I always wanted a BIG tank but knew I could never afford one. Well I lucked out and for 200$ got a 180gal WAHOO : ) tank and stand. Problem is Now I don't know where to start. Have been reading this and that but just getting lost on where or what, I need to start. What equipment, lighting, rock etc together. I do know I want a FOWLR tank that someday I can turn to reef. For now the setup cost is gonna kill me so just some tangs and such. Can anyone tell me what I need to turn my lovely glass tank into a saltwater paradise. I don't need name brand stuff just quality. No DIY's. Have RA and have lost the dexterity for that. But I do need to know what it is I need LOL Thanks for any help
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HELP! 180 gallon and don't know where to start
- Thread starter Tammish
- Start date
Welcome to RS.
The thing your going to find out real quick is that the tank and stand are going to be one of the least expensive areas of a SW system.
It would be impossible to tell you what to purchase, since there are so many ways to get do things in this hobby. At best someone can tell you what they would do. This may not be what you would want to do.
The key to successfully keeping a SW system is planning and education of yourself. This is also why you need to figure out a lot of this for yourself. What might work for me, would be a total disaster for someone else. What works for someone else might be a total disaster for me.
Obviously a SW system can get very expensive very fast. As a very very rough "rule of thumb" you can figure a SW reef system, by the time you have it more or less fully stocked, is going to cost roughly $35 to $50 per gallon of water in the main display tank, if your talking about all new equipment.
I suggest you break the system down in to areas to research, and questions and plan your system. The major areas are going to be filtration, circulation, lighting, heating, Substrata and rock word (include live sand and live rock). You'll also need to plan what you want to keep in the tank.
When you looking at these areas, ask questions especially about the products you plan on getting. We'll tell you what we think of them.
Good luck.
The thing your going to find out real quick is that the tank and stand are going to be one of the least expensive areas of a SW system.
It would be impossible to tell you what to purchase, since there are so many ways to get do things in this hobby. At best someone can tell you what they would do. This may not be what you would want to do.
The key to successfully keeping a SW system is planning and education of yourself. This is also why you need to figure out a lot of this for yourself. What might work for me, would be a total disaster for someone else. What works for someone else might be a total disaster for me.
Obviously a SW system can get very expensive very fast. As a very very rough "rule of thumb" you can figure a SW reef system, by the time you have it more or less fully stocked, is going to cost roughly $35 to $50 per gallon of water in the main display tank, if your talking about all new equipment.
I suggest you break the system down in to areas to research, and questions and plan your system. The major areas are going to be filtration, circulation, lighting, heating, Substrata and rock word (include live sand and live rock). You'll also need to plan what you want to keep in the tank.
When you looking at these areas, ask questions especially about the products you plan on getting. We'll tell you what we think of them.
Good luck.
I do understand it is going to get crazy expensive. Because of this it will be awhile before my tank is totally up and running. My biggest problem is trying to figure out where to start. Which piece of equipment is the foundation (besides the tank lol) that controls what all the rest will need to be. I have been looking into and there is so many different ways and items that can be used it becomes overweening. I find myself spending hours on the computer researching and I am still not sure where to start. Usually everything just gets even more confusing!. So for a 180 gallon tank that will not be set up overnight were do I start, just a basic idea would help.
You start with what you want to keep in the tank. Then select the other equipment so you can keep what you want.
The net is a really poor place to start looking for information, mostly for reasons stated in my prior post. There are a lot of different ways to get from point A to point B.
I have posted this before, but it's worth repeating again -
DaveK's Standard Lecture #1 – Advice for people new to the hobby
The very first thing you want to do, before you spend any money on equipment or livestock, is get yourself a few good books on state of the art reef systems. Then read and study them, so you have some idea about what your are doing.
Here are two to start with -
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner
The New Marine Aquarium by Michael Paleta <---This book has an especially good section on fish suited to someone starting off in the hobby.
A note on the books. You can often find used copies at much lower prices at places like Amazon. In most cases these are going to be as good as new copies, especially when your first learning.
This is information that you can not easily obtain from the net. While it's out there, it's all over the place, and there is a massive volume of information. There is also a lot of bad information out there.
Once you get that done, plan or rethink your system. What do you want to keep? Do you have the necessary equipment? Do you have the knowledge to keep the livestock you want? Do you have the time to dedicate to keeping a system and it's livestock?
Many salt water fish, corals and inverts often have very specific requirements. Some are extremely difficult to keep alive, even if you do everything right. Before you get anything, research it, and be sure it will work out in your system.
Lastly, you will find that most LFS people are clueless when it comes to SW systems. Verify their advice, until they prove otherwise.
The net is a really poor place to start looking for information, mostly for reasons stated in my prior post. There are a lot of different ways to get from point A to point B.
I have posted this before, but it's worth repeating again -
DaveK's Standard Lecture #1 – Advice for people new to the hobby
The very first thing you want to do, before you spend any money on equipment or livestock, is get yourself a few good books on state of the art reef systems. Then read and study them, so you have some idea about what your are doing.
Here are two to start with -
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner
The New Marine Aquarium by Michael Paleta <---This book has an especially good section on fish suited to someone starting off in the hobby.
A note on the books. You can often find used copies at much lower prices at places like Amazon. In most cases these are going to be as good as new copies, especially when your first learning.
This is information that you can not easily obtain from the net. While it's out there, it's all over the place, and there is a massive volume of information. There is also a lot of bad information out there.
Once you get that done, plan or rethink your system. What do you want to keep? Do you have the necessary equipment? Do you have the knowledge to keep the livestock you want? Do you have the time to dedicate to keeping a system and it's livestock?
Many salt water fish, corals and inverts often have very specific requirements. Some are extremely difficult to keep alive, even if you do everything right. Before you get anything, research it, and be sure it will work out in your system.
Lastly, you will find that most LFS people are clueless when it comes to SW systems. Verify their advice, until they prove otherwise.