looking to start up a salt water tank

Hi I am new to 3reef and the salt water hobby. I have had fresh water my whole life. Now want to take the hobby to a new level. I live down the road from a dealer called www.beitalsaquariums.com/. The owner came to my home to see the space where i would be setting up my tank. He specialize in custom glass tanks. after going back and forth with him about reef or just fish i have decided to start out with just fish but want to be able to move to reef when i am ready. He suggested getting a pre manufactured 120 gal for the space. He did not think i needed a custom built tank. not sure what the best tank manufacturer is. I wanted to know if anyone had thoughts about where to look to get my setup. I am not sure if his prices are reasonable or not. I told him my budget was about $3,000. He said he could get me up and running including installation. system would include tank, stand, lights pump wet dry filter protein skimmer uv filter, heater and timers, sand and live rock to help cycle tank. I guess what i need to know is if the price is reasonable and if there is a better option to get a complete set up going. I have learned over the years there is a big difference in hardware and would like some input in the best products on the market. This tank will be opposite my home movie theater so noise is an issue. I want to make sure I have top of the line stuff so i will not have to upgrade. any and all help would be appreciated. the length of the space is 69" and the height limit is just under 78" Not sure if the 120 gal is big enough.

 

A standard 120 gallon tank is 48"X24"x24". A typical stand is 30" to 36" tall. I would suggest looking at the Sponsors section of this forum to check out pricing. Also look at other LFS in your area for comparisons. Used equipment from Craig's List is a good way to start out. I would get the tank locally because shipping is quite expensive for the tank you are looking at. I would also buy 5 to 10 lbs of live rock to seed the tank. Buy the rest of the rock dry and buy dry sand. If you are planning on a reef in the future buy a rodi filter. It will save you the hassle of leaching phosphates out of your rock that came in the tap water. Buy your lighting based on your future plans. Get a skimmer that is rated for 2X your tank volume to give you some coverage for any mistakes you may make.

 

thanks for the advice. it is a big help believe me!

 

Lots of confusion starting up. It may be cheaper buying pieces from various online dealers. Always look for free shipping after a certain dollar amount and order enough to get the free shipping.

 

you've done the right thing asking before you make any purchases! thats going to save you a lot of problems in the future. All I can say is research as much as you can, on different forums, ask lots of questions, and dont let some of the rude people get to you, despite what they may think we were all new to it once. Buy some stuff used if you can, people are always upgrading so they have slightly used things for dirt cheap. And personally if your going reef, IMO I would do leds, they are expensive up front, but they pay for them selves in no time. plus you wont be replacing bulbs on them. Look into lots of different lighting options, and cheap lights will cost you in the short and long term IME.

Welcome aboard!

Look forward to seeing your progress!

 

2in10 gave really good advice as usual. You can probably find a used 120 gallon on craigslist for almost dirt cheap. I know I see them quite a bit in the Seattle area. I think that for $3,000 you can get what you need for the most part. I have a 40 breeder and I haven't came close to spending that yet. Also, I wouldn't go with the wet/dry filter, but run a sump instead. This will allow for you to get a better skimmer and hide it in the sump along with all the other unsightly equipment that we tend to put in our tanks or hang on the back. I would use dry rock for the majority of your rock work as it will be a lot cheaper then seed it with some quality live rock. The same goes with the sand bed. The live rock will seed a sand bed for you.

Oh yeah, ask away on here. We are always glad to help.

 

you can get an entire tank setup for much less on craigslist, of course i could argue setting it up is one of the funnest parts. here is a link to a listing in the denver area.
this setup includes fish and coral and it is still a thousand dollars less than what you plan on spending.
156 gallon oceanic reef tank

 

Lol, that is true. I just always feel that the LFS will get you in the long run for something that you can a lot cheaper and end up with better equipment if you do a little research on your own. At least the store owner was honest with him from it sounds like, but it sounds like he would set the tank up with what he thinks is best, and it may not actually be the best equipment only what he offers in the store. That is my only concern.

If the OP could get a list of what all the equipment brand names and specifics would be and post them here that would really help. ;D

 

thank you all for the input and info. I will begin my research on the equipment. I think i am going to go with led lights but will they support reef when I am ready. I will try to find out the tech specs on the equipment he was going to supply. I was taken back by the tank size he suggested. 125 gal or 150 gal. it seems to me I could easily fit a 64x24x30 tank and he had them built in the store but pushed for a manufactured perfecto type tank that was much smaller 60x18x25. How much would that really save him with my budget. not sure i am going to be able to transport a tank that size if i bought it from Craigs list not to mention what if it leaks? Any advice on glass vs acrylic.

 

Buy a 2nd hand set up, as everyone on here will tell you, buy what you buy, and upgrade as and when u need to/want to, and trust me, you will want to.

Ask ask ask, and listen listen listen, everything here is free and that's the best value in the world.

Have a great time, look for a tank that's already set up and u can see operating, that way u will know what goes where and what is all does, need to stay close to home for this though.