First trip to the local saltwater aqaurium shop

[PCygni]

I've been researching saltwater aquariums for the last few months and dreaming of one for years, so today I took a trip down to the local shop to ask some questions and get some ideas on equipment. The shop was very neat and well-stocked with fish and coral and equipment. After browsing for a while the owner came up and asked me if I had any questions. I told him I was a novice looking to set up a mid-sized saltwater aquarium capable of supporting a few fish and perhaps some easy coral. He promptly led me to the front of the store up to a stack of 29 gallon Bio Cube tanks and said: "this is what you want. Plug and play. Stick a heater in, add some water and you are ready to go." He went on to say he had known people who had them stocked with fish within four days (of course, he didn't exactly recommend that).
"No live rock," I said, " no cycling?"
"Well, you can, but it's not necessary," he said.
I told him I wasn't in any particular hurry; in fact I was rather looking forward to the process of putting an aquarium together one component at a time and cycling it and maybe in a month or two adding a fish. I tried to asking him further questions about how to build a sump and what to put in it. But he kept coming back to the bio cube. He said it would cost thousands to set up an 'old fashioned' tank. I told him I figured on a budget of between three and five grand, and reiterated that I wasn't interested in having fish or coral next week or even next month. He seemed bored with my questions and kept coming back to the bio cube and the idea of 'saving my money'.
I have to admit I walked out of there pretty disappointed. I was hoping for a place I could throw some business to and in return get some answers to some of my questions -- and I have a million questions.
Everything he told me seemed to fly in the face of everything I've read concerning marine tanks, yet he was the owner and has been in the business for decades.
Unfortunately he's the only saltwater shop within a hundred plus miles. I guess my question is -- other than venting -- are these bio cubes anything I should seriously consider? and are there any good saltwater shops in or near northeastern Indiana?

 

[jason.stephens]

I had a 29 bio cube. It works to get someone started in a budget. I think you are starting a little beyond that and are planning to invest more in it. I say go with your instincts. I always wanted more from my bio cube than it could provide. He is interested in selling the box set to you and make money quickly. Most LFS will be exactly like what you have stated. I have gotten the same experience. Go with your gut. Buy bigger and do the sump. You will thank the heavens that you have room to do different things in a sump.

 

[Cu455]

With a budget of 3-5 thousand the guy is an idiot for sending you the biocube route. Go on Craigslist and find a complete tank for about 1,000 dollars, offer the guy a couple hundred dollars and you will have a great tank for way under your budget and little work.

I don't think I spent 3-5 thousand dollars on equipment in the 7 years I had my saltwater tank.

 

[terrypercula]

For 3-5 thousand you can set up a hell of a system but as stated buy a previously used system and upgrade if you want. If I told my LFS I was gonna spend 3-5 thousand he'd kick everyone out of the store but me lol

 

[smartwater101]

I may be one of the few people that LOATH biocubes. I had two bust within a day of setup (the first was already broken but I was unaware until I filled it) I won't go into great detail... I'll just say that both me a the LFS owner were very carefull about transport and setup... but no luck.

Anyway, I decided to set up a tank "properly" (29g) with built-in overflow and a custom sump to allow more control and ability to upgrade equipment as my needs changed. SOOOOO happy I did. A little extra money goes a long way in most hobbies and this hobby is no exception. You really do get what you pay for and if you are looking forward to the process of setting up a tank, then I think its clear you should avoid the all-in-one route.

You seem to be willing to commit the money and time. So I agree, go with your instincts.

 

[thegrun]

There is nothing wrong with starting with a biocube except that it limits your options for customization. Down the road when you decide you want better equipment (you will) you will end up selling the bio-cube and get a set-up that meets your needs, not a redesigned start-up package. It sounds like you have done a fair amount of research so I would hold out for the tank you want. I am surprised your LFS isn't willing to help you down that path.

 

[SUMIXAM]

Sent you a PM.

 

[HumbleFish]

It sounds like the LFS owner was just trying to sell a biocube; not give you what you really want. And as thegrun pointed out, a biocube is fine except you will quickly outgrow it. If I were you I would decide what size tank you really want and go from there. Bigger is always better in this hobby... but don't overwhelm yourself with something TOO big.

 

[saltwater808]

It sounds like the LFS owner was just trying to sell a biocube; not give you what you really want. And as thegrun pointed out, a biocube is fine except you will quickly outgrow it. If I were you I would decide what size tank you really want and go from there. Bigger is always better in this hobby... but don't overwhelm yourself with something TOO big.

Im with this guy ^^^ Figure out what size tank, cabinet and where your going to put it. Then go down to the LFS and buy the BIGGEST tank that fits in your spot. Get all the the stuff Bulkheads plumbing supplies, LR, substrate, sump, skimmer, UV, LED lights, circulation pumps, RO/DI unit, Brute to hold the water, Brute to mix the water, Salt lots and lots of salt, mixing pumps, Hoses to move it all around your house, cleaning supplies, OH! and dont forget the fish and coral after the cycle. That should put you right around 3-5k.

I really think the LFS guy hears that kinda of stuff all the time. And people walk right out the store with nothing. I can imagine selling lg tanks is like selling cars you get a lot of tire kickers to the point where you just stop trying to sell the corvettes and just hope to sell a Cube.

 

[Reef Frog]

That LFS store owner talked his way out of a more profitable sale. And urging you to go fast when you are clearly willing to take your time is odd as well.

 

[Rollins4Miles]

If I had $5,000 to spend on an aquarium setup I would probably be borderline aroused, lol! That's a good budget for a large aquarium. Trust me when I say that if you expect to drop that kind of cash on your tank a biocube will be exciting for about 30 minutes. I almost bought a cube not too long ago but it was only for my office at work. As mentioned above, search Craigslist for used equipment. You can find almost anything on that website. Well in Florida you can. I'm not too sure about Indiana. You should be able to get all the bells and whistles with that budget. Jealous!

 

[Elrodg]

My two pennies.
Bio cubes are for flat out lazy beginners. If you are gonna drop that much into a tank. Get what YOU want. Not what some jackass that has no clue what he is talking about at a random lfs.

I would recommend getting 55g or higher.that will provide for more water therefore being more stable. Easier to maintain and more room for the livestock that you want.

Do not. I repeat. DO NOT. Just fill tank drop in heater and stock! Do it right. Get rock, cycle the tank properly and allow time for the critters to populate the tank.

 

[chicagoreefer20]

I'm going to take an alternate position, though I agree with the other posters, and suggest buying a biocube off CL as a starter aquarium. There is a lot to learn in this aquarium and I think if you were to invest a few hundred into the first aquarium, you'd learn enough to save a lot more on the big build. Research is great, but until you actually have a container of salt water, its all theory.

If bought used, you could then resell the biocube for not much of a loss. Some equipment such as a controller could be bought for the biocube and then used for the big build, etc. Then again you might realize that the maintenance on a 29 gallon is already too much effort and that would be valuable information on deciding to upgrade to a much larger tank. And with patience, you can piece together a really awesome tank off CL or other reef forums.

 

[asmodyus]

Hey I am brand New in this Hobby with a almost 3 week old tank that's pretty much cycled and I wanted something Big but small I went with a 40 Breeder but than got the 65 gallon. All I have to say Is I love this tank , its medium to small tank but has huge depth that gives you a lot of room to play with I am so happy with mine I think its an awesome tank to get into this hobby but not to big to overwhelm you. I do believe deep blue makes one predrilled and ready for sump setup.

 

[Fizz71]

Like some others have said, my $0.02 is that biocubes are for the "quick and easy" folks, not the true hobbyists. Within a year any true hobbyist will have modified their biocube in some fashion because it didn't give them what they needed out of the box.

DIY (aka the 'old fashioned' way...loved that line) = less $$$ to an LFS...you buy the biocube they make a lot of dough. Then when you start upgrading they make more dough. It's also been my observation that very few LFS owners are reef hobbyists themselves...meaning they don't have a huge honking reef tank at home. If they do...it's not a biocube.

If you just want a basic system, the biocube can be fine, but there is a limit that will be reached if you REALLY want to be "into" the hobby. I personally have loved the journey of learning more and more about the hobby though building them myself so I'm not a fan of the "all in one" stuff. I would like to get a biocube type system someday for a species tank (like sea horses), but I would no doubt plumb it in to my "old fashioned" 300g+ system. So I'd only be buying the all-in-one for the matching and aesthetically pleasing tank/stand/lighting hardware.

 

[PCygni]

I'm going to take an alternate position, though I agree with the other posters, and suggest buying a biocube off CL as a starter aquarium. There is a lot to learn in this aquarium and I think if you were to invest a few hundred into the first aquarium, you'd learn enough to save a lot more on the big build. Research is great, but until you actually have a container of salt water, its all theory.

If bought used, you could then resell the biocube for not much of a loss. Some equipment such as a controller could be bought for the biocube and then used for the big build, etc. Then again you might realize that the maintenance on a 29 gallon is already too much effort and that would be valuable information on deciding to upgrade to a much larger tank. And with patience, you can piece together a really awesome tank off CL or other reef forums.

All good points.

 

[cjm5283]

I am in the process of what you are doing but several weeks ahead. I went in looking at a biocube but after doing research I felt that would get boring quick. I am not one for craigslist and used stuff so I have decided to buy piece by piece. I budgeted $3500-4000 over the next 4-5 months. I ended up going with a 135 Gallon reef tank. 48" x 24" x 27.5". Next step in my process is a DIY sump next.

If you want to invest that kind of money and have a reef I would recommend going as big as you have space. I always feel if spending that kind of money, do it right.

 

[YHSublime]

I started with a stock biocube, 14 gallons. I had it for about 3 months before I moved up to my 57 Deep Blue. Now I have a 150. This is all in 9 months. I wish I started with the 150 all along, but I've learned some valuable lessons along the way. As a noob, the biocube was an awesome learning experience. I only kept lps, and killed a few small pieces of sps along the way. It allowed me to take it slow, and really learn the fundamentals, and gave me time to play while I still read and learned.

If your budget allows for more, go as big as you can right now, and grow into it. But I disagree with some of the posts here that say they are for lazy reefers, I learned a lot from that 14 gallons.

It's also strange that your LFS owner talked you out of spending more money and going faster when you mentioned you had time. I would stick to advice around the forums. The best advice you'll get is from books, it also helps if you can find a local reefing club!

Here is a pic from my biocube when I thought it looked fantastic:



I have come a long way since then.

 

[jason.stephens]

I started with a stock biocube, 14 gallons. I had it for about 3 months before I moved up to my 57 Deep Blue. Now I have a 150. This is all in 9 months. I wish I started with the 150 all along, but I've learned some valuable lessons along the way. As a noob, the biocube was an awesome learning experience. I only kept lps, and killed a few small pieces of sps along the way. It allowed me to take it slow, and really learn the fundamentals, and gave me time to play while I still read and learned.

If your budget allows for more, go as big as you can right now, and grow into it. But I disagree with some of the posts here that say they are for lazy reefers, I learned a lot from that 14 gallons.

It's also strange that your LFS owner talked you out of spending more money and going faster when you mentioned you had time. I would stick to advice around the forums. The best advice you'll get is from books, it also helps if you can find a local reefing club!

Here is a pic from my biocube when I thought it looked fantastic:



I have come a long way since then.

Pics of the 150!

 

[timmmy101]

I am also a beginner. I went into my local shop and i had a $700 budget. I GUESS it was a biocube he said i could get for about $500 up and running with rock, fish, water, everthing i saw there...but then he went on to say that if i did that, and given what i came in looking at...he said i would REGRET buying it. He said save my money for the bigger tank and get what i really wanted. The person you talked to may have been in business for a long time, but he didnt seem like he was interested in HELPING you. I went to craigslist, found a 120 gallon tank with everything i need to run a fish only saltwater tank for $350 the very next day. All i need is a proteing skimmer and some more lights to start getting corals apparently...i have more reading to do in the meantime though.