first SW tank? - Page 2

blugar44 · 04/12/2015, 04:10 PM

Change of plans again. A guy on the Aussie equivalent of Craigslist is selling his >100gal with cabinet, hood, lighting and sump for $500 negotiable. I'll go and inspect it with him to check for leaks but I think this is the way to go. Purchasing the tank will therefore barely skim the top of my savings and I can splurge on a good skimmer, ATO, RO system etc.

Transporting it is an issue. I've got a trailer that fits the tank, and it fits through the door but I imagine it is heavy. anyone had any experience on safely moving a large tank?

Sorry for all the questions, you're all probably sick of me by now! Probably thinking instead of lazily bothering the forum I should go conduct my own research,

Martini5788 · 04/12/2015, 06:27 PM

How far are you moving it? How old is the tank? Be sure
To check the silicone and all the seams.

aydemir · 04/12/2015, 06:56 PM

If you're not going to pull the trigger on that 100gal tank, I'd recommend going small like many have said just to 'get a feel' for SW, and not break the bank in the process. I personally switched from FW to SW and mostly because of space constraints went for a dinky 5.5 gallon tank. I gotta say its been a great decision IMO, I really like the feel of a nano tank, and water changes 10% weekly takes no time at all. As for the top off issue, just have a container of RODI water on standby and dump some in whenever you feed the fish, I don't know how anyone could consider that time consuming - you're gonna feed the fish daily anyways.
One thing I'd recommend is an all in one type or system to start out, except for the lights. One of the issues I had was finding proper lighting for a nano tank (5.5 is pretty damn small lol), the stock lighting for most 'reef ready' tanks that I've seen on the smaller tank side of the market don't seem suited for much other than softies and some LPS. However, since you are just starting out, the pros definitely outweigh the cons with an all in one system, and SPS aren't considered beginner corals anways.
Best of luck!

blugar44 · 04/13/2015, 01:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Martini5788

How far are you moving it? How old is the tank? Be sure
To check the silicone and all the seams.

About 15km, so only a 20 Min drive. The tank is 2 years old apparently and the guy's moving overseas so he has to regretfully sell it. I'm not too worried about the silicone because at least that can be easily resealed, but do these tanks sometimes have chips in the glass? That's my real nightmare.

Martini5788 · 04/13/2015, 09:23 AM

Look carefully for chips. If you find anything that
Makes you nervous then don't get it

04/12/2015, 04:10 PM	#26
blugar44 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2015 Posts: 20	Change of plans again. A guy on the Aussie equivalent of Craigslist is selling his >100gal with cabinet, hood, lighting and sump for $500 negotiable. I'll go and inspect it with him to check for leaks but I think this is the way to go. Purchasing the tank will therefore barely skim the top of my savings and I can splurge on a good skimmer, ATO, RO system etc. Transporting it is an issue. I've got a trailer that fits the tank, and it fits through the door but I imagine it is heavy. anyone had any experience on safely moving a large tank? Sorry for all the questions, you're all probably sick of me by now! Probably thinking instead of lazily bothering the forum I should go conduct my own research,

04/12/2015, 06:27 PM	#27
Martini5788 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Beaufort, SC Posts: 2,303	How far are you moving it? How old is the tank? Be sure To check the silicone and all the seams.

04/12/2015, 06:56 PM	#28
aydemir Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Canada Posts: 306	If you're not going to pull the trigger on that 100gal tank, I'd recommend going small like many have said just to 'get a feel' for SW, and not break the bank in the process. I personally switched from FW to SW and mostly because of space constraints went for a dinky 5.5 gallon tank. I gotta say its been a great decision IMO, I really like the feel of a nano tank, and water changes 10% weekly takes no time at all. As for the top off issue, just have a container of RODI water on standby and dump some in whenever you feed the fish, I don't know how anyone could consider that time consuming - you're gonna feed the fish daily anyways. One thing I'd recommend is an all in one type or system to start out, except for the lights. One of the issues I had was finding proper lighting for a nano tank (5.5 is pretty damn small lol), the stock lighting for most 'reef ready' tanks that I've seen on the smaller tank side of the market don't seem suited for much other than softies and some LPS. However, since you are just starting out, the pros definitely outweigh the cons with an all in one system, and SPS aren't considered beginner corals anways. Best of luck!

04/13/2015, 09:23 AM	#30
Martini5788 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Location: Beaufort, SC Posts: 2,303	Look carefully for chips. If you find anything that Makes you nervous then don't get it