Greetings from NH

[Danno]

Hi all,
I'm about to embark on my quest of starting my first reef tank.
One of the things I've learned so far is, damn, this is an expensive hobby!
I've purchased a used 90 reef tank and stand and a lighting setup. I've got my sand and some hardware but I'm still in need of a few things.

If anyone can suggest an online or local store where I can purchase the following, I'd appreciate it. I'm using a credit card that my wife doesn't know about

I still need a sump. There are some DIY options, but I'm not a DIY kinda guy.
I also need an Octopus protein skimmer for inside my sump, but I'm not sure which model? And lastly, I need some live rock that I'm going to try and cure myself.

If anyone can recommend a source for any or all of these items, please let me know!

Thanks!
Dan in NH

 

[SharkLover]

Hi all,
I'm about to embark on my quest of starting my first reef tank.
One of the things I've learned so far is, damn, this is an expensive hobby!
I've purchased a used 90 reef tank and stand and a lighting setup. I've got my sand and some hardware but I'm still in need of a few things.

If anyone can suggest an online or local store where I can purchase the following, I'd appreciate it. I'm using a credit card that my wife doesn't know about

I still need a sump. There are some DIY options, but I'm not a DIY kinda guy.
I also need an Octopus protein skimmer for inside my sump, but I'm not sure which model? And lastly, I need some live rock that I'm going to try and cure myself.

If anyone can recommend a source for any or all of these items, please let me know!

Thanks!
Dan in NH

Hi Dan, and welcome to the BRS. I would highly recommend you get some sort of sump with space for a refugium. As a beginner your refugium will reduce those algae blooms. On my 60 gallon i use a dnw-150 external octopus skimmer. They have octopus extreme skimmers now so i'd probably go with something like that. Anything rated for 150+ is probably good enough for you depending on what you plan to keep in the tank.

 

[afboundguy]

Welcome!!!

I also need an Octopus protein skimmer for inside my sump, but I'm not sure which model? And lastly, I need some live rock that I'm going to try and cure myself.

I'd suggest the Octo Extreme skimmers. Best bang for you buck skimmer around. A 160 should work fine on a 90...

If anyone can recommend a source for any or all of these items, please let me know!

Jay's and Aqua Addicts in Salem NH are some great stores...

Also Marco Rocks has some great dry rock... You would save yourself a ton of money buying dry rock for $2-$3 per lb compared to the $8+ per lb for live rock. You would have a longer cycle but IMO it would be worth it...

 

[pillowfish]

:w to BRS! There are always great deals here on the forums and our sponsors have top notch items as well! Enjoy your new hobby, hope to see you at one of the meetings!

 

[Danno]

I've decided that I'm going to cure my own rock with a rubbermaid tub, some egg crate on the bottom, a heater and some powerheads. I want to get the Octo extreme skimmer for my tank, but I understand that my curing tank will need a skimmer to. Should I use the Octo for my curing tank, or should I invest in a cheaper model?

Thanks for the assists!

 

[afboundguy]

If you're going to cure the rock anyways def get the Marco rock and save the $400-$500 difference in getting it "live." You could seed it with 1 small piece of live rock...

Also I've cured rock without a skimmer; you'd just need to do water changes...

 

[Rick C]

:w aboard! + 1 to all above statements about the skimmer and Marco Rock. Good luck on your endeavor and don't forget to post some pics.

 

[Danno]

One last question for now....if I go with the Marco rock, will I still need to 'cure' it outside my main tank, or should I do it right in my tank with the live sand?

Cured, uncured, live, dead, dry, rock. So confusing!

 

[afboundguy]

You will need to cure it... If you have no livestock in the main tank you can cure it in the tank... If you do have livestock then it should be cured outside of the main tank...

 

[Aquaman_68]

welcome, Dan

 

[delta]

Welcome hope we get a chance to see you at a meeting

We have a frag farmer event coming up in Septmeber, it will be a far north meeting. It would be a good chance to mee and talk to some reefers first hand as it is a pretty informal meeting.

Happy reefing

 

[Blueflu1]

welcome to the club. I have a 90 too. I have an Octo extreme 160 on my tank and it works well.
Yes this is an expensive hobby. Just when you think you have all your equipment, you need more. I Just had to pick up a chiller last night. lol

 

[Danno]

I just got my tracking number from Marco Rocks and the Octo skimmer I picked up on Ebay is on it's way too.
I don't even want to think about water temperature at this point. I have central A.C. but I don't want to run it 24/7 throughout the whole house just to keep this one room cool. Looks like I'll be looking for a portable AC unit next.
Expenses so far $1,000+. Number of fish = 0!

 

[gonorth16]

welcome

 

[Danno]

I'm getting closer to showtime.....I got my skimmer last night (which barely fits in my sump) and my Marco Rock is due to arrive tomorrow. I have all the hardware I need and once I cure the rock I'll be assembling everything.
I've heard that if you don't want Damsels in your tank, don't use them to cure it because they're hard to catch after the fact. I just wanted to ask if there is a short list of hardy fish that can also be used to cure a tank?
Also, is there a list of LPS corals that are good for the beginner?

Thanks again,

Dan in NH

 

[Danno]

Well I finally got my tank up and running today. I've been curing my rock for 2 weeks in my garage and now it's all in my 90 gal tank and I hope to finish the cycle soon. I'm still not sure of the process being a rookie and all, but I have everything in motion and I'm getting my salinity to the right level, etc.
I suppose the next steps are to make sure that my rock has cycled? I haven't set up my canopy yet as I'm still working on getting my lights right.
If anyone can tell me what the next steps are, I'd appreciate it.

 

[Danno]

Update:
The salinity is fine.....the ammonia is zero. The only thing in the tank is the rock and live sand. What I'm seeing now is the foaming of the skimmer jumping all over the place.
I don't have my canopy set up yet because I'm still looking for the right lights.
My question is, if my ammonia and nitrates/nitrites are ok, can I add fish without the lighten to cycle the tank?

Thanks all!

 

[Behrmon]

It's going to be a week or two before you start to see the levels climb and the cycle start. I would not add anything until your cycle is over, then add some snails to start off. Patience.

 

[Blueflu1]

what did you get for a skimmer? Is the foam coming out of the skimmer top? If so, you need to adjust the skimmer so that the bubbles come near the top of the skimmer but not out of it. The foam will creep up and into the collection cup.

My octo extreme has an adjustable pipe. You move the pipe up and down to adjust the height of the water in the skimmer. in-sump skimmers usually perform differently at different water levels, so try to put top off water in every day or two to keep the water level fairly constant. If not, you will have to regularly dial in the skimmer again.

 

[Danno]

I got the recommened Octo skimmer. The collection cup is full of water but the foam doesn't reach the top regardless of where I set the adjustable tube. I'll figure it out..

I really do think my tank has cycled. I'd been curing my rock in the garage for two weeks and I did see the ammonia spike and then drop. My tank currently reads zero ammonia and nitrites. I'll take more readings in the next few days. If I don't see anything I'm going to consider it done.

Thanks all.