Think of buying this setup

MMreef

Active member
Looks like good deal on the surface, but start right and get a reef ready tank with sump,you will be a lot happier. There so much more benefits having a sump. Having canister filter on reef tank is a recipe for failure , most of them are nitrate factories if not maintained constantly. Again save some more $$$, you can find 55 gal. set up for couple of hundred more reef ready.
 

sk8elenex92

Premium member
Hmm thanks for the advice. I am ready to buy something and get it started. I have the money, but this looked like a good deal. I guess I will keep looking.
 

Triggerdood

Active member
Looks like an ok deal. No need to rush, great deals can be had here, or on CL. As far as reef ready, it wouldnt be a deal breaker for me. You can always add an overflow box, and a sump to the setup. Cannisters can be used, but like Mark said, they need to be cleaned frequently. I ran my 40b with one for a yr, did fine, but the maintenance on the filter was a pita.
 

MMreef

Active member
Hmm thanks for the advice. I am ready to buy something and get it started. I have the money, but this looked like a good deal. I guess I will keep looking.
That's smart, patience in this hobby is crucial. I had to learn the hard way when I started, did not know about reef forums then. I also started with non reef ready tank with sub par equipment, always had problems with it. At the end , I end up selling it and getting RR tank, so it cost me a lot more than just starting right, but I learned valuable lesson too. Trust me, there are plenty of good deals out there. But if you rush you will end up disappointed with results and most likely leave the hobby like many before.
 

Geo

New member
Looks like good deal on the surface, but start right and get a reef ready tank with sump,you will be a lot happier. There so much more benefits having a sump. Having canister filter on reef tank is a recipe for failure , most of them are nitrate factories if not maintained constantly. Again save some more $$$, you can find 55 gal. set up for couple of hundred more reef ready.
I'm running a reef tank with a canister filter for a year now and everything is running fine. I just took out the inside and added live rock, GFO and active carbon instead of the stock sponges.

The only thing I would change is the bedding and add live sand instead of the crushed corals. 250$ is a really good price to start.
 

MMreef

Active member
I'm running a reef tank with a canister filter for a year now and everything is running fine. I just took out the inside and added live rock, GFO and active carbon instead of the stock sponges.

The only thing I would change is the bedding and add live sand instead of the crushed corals. 250$ is a really good price to start.
You can run reef with canister for sure, especially the way you do it. My point is for somebody to start with no experience in keeping saltwater tanks, you want to make it easy for yourself, and RR tank with sump is easier to run, not to mention all the equipment you get to hide in sump and not have to look at in DT. Most people eventually switch to RR anyway, so why not get it right away. This is just one person opinion, and at the end OP will decide what's best for him. Great thing about forums you get so much info from different people, a lot easier than when I started.
 

DD

"Rambo"
I agree with Mark regarding reef ready and sump. Heck just read my 27 gallon cube thread lol!

You'll eventually want reef ready and a sump.

My example: i thought I would run my tank with a cpr hob fuge. It worked. But then i wanted a protein skimmer and ATO. Even with an hob skimmer, it takes up room inside the tank. ATO float switches, guess where they would go.

So next thing you know Im having a sump built, ordering an HOB overflow, PS, ATO, etc. The whole time I'm kicking myself for not going reef ready from the beginning.

So take your time, wait for that perfect deal. I see them come up all the time. Especially during the summer, people want to get out of the hobby. Makes for a good time to find a great used setup.
 

sk8elenex92

Premium member
Thanks guys.. I am trying to find something complete and running, deff with the sump after reading couple things about it. If I do buy a tank that is up and running with just water and live rock can I change the bedding and then arrange my rock and poor back the water out of the buckets. I would let it run for a bit and test the water parameters.
 

DD

"Rambo"
If I do buy a tank that is up and running with just water and live rock can I change the bedding and then arrange my rock and poor back the water out of the buckets. I would let it run for a bit and test the water parameters.
You could do that. Some people prefer to start with all dry rock, AKA dead rock. This way you know for sure that you're not introducing any unwanted pests (crabs, bubble algae, unwanted corals, aiptasia, etc). If you're buying a clean setup with some nice pest free rock, go for it! And yes, you can change out the substrate. I wouldn't even worry too much about using all the same water. Even if you only use half, you'll still be good! It'll be like a big water change lol!

Good luck Chris, and don't hesitate to ask questions, someone will always be around to answer them for you!
 

rowdie

New member
+1 to starting with a fresh with dry rock.

Even if you don't see pests/bubble algae etc. they can be there. Starting with dry rock will require you to break the tank in, but the benefit is that you can drill/chisel/cut and apoxy the rock into a very unique and sturdy structures and can be 100% certain you're pest free (still need to make sure corals you add in the future are pest free before you add them though). You also get a your money's worth on dry rock in weight (when you buy wet rock a lot of the weight you pay for is just water).

To echo MMreef patience really is the key. Going slow and spending the extra time/money to do things right the first time will make the hobby much less of a headache and honestly make you more likely to stick with it.
 
I'm running a reef tank with a canister filter for a year now and everything is running fine. I just took out the inside and added live rock, GFO and active carbon instead of the stock sponges.

The only thing I would change is the bedding and add live sand instead of the crushed corals. 250$ is a really good price to start.
know someone doing the same with 0 problems , ditto on the good price .
 

steveo9043

New member
I got my 72 bow front with stand, CPR hob aguafuge with built in protein skimmer, generic t8 light, power head and an extra pump for $225 off Craig's list. Good deals can be had.

Do I wish it was reef ready? Of course I do. I'm now in the process of doing a sump. But for the price difference I'm ok with hob overflows and DIY sump.

I'd also suggest base rock and then see if you could get a small chunk of live rock from someone's clean tank to seed it.

Rock and sand alone cost me about $300 on my tank.
 
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