What kind of fish tank do I need?

[Venus7]

Hello to all.
I'm researching all about salt water tanks. I'm new to this and for many years I wanted to start salt water fish tank with fish, corals, live rock, but I was getting too overhelmed and too intimidated because I know little about this hobby.
Right now I'm searching for a good arilyc(or glass) fish tank, about 55 gallon. But I'm little confused. Do I need the fish tank pre-drilled? Do they sell them like pre-drilled or do I have to drill them myself?
What about the fish tank stands.Do I need some special stand if I'll have pre-drilled tank?
And where could I buy that tank for a normal price where they won't rip me off?
Thanks a lot.

[steevareno2002]

I'd start out looking on your local reef clubs used equipment forum. You can usually find some good deals on tanks and equipment. Good luck!

[JCareyETexas]

IMO pre-drilled would be advantageous. Depending on where you're at you could probably find a pretty good deal on craigslist or something of the sort.
FWIW I would go with a 75 or 90.... same footprint as a standard 55. There is also a 110 that is the same footprint.
I went as big as I could and am oh so happy I did.

[Dustin1300]

Agreed with above. Try to find one already drilled and 'Reef Ready'. A 75/90 are going to have better depth than the 55 that is really shallow. Not really going to cost you much more and is extra water volume which is always better IMO.

[Uncle Salty 05]

Where do you live?

[Zappo]

About the stand... They typically only support the edges of the tank, and the middle is left open. So you don't need a special stand to go with a drilled tank. Also, as others mentioned, 55 gallon tanks are an awkward size for a reef. They're long and narrow so there's little room for aquascaping.

As for where to buy one, check craigslist and any local reef clubs first. Lots of good deals can be found there. If you're buying one new, check out your local fish store or even petco if they have one near you. They tend to have decent prices and you don't have to worry about shipping costs if you buy from a store.

[kingfisher62]

What kind of budget do you have for starting up?

[Venus7]

Dear friends, thank you to all for your replies.

Yes, I was looking for fish tank on Craiglist, but honestly I realized that is taking too much chance if anything goes wrong with that, like a leakage. I've decided to buy a new fish tank+stand at first, then the rest of the things little by little, because the fish tank will cost probably more than the rest of things. I rather do it little by little, to get good stuff and not something that will brake quick.

I do not know where Reef Aquarium Clubs are are located in Connecticut, but I would like to find one and take a look what they got over there.

I was also looking at many aquariums on this site, and they look pretty nice, I was checking out the ones that are 75 gallon(per your advice). But I can't find info if they are pre-drilled or not.
The list of aquariums is here:
http://www.overstock.com/search?keyw...rchtype=Header

And what is the best -glass or acrylic Aquarium from you own experiences?

Thanks again!

[skeeter_usaf]

Acrylic tanks look awesome but they scratch really easy. I would recommend glass hands down, its heavier but worth it. Most places will advertise them as drilled if they are, just look for an internal overflow which is a tale tale sign. You definately want to go with a drilled tank so you dont have to have an overflow box, which just takes up space behind your aquarium and they look hideous IMO.

[fishgate]

"fish tank will cost probably more than the rest of things"

Not so, usually the tank is cheapest unless you go for a very large one. Protein skimmers, sumps and other stuff will cost you more. Especially LIGHTS.

[walnuts24]

Whatever you think you are going to spend, triple it, there are SOOOO many things you dont think about as a newcomer. When I first started my tank in March I was thinking maybe $500, over $1200 later and I am still thinking "Maybe I should upgrade to LEDs" or "I think it would be a good idea to add a reactor". Once you get hooked your money is as good as gone.

Just a word of advice from a relatively new member.

[JCareyETexas]

Originally Posted by fishgate

"fish tank will cost probably more than the rest of things"

not so, usually the tank is cheapest unless you go for a very large one. Protein skimmers, sumps and other stuff will cost you more. Especially lights.

+ 1,000,000,000

[EDJFA]

I have a 55g and it's fine, to a point. My suggestion is to look at one of the advertisers that have fish for sale, liveaquaria.com is my favorite, and get an idea of how you want to stock your tank. My kids would love for me to have a bright yellow tang, but at only 55g my tank is way too small. I recently put a small foxface in there, with the knowledge that I can use him as an excuse later to upgrade to a larger tank.

You'll be suprised at the number of fish you won't be able to keep in a 55g.

Then if you think you'll want corals or anemone's (they can get huge), you'll quickly find yourself running out of room for your fish to swim. It's a vicious cycle that can only be solved by a larger tank.

At this point I wish I had taken the advice of those folks on here who said 75g is a minimum, 90g is better, but 120g+ is ideal.

Oh yeah, the two most expensive things that I've found so far have been the lights and the live rock. If you start with all live rock be prepared to eat Ramen noodles for a couple months while your bank account tries to revive itself. Your lighting will be dependant upon what you want your tank to do. If all you want is fish, then you can get by fairly inexpensively. If you want corals, well, get a second job.

Finally, if you go to the main forums page, scroll all the way down to the bottom past the sponsor's threads, you'll find a listing for local reef clubs. There's a Northeast clubs link. You'll find a few CT clubs there.