# Would The Tank Be Big Enough?



## Redruckus (Mar 13, 2011)

I have been thinking of purchasing a 100+ gallon tank nothing bigger then 150 i would like to have some hard corals and maby an anemoni or 2 if i can get ahold of some nice ones. as for stocking goes i was thinking of getting an eel of some sort(not ribbon i dont like them), a puffer of some sort. and posibly an achilies tang if i have enough room. would it be ok if i put a large clam in..i know it will take alot of time to properly set up the tank that is not a problem. i was just wondering if this would be a posible set up...thoughts ideas and tips are greatly apriciated.


----------



## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Redruckus said:


> I have been thinking of purchasing a 100+ gallon tank nothing bigger then 150 i would like to have some hard corals and maby an anemoni or 2 if i can get ahold of some nice ones. as for stocking goes i was thinking of getting an eel of some sort(not ribbon i dont like them), a puffer of some sort. and posibly an achilies tangNot the best tang to get with what im assuming is little to no sw experince. The bigger the better for tangs as they are very acvtive fish. if i have enough room. would it be ok if i put a large clam in.Possible yes. Expensive to get a sutable setup for it yes..i know it will take alot of time to properly set up the tank that is not a problem. i was just wondering if this would be a posible set up...thoughts ideas and tips are greatly apriciated.


I hope you have a good deal of money to spend if you want a lps/sps reef. Im not exactly sure if a puffer, eel and tang would work together of not

What is you budget as on a large tank it add up quick for ro units, protein skimmers, lighting, powerheads, filters, plumbing, testing supplies, livestock...


----------



## Redruckus (Mar 13, 2011)

from what i read what im setting up is a "Predator reef tank".. budget isnt realy a big issue right now i would probably get everything litte by little untill i wana drop $550 on a tank then build a stand(i know how to build a proper load bearing level table) i was looking at about max 3 grand fully set up but that may be years down the line after i find every thing i want....if any one knows a good salt water forum it would be great


----------



## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

the puffer will not go well with the corals. in all likely hood it will start snacking on them. it will also try to snack on the clam.

100g hard coral reef will cost you in excess of $1000 if you want it properly done. it will take time and money and alot of effort.

do you have any experience with SW tanks at all? if not i suggest you start with a slightly smaller tank first and slowly add in corals with some hardy fish and see how you get on. if you do have experience and think you will be able to carry out the project to the end then go for it. but planning and research is paramount. and dont cut corners.

setting up a successful predatory reef is hard. a 100g tank isn't really big enough to house true predators without things being eaten. even the eel, depending on what species you want may try to snack on the other fish.


----------



## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

His Majesty said:


> the puffer will not go well with the corals. in all likely hood it will start snacking on them. it will also try to snack on the clam.
> 
> 100g hard coral reef will cost you in excess of $1000Do you mean 10k? For tanks that large lights often cost more then 1k. 10k would be for a full reef top to bottom with excellent equipment but it can give the op an idea on sw pricing. There are alot mroe expensive things that sw has that fw doesn't.u] if you want it properly done. it will take time and money and alot of effort.
> 
> ...




I will break down abit on price of eqipment:

-refractometer plus basic test kit (should however get a test kit that covers the basics plus things like calcium...): 100$
-lighting-If you want a lps/sps reef you will probably want something like MH, MH/t5 or a 6plus bulb t5. All of these fixtures new will probably run you 1k alone or more for a good one that can keep sps.
-ro unit-200$
-protein skimmer-300$ plus depending on type
-live rock (2.5-5$ per lbs-general rule is 1 lbs per gallon for medium rock stocking)- 250$- 500$
-live sand (1$ per gal)- 100$
-powerheads- reefs need good flow. For a tank that size you will want a few at least so I will say 3x50$ = 150$

-livestock depends on the fish but the cheapest fish you will usually see is 5$ most are around 20$ or more.

-Coral- zoa colonies at 30$, sps frags at 5-15$, lps frags at 5-15$, mushrooms a couple bucks per head... It all adds up very quick. For sps the best thing to do is generally buy small frags and grow them as sps colonies are expensive.

With a sps/lps reef you should do a sump which could be an extra few hundred dollars plus for the sump, plumbing, return...

For a good sps reef you may want some things like kalk or calcium reactors...

Either way you can see things really add up. What I listed alone (including a bit of livestock cost about 3000$

Predator reefs are not your problem it is the coral you want. Hard corals (sps and lps) are very light demanding so they need powerful lighting, excellent flow and usually the addition of calcium and such.

The tank would be alot cheaper if you go with a soft coral reef which will be alot easier to do as a beginner.

I would start a FOWLR,sump, skimmer and a couple powerheads. From there i would upgrade the lighting to get soft coral and build the reef from there. You will need most of your equipment right away so the only thing you can add over time is livestock so your initially cost will still be high.


----------



## His Majesty (Apr 5, 2005)

pretty much what sean said


----------



## Redruckus (Mar 13, 2011)

cost is not a problem and i dont mind it taking a few years to get fully established im just keeping my options open and like you said reserch is key thats why im starting now by asking thies questions now befor i buy a single pack of white poly wool.


----------



## CLUSTER ONE (Aug 2, 2006)

Sorry I did not notice your 3k setup. I think 3k would be a good budget for all the equiplmet but corals would be more and could be expensive. One of the main things is where you can get all the things you need.

What I would do:

Tank:
-125 to 150g tank drilled with probably 2 overflow boxes with about 4 returns from it.
-Large sump return pump. Probably a quality inline pump would be best.

Filtration:
-75 to 100g or so sump with wetdry and refugium
-quality large skimmer rated for at least 250g

Current:
-To save $ you could get some korilias though you could get a couple mp's (200$ plus each) to give some wave action. You will need a few. Initially 1-2 will be fine though for reef you would want a few more to increase current.

Lighting:
-Something like a 3x 150W MH with t5 actinic supplements. For sps 250W MH may be better. You will need some fans or something to control the heat produced. You could save some money here if you can make a canopy and retrofit some MH and t5s into a wooden hood.

There are tons of good equipment out there so I won't name specific brands but I suggest when you find a fixture you like ask about it and find reviews so you are sure it is actually good as there is also a ton of crappy equipment out there.


----------



## Redruckus (Mar 13, 2011)

i was talking to a high quality LFS about setting up a "ocean motion" system to have enough current they would set it up and charge about 300$ for all the pumps and pipes and what not..but this is a project for the future im just trying to get some info on what i would need


----------

