New Tank For Jidz

[Jiddy]

Im new to the hobby, been on the forums for 2 months now and am pickin up my 220g this weekend, it will be my first SW tank. I need a list (websites would be greatly appreciated) of the supplies i will need, even the little things...

This is what i have or have on order
2 buckets of 160g IO Salt (Big Als-$110shipped)
RO/DI unit -(Ebay/Aquasafe)
LR- 100lbs Ebay Haiti & 40lbs MI (Jeffs Exotic)

Will be gettin a ASM G-4x, just need a good deal.

I know i need a HydroMeter, should i jsut get a $8 cheapy, I know where to get good Salifert Test.

I need heaters, (want titanium) any sites? HOw many watts?

What else should i get?

Thanks for your help, ill send pics this weekend!

-Jidz

 

[bradreef]

keep looking on ebay and rc selling forum for the skimmer. 110 seems high for the salt but shipping cost. one fo the places always has salt on sale and if you had more than 1 fish store you could wait for a deal. do you have petco or petsmart near. They carry salt and hopefully less then $50 each.

 

[Jiddy]

They salt obviously is only 31, but its another 20 for shippin, i dont have a big pet place here, and the LFS doesnt carry IO so they would charge me shippin too, lol. I am waitin for the skimmer to show up. What else do i need

 

[wrightme43]

Turkey baster, scrubby pad. If you get a cheapy hydrometer, check it against a refractometer. A wet dry shop vac, is a awfull handy thing to have around. A spray bottle to put rodi water in and a good quality squegee (the good one has a brass handle and replaceable rubber blade the cheap ones dont work and will just piss you off) to clean the glass. Tie straps for rock work. Have you thought about making small pvc pipe racks to keep the rock up off the bottom? On your sump have you decided on hard pvc, or spa-flex pvc? Pvc glue. A few cheap towels so your wife doesnt have you executed. A gallon jug of vinager is nice to have. Thats all I can think of this morning. Steve aka Mike

 

[Jiddy]

Thanks Mike, that was excatly what i was lookin for. And your absolutly right about my wife is goin to execute me, i already know it. I live in base housin (military) and have my livin/dinin/kitchen upstairs, i have my 55 FW up there and have no room/floor support to put it up there, so that means i have to put it downstairs, and the tank is so big it pretty much HAS to go in my bedroom, with carpetin. I already know im dead man walkin. Thanks Mikey!

 

[Scooterman]

Man oh man I see your gettin pumped lol

 

[Jiddy]

Heck yea Scooter! To make a long story short ive dreamed of ownin a SW tank my whole life. I had goldfish in kindergarten, ive ALWAYS owned a fishtank. I remember bein really young and my cousin was babysitten my, well the pet store callled him to come pick up his puffer. I rember watchin him and tellin myself one day i will own a SW tank! Plus i talked to the guy im gettin my tank from today (your yesterday) and he said i can get it on SAT!

 

[Scooterman]

I wouldn't rush into trying to get everything just yet, start off with plans for circulation, is it reef ready? Once you locate the tank, work on circulation, maybe even an old 30g for a sump with nothing else but a return pump or a CL set-up. Once you get circulating water, then you can go with salt mix, heaters, lr lights etc, but start off one step at a time, I can't stress that first & far most, just a tank with moving water is a great start.

 

[Jiddy]

Sounds good Scooter, i want to figure out the spraybar method before i do anythin as well! Trust me, this 2mo of research isnt goin in one ear and out the other.

 

[Scooterman]

I agree, you have been doing your HW, better off than I was, I didn't have a place on the web to go, didn't know such a thing existed lol.

 

[Jiddy]

I just stumbled upon this place when i was price checkin items too!

 

[Jiddy]

Now i keep stumblin on other sites too, *smiles at Doni*

 

[Jiddy]

Heres my new theory, let me here your ideas. IF the ASM G4 which is like 375 needs another Sedra 9000 to MOD it to be good that comes out to about $500 dollars for a skimmer you have to dink with. Well new you can get a G3 which everyone loves for $263 shipped, that tlls me for another $25 bucks i could just get two good skimmers, i have to see the SUMP in that bad boy again, but i know for a fact it has two seperate overflows and worse case scenario room for a sep. sump. Should i just get 2 G3's????

 

[bradreef]

That could work. The G-3 is a great skimmer and the g4 isn;t much better.

 

[bradreef]

better yet for 500 you could get a g5 which comes with two sedra 9000's

 

[Scooterman]

YEA that is what I said on the other thread, G5 dude, go for it and be done with!

 

[Jiddy]

You think a G5 over 2 G3s, ill have to see my stand dim's

 

[Jiddy]

Simple question here, how far from the wall should i keep my tank?

 

[Scooterman]

Get the G5!
I like to walk behind my next tank but that may be a tad too much for most. Right now mine is tight, I need more room back there, that is a good question, I'd say 6" but I know we can get lots of opinions on that idea.

 

[NaH2O]

My tank is approx. 10 inches away from the wall. This was to accomodate all the closed loop plumbing.