Have a few questions in regards to this setup.

[Grey Legion]

Very cool man...They should work out great!

As for the substrate issue, I agree with "sid" (eventhough he once referred to me as a girl here:lol: ) Crushed corals have a tendancy to trap detritus in the tiny pockets and would need really good vaccuming to prevent any water quality issues. I had nitrate issues I couldn't manage and part of the problem was the crushed corals I used. I just couldn't seem to vaccum it enough. I later switched to fiji pink (a finer grain) and had better success with nitrates never going above 10ppm, but it wasn't until I went bare bottom I went nitrate free, but it is an aquired taste because not very many people like the look. In any event, people keep nitrate free tanks with all sorts of different substrates types, grain etc so you just have to go with what works for you. You may be fine using the crushed corals as some people have success. It's just that they are known to cause some issues

I understand, I guess I just need a starting point, in all my years I have tried many substrates but found bare bottom to be the best with just a handfull or tow of sand.. I may remove some crushed coral as I have about a inch.. or go bare bottom as that would cost nothing to do but a bit of time..

With crushed coral (kitty litter size) how deep should I go with substrate or would a light covering be good enough ??

 

[Krish]

With crushed coral (kitty litter size) how deep should I go with substrate or would a light covering be good enough ??

I wouldn't go deep at all. Too deep to the depth of a deep sand bed won't be effective as a deep sand bed is meant to function because you need a finer grain for a deep sand bed to be effective. With crushed corals too deep, you will have just that much more you will have to siphon through and for waste to collect in IMO, so I'd go shallow enough to just cover the bottom making it easily manageable. Just my 2 cents

 

[Scooterman]

I wouldn't go deep at all. Too deep to the depth of a deep sand bed won't be effective as a deep sand bed is because you need a finer grain for a deep sand bed to be effective. With crushed corals too deep, you will have just that much more you will have to siphon through and for waste to collect in IMO, so I'd go shallow enough to just cover the bottom making it easily manageable. Just my 2 cents

Second that, keep it easy to vacuum, your appreciate that

 

[Grey Legion]

Good Idea, right now (as I stated earlier) I have about a inch or crushed coral, I'll start to remove some tonight and bring it doen to a 1/4 inch. Just enough to cover the glass..or I may even go all the way and go bare bottom ??

I'll see how I feel when I start to remove some tonight..

 

[Krish]

LOL! I love bare bottom :shock: (LOL) Seems to be the easiest for me to maintain so far

 

[Grey Legion]

As do I

I find it the easiest to maintain and I have been bare for years..in my FW tanks

Only my cichlid breeding tank has sand due to the fact they need to dig little breeding nests to get jiggy wit it..LOL

I wanted to get a feel for what people like and dislike in there tanks, that by no means will sway my final decision but it helps to have a understanding of what I may or may not get myself into..

 

[Krish]

That's the best thing to do. Look around, but do what you want...You will be the one looking and taking care of the tank mostly so go with what pleases you.

 

[LakeEd]

That's the best thing to do. Look around, but do what you want...You will be the one looking and taking care of the tank mostly so go with what pleases you.

Krish's words are something to ALWAYS remember!!! Its YOUR tank, do what pleases you!!!

Every point for something, has a point against it in this hobby. Its up to us to educate ourselfs on the goods and bads... then make decisions to what will work for US, on OUR tank.

I know how much maintenance I am willing to do, how often, what I can afford in the way of equipment to help with that maintenance... and look I'd like having in my tank. Others can tell me what works for them, and why... but I have to decide which way to go from there.

The nicest thing about here at Reef Frontiers... people don't judge you by your various choices. They enjoy your input about your experiences, and freely share theirs! Not to mention they quickly come up with ideas that help me when my brain just isn't working.

 

[returnofsid]

LOL @ Krish!!! Hey now, from what I hear, I wasn't the first to refer to you as a "she."

 

[Krish]

LOL @ Krish!!! Hey now, from what I hear, I wasn't the first to refer to you as a "she."

ROFL!!! Whatever man

 

[redrooster]

I'm working on a cheap setup myself. If I come across any great cost saver ideas I will let you know. I am doing it cheap just to try to figure out if any profit can be made selling frags without doing it on a huge scale. Anyways with the lighting you are talking about shrooms will do well in the whole tank. Xenia, leathers,Colt, Kenya, and any other 'tree' corals should be good in the top half of the tank. You may even be able to keep some zoo's.

Honestly the best way to do it cheap is to buy peoples setups who are getting out of the hobby. My setup had about $3,000 into it and I got it for $500. The guy who sold it to me wanted another as he had finished remodeling his house and he got a 150 fully loaded with LR and coral for $1,000. This was the steal of a lifetime. It had been setup over 10 years. It had a green cup coral in it that was approx 18" across. My LFS gave my buddy $250 for it and sold it that day for $750. I managed to get a 35 head frogspawn from the tank for $40 and fragged it into 5 pieces. This tank had so many show pieces I can't even list them all and all for $1,000!!! The guy he got it from had put like $10K into it and was paying $300 dollars a month just for maintenance. Anyways if you really want to do salt I highly suggest saving your money and waiting for the right opportunity.

 

[Grey Legion]

Wow, those are some great deals !!

For myslef I want to start from the ground up, I am doing this as a club project to help other members of my fish club learn that SW can be fun without breaking the back..

 

[redrooster]

Well I just set up a 47 gal fish only for my dad. He had the tank/hood already. I spent about $50 on LR as I got if from other hobbyist/my stockpile. Used a regular old FW over the wall filter, that will have carbon from time to time. Heater was used, but would have been $20. I mean honestly if you are talking saltwater fish not reef then it should only cost a few more dollars than a corresponding FW tank.

I you were starting from scratch and doing fish only the only thing a SW tanks needs extra is a salt, and then more salt for water changes. The difference in the price of fish is the real difference, but since you only stock about a 1/3 as many fish it helps offset the difference. Now obviously you are going for a DYI reef. This can be done cheap if you go with NO fish. With no fish you really don't need a skimmer (especially the sofites they actully grow better with a little crap in the water IMO). You basically just need better lighting than FW and a little more flow. So depending on what type of coral you want to keep and the size of tank now you are looking at an additional $150-$1000 with 1K being very good lighting for say a 150 gal.

Misinformation really is the killer. I would have 'graduated' from FW to salt long ago if I hadn't 'heard' how difficult it is. But then again I'm sure it has gotten easier over the last 10 years. After having had dozens of FW tanks in my life with some being tropical, some domestic fish, and others just planted tanks. I would honestly say keeping a reef is easier than doing a FW planted tank. Growing softy corals is 10X easier than growing Amazon swords. Just my opinion though.

 

[Grey Legion]

So true, so far my setup has cost me nothing more than the price of the live rock. I am enjoying the SW alot and plan to continue to learn and try more..