New to group. Intro and anyone have live rock for sale?

[hardimanm]

Hello,
My name is Michael. I live in Madison and have had aquariums since i was a child. I have always had only freshwater tanks, i guess because saltwater tanks intimidated me. Presently i have a 10 gallon with guppies, a 20 gallon with tiger barbs, a 38 gallon community, and a 55 gallon community tank.
A few months ago i picked up a nice 42 gallon hex aquarium that i thought would make a great starter saltwater aquarium. So here i am. I have researched as much as i can and purchased a few reference books but i will probably need to ask some questions from time to time. Probably more than i want to admit.
Right now i am in the process of getting all the parts: hydrometer, salt mixes, test kits, protein skimmers ect, but am so excited about the prospect of this tank and the challenges it will provide.
I also am in need of live rock and sand. If anyone out there has any for sale or they want to get rid of please let me know. Also...if you know of a good dealer with reasonable prices and products please tell me.
Thanks for having a resource like this for someone that is new to the hobby.
Michael

 

[Dun Properly]

Welcome!

I would look for live rock on Craigslist. There was a guy last week selling some for $2/lb in Hunstville. I picked up a few pieces myself.

What other type of equipment do you need?

 

[Tomoko Schum]

Welcome! I am sure that you'll find this group very helpful and nice to be with .

Have you been to Coral Reef Aquatics? It is a very nice saltwater shop in Madison-Athens area. Here's the link to the shop: http://www.coralreefaquatics.com/Location.aspx. Their prices are pretty reasonable. They are open from Thus to Sun from 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm (5:00 pm on Sundays). It's definitely worth a visit.

Hope you can come to our club meetings.

Tomoko

 

[scapes]

[welcome]

 

[hardimanm]

Thanks all for such a warm welcome.

As for craigs lists...i saw that listing a few weeks back but could not get any since my set up is not quite ready. That pretty live rock would have ended up being pretty dead rock. LOL

As for what other stuff i need. Kinda depends. I will do it like i did my first fresh water setup. Get what i can get and upgrade to what i really need as time goes by. Right now i have the tank, heater, a low watt light, hood, stand and filter. I know i need live rock and sand, and a protein skimmer. Eventually i would love to add a much better light with lunar lights, a wet dry trickle filter, and some power heads...as resources allow.

As for Coral Reef Aquatics... I talked to John (i guess the owner). and he was extremely nice and helpful. And i plan on going to visit when i have time in my awkward work schedule.

One thing i really want to do is eventually add coral. The stuff is beautiful. I will want to get the hang of all the basic saltwater stuff first before jumping feet first into it though. I know they require very good water quality, good light, circulation, and special feeding requirements....so i want to wait and do it right.

Thanks so much for all your help. This web site is a blessing. I have always felt alone in my hobby here in huntsville. Nice to have some like minded folks.
Michael

 

[jfinneyi]

If you dont mind a drive there is a guy in BHAM that has some also, can get you an email adress.

FYI power heads should be up there in stuff that you need to setup with. With out power heads it can lead to trouble.

 

[hardimanm]

Thanks on the power head info. How big of one would i need for that tank?

You guys are like mana from heaven. lol
Michael

 

[jfinneyi]

Koralia 2 or 3. That should be sufficient.

 

[jupiourts]

I have a few nice pieces of live rock fully covered in coraline, pm'd you!

 

[wpecoul]

Your plan sounds good, but I would suggest you forget about the wet-dry you mentioned. If you have live sand and live rock, you don't need the wet-dry as they serve the same purpose. Having LS, LR and a W-D will likely (but not necessarily) leave you with higher nitrates than you want.

 

[prncalbrt]

Welcome to the HOBBY lol.....and Tomoko is correct, John and Henry at coral reef aquatics are both extremely nice guys but will also do what they can to help you out not to mention the very nice shop and selection they have there. Good luck with the tank and what little i have learned is just dont get in a hurry with it.

 

[prncalbrt]

Hey, if your still looking for live rock ZaoZao has some really nice stuff for sale at a very reasonable price.

 

[nathanr28205]

Hey buddy Im new too, but I know a great company outta FL. they will ship you 50 lbs to your front door for $175.00 total, and its great rock!! Check em out "live Rock USA"