3reef Forums - View Single Post - Newbie about to take plunge into saltwater

Eric_W · 03-31-2005, 03:29 PM

Hello everyone, right now I'm still in the planning stages of switching over from fresh to saltwater. I plan on doing a fish only tank with inverts, LR, and LS.

Right now I have a 29g with a Whisper power filter that I plan on using. I understand that I won't need the Whisper if I'm using live rock and live sand, but would it be needed at all in the beginning?

I will be upgrading my light with something a better for a Marine aquarium but I haven't looked at my options yet. I won’t be doing corals so I know that I don’t need to spend a whole lot of money here.

I'm planning getting either the Bak-Pak or the AquaC Remora skimmer. I really like what I've read about the Remora but would it be overkill (dollar wise) for my setup or would the Bak-Pak be sufficient?

I plan on using around 40lbs of live rock, as suggested, but my LFS is quite expensive per pound. An alternative is to buy the LR over the Internet. This way I could easily buy 40lbs at one time. Another concern is how long will it take to arrive, 2 companies that I'm looking at have really decent prices on LR @ $2.35 per lb, but they are in California and I'm on the east coast.

Are there any advantages from buying the LR over the Internet other than cost savings?
How much die off should I expect and would I need to cured it again?
Can I add all the LR directly to my tank and then begin the cycle?
Do I need to buy LS or can I use uncured sand since I'm buying LR?
Should I start the cycle before I add the LR or just get the tank up and running and wait for the LR to arrive?
Will I need Power heads to help aggitate the water? How many? I've heard about having dead areas in tank where the water doesn't flow properly?

After I get what I need, how many fish could I add to the tank after it cycles? I plan on a pair of clowns with an Anemone. I’d like a Yellow Tang but would my setup be too small for it? I also want a Mandarin dragonet but would it eat my inverts? Does any other suggestions on small suitable beginner fish?

Thanks in advance for any advice that I receive.