looking to buy some stuff

[LilB0506]

ok so im setting up my first tank (a 55g), and my friend gave me a list of things i need, if you have any of these you are wanting to get rid of let me know, and if there is something thats not on here that should be let me know... so here it goes:
salt
sand or crushed coral
live rock
heater
hydrometer
lights (power compact or better)
protein skimmer
powerheads ( possibly a wavemaker)
timer for lights
calcium supplement

[GLXTRIX]

fwiw dont get a hydrometer, espically if you want to do coral, look into buying a refractometer, much more accurate and well worth the money

[LilB0506]

thanks, but money is one of those i dont have alot of right now

[theplatypus]

Scratch the crushed coral and go with sand or nothing.

[LilB0506]

my friend said the coral helps with ph... i was thinking od doing a mixture of live sand with some crushed coral

[akortz]

In my opinion the crushed coral will hurt you more in the long run then helping. (trapping detritus and causing higher nitrates) However, there may be some people who have had success with it and can chime in. Other than that, I don't really have stuff that would help ya.

Good luck and make sure you post some pics when you get it running!

[LilB0506]

does coarse sand help keep th pH normal?

[LilB0506]

so NOBODY wants to sell me anything? that's just cold.... like my tank without its heater

[gwen_o_lyn]

I agree with the others, skip the crushed coral and get sugar sized sand.

Just to be honest- this is a hard hobby if you are trying to go cheap. You are just asking for trouble.

Example: buy a cheap heater and you may cook your tank

Buy cheap lights: and they could catch on fire *there is some scary stuff being sold* Read about aquatraders.

Buy a cheap skimmer: and you will have nitrate/phosphate issues, which helps the algae grow, which can smother your corals.

Buy a used tank: could of had copper meds dosed, that could kill your inverts. Jenn at Imagine Ocean just had a customer buy a used tank, and the seam broke.

Skipping the RODI water: and your nitrates will be high.

If they aren't Salifert or another good brand of test kits, they may not give accurate readings. Same goes for a hydrometer- get a refractometer.

Not trying to push you away, just being realistic. Of course all the above can happen even if you do buy the good stuff brand new. Just the chances we take.

On the positive side, patience is very important in this hobby. It took me forever to get all the right stuff. I think my tank cycled for about 6 months! I just went little by little. I finally got all my rock this last Jan, after having the tank over 3 years. I wanted the good rock so I waited til I could afford it all.

Just go slow and get the good equipment now, it will save you money in the long run.

As far as people not selling stuff, don't think we are cold. At the last ARC meeting, we just sold our used equipment and maybe no one has anything to offer at the moment.

Do join the Atlanta Reef Club if you haven't already- it's a great group of people to share the enjoyment of this hobby with.

[Jessezm]

Hey, man, I told you i've got heaters, powerheads, and lights for you! Come on and get em! i've got timers, too. how much are you able to spend? You just can't go reef on the cheap, it isn't fair to the life your system is supposed to support. If you're doing a reef, the two things not to skimp on are the lights and the skimmer, just as a rule. now you don't need a $300 skimmer (or lights), but expect to pay $50 or more for adequate power compact lighting (i've got a 65 watt PC light for $40 if you're interested), and over $100 for a skimmer worth anything (I second that guy on RC who told you not to get a SeaClone!!!). i hate to shoot myself in the foot, but you probably don't even need a heater this time of year... Just some thoughts...

[Jessezm]

Ooh, gwenny, you posted while I was typing!

[why worry]

I have a bucket of sand from a tank I tore down a few months you can have free. It's not live sand but I can give you a small amount from my tank that is still running to seed the bacteria to start cycling your tank. Let me know if you're interested.

[LilB0506]

yeah.. thanks for all the help guys that whole cold thing was me bein sarcastic... and i wasn't tryin to buy the real cheap stuff, just tryin to find good stuff for a little less is all... and jesse i think im good on heaters and powerheads now, but i am interested in the lights and timer... and i'm planning on joining th ARC

[LilB0506]

why worry... PM sent

[gwen_o_lyn]

Originally Posted by Jessezm

Ooh, gwenny, you posted while I was typing!

no problem- always better to have more people on the same page in a thread which helps the original poster.