size, it is definately more than just a good idea.



> 4. Is this a good plan of action,
> set up tank.
> get live rock+live sand, cycle in tank
> when cycle is finished, add a cleanup-crew
> ...


Sounds like that will work



> 5.What type of power heads do you reccomend?


Sorry I don't know much about the powerheads for larger aquariums.



> 6. Would i have to wait till the end for all corals, or could I get some low light ones allong the way?


There are no real low light corals. Soft corals can do OK in lower light than the hard corals, but you will want to at least buy the lighting system right away for the soft corals. Also, corals need a very stable enviroment, so make sure you have lots of live rock, the salinity is right for corals, you have enough calcium and iodine in your water and that your KH and GH are at the right levels. 



> 7. could i use mangroves instead of a skimer? http://www.oceanproaquatics.com/sho...ve-nitrates-toxins-unwanted-algae-p-1929.html
> any comments would be very appreciated. thankyou!


Although they would probably remove some bad stuff from the water, I think a skimmer is still an investment you will want to make. Once you see the waste a skimmer will produce, you will see why it is so important.


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## Linilou (Oct 15, 2009)

Thank you SO much for all the help. 

Im accually going to set up a 29 gallon BIOCUBE (if i can find one, my lfs has a CHEEEEAP one right now, hopefuly itll still be there after christmas) in january, same process same steps. might still get the eel, if i do, ill get a snowflake. 

is everything stated above the same? do i still need a skimmer? Ive found these nano skimmers that i might be able to fit in the back http://www.dreamaquatic.com/nano-mini-protein-skimmer.html


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## guppyart (Jan 22, 2005)

a bio cube isn't going to be big enough for a snowflake. 55-75gallon tanks for them, they can get to 24" that doesn't exactly fit in those biocubes sadly


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## Linilou (Oct 15, 2009)

Well, ill be moving him into the 55 in august, the ones they have at my lfs are only 6 inches,


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

wouldn't it be cheaper to get the 55 the first time around? some nice powerheads include koralias
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4586+15955&pcatid=15955
and VorTechs
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4586+16754&pcatid=16754
but if you don't want high flow corals some maxijets would be fine
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4586+4609&pcatid=4609


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## Linilou (Oct 15, 2009)

Wow, i didnt realize powerheads were so cheap, 

The only reason i was going to do the biocube was because i cant fit a 55 where i am right now, but the 29, since its cube shaped could fit very easily in my room,

im starting to think itd be allot cheaper to just build my own 'biocube' with seperate powerhead/sump/fuge/skimmer.

The only reason I was drawn to it was becasue everything was all packaged together in a nice little case, and i wouldnt have to worry about setting up a lighting fixture/timer

Does anyone know if those mini skimmers(above) are any good and what gallon max they can fit on?

the bio cube my lfs has is 1 for 160 and another lfs has one for 125, should i still go with the cube or just buy a tank,and everything else separate?

Ive allways been told not to cut corrners on sw, so i assumed i was just going to have to put allot of money down on a good system


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

I don't know about the skimmers above. I do know that they make skimmers specifically designed to fit into one of the chambers in the biocube. Do not buy those. That is the skimmer I am using. It works OK for a 10 gallon tank, but it would never handle a 29 gallon. 

How exactly are you considering building a biocube? Are you suggesting that you buy all the separate parts, or are you actually wanting to build a tank? Either way, you will save money.

With saltwater I think it is a good idea to start with the tank you expect to end with. Not only are saltwater things very fragile and don't like to be moved from their tank, but also because you never know what the future holds. Saltwater is exponentially more expensive the bigger tank you get. What if, in the future, you can't afford to set up a 55 gallon to keep your large fish happy? You would be stuck with a smaller tank that would stunt the growth of your fish, and then they would never reach full size, and they will live a short life. I know you don't want that to happen.

Good luck with what ever you decide to do!

EDIT: BTW stop looking for brand new tanks and parts. Many people on craigslist and at local aquarium clubs will have very cheap tanks that are proven not to leak. Just remember though, if a freshwater tank was treated with a copper treatment, you can not use it for a reef, but it will be ok for a fish only tank.


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## Linilou (Oct 15, 2009)

thats a really good point, thanks so much for all the input!!

I think im just going to go with the 55 in august, and maby a little reef tank maby one small fish depending on what happenes over the holiday C:


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