beginner question

O

Olivia

AC Members
Mar 11, 2007
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SF CA
This is maybe a dumb question, but which material is best(acrylic or glass) for a 55-58 gallon tank?
Weight may be an issue. Cost is definetely an issue. And scratching- possibly...:rolleyes:
I have read a few articles on the net about the differences, but still wonder which material is better for this particular size.
Also would like to hear about preferences for one or the other from "live" sources.:)
 
my personal opinion is that that glass is always going to be the stronger of the two..Yes, glass systems are heavier in comparison..acyrilic is also more suceptable to scratching, which i dont like the idea of..All it takes is for a lump of live rock to fall on it and you end up with a horible scratch...

Just my opinion of course..And please remember, there are NEVER and silly, stupid or dumb questions on here..Ask anything you like, we will not laugh at you..We are here to help in anyway we can..

Niko
 
atnixon said:
Just my opinion of course..And please remember, there are NEVER and silly, stupid or dumb questions on here..Ask anything you like, we will not laugh at you..We are here to help in anyway we can..

Niko
Click to expand...
Thank you!:)

I have this concern(probably unwarranted) that the tank can come apart at the seams...:eek: For some reason the glass tanks in my mind are more susceptable to this.
Although glass is more appealing to me because it's less resistant to scratches. I know my five-year old will be next to the tank most of the time short of "racing" his toy cars on the walls of the tank...:rolleyes:

Also, are there any really good books(salt water aquariums for dummies or something of the sort) that anyone can recommend? The more I read about iton the net the more I realize how complicated things can be(i. e.the type of lighting depends on the depth of the tank as well as on what is living inside, the types of rocks and sand, various testers for various things etc).

Any advice for a total beginner will be greatly appreciated. I don't even have a tank yet, I'm still in the research stage. And since this hobby is major $$$ I want to be sure(well, as sure as I can be at this point) that I don't waste resources.
For a 55-58(at least for now I think is an appropriate size considering the space)gallon tank what is a must have and what is a splurge? I know it's a very broad question, but even if one important thing that is a must-have comes to mind- I do appreciate your answer!:)
Also, what is ok to buy second hand and what should be purchased brand new?
 
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the bonding process used in acrylic tanks these days are really really good, it is something i would not be concerned about, same for glass tanks..as long as you dont alter the structure of the tank by changing the bracing bars etc etc...

A good book is the conciencious mariner by robert fenner...i always recomend this book as it has a very good and easy to read layout and it is also very concise..

here is a quick list ( in my opinion ) that you will need for maine keeping...

1) Good heater
2) 1 - 1.5lbs of live rock per gallon
3) protien skimmer
4) Reverse osmosis unit
5) hydrometer...refractometer if you want to spend the extra
6) good powerheads for circulation...suggest maxijet powerheads

that is just a very basic list...the equipment you will need will be very dependant on what you want to keep in the tank..whether it fish and inverts or go more down the reef option and keep corals...

Any questions at all, just shout up...

Niko
 
Niko, thanks for your reply. I will definately check out the book you recommended. And thanks for the list.
I think I would like some fish in the tank as well as some coral. And a few various critters. A little of each.
If you think of something else regarding the must haves please let me know.:)
 
Olivia, the actual name of the book that Niko is recommeding is The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner. Very good book by the way. I would go with glass as well. Scratches are a big deal to me. One of the things that Niko forgot as part of his basics list is a good saltwater testing kit. Kits made by Seachem or Salifert are good ones. Accurate and easy to read IMO.
 
In case you're having trouble finding it, the book is called "the conscientious marine aquarist," not "conscientious mariner";) But that was a great book to recommend, and Niko covered a large part of what you need in his list. Since you're aquarium will only be 55-58 (?) gallons, which is a good size for a beginner, glass is more economical as well as scratch resistant, and I've heard its better for taking pictures of livestock than acrylic.

It sounds like you're looking for more of a reef tank setup. After you decide what tank you need to get, you'll need to decide on a deep sand bed (dsb), shallow sand bed, or bare bottom (bb). A lot of reefers use a dsb (at least 4" deep) because it is a great way for natural filtration - similar to the idea behind using 1 - 1.5 lbs of live rock per gallon. Also, fish that bury into the sand bed, like leopard wrasse, will apreciate a dsb, or even a shallow sand bed if it's at least 2" deep. I'm not sure of all the benefits of a bb because I don't use one, but I'm sure that its easier to maintain.

Also, If you want most corals, you'll have to have more powerful lighting than the ordinary NO (normal output) strip lighting. Lighting will largely determine the type of corals you can healthily mantain, so make sure you know the lighting needs of the coral you want to buy. Generally, soft corals do fine under VHO (very high output) or T5 fluorescents. Others, like hard corals, may need no less than metal halide.

However, flow is very important as well as lighting, so it would be a good idea to install powerheads. Just make sure that corals aren't directly in the flow of a powerhead.

Regards,
Chris
 
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