Need help with tank set up

Ok, is there anywhere cheeper to get dry rock? I looked on macrorocks.com and I found 30 pounds for $74, That seems a little expensive for dry rock, other thing is how much would a piece of live rock be at a LFS

 

That's actually pretty cheap at around $2 a pound. Live rock costs between $4 and $15 a pound, depending on their price.

 

Yes, But it isn't live rock, it is dry rock

 

It becomes live rock as long as you have some live rock though.

 

Check on craigslist for used equipment, people sell off there rock pretty often. you will still pay a couple dollars a pound for LR on craigslist though. I got mine at reefcleaners and 100lbs cost me 190.00 shipped, nice rock and cheapest i found. This is an exspensive hobby even doing it the cheap way. If you were ready to convert and start up today you will find yourself needing items on a regular basis, some of which you won't be able to wait till you get the funds together to buy it. Somewhere during your cycle you will get different algea blooms, that means water changes(more salt and water) and possibly a reactor with gfo tumbling inside ($70.00 and up), this is all just the start of what your getting into.
Why don't you research this hobby first, figure out what type of tank you want(always upgrade later), then look at the prices online at some sites and figure out if you really want to or will be able to do this hobby. A general rule of thumb is 55.00 per gallon, that's a reef tank which you already asked about corals, not all of which has to come now though.

 

Ok, Kind of stupid question, but how long is a cycle? Like a few days or a few months? And at the moment I have $130 to get it started. And I already have a light

 

There's no stupid questions, cycles very but I would exspect a few months with using dry rock and sand (if you want that) to cycle your tank. Nothing happens fast in this hobby !!!!!

heater 25.00
dry rock 75.00 and up
if no sand then egg crate for the bottom 15.00
LR to seed 8.00 per lb and up
test kit 60.00 and up Salifert for amm, api master, copper
salt 30.00
water 50.00
Thats as bare bones as you can get, not even a power head yet, thats using your hob for water movement and gas exchange. Then be prepared to do something with the phospates that will come on and in a hurry.

 

Ok, one more thing, what if I were to only do say, 20-30 pounds of LR, and no dry rock at all. The other thing that I have read is that since I live in a year-round warm climate, a heater would not be needed as long as the temp. of the room that the tank is in is around 75 F. Is this true?
And thank you so much for all of this help dude

 

Ok, I am going to drain my freshwater tank tomorrow, I am going to need help on step by step what I need to do to start my tank cycle. What I am thinking is buying some sand and about 15 pounds of live rock to start with and a saltwater mix to start the process, does this seem right?

 

When I switched from freshwater to saltwater. I didnt do it in one step, I bought a seaclone protein skimmer from pet store. I spaced out all my purches for the tank. I later bought a glo T5 2 bulb and Gieseman bulbs. Next to last thing i bought was a RO unit from pet solutions. Since then i added a DI stage from bulk reef. I went 2 years before I filled the tank with saltwater and sand. It set like that all week, The next saturday i went to memphis and got live rock {8.99 a pound}. Just got 10 lbs, but every week or so i would go back and get more. Didnt know about marco rocks or 3reefs. Just like one of the guys saying on here, "Go slow let it grow". It's true and it works.