# Need to know how to setup a 55g SW tank from scratch.



## BettaFriend (Oct 14, 2010)

Hi. I am on a really tight budget. I want to start SW soon, but I need to know _exactly_ what I need to setup a FOWLR SW setup. Actually, not quite a FOWLR. I want to have a pistol shrimp to pair with a Yellow Watchman Goby, and maybe some starfish and urchins (which I know nothing about, yet).

I need to know ALL the equipment I would need, with an estimate of each piece. I am getting a nice little sum of money, as this is a "science project" (lol). But with my very short, limited budget, even the sponsered money might not get me far.

Here is a guidline;
*No corals! I can't afford expensive lighting
*Maybe CUC (Clean up Crew invertebrates)
*Perhaps some good invertebrates just for show
*Lots of fish (I will give you the link to my stocking thread in abit)
*Lots of LR

Can you give an estimate of each piece of equipment that I _need_ to have a nicely running SW tank (Includeing all filtration, skimmer cost, etc.)? The fish is not a matter of budget. I raise enough money so that if I go in the red, in a few weeks I can afford a fish or 2.

I really need to know _*ALL*_ pieces of equip required!


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## BettaFriend (Oct 14, 2010)

Here is my possible stocking plan. Minus the Longnose Hawkfish. I am afraid it would eat the pistol shrimp I plan to have for a snack.

http://www.fishforums.com/forum/beg...cking-my-first-55-75g-sw-tank.html#post269114


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

*"Fish Tank 200
Lighting 380
Crushed Coral 0
Salt 21
Water 47
Protein Skimmer 0
Base Rock 0
Live Rock 45
Heater 0

Total 693*


_Budget 1200
Cost 693
Cash for Maintenance 507

15 Gal. Salt Change 5
15 Gal. Water Change 10
Calcium Dosing 6
Food ?

Monthly Maintenance Cost 21


Monthly Maintenance Budget	42
Monthly Maintenance Cost 21
Surplus 21_"

This was one of my spread sheets. (The budget I'm on now is more like $600.) I'll expand on this in a few minutes...

Okay, find your budget. Then, find a nice setup that you like. Add up the cost of that and whatever else you'd be missing with that setup. Subtract that cost from your budget. *This step is in bold.*

The remaining amount of your budget is the amount you can spend on fish, corals, food, maintenance, nice test kits, etc. I took the value from the end of step one and divided that by 12 to get the budget per month after setup. _I have this step in italics._

Anything left over is surplus. YAY!!! Remember, find a good deal and jump on it. Your budget has a way of expanding once you find a good deal and buy it.  Don't rule out corals yet, your new tank may be fine for them! Mine is! I already have new mushroom polyps appearing out of the LR!!!


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## BettaFriend (Oct 14, 2010)

Well, I wont completely rule out corals. I might find something with nice lighting. How come the crushed coral, Protein Skimmer, and heater all cost $0?

Anyway, if I set it up from scratch, there probably wont be any good lighting, so there probably wont be any corals, right? You _have_ to have good lighting to have corals, right? Just checking.

I'll search craigslist daily.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

You can get a $100 PC or sometimes even T5 fixture off of Craigslist and be able to keep most softies and maybe even a few LPS. As for why they cost $0, they came with the tank. For this tank, the beginning would be more like "Tank, $350. Everything else except for Crushed Coral, (Or whatever I mean...) $0." Yay. Go life.


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## CollegeReefer (Sep 1, 2006)

I will be honest it is hard to do a marine tank on a budget. It can be done but at the sacrifice of quality equipment. The best way to set up a tank on a budget is buying used. Your best bet Is to hook up with a local reef club. What is your budget?

I would skip the 55 and go with a 40 breeder. I think petco's 1/gallon sale is still going on.


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## BettaFriend (Oct 14, 2010)

I already have the 55g empty. Got it from a friend that does resale. There wouldn't be much of a difference, since 40g breeders are actually about 47 gallons.

I think I will go with craigslist. If I told you my budget, you would tell me to dream on. But I promise I wont get fish I can't support!


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

At least PM it to _*me!*_ Is it $400? You can EASILY get a good setup for that (Like mine!) but then you have to maintain it. Don't be one of those people who spend all of that time and money on the amazing tank that the later find too expensive to maintain... Buy from them instead!


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Oh, but there IS a difference. A 40 Breeder is six inches wider front-to-back, and that can very often make a huge difference in many facets of reefkeeping. Just so you know.

Man, I wish there was a Petco within 100 miles of here... I just paid 70 bucks for a 40B. I could have almost gotten two for that much at their annual sale.


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## BettaFriend (Oct 14, 2010)

Good point TOS. Forgot about the wide width. Oh well. I can find something that will work on craigslist. Even if it takes me 'til summer (and then I get my birthday cash! yeah!).


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## CollegeReefer (Sep 1, 2006)

At the bare minimum you will want

tank, some sort of cheap light (t8 or used pc fixture), powerheads, hob filter (maybe), live rock or seeded dry rock, weekly 20% water changes. I personally would wait until you have more funds.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Salt mix, a source of pure water, a hydrometer, a lid, a light good enough to support live rock at least, live sand ( is optional ), two or three circulation pumps, a skimmer, a filter or two, some live rock, maybe a heater ( but usually not ), chemical element supplements, and enough emergency cash to very quickly replace any of the expensive things if they fail. 

Oh, one last thing-- a second tank set up for quarantine. Ignore this and fail epically.


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## funlad3 (Oct 9, 2010)

Yeah, QT's are essential. My uncle trusted the store to quarantine for him. He lost all of his fish three times; about $1000 worth of fish each time. He quit the hobby and sold his four tanks.  Spend the $40 on a twenty gallon, a heater, and a sponge filter. Save $$$$$ on livestock and medications and corals... Wait! I forgot you knew all of that... Sorry...


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## BettaFriend (Oct 14, 2010)

So I _have_ to have lighting to support LR?? Darn. That is disapointing! I can't even get cheap lighting for under $120! No heater? Wont the tropical marine fish get cold? What kind of fiter types (e.g. mechanicle, bio, chem) should I stress on getting?

Where do y'all get your pure water from?


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

The lighting usually produces enough heat to keep you from needing a heater. In fact, you might even wish you had a chiller in the summertime.

I buy the PURPLE capped distilled water from WalMart if they have it, or the green capped drinking water. Any water which has been stripped of chemicals and minerals will work nicely. You could also buy your own RO/DI unit to make you own pure water, but that would not be cheap.

Between the rock and skimmer, you'll have bio & chemical filtration mostly handled, so get a mechanical filter, and clean it every day to keep it from becoming a biofilter.


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## BettaFriend (Oct 14, 2010)

Thanks TOS! I guess I'll go with distilled.

(btw, in the summer time, I already wish my unlit fw tanks had chillers, so would that work? Is lighting essesial in the summertime for just LR?)


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