Starting new tank, need advice!

[alenkps]

Well after a month or so of surfing the net and local pet shops, I think i would really like to keep a puffer fish.
I've never kept any fish in my life except a beta like 10 years ago. So I've been reading a lot lately, however it doesn't hurt to directly question the experts to house the very fish I would like to someday keep.

I've decided that a 75 gallon would be the best, in terms of available spec, and a stand to along with it (sump use)
What other equipment is a MUST or would benefit me in terms of maintenance the most?
Ive seen that this hobby can be quite expensive and would like to minimize my costs....for example i was recommended to get a RO/DI system to purify my tap water, so i could use it for the tank / water changes....which is $169! Is that necessary?

If I were to purchase the tank and stand, what would the next best step be? Live rock curing.....starting a fish-less cycle? Or about how many months would it be before i could get the puffer =] hehe.

~ANY info/suggestions is appreciated.

[Pufferpunk]

It would help to know what kinds of puffer/s you are interested in--FW/BW/SW? Check our Pufferpedia for ideas (under the "Learn" tab).

The 1st thing a newbie needs to learn is the cycling process of a tank. Check out the Fishless Cycling article in our Library & also many of the other fantastic, helpful articles there.

[alenkps]

Cool thanks, didn't notice the library.
~Only interested in saltwater puffers =] particularly this porc. puffer i saw at this store....big guy like 5-6"

[Tapiana]

Alenkps -

I am no expert, however since I have had to do this the hard way (got the puffer first - then started working on the tank) this is a great place for advice! Do you know what type of puffer you want to get? Fresh/Brackish/Marine - that would determine how you set up your tank. I have no idea as to which type would be the best for a first timer - I have a green spotted puffer (brackish) and I am having some troubles with my water. I will tell you what I have learned so far - but I am no expert.

From researching the library - I have learned that fishless cycling is definetly the way to go. When you decide upon your puffer - check at the LFS to see how they keep it. Some LFS keep BW puffers in FW and it can be a serious shock to take a FW puffer and place it in a cycled BW/SW tank. If the LFS keeps the puffer in BW/SW - you want to cycle your tank at that SG. I read pufferpunks article on the GSP and found it to be very helpful with info on cycling. There is a posting under BW puffers on starting a new tank.

If you go the BW/SW route - you will need the following (these are the musts that I have had to purchase)

a hydrometer for reading SG - pufferpunk recommends one that starts down at 1.000 for the best readings

this was recommended to me for testing the nitrites/nitrates/ammonia/and pH
Live meters are an OK general warning system, but an API master test kit is an inexpensive option that can test everything and give the accurate results you want for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in a new tank. There's nothing complicated about it, the directions for each test explain how to do it.

I know that there is more - decor, heater, thermometer, etc.

In terms of cost - yes it can be rather pricey. I have paid more for the maintence and upkeep of my tank than I did for the GSP (mostly due to trial and error before I started to get some concrete answers). I would HIGHLY reccomend that you check out craigslist.org for your city - I have found many great tanks and setups there for super cheap with all the goodies.

I hope that this helps - double check what I have mentioned against the library and the other more experience puffer peeps here first though

[Pufferpunk]

You jumping right into SW huh? Expensive start up. Cycling is different for SW then. You need sand & lots of live rock to cycle the tank (1 1/2-2 lbs/gallon). Look for a local reef club at http://www.reefcentral.com & see if anyone is selling theirs for cheap. Also try Craigslist. You're going to need a large skimmer & a sump. Is the tank reef ready or do you not have it yet? If not, a 90g will fit in the same space & would be a better water volume for a porc.

There is an excellent artice on SW puffers stickied in the Marine Puffer forum. I'm moving this thread there.

[alenkps]

Where's a good site/place to understand the concepts of the overflow, the sump, and all the other self-contained plumbing required to efficiently house a 90gallon tank fora porc??
thanks

[Pufferpunk]

Look here: http://www.melevsreef.com/
Great sump info there.

[alenkps]

Thanks, the sump info cleared a lot up.
I have another newbie question and i think I'm overlooking something here, but how would i deal with live rock growths and other unwanted algae-type growths in the tank, if i can't have a clean-up crew (inverts) since the porc will eat them ??
Would aragonite work for the sand? how many lbs, or....how thick of a bed would be best suited fora puff??

And the 90 gallon's first fish would be a porc, but would i be able to add anything else later on?
Thanks again!
-kps

[Pufferpunk]

Tee 90g's ONLY fish should be a porc.

[MTV]

To answer your question in the first post, you can save money on just about every piece of equipment. The only exception is the skimmer. Buy the biggest, baddest, bestest (lol) one you can afford. Trust me, the difference between a good skimmer and a bad skimmer is incredible. A good one will mean less water changes (so less use of that expensive RO/DI unit, prolonging its life), and less water changes means fewer swings in parameters to cause your fish stress. Also, a good skimmer is one of the two essential filtration devices in a marine tank in my opinion. The other is live rock.

As for keeping the algae etc to a minimum, keep the water quality 'pristine'. Which is going to be very difficult without a good skimmer.

Hope this helps!

[alenkps]

^^
Well, for the protein skimmer I've decided to get the AquaC EV-120 model, it says 40-180gal for tank size which is up in the air. Any comments?
Also would a single hydor koralia 3 powerhead give sufficient circulation for a 90 gal housing the porc?

Tank measurements are 48x18x24(L,W,H) if it matters. This comes with an option of an 'internal' overflow with 2 holes, giving an option of extra holes for $15.....would i need any extra holes?? Been researching....can't really find anything on this. any advice is appreciated!! thanks

[MTV]

Just so you know, skimmers are always over-rated with relation to minimum tank size. Typically, aim for something which lists the minimum at roughly twice your tank's volume. So based on the above, your tank is roughly 90gal, aim for around 180gal worth of skimming power. It might sound like alot, but IME it isn't really.

Secondly, you will likely need a couple of those koralias. Two ought to make sure that you don't have any dead spots.

[t1gerbee]

FYI .. dead spots is where the flow doesn 't agitate the the water around the rock, creating 'dead spots' where waste food etc can build up an pollute the water...

a couple of powerheads will move all the waste in and around the live rock, which will then fliter it, the waste will be caught/filtered by the bacteria in the rock making to less harmful to the tank.

Live rock is expensive, but essential.

It is impressive that you are willing to attempt saltwater from scratch having never kept fish, it will be hard work, but sounds like you are taking it all seriously so keep it up.