Shopping list?

[micaheli]

I'm ready to purchase the first load of stuff for my 55gal aquarium. I have around 300 bucks I can allocate for equipment. I figure this can get me everything I need except lighting. Lighting will have to wait as I am saving up for Halides (rather than upgrading later).

Can people help me out with stuff to buy? How much GPH I'll need, what size pumps.. etc. I was thinking a Mag 2400 for circulation with a sump. Also need a pump for the skimmer.

Here are things I plan on DIY'ing:
Overflow (Acrylic)
Sump (Old 10gal tank)
Light Hood (just NO right now)
Skimmer (DIY Remora - Acrylic)

I am getting Southdown sand for the base - how thick should it be?

Because I don't have tons of money for liverock initially, can I buy a couple pounds to seed the livesand and rely on bio-balls temporarily? Bio-balls are MUCH cheaper than liverock - and from what I have read, as long as you don't allow physical waste to enter the bio balls, it doesn't become a nitrate factory.

Anyways, ANY help is appreciated. Also, if you have any of these items that you aren't using or would be willing to part with for cheap, let me know. I would love to save some money.

--Micah

[DEmigh]

If I had it to do over again...

I'd start slow, really s - l - o - w , just the sump and sand.

I personally am in the process of converting from crushed coral over an under-gravel filter to a deep sand bed. From advice on this forum (Orion Girl and others) I have aquired, and am culturing, enough sand for a 3" bed. For the typical 55 gallon you would need 3/4 to a full cubic foot of sand to attain the three inch depth. Save money by purchasing your sand at Home Depot (or similar) rather than the fish store. Buy playsand.

Short of sticking an outboard motor at one end of the tank :D , it seems nearly impossible to get too much water circulation in a marine aquarium. Someone else will probably give specific advice as to gph.

If it was my tank, I'd go with a fishless cycle and culture all of the bacteria on the DSB at first, even before I tried to add liverock. The bio balls could wait even longer.

Your intention to do a lot of DIY will make this a very hands-on project however you decide to go.

It sounds like fun :cool:

[OrionGirl]

For overflows--shop around the Office supply stores for acrylic boxes. Then, you can use a router or jigsaw and cut in the needed slots and holes fairly easily.

I like lots of water movement, and I doubt you'll be able to gt enough without adding some powerheads. Shop around for the pump--they go on sale regularly online. I think MarineDepot or ChampionLighting are the cheapest places for Mag drives right now.

You can also buy tufa or other porous rock and then seed it with good live rock. It will take longer, but the porous rock will become live rock down the line.

For the base--depends. A deep sand bed needs to be at least 3 inches.

[micaheli]

My budget just got bigger, about 831 dollars. So, thats a good thing.

As far as the liverock. I thought you were supposed to cycle your tank WITH the liverock in it. I think (considering the new budget) I will eliminate bio-balls and a filter medium from the equation and just go the liverock way.

Also, My intention to do DIY will be the funnest part of the tank.. I think it will give me a lot of pride in my tank. I do a LOT of DIY stuff around the house. I feel good about it. :)

--Micah


Originally posted by DEmigh
If it was my tank, I'd go with a fishless cycle and culture all of the bacteria on the DSB at first, even before I tried to add liverock. The bio balls could wait even longer.

Your intention to do a lot of DIY will make this a very hands-on project however you decide to go.

It sounds like fun :cool:

[OrionGirl]

You can cycle with uncured liverock, but not really with cured rock. I always recommend doing water changes during the cycle if you're using live rock--otherwise, the ammonia and nitrite spikes will kill off a lot of the beneficial organisms on the rock.

If you're buying uncured, plan on doing frequent water changes--testing daily, and adequate to prevent ammonia/nitrites above 1ppm. In other words, lots!

[DEmigh]

Thank you OrionGirl, you said it better than I would have.

In the past few weeks of following this excellent forum, I have learned to regard liverock as literally that: liverock. A living thing due all the care we would afford a fish.