Newbie Here

jiffy · 03-18-2006, 12:42 PM

Hey everyone - I haven't really given much thought to SW before, due to the cost and lack of space I have right now. I have been keeping FW fish for a few years but in small tanks. I recently bought (at a fantastic price) two 30 gallon tanks one of which had been used for SW and the other FW.

So, now I thought was the time to think about getting into SW. So, after my new purchase I have a 30 gallon (36 inch length) tank with a coralife aqualight - 2x96w, crushed coral, and about 30-40lbs of live rock (which isn't live any longer), a Marineland HOB filter rated at 50 gallons and a via aqua powerhead (not sure the rating on it).

So, I know I would need a protein skimmer and to either buy RO/DI water or a RO Unit, but I figure since I got all the other stuff, maybe I should consider SW at this point. I don't think right now is the time to start, as I may be moving in less than 6 months, but I figure now is the time to plan. I would have originally thought FO/FWLR would be the way to go, but I think that seeing as how I have PC lights maybe I should do corals, or sell the light for money to do FO/FWLR

So, any thoughts on whether I should go for it, or stick with FW would be appreciated.

KeyserSoze · 03-18-2006, 08:14 PM

Keep the lights. They'll look better even in a FO/FOWLR tank and would work for most soft and LPS corals in that tank if you change your mind. As for "going for it" I'd suggest reading all you can. There are some great threads for beginners and the more you know before you set up the tank the happier you'll be after. You mention the money. Check out the DIY section. You can do some great things yourself with a little work an ingenuity. There are alot of tricks, from buying sand at Home Depot to building a closed loop system for circulation. You can build a sump out of a 10g tank and buy the parts online cheap. Also check out some of the galleries here for ideas on aquascaping. There are some gorgeous 20g and 29g tanks that I'd love to have.

03-18-2006, 12:42 PM	#1 (permalink)
jiffy Tunicate Join Date: Mar 2006 Posts: 3 View Gallery Karma Komment	Newbie Here Hey everyone - I haven't really given much thought to SW before, due to the cost and lack of space I have right now. I have been keeping FW fish for a few years but in small tanks. I recently bought (at a fantastic price) two 30 gallon tanks one of which had been used for SW and the other FW. So, now I thought was the time to think about getting into SW. So, after my new purchase I have a 30 gallon (36 inch length) tank with a coralife aqualight - 2x96w, crushed coral, and about 30-40lbs of live rock (which isn't live any longer), a Marineland HOB filter rated at 50 gallons and a via aqua powerhead (not sure the rating on it). So, I know I would need a protein skimmer and to either buy RO/DI water or a RO Unit, but I figure since I got all the other stuff, maybe I should consider SW at this point. I don't think right now is the time to start, as I may be moving in less than 6 months, but I figure now is the time to plan. I would have originally thought FO/FWLR would be the way to go, but I think that seeing as how I have PC lights maybe I should do corals, or sell the light for money to do FO/FWLR So, any thoughts on whether I should go for it, or stick with FW would be appreciated.

03-18-2006, 08:14 PM	#2 (permalink)
KeyserSoze Midas Blenny Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Kansas Posts: 111 View Gallery Karma Komment	Re: Newbie Here Keep the lights. They'll look better even in a FO/FOWLR tank and would work for most soft and LPS corals in that tank if you change your mind. As for "going for it" I'd suggest reading all you can. There are some great threads for beginners and the more you know before you set up the tank the happier you'll be after. You mention the money. Check out the DIY section. You can do some great things yourself with a little work an ingenuity. There are alot of tricks, from buying sand at Home Depot to building a closed loop system for circulation. You can build a sump out of a 10g tank and buy the parts online cheap. Also check out some of the galleries here for ideas on aquascaping. There are some gorgeous 20g and 29g tanks that I'd love to have.

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