# Hi, I need some expert help.



## Waninoko (Jan 13, 2008)

I want to have a tropical salt water setup. tell me everything i need to buy when i go to the store, i think i have a huge tank im able to get for 500$, it was used in an office as the main entrence thing. but it slike 6-8 feet long.


so please list everyything i need, i plan on going to a large marine fish seller and going to pick out all the "pretty" fish i want, and then ask if its ok for them. Could you please list all the basic things i need to start off.

thanks^^


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## wtac (Mar 17, 2006)

The aquarium will be one of the cheapest items...LOL! Here's a general list but specificity will depend on what you want to keep*. Fish only, reef or mixed? Assuming that it's just a non drilled aquarium, cabinet and canopy:

Lighting*
Sump*
Return/Sump pump, gph 5-10x of aquarrium and sump volume.
True union ball valves
Glass and acrylic for overflow
Bulkheads
Various PVC plumbing pipe and fittings to plumb from aquarium overflow to sump to return pump and back to the aquarium
Protein Skimmer
Refugium*
Heater
At least 4xPowerheads for internal circulation or closed loop system
Liverock ~150-300lbs*
Aragonite SeaFloor or Oolitic sugar grain substrate
Powerbars
Timers

In a fish only system, a 15A circuit will run if you use shop lights from Home Depot provided that there isn't anything else drawing power from the line. You will trip the breaker/blow a fuse if a high amp appliance is plugged into that circuit, ie vacuum cleaner. If you plan on keeping coral, get a lisenced electrician to wire 2x15A circuits, one for the lighting system and the other for electrical equipment. If you are using MH lights 20A is better as you will need 3-4x 250-400w and VHO/T5HO actinic supplementation (dependant on aquarium height, corals desired and color temp of MH bulb). The current draw is very high when the bulbs initially fire up compared to operating current draw. 

Just those items alone will retail for ~$4-10K plus taxes*. It's going to be an investment and especially on that scale, you have to consider what your immedate goal/vision of the system and if you will plan on miving up the "reefer challenge" scale. Keeping this in mind, it's cost effective to have certain equipment tailored to that future goal, ie sump and closed loop, and plan the space in the cabinet to make it "modular" so that it's easy to add/reposition equipment. It may cost a bit more in time and cost doing it this way but it will save having to "buy twice", ie sump.

If you have more details on the aquarium, let us know and we'll do our best to guide you long .

HTH


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## Waninoko (Jan 13, 2008)

ok perfect thanks, i think it may be a drilled tank, because it was for a business entrence lol, but maybe not, ill know more monday night


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