alllll neww

l.craib88 · 02-21-2007, 11:15 PM

hello every one my name is logan right now i have a 75 gal fresh water tank used to keep up with every day then a bunch of family issues it sliped threw me and a few fish died so i figue now that i have a chance i would love to try to go salt water but i dont want to blow away money so i would like to know what would i need i have a ground filter and a aqua clear hang over filte that pushs 90 gal i have a 300 watt heater im buying my self a 2 bulb light any idea on witch one i should get im planing on going live rock with a few fish nothing to big on the fish i saw a buddys live rock and i loved it

so any help would be great thank you

jd@ga · 02-21-2007, 11:32 PM

Hey logan ! Welcome!
The first thing to do is get rid of the undergravel filter and gravel. Buy sand or c/c or both, your choice.
Next, me personnally I would invest in a canister filter (a large one.) From the sound of it your going w/ a f/o/w/l/r right? You would best spend more money on your filter than lights. Now, if your going full on reef tank THEN you need to start investing in $$$$ lights.

gm333 · 02-21-2007, 11:38 PM

First off, Welcome to the forum!
You will need some basic equipment before beginning.
Hydrometer or refractometer(test salt levels)
Saltwater master test kit
Good temp guage
skimmer( this is a must for salt water) A good thing to keep in mind on skimmers is you get what you pay for.
powerheads for flow in the tank

The most important thing about saltwater is patience. You dont want to rush a saltwater tank. Also I suggest you do some reading before beginning your tank. Learn how to cycle saltwater before doing it, this way you know what to expect. Also stocking fish is important get an idea on compatability before going out and purchasing that cute little fish, that cute little fish could end up eating the other fish or kill it from aggression.

l.craib88 · 02-21-2007, 11:43 PM

ya i figuerd id get rid of the gravel i thought id get some c/c i was told i could still use the ground filter

how should i go about on like buying live rock 1st letin it cycle for a few weeks then buying a small fish would that be the best way to go with my fresh water i just bougt a bunch of small fish let them cycle but iv seen the prices on a salt water fish haha

jd@ga · 02-21-2007, 11:55 PM

You can use it but they are more trouble than they are worth. Undergravel filters are almost as out dated as bubble box filters(true garbage). I promise if you set up a tank without a ugf you`ll never use one again.
As far as l/r buy it , let it cure and cycle your tank without fish. Do your w/c and when you get your algae bloom in add some cleaners , wait a week and then start adding fish slowly , like a couple (small) every other week.

Chitown1 · 02-22-2007, 05:50 AM

Wlcome,
I agree with GM333, loose the undergravel filter and set your self up with a sand bed 3-4" deep as well as get your self a good skimmer, less expensive models like a prizm, jebo etc do not perform well and you will just need to upgrade later. And of course PATIENCE can not be stressed enough, it take longer to set up a salt tank than fresh but the rewards are well worth the wait.

l.craib88 · 02-22-2007, 10:14 PM

ok so today i went to this store that deal wit hfish tanks it was wow iv never met any one that can talk so much and know what hes say but he also said that the power heads on the ugf is bad he told me that if any thing get this filter that hooks up to it and clears out all the waste and pushs it aside

i am getin very excited to start this up with all this info i am more confedent that i wont mess up and if i do ( witch hey its normal doing some thing new ) im sure i wont waste to much money

Andyoybna · 02-24-2007, 01:30 PM

you can actually keep the part of the UG filter that goes under the gravel and put your crushed coral/sand on top of that and have a small plenum, I did that when setting up my 55 and it seems to be working great, it also gives the live rock something to "bite" on to so it doesnt slip on the glass bottom

Chitown1 · 02-24-2007, 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andyoybna

you can actually keep the part of the UG filter that goes under the gravel and put your crushed coral/sand on top of that and have a small plenum, I did that when setting up my 55 and it seems to be working great, it also gives the live rock something to "bite" on to so it doesnt slip on the glass bottom

BAD IDEA! you will accumilate all kinds of gunk under it and no way to clean it out, it may be OK short term but you will without a doubt have issues as time goes by. Your best chance is to pull it out completely and throw it away, yes at one time it was thought to be the best, but I remember when aged water was considered to be valuable, we would trade aged water for fish, rocks etc. and doing water changes were considered the worst thing you could do (I am showing my age) UG filters are just as outdated as that theory is.

Andyoybna · 02-25-2007, 10:48 AM

well, last thing I heard about plenums was in an article in a magazine, they did a long term study, they had a plenum on a 500 gallon reef tank and tested the water monthly over 5 years, they had a 1/2-1"" plenum chamber on the bottom with about a 4" sand bed. They used natural ocean water, the tank had corals in it.

The nitrates were almost ALWAYS 20-30 PPm INSIDE the plenum chamber, but inside the tank nitrates often dropped below 5ppm, which is what they started with in their ocean water.

Basically the plenum chamber just adds more surface area for bacteria to grow, and if you do it right, no gunk and decaying matter will make its way all the way down through the sand, and through the plenum and accumulate