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Which tank to buy?

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fishboy12

hi, i am a begginner and i dont know what size tank i should purchase. any suggestions. I was thinking between a 30g and a 50g. i need to tell my mom what kind too. its an xmas present so hurry please.
 
redfishbluefish

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Our first tank was a 48 gallon bowfront display tank with a 45 gallon sump/refugium. I think it is an excellent size for a “normal” size starter tank (don’t want to insult the nano guys). However, in the process of putting this tank / sump together, we had already started planning the build for a bigger display tank. Our current project is an 87 gallon custom tank…in the early stages.

My recommendations is to see if you can pick up a used tank and refugium and have the parents buy all the other stuff for the holidays…pumps, lights, overflow, heaters, skimmers, live rock, live sand, etc. The tank will be the cheap part.
 
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fishboy12

thanks. but one more question im trying to get some nice coral which lighting should i use an does a lunar light have any effect
 
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fishboy12

new tank starting

what equiptment should i get start my new 40 gal aquarium. is a refugium nesicary. i would like a reef tank
 
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ds4x4

I don't know the price on the Bow front but a 55 gallon tank would probably be great for a start since your getting it as a present.. Generally the idea is to go as big as you have space for/can afford.. The tank is the cheapest purchase you will make.. Some corals are going to be more than you paid for the tank..

Lighting there is a bunch of choices. T5 is the best for the size tank.
 
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fishboy12

is it true that a 55 will fall through the floor because thats what my parents think. and do you think i could put a hippo tang in that.
 
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ds4x4

it depends on the house construction and how the tank will be supported.. 1 gallon of water is 8.34lbs so 55gallons is 549lbs + sand and live rock if thats what you are planning on doing.. your looking at 550 -600lbs easy
 
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fishboy12

my mom is also saying it has to be under like 300 is this unrealistic. what should i get for that kind of price for the tank and setup ???
 
redfishbluefish

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
Re: new tank starting

When you say "reef," do you mean a FOWLR (fish only with live rock) or do you mean with coral? If it's a FOWLR, the filtration demand would not be as great. If it's with coral, I would suggest a refugium with a protein skimmer. Let's see what others say!
 
redfishbluefish

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
I think it could be do-able if you buy used and look for deals on used stuff.  Maybe buy an entire system off something like craigslist that comes with everything.

If you buy new, for a 55g tank, you can easily pay $300 + just for the lights.

I suggest you do as much reading as possible, saver as much as you can, and consider a slow build.  It probably took 3 months before we started putting water in the tank...while we acquired stuff.

Also, if you are handy and have access to tools, you can save in building your own stand and doing your own plumbing.
 
redfishbluefish

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
fishboy12 said:
is it true that a 55 will fall through the floor because thats what my parents think. and do you think i could put a hippo tang in that.
Click to expand...

Assuming it was a house build in the last 70 years or so, the floor can easily support a 55 gallon. We now have almost 100 gallons on an approximately 3' by 2' footprint...not a problem.
 
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fishboy12

thanks. do uhave any other suggestions on corals i should look at. can other reefers post some pics of their 55 gal tanks and thier corals.
 
redfishbluefish

redfishbluefish

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
With a limited budget, and just starting out...cool your jets. The tank first needs to cycle (about a month or so) and then you can slowly start adding some stuff. You should be looking a "newbie" corals. I should know...I'm still a newbie. I'm sure there's a list somewhere. I'll look...or if anyone has the link.
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

when I started - I used a 29gallon connected to a state of the art (sarcasm) wet dry filter. It also had a state of the art (sarcasm) underwater gravel filter!

These days though - the new all-in-one tanks are pretty amazing and while I have no experience with them - I think that would be the way to go - especially if funds are going to be tight and you want to get "as much as you can" while the season is here.

like maybe a 12 gallon aquapod plus stand - would be under your target price. You would not be able to put a adolescent hippo - but certainly a baby for a year or so I guess.

Generally though in that size category you're looking at one maybe two stationary fish (gobys or damsels/clown).
 
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fishboy12

does anyone have experience with the marine land 29 g kit. is there anything else i should buy to go with that i i get that. pics of it in action would really help
 
Hawkeye

Hawkeye

you could scan the nano forum further down....there are various threads there of different tanks with pics.
 
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ds4x4

OK lets start off on a different foot.. How old are you? do you have a part time job? i mean $300 for a complete setup is stretching it even for a tiny tank.



*30 gallon link is the same as 55 gal.. FYI ;)
and uhhh... well the first link is for a Catalytic converter ??? ::)
 
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