Thinking about getting into SW!

[AHP]

After 20 years, I am thinking about starting a SW tank again. 20+ years ago I got my first taste of SW and loved it ever since, but I didn’t have the space, money nor knowledge to keeping it going longer than a year. Right now I am in the startup stages of research and gathering, but would like to have a tank running within the next 6-8 months.
I am thinking about a Reef or FOWLR setup in a 75G rectangle tank, with a 30L homemade sump. For the stand I am going to make it because from reading that is the best way to go for quality, room and money. My wife thinks I am crazy & impulsive but kind of likes the idea of having a tank. So I kind of just wanted to post and introduce myself to pick everyone’s brain on how to get into the hobby smoothly.

Right now I am in the process of looking over two used tanks one 30L (making it a sump) and the other 29g (for QT) which shouldn’t cost me more than $50. After that I am a little lost on best plumbing and equipment.
My questions:

• Will a 30L tank be best for a 75G? (I know everyone says the bigger the better but I haven’t seen anyone have anything bigger than a 30G under a 75G.)
• Also I would love to hear from you on, if you were to start SW again how would you do it differently? Ie: learn from your mistakes.
• Does anyone have a great SW LFS that I could go talk to? So far I was thinking about visiting FJW, City Pets & Fish Gallery, TNT. Anyone I should talk to in particular?

Thanks for reading and I look forward to getting to know everyone.

Ideal Setup so far:
- 75G tank w/ 30L sump/refugium

Equipment:
- Skimmer - Thinking Octopus but haven't thought of a model, but open to options.
-

More to come...

[leo@adri]

Go to fjw the owner is very knowledgeable on saltwater and is great with explaining best set up situations he helped me out tremendously

[johnnymisty]

Check out fishland an talk to Andy he's got good looking tanks and will give you lil cheater tips on running things. Also I have a 75 salt and have a 20L sump under it and works just fine

[AHP]

Thanks Guys!
I will go talk to them soon.

[aesl1982]

Thinking about getting into SW!

+1 for fjw. Dennis is awesome

[AHP]

So it got me thinking about sumps. What direction do I want to go?
Glass or Acrylic?
Sump or sump/refugium?

I am leaning more towards Glass with a couple of questions... Were do you find glass panels for making the different stages in the sump? Lowes?
And I am leaning more towards sump/refugium, because of the value the refugium will provide for feeding my little world. But I am worried is this going to be to much for me? This is after all my first intro back into SW and I don't want to overload or mess myself up.

ideas? thoughts?

[Parzival]

What's FJW?

[flipside]

FJW (acronym for Fish Just Wonderful, and Dennis' family members' initials).

[raleigh19]

You can buy acrylic sheet in home depot or lowe's. Cut it and glued them to the tank that you want to make the sump

[johnnymisty]

It's cheaper to find an old aquarium and silicone baffles in it for the stages of the fuge you want. Dont buy glass at home depot or lowes it s to thin there you can find a glass shop that may have some scrap laying around they can cut and sell you for cheap. I myself used acrylic for my baffles which you can get at home depot or lowes. I cut the acrylic with my skill saw to the size I wanted. As for if this is gonna be to much for you that's something you have to decide. Reef tanks are not cheap especially if you don't do it right when you set it up (meaning spend the money upfront for good quality equipment so you won't have to upgrade later) and they require weekly water changes and maintenance so it does require work a lot more than freshwater tanks

[AHP]

Great thanks for the heads up on the acrylic baffles; I think I will do that. 1/4" sound about right?


As for the statement "is this going to be to much for me" i was referring to the sump/fuge setup and plumbing. I don't know to much about fuge, but in the same token I would want to build it proper rather than having to make small updates later to fix a big issues that might happen.

I guess now I need to start making a purchase list and bounce the ideas off everyone.

The maintenance for SW is not an issue for me; I am a consistent and detailed person.

[Darbex]

I only do bi-weekly WC on a non-skimmer tank and every three weeks to a month on a skimmer tank. All a fuge is simply put is a sump with an area to put macro algae, LR and LS if you choose.

[AHP]

Good stuff, I will be going with a skimmer. I am just not sure which kind or brand, I am leaning more towards Octopus skimmers because I have only heard good things.

[Darbex]

Keep in mind I also dose. If you dont dose then you may need to up WC. I havent had anything other than PM skimmers. I dont run a skimmer on my nanos I have had because there isnt enough room for it. One thing I dont like about the Reef Octopus that I have seen is there is no availablility for a separate collection cup so you have to constantly take off the top and clean it.

[allysangels]

funny story- talking to a customer about a year ago, and i admitted to never having done salt, and thinking about giving it a try. he offered me this advice:
"if you want to know what it's like to have a salt tank, go out and buy the biggest tank you can afford/have room for. then get all your equipment, lights, filter, skimmer, so on. set it all up, but with no water. then, take all he cash you have left, and throw it in the tank. then light it on fire. keep putting any money you get into it, to keep the flame going as long as you can. that's what it's like to have a salt tank."
needless to say, i still don't have one.