[saltysteve]

Hi my name is steve and I am about to become a reef tank owner but I don't want to get it wrong in the beginning. My only purchase to date is a book and I have been surfing the net crazy like. I have found a 125 gallon tank used with all kinds of accessories included but it is very confusing as to what i need. Can someone please help me. Ad reads:


125 GALLON DUAL OVERFLOW reef ready aquarium. Includes everything that you will need to set up a salt water tank (tank, stand, canopy, 6ft light bar with 6 power compacts and 3 moon lights with built in fans, sump, plumbing, UV Sterilizer, skimmer, sand and books). All the equipment is worth $5000 alone. All you need to do is add water and fish.

 

[musho3210]

Wow that is very good, it really does have everything.

Can you give us more information? Do you want a fish only tank? FIsh only with live rock? Semi-reef, full blown reef?

 

[saltysteve]

I think I want a full on reef tank. What I want is corals hard and soft, and fish. Like I said I am just starting looking into this but I have seen many a picture I want lots of colour. (Canadian) So far, tell me if i'm right, I am going to need live rock for the corals. I want clown fish and tangs star fish hermit crab and shrimp maybe sone trigger fish??? So far I am just planning the base i want live sand?? and live rock to start right?

 

[saltysteve]

I think i've atached a pict and they want 1500 obo for it do you think thats a fair price.

 

[Melissa]

oh, first off...no trigger in a reef aquarium. thats a big no no, he will eat whatever inverts you put in and maybe your small fish.
then what wattage is your lights. power compacts will not be enough for hard corals. They have much higher lighting demands than soft corals.
You don't just need live rock for corals. it also serves as a natural filtration. You will also want to approach this slowly. You cannot rush saltwater or you will find yourself with a lot of problems.

 

[trreherd]

I done know what 1500 obo is but that is a nice tank! Did it specify the wattage of the powercompacts? 6 power compacts is plenty of lighting for any corals you will want to keep(hard,soft)

 

[musho3210]

I done know what 1500 obo is but that is a nice tank! Did it specify the wattage of the powercompacts? 6 power compacts is plenty of lighting for any corals you will want to keep(hard,soft)

not always, they might be weak pc lights, if you want a wide variety of corals, MH lighting is best. PC lighting can get you the softer corals

 

[saltysteve]

Didn't spec. what wattage but i will find out. What is mh lighting?

 

[saltysteve]

Okay no triggfish. and Take it slow is the number one thing everyone I've talked to has told me. Does anyone know of a good book that shows steps ect???

 

[musho3210]

MH= Metal hallide
One of if not the most powerful lighting for aquarists out there, runs hotter and more expensive than a flourecent but has a much much higher output lighting than a flourecents. Loved by experianced reefers and electrical company, resembles sun light much better than all other lights. Fans highly reccomended and lights need to be a few inches above waterline to prevent temperature fluctuations.

 

[saltysteve]

So does 1500 canadian sound like a fair price for all this stuff??
Also what is fowlr tank and what is ro water?
Thanks for all your help

 

[musho3210]

FOWLR is fish only with live rock, a good begginer combination. RO water is Reverse Osmosis water, you should use this in a saltwater tank with a good salt mix, no tap water

 

[trreherd]

Steve ask the guy who owned the tank what kind of corals he kept and you will know what kind of corals you will beable to keep. Musho im sure those pc lights will be fine for most corals, you need to relize that there is more than one way to light an aquarium. If he has six pc lights over that tank im sure its not for a fish only therfore There probly not week pc lights. theres prolly hundreds of whats over that tank.
Steve tap water will be fine to fill your tank the first time but ro water is good to do water changes with. If you have well water(not city water) were there is no clorine added than i would say you can use that for water changes cause who wants to go out and buy an expensive ro filter?
For a good book? i wouldent recemend a book. You can get very good information on the web. I bought 'saltwater aquariums for dumbys' and i found there was not alot of good information in it, it dident mention any new filtration techneques or any good lighting methods. Try This website for good information. I bet most advice this website gives you is aproved by most of us.
http://saltaquarium.about.com/
check out this website for coral and fish ideas.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/categ.cfm?pcatid=597

 

[caferacermike]

1,500 loons sounds like a sweet deal, albeit a canuck one. Man that'd be an even better deal for a Yank to haul up there and convert dollars for loons on that one, eh.


It seems to be a nice tank with a fair amount of equipment. I cannot say what used tanks are going for 2,000 miles away but here in TX I'd think a well set up 125 would fetch about $1,000.