Brand new

[awrig]

Hi, I am brand new to aquariums. I had a small freshwater aquarium growing up but now I’m wanting to get a large saltwater aquarium for my kids. I’m don’t even know where to begin. Do I need one with a built in sump or is there a difference between the physical aquarium between salt vs fresh and how do I get everything set up? I’m not really concerned about cost, just don’t know where to get started really. Think I’ll probably buy a used aquarium off Craigslist but other than that I don’t know what to look for. I’m thinking 200 gallons or more, and I would greatly appreciate any advice. I am a complete novice so any help is appreciated, really want to do this to get my kids involved. Thanks!

 

[1112-425XL]

 

[Kristopher Conlin]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!!

You can certainly start with an aquarium from Craigslist. Just make sure you leak test it before you buy it.

You don't need an aquarium with a sump it just makes a convenient place to keep gear like heaters and protein skimmer out of sight so you can better enjoy the beauty of your tank. I have never seen an aquarium with a built in sump(aio or all in one style) in the 200 gallon range you are looking for.

An aquarium that large would usually be drilled and then fitted with an overflow plumbed to a sump below or in another room if you want to get fancy with plumbing.

 

[1112-425XL]

This a meet and greet forum so you might not get a lot of answers. If you re post in the general discussion forum you will get all the information you can handle.

 

[Kristopher Conlin]

As an example here is my 120 gallon I'm working on and the plumbing I did for it.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

I started with a tank kit from a local pet store. Welcome!

 

[Keko21]

 

[fishguy242]

Hi, welcome to the reef...
Bigger the better, separate sump
start a build thread ,ask questions and suggestions ,inspect well on a used tank...

 

[vetteguy53081]

 

[awrig]

This a meet and greet forum so you might not get a lot of answers. If you re post in the general discussion forum you will get all the information you can handle.

Thanks!

 

[00W]

You've come to the right place and welcome to R2R!

 

[awrig]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!!

You can certainly start with an aquarium from Craigslist. Just make sure you leak test it before you buy it.

You don't need an aquarium with a sump it just makes a convenient place to keep gear like heaters and protein skimmer out of sight so you can better enjoy the beauty of your tank. I have never seen an aquarium with a built in sump(aio or all in one style) in the 200 gallon range you are looking for.

An aquarium that large would usually be drilled and then fitted with an overflow plumbed to a sump below or in another room if you want to get fancy with plumbing.

Welcome to Reef2Reef!!

You can certainly start with an aquarium from Craigslist. Just make sure you leak test it before you buy it.

You don't need an aquarium with a sump it just makes a convenient place to keep gear like heaters and protein skimmer out of sight so you can better enjoy the beauty of your tank. I have never seen an aquarium with a built in sump(aio or all in one style) in the 200 gallon range you are looking for.

An aquarium that large would usually be drilled and then fitted with an overflow plumbed to a sump below or in another room if you want to get fancy with plumbing.

Thank you so much for your response! So I would need to drill a hole through the glass to plumb equipment?

 

[jsker]

 

[awrig]

As an example here is my 120 gallon I'm working on and the plumbing I did for it.

Thank you so much for the reply. I feel little overwhelmed. Will I need to drill a hole in the glass to run my plumbing?

 

[shakacuz]

welcome aboard the r2r board!

getting a sump is IMHO, the wiser, easier choice! takes a lot of clutter out of your display and puts them somewhere else whilst also providing an area for micro fauna/beneficial critters to host and multiply! if you cannot make/drill your own, there are plenty used, for sale, or new!

 

[CoralB]

Welcome !!!

 

[Rennurdoar]

Welcome to the party, it's a great place to be! There's a ton of great people and information here! Be sure to start a build thread!

 

[Kristopher Conlin]

Thank you so much for your response! So I would need to drill a hole through the glass to plumb equipment?

You don't have to drill it but in my opinion it is by far the best option. They make hang on the back siphon overflows but those can easily overflow onto your floor.

You also have to make sure that the aquarium you are buying doesn't have a back panel made of tempered glass or it will shatter.

But if you are up for it all you need is a drill and a diamond coated drill bit that matches the size of your bulkhead fittings.

Here is a link to some bits with a guide about what fittings they match
https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/diamond-coated-glass-drill-bits.html

Here is a video on how it works if you want to see if it's for you.

 

[Kristopher Conlin]

Thank you so much for the reply. I feel little overwhelmed. Will I need to drill a hole in the glass to run my plumbing?

You don't need to drill a hole. You can always use hang on the back equipment. However that type of gear is more prone to overflowing. You would just want to make sure you keep it clean and well maintained.

A other option would be to buy something called a reef ready aquarium. They have internal overflow towers built in and the bottoms are pre drilled.

Here is an example of what it would look like.

 

[SPR1968]

Hi and welcome to Reef2Reef!