New set up, help!

[Doodle79]

Ok so I haven't had a salt water aquarium in years and when I did it was a tiny thing that could have been so much better.

A week ago the wife and I are watching a show where a tank was shown and she says I want a fish tank!

A couple trips around let go later and I have 140 dollars invested in a 55 gallon pentagram tank sitting on a nice stand and a full spectrum LED light.

Ok so this coming weekend I want to start the filter set up, get water in it and get it started with live rock and live sand.

I'm fully lost on the filter setup to go with. I'm afraid a sump isn't going to fit under the tank and wow they seem expensive.

I see that a canister type has a small footprint but the consensus is they are nitrate factories. Frankly I don't want my wife to have to do weekly water changes while I travel for work.

I hear about these sulfer reactor devices. Can these be used with a canister system? Do you put in series with the sump? If I keep the tank loading light would this eliminate the need for water changes?

We have plans of doing a reef ish type tank with a couple clown fish and maybe one other but I don't like the idea of so much bio load with all the live coral. I think plants and false decorations with reef fish is the way we are going to go. Thoughts on this?


Step one is lots of love rock and sand?

thoughts?

how would you start a new 55 gal tank?

 

[Idoc]

First start by reading the sticky threads on the New to Saltwater forum where you posted this thread. There's some good info in there for how to start successfully.

Sumps don't have to be expensive. Buying pre-made ones are ridiculous with prices. But, something as simple as a 20g cheap tank and silicone in some baffles and you have a sump for under $50.

I have no knowledge on any sulfer filter things or canisters. Hopefully someone else will come in with those systems.

 

[Doodle79]

Thing is my tank is not plumbed for a sump. I've never drilled glass before and I see that going horribly wrong lol.

I was reading through the stickies

 

[FASTWRD]

I would say go with about 55 pounds or rock so you have some room to play with it , and for the sand 40 pounds should do the job.

 

[FASTWRD]

I have a 25 gallon tank and it’s an all in one and I don’t have a sump and it’s running perfectly fine.

 

[FortyFour44]

The first thing you’ll want to decide is what you want in the tank. Fish only? Soft corals? LPS? SPS? Want flexibility? That will determine the type of lighting, filtration, and flow you’ll be able to get away with if you are on a budget. The DYI thread might be interesting to you as well.