[BEKAHBOO1981]

i HAVE A 29 GAL. FRESHWATER TANK AT HOME AND HAVE BEEN THINKING ABOUT STARTING A SALTWATER TANK AS WELL. i WENT TO A FRIENDS HOUSE AND THEY HAD THE 24 GAL NANO CUBE. i FOUND ONE FOR A REALLY GOOD PRICE & i LIKE THE FACT THAT IT IS A KIT. BUT, MY BROTHER IN LAW HAS A 30 GAL TANK (I BELIEVE) THAT HE USED FOR A FRESHWATER TANK AND NOW HE IS DOING NOTHING WITH IT, AND i HAVE PONDERED JUST GETTING IT AND TRYING TO CONVERT IT INTO A REEF TANK. (BUYING JUST THE NECCESARY ADD ONS TO ADAPT IT). aLSO i HAVE BEEN READING ALLOT ABOUT THE PROBLEMS OF THE CUBE. aNY SUGGESTIONS ON WHAT I WOULD BE BETTER OFF DOING? WHAT THINGS i NEED TO BUY TO UPGRADE THE UNUSED TANK? PLEASE SOMEONE HELP.

[glampka]

You could go wither way. The nice thing about the cubes is that you really don't need to invest in much additional equipment other than a heater & perhaps small skimmer to go into it. If you decide to go with the tank, you need at least a good protein skimmer. You have to decide if you are going to keep just fish or if you want to keep corals as well & then what kind. The answers to that will determine what lighting you'll need. You may also want to get an overflow/sump. Best thing to do is starting reading as much as you can & then decide what you want to keep. Everything should fall in place from there.

Good luck.

[BEKAHBOO1981]

Originally Posted by glampka

You could go wither way. The nice thing about the cubes is that you really don't need to invest in much additional equipment other than a heater & perhaps small skimmer to go into it. If you decide to go with the tank, you need at least a good protein skimmer. You have to decide if you are going to keep just fish or if you want to keep corals as well & then what kind. The answers to that will determine what lighting you'll need. You may also want to get an overflow/sump. Best thing to do is starting reading as much as you can & then decide what you want to keep. Everything should fall in place from there.

Good luck.

I have been doing research on the computer for about a week or so. I would love to eventually have corals as well as sponges in the tank but I have heard they are hard to care for. I know that i want some clown fish and anenome's ( my daughter loves nemo) and some inverts. I would love to have a tang as well. I know the anemone's need allot of light. I know this is an expensive hobby .....if I go the free tank route...will i be saving some money in the longrun? What products are the best to get for the money plus the quality;or will it be more trouble than its worth and i should just go with the cube. The only thing i dont like about the cube is the veiwing area and all the horror stories of it cracking. I imagine my 29 gal and being able to have that much veiwing area as opposed to the cube. Im just really lost as to which rout I should go.

[RyanG]

This has been moved to the current forum.

[ericwebster]

Your not going to be able to keep many Tangs in a 40. They get big quick and need alot of swimming areas.

Clowns are better for smaller tanks because they hang out and swim around a little bit.

One problem I have with nano's is that with such a limited ammount of water, things can go foul quick.

[kr7272]

I would be cautious about using a tank that small for a reef. The more water you have, the more room you have for error and the easier it will be to catch a problem early and fix it.

I don't want to scare you off because this is truly a great hobby and you will be able to enjoy the results on a daily basis...... but everything about saltwater is expensive, and the tank is just a very small part of the start up and maintainence cost.

My advice would be to start with at least a 55 gallon tank, a good skimmer, a lot of live rock and use your free 30 gallon tank to create a sump underneath for your main filter system.

If you spend on the correct setup, you will save yourself a lot of aggrivation

[medic]

Kr7272 really hit the nail on the head. This is great hobby and if you are looking to get into the cost can surely rise. Get a nice upgradable set up and then grow from there. I would also say start of slow, this will also save you lots of money in the long run, because you won't make alot of the newbie type mistakes. And most of us have made thos mistakes that can cost you. Good luck and keep us in the loop.

[stupac21]

Do lots of research and read a lot - thats my advise before you start. I did reading before I started, but I wished I did more! there is never enough learning in this hobby!

[darkwolf29a]

Originally Posted by stupac21

Do lots of research and read a lot - thats my advise before you start. I did reading before I started, but I wished I did more! there is never enough learning in this hobby!

I'd agree to that. I purchased my 55 gallon tank, and got a plan together. But, since I have been reading various sites, that plan has changed so much, I can't remember the original.

Everyone I have talked to says...take it slow and show a lot of patience. The LFS guy says it's not a hobby about fish, but one of patience. LOL

[BEKAHBOO1981]

sooo....i have found a TopFin55 freshwater kit for an excellent price. Of course it comes with a whisper filer and a heater and all that good stuff. What do I need; to upgrade that tank to a saltwater reef tank. I have been doing ALLOT of reading but still need direction. I would rather have advice from people who run the tanks. I know I need to upgrade my lighting. I know I need a skimmer, & power heads. I know this hobby is expensive but can anyone recommend some reliable products for inexpensive prices?

[NATIVEVAMAN]

I check the local paper on line almost every day and if i find the right tank I will give up on this 65. There are more than a few tanks in the paper every week.Just be careful,it might be junk.

[reefnoob1991]

Bekahboo...I may be only 16 but I would have to say I recommend the BioCube. Firstly, it comes with every piece of equipment you need, and is very well concealed in the back 3 compartments. Second, the cube space itself gives you much more room than you'd expect to place rock/corals/etc. Thirdly, upgrading the lights is very cheap! I got a 3x36 PC lighting set off nanotuners for only 70$$!!!
Here's some of my 29 gal biocube tank pics...its my first tank and I must say im very pleased
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...7/100_2048.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...7/100_2047.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...7/100_2049.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...7/100_2044.jpg
Also, I noticed that you have a daughter, and in the 4th pic if you notice it comes with moonlights and I bet she'll love watching little nemo lay in her glow in the dark anemone!!!
My bubble tip anemone glows green at night in the very middle of the tank (i moved it into that large middle rock you see on the bottom, and he loves it there).
Hoped I was of any help to you Bekah!

[thelastmucci]

Brandon...I love your setup you did an excellent job of aquascaping and your tank doesn't look crowded at all. I hope my AquaPod 24 comes out that good. Of course I'm a long way aways from buying it but it's good to get starting ideas.