Hello.
Many of you know I have been around here for a little while asking many questions. I have gone back and forth between how I wanted to start this hobby. Rosellavy and CarmieJo have been especially helpful.
I have almost used my 36 gallon, bought an aquapod, and many other things.
Now a LFS near me is closing down. They are selling all their tanks and making great deals.
For instance, LR is 2.25 a pound, live sand was free for a few days, all corals in store are $20, livestock is %50 off, and many other deals.
They are also selling tanks.
I tried to buy a 30 gallon cube with an urchin skimmer, stand, sump, 250W MH pendent, and some other stuff but someone beat me to it. It was only $150!
Now they have some 20 and 29 gallon tanks with filstar XP3 filters, stand, and T5 lighting, only $100!
Heres where the questions come in.
Are these tanks too small for me to start with?
Is there any downsides to using a tank used in a store?
The owner told me some of the 20 gallons are set up and I could simply bring some of there water home, fill up the rest, and the tank would be cycled and ready to go, is this true?
Any other advice is appreciated.
Assuming they have never used copper in them, I don't see a downside, except they are used, and maybe scratched. Do the 20 and 29s have a sump, skimmer, lights, etc? I'm not a big fan of canister filters on reef tanks, but some people use them with no problems. I'm also not sure a 20 gallon is where I'd choose to start a beginner, but again, plenty of people have done it with no problem, so there you go. It's just that the more stable things are, the easier it is, and stability comes with water volume. Presumibly you could bring a tank home, fill it up and have a SHORTER wait, but anytime you disrupt a tank, rock and sand in particular, there is a good chance of a "mini-cycle". If you do it, let it run set up for a couple of days and monitor your water quality before you start adding any livestock.
Hey what's up..... Im new to this game too..... Just take your time get all the things that you can get...... even if it take a while.... it took me a year to get all my stuff 4 my setup.... plus I dont have to upgrade... went I get something new.... Just take your time and let your tank cycle on it;s own...
Okay, I don't even think the tanks have rock in them so will a mini cycle definitely occur?
I would like to get the tank up before the store either runs out of livestock or closes down, but I know the worst thing I can do is rush the tank.
Would it be better to buy a used one or one that hasn't been set up yet?
The used one is more mature but the other is new.
Thanks.
If there's no rock in the one's running, then what IS in them? Just water and sand? If that's the case, just buy a new one, get new sand, buy some LR and throw it all together. Likely a mini-cycle will occour, but you shouldn't have to wait out a full one assuming the LR the store is selling is cured.
I am getting this brown covering that is on everything, I added a piece of live rock and didn't clean it first........
I later found out you should........ that was because it had a feather duster on it the day I put it in and didn't want to loose it........ Now I have a mess that I am hoping will go away or if its beneficial then I hope it cycles its way out......
Diatoms that is what I was thinking. Ammonia is good nitrates are up though its about two months old.
I have one yellow tail damsel helping to cycle the tank I have to get a test kit tomorrow.
4 days ago I had it tested and nitrates were up and that was all. I am very new to salt.
Eventualy, they will go away, and you will probably see a green algae bloom. If ammonia and nitrites are down to zero, it's technicaly cycled, and it's a good time to add a cleanup crew.
texasfootball21, id go with the largest tank and set up you can find/afford. it will be easier keeping all your water parameters stable you wont have to worry about the swings as much. and id definitely jump on those deals from the store!
hi jeremyjones, welcome to tr, and the hobby! the diatom bloom will slow down after the tank stabilizes a little more. id add some snails that may help with it. like phirst said it will eventually start turning green. check your water for phosphates also....good luck
If I was you..... I would buy All my equipment from this place of business that going out of busniess.... like 2 to 3 heater some powerheads......skimmer... water test kits....cause you might get some deals on them.... as for the tank.... I would buy that tank to use as a quarantine tank...... 30gal or a 20 gal if you have the room for it.... You can ask anybody the best thing to do is to quarntine everything..... If I was you I would start out with a75 gal tank.... If that to big at least a 55 gal the bigger the better.... If don;t mind tell us what you tryin to do and what you want to keep in your tank..... It might be a good idea to wait..... make a list of all the things you want and buy what you can at that store.....
I would go with a 29 over a 20 and I'd probably take the $100 deal. How many tubes are in the T5 setup? If you go with a 29 I'd add a DSB and about 30# of LR.
Jeremy,
Definitely diatoms. They have nothing to do with not cleaning the LR, as others have said they are just a part of a tank that is new.
I want to keep a clownfish of some kind, maybe a firefish, maybe another goby. A few inverts like crabs and snails and a shrimp. I really would love to have a madarin but know they need a large tank with lots of live rock and pods. Would one be okay if it ate frozen food?
It is a double tube T5 fixture. The 29 gallon is $35 more then the 20. I am hoping to get to go to the store by the end of this week and plan on buying a tank. Maybe there will be one there I really like.
I can't really go with a very large tank because it will not be on the ground floor.
I hope to get everything I can used from this store, and I hope by the time I get there everything isn't already gone.
I also want to be ready for livestock as soon as I can be. I do not want to rush the system buy do want to take advantage of the very cheap livestock. I will not risk the livestock though by rushing.
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