Brand new here HELP!!!!

dbowma · 08/13/2007, 07:44 PM

I would like to start with a reef tank would a 180 gal be to much for a newbie??????I had trops most of my life but am board of that.Also please help make other suggestions for this set up such as filters lights sumps skimmers....refuge or not.Thanks in advance for your help....

FOSELONE · 08/13/2007, 07:51 PM

good...start big...if you dont...youll upgrade later...lights, filters, etc...depends on what you want to spend...& what you want to keep in your tank...

bosscrab · 08/13/2007, 07:55 PM

That might be a bit big. But if you got a good deal go for it.

herkey1993 · 08/13/2007, 08:19 PM

If you know you want to get into the hobby and stick it out through the ups and downs and are ready to take on all of the extra work versus FW, then the bigger the better. It will cost much more to set up a 180 than a 29 for instance and if you decide its too much for you, you'll have alot of expensive stuff on your hands.

Chances are, though, that if you liked FW you'll love reefing. I would go as big as you can afford myself.

Roger928 · 08/13/2007, 08:23 PM

Great reading here:

http://wetwebmedia.com/

Randall_James · 08/13/2007, 09:06 PM

To Reef Central

180G to big? sort of depends...

Do you have a monthly budget you have to meet? When picking tanks finances can be an issue.

Water changes (10-20% weekly) at roughly .$40 per gallon if you own an RO/DI unit

Lighting/ a 180G is going to require roughly 750W (250X3) to 1200W (400X3) HID lighting running 8-12 hours per day.

Cooling/ a chiller can be needed in many of these applications

Initial setup costs go up in relation to tank size for items such as liverock, substrate, pumps, skimmers etc.

There are also a number of other large ticket items associated with a larger tank like this.

All that aside, I think a 180 is a great tank, it gives you room for "most" fish you might want, Eels, or other animals that require a good amount of room. Plus that, aquascaping is made easier by the 24" front to rear dimension of the 180.

If a smaller tank makes more sense, I would stick with the 24" inch tanks (front to rear dimension)

Zestay · 08/13/2007, 09:31 PM

just remember a tank is about 10% of your overall cost.
a 10 gallon tank you can set up for around 150 bux ( depending on yoru DIY skills ) that 180 will cost alot of $$$$$$ to get up and running full speed.. hundreds of pounds of sand and rock... yoru water bill your power bill will sky rocket due to the lighting youll need.. ( sky light? )
just because the tank was a good deal doesnt mean the rest of your needs will be.

Nano Chris · 08/13/2007, 10:06 PM

If i could start over i think i would go with a 180, 220 or a 280 lol, it would have taken me a while to start up, if i wanted to upgrade basically i would have to upgrade the tank/stand, lighting, and skimmer, and maybe add a few more power heads and a bigger pump, add more sand and lr as i get money.

ahullsb · 08/13/2007, 10:13 PM

I think that is a great sized tank. I would buy a good skimmer that was rated for 250 gallons. I agree lighting should be a couple 250 watt mh's or a combo of mh's and t5's. Outer Orbit is a good light in my opinion. I hear people like their sunpods, and you cannot go wrong with some icecap ballasts. There seem to be a lot of people on here who have tanks between 180 and 250 gallons. You should be able to get a lot of help.

08/13/2007, 07:44 PM	#1
dbowma Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Posts: 38	Brand new here HELP!!!! I would like to start with a reef tank would a 180 gal be to much for a newbie??????I had trops most of my life but am board of that.Also please help make other suggestions for this set up such as filters lights sumps skimmers....refuge or not.Thanks in advance for your help....

08/13/2007, 08:23 PM	#5
Roger928 Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Prescott Valley, AZ Posts: 296	Great reading here: http://wetwebmedia.com/ __________________ Always quarantine. You never know where that fish has been. Current Tank Info: 90 and 120 mixed reef

08/13/2007, 09:06 PM	#6
Randall_James Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2005 Posts: 6,727	*To Reef Central* 180G to big? sort of depends... Do you have a monthly budget you have to meet? When picking tanks finances can be an issue. Water changes (10-20% weekly) at roughly .$40 per gallon if you own an RO/DI unit Lighting/ a 180G is going to require roughly 750W (250X3) to 1200W (400X3) HID lighting running 8-12 hours per day. Cooling/ a chiller can be needed in many of these applications Initial setup costs go up in relation to tank size for items such as liverock, substrate, pumps, skimmers etc. There are also a number of other large ticket items associated with a larger tank like this. All that aside, I think a 180 is a great tank, it gives you room for "most" fish you might want, Eels, or other animals that require a good amount of room. Plus that, aquascaping is made easier by the 24" front to rear dimension of the 180. If a smaller tank makes more sense, I would stick with the 24" inch tanks (front to rear dimension) __________________ "It's a dog eat dog world and I feel like I am wearing milkbone underwear" Last edited by Randall_James; 08/13/2007 at 09:14 PM.

08/13/2007, 10:06 PM	#8
Nano Chris Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD Posts: 2,758	If i could start over i think i would go with a 180, 220 or a 280 lol, it would have taken me a while to start up, if i wanted to upgrade basically i would have to upgrade the tank/stand, lighting, and skimmer, and maybe add a few more power heads and a bigger pump, add more sand and lr as i get money. __________________ Chris ------- 34 Gallon Red Sea Max 130! Setup (Just got back into the hobby) Current Tank Info: 34 Gallon RedSeaMax!

08/13/2007, 10:13 PM	#9
ahullsb Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: sacramento, ca Posts: 2,729	I think that is a great sized tank. I would buy a good skimmer that was rated for 250 gallons. I agree lighting should be a couple 250 watt mh's or a combo of mh's and t5's. Outer Orbit is a good light in my opinion. I hear people like their sunpods, and you cannot go wrong with some icecap ballasts. There seem to be a lot of people on here who have tanks between 180 and 250 gallons. You should be able to get a lot of help. __________________ Andy Sacramento, CA Current Tank Info: 55 gallon reef w/20 gallon sump/ER135/ 75 pounds of live rock, 4 in sandbed, 2 b&w ocellaris clowns, yellow watchman/pistol, rosy scaled wrasse, Mystery wrasse, Copperbanded Butterfly, Lighting 48" outer orbit 2 150 mh/ 4 t5 actinics

08/13/2007, 07:51 PM	#2
FOSELONE THINK BLUE Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: LOS ANGELES CA Posts: 4,865	good...start big...if you dont...youll upgrade later...lights, filters, etc...depends on what you want to spend...& what you want to keep in your tank...

08/13/2007, 07:55 PM	#3
bosscrab Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Charleston,SC Posts: 71	That might be a bit big. But if you got a good deal go for it.

08/13/2007, 08:19 PM	#4
herkey1993 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2000 Location: Clive, Iowa Posts: 84	If you know you want to get into the hobby and stick it out through the ups and downs and are ready to take on all of the extra work versus FW, then the bigger the better. It will cost much more to set up a 180 than a 29 for instance and if you decide its too much for you, you'll have alot of expensive stuff on your hands. Chances are, though, that if you liked FW you'll love reefing. I would go as big as you can afford myself.

08/13/2007, 09:31 PM	#7
Zestay Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: gainesville, FL Posts: 1,622	just remember a tank is about 10% of your overall cost. a 10 gallon tank you can set up for around 150 bux ( depending on yoru DIY skills ) that 180 will cost alot of $$$$$$ to get up and running full speed.. hundreds of pounds of sand and rock... yoru water bill your power bill will sky rocket due to the lighting youll need.. ( sky light? ) just because the tank was a good deal doesnt mean the rest of your needs will be.