Just bought my first SW tank from CL - what else do I need?

R

RyanG027

New member
So I just impulse bought my first SW tank yesterday off of Craigslist.

I paid $200 for:
75g main tank with stand and a 25g hospital tank
2 Fluval 405 cannister filters, 1 Fluval 205
Protein Skimmer (not sure the make/model)
2 Coralife lighting units
About 70 pounds of rock
Test kits and salt mix

The tank has been shut down for the past year, so there's a ton of cleaning I have to do first. He also suggested changing some of the media in the fluval filters. I also still need to purchase live sand and a couple heaters, but is there anything else that I should get before starting to get the tank up and running?

Thanks in advance!
 
Do you have an idea what you want kind of tank it will be, fish only FO, fish only with live rock FOWLR or a reef tank?

If you can find out what kind of skimmer it is or post a picture of it that would help. If its something like a seaclone 100 then most of us would suggest upgrading the skimmer.

I personally would nix the canister filters, 9 times out of 10 they just end up becoming nitrate factories unless you religiously keep up with keeping them clean, meaning cleaning them at least twice a week.

I also don't see any mention of power heads you will want to get something for flow. a 20-30 times turn over rate is what you'll want to shoot for. Depending on your budget you could get something like a maxspect gyre xf150 or a couple of Vortech M40s or something a little less taxing on the wallet and get a couple Hydor Koralia's either 750 or 1050.

I think if you get the powerheads and heaters you can set up the tank and the skimmer (if its a decent one) up to get it cycling once you get it cleaned. Make sure to only use water or a water/vinegar mix to clean everything don't use any detergents or bleach.
 
Welcome!

Welcome!

RyanG027 said:
So I just impulse bought my first SW tank yesterday off of Craigslist.

I paid $200 for:
75g main tank with stand and a 25g hospital tank
2 Fluval 405 cannister filters, 1 Fluval 205
Protein Skimmer (not sure the make/model)
2 Coralife lighting units
About 70 pounds of rock
Test kits and salt mix

The tank has been shut down for the past year, so there's a ton of cleaning I have to do first. He also suggested changing some of the media in the fluval filters. I also still need to purchase live sand and a couple heaters, but is there anything else that I should get before starting to get the tank up and running?

Thanks in advance!
Click to expand...
:celeb1: WELCOME TO RC! :celeb1:

Here you will find all kinds of fish freaks to help you on your journey in this hobby!

Firstly, I would suggest to start reading as much as you can, read, read, and read some more! There is so much to read in this hobby that no matter how experienced you are, you will always be learning.

Onto advice. I'll try not to make this a wall of text.

1. Start with a fish only with live rock (FOWLR) aquarium. Reef aquariums are a lot more effort to maintain and I would not recommend starting out with one, especially on an impulse buy.

2. Read about the nitrogen cycle in saltwater aquariums. You do not need canister filters, and I would personally suggest you don't use them.

3. Check the expiration on the test kits, make sure they are still alright!

4. Read about fish compatibility, make sure all the fish you want to add are compatible. If you make a list of things you want, we can give you advice on here.

5. Take your time and go slow, and good luck!

As for a list of things to purchase...

1. Refractometer - Refractometers are a bit more expensive than traditional hydrometers for measuring salinity, but trust me, they are well worth the prevention in headache.

2. Powerheads - You need flow. With fish only, you don't really need a high end one, just get two with about 600 GPH (at least) each.

2. If you read well about the nitrogen cycle and cycle your tank over a bit longer than it would take with live sand (6-10 weeks as opposed to 4-6 weeks), you can save some money and get regular aragonite sand instead of the live counterpart.

3. Fish, but not now! Read more about the nitrogen cycle (cannot stress this enough).

4. Good luck, have patience, and if you have any questions, post here :D
 
Before you set anything up I would strongly recommend getting rid of the canisters and consider drilling the tank for an overflow and installing a sump (much easier to do than it sounds). A good protein skimmer is also a must IMO for any saltwater system. Good Luck and welcome to RC!
 
Thanks for the information so far.

I'm going to be doing a FOWLR tank to start. Everyone I've talked to so far has told me to ditch the canister filters, and it makes sense, just trying to figure out why this guy would have been running TWO 405's in his tank if it's such a no brainer to NOT use cannister filters. He even mentioned that he rarely cleaned the tank or filters, and only had 1 fish die (when they went on vacation and set up an autofeeder).

As far as the protein skimmer, I'm not sure the make/model. I have everything in a storage unit for the time being until I can clear some space to set it up, but I will try to get there and take some pics. He seems to have bought everything in excess, so I would imagine the skimmer is fairly nice, and probably rated for a much bigger tank.
 
As far as stocking, make a list of your must-have fish choices. Then check to see if it will work with your tank size. A lot of saltwater fish require a very large tank, so make sure the fish you plan to buy will work together and work with your tank.

If you have a few reputable LFS nearby, go and ask them a couple of questions. Get a feel for what they are telling you, if they try to hard sell, or if they are willing to just educate you for now until you are ready to buy. Having a place locally, even if you plan to purchase most fish or equipment online will be a lifesaver if you need something in a pinch.
 
Just bought my first SW tank from CL - what else do I need?

you will need cash. Lot's and lot's of cash. And an understanding spouse.

cash-drain.jpg
 
#1 Knowledge!!!! Know what you want.
#2 Figure out your AquaScaping plan BEFORE Filling tank with Sand/Water.
#3 Make sure Rocks are touching Bottom Glass.

Supplies wise there are some things I saw missing.

-Hydrometer/Refractometer.

-Thermometer.

-Pumps/Powerheads for Circulations/Flow

And what both of the ppl above me said!!!
 
Last edited:
Grimreaperz said:
#1 Knowledge!!!! Know what you want.
#2 Figure out your AquaScaping plan BEFORE Filling tank with Sand/Water.
#3 Make sure Rocks are touching Bottom Glass.

Supplies wise there are some things I saw missing.

-Hydrometer/Refractometer.

-Thermometer.

-Pumps/Powerheads for Circulations/Flow

And what both of the ppl above me said!!!
Click to expand...

Why have the rock touching the bottom glass?
 
Rock sitting on top of a lot of sand can be unstable if somebody burrows under them, and can cause dead spots in the sand (though I've seen that argued about).

Congrats on getting into the hobby! I think you got a pretty good deal on your new setup. The reason the previous guy had canister filters was that they DO work, for bio and mechanical/chemical filtration (depending on what you put in them) but they tend to be problematic in SW tanks due to causing nitrate to build up. I would recommend not using them, but if you do, definitely all new media. And you would need to clean them well, at least weekly, or the gunk that builds up in them just ends up as nutrients feeding algae in the tank.

That being said, research a lot as everyone has said, and have lots of fun! I agree going FOWLR is good at first, because you don't need to worry about lighting. Once you decide what type of a reef you want, you can decide on lights. If you want a high end SPS system you will need fancier lights than a softy reef or just fish only.
 
RyanG027 said:
Why have the rock touching the bottom glass?
Click to expand...
Yes I was told some SW inverts/fish can burrow. Or tunnel under rocks. If they aren't touching glass they have more potential of moving then if they were touching glass. I only started a month ago and this was the first thing I was told and asked the exact same questions girl at my LFS stated she lost a 90g from this lawnmower blenny rummaged the sand enough to make her rocks collapse into her back glass and cracking it. Could be a horror story but made me make my rocks touch bottom glass. Not worth the risk IMO. I have heard mixed reviews on touching back/side glass.

Sent from my SM-G900W8 using Tapatalk
 
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