First tank
 

Question im starting my first reef tank soon and i have been reading alot and duing reserch online and have come to the point where i think im ready to start buying equipment. I have about 5 hundred to spend on a tank and I have narrowed my choices down to a 30 gallon glass tank with average parts and lighting on it or a 29 gallon biocube. I was wondering if you guys could give me help on which would be a better system for me

Your best bet is to watch the buy and sell hardware section here on this site for $500 you can get a pretty steller full system. You could probably score a $2000 used setup for 500

While you "might" get a used 72 - 120 gallon system for $500.00 you have to consider the cost in stocking and running a larger tank too. $500.00 will get you a nice used Biocube 29 and you would have money left over to buy liverock, salt, test kits etc to get yourself started.

Yeah i know i wouldnt be able to afford to stock live rock for a tank that big trying to even get close to the recommended 1lb of rock per gallon . The Biocube sounds like a good idea but from what i have read they seemed to have ballast problems and what would be recomended doind to it after stock that is cheap to make it a better system (i.e. remove bioballs add carbon filtration and buy the protien skimmer)

I have a biocube and the ballasts are OK so far....

You can totally run the system WITHOUT any modification....All I did was to add a bag with carbon to compartment #2 and thatz it...
Of course you could make a refugium in compartment 2 with live rock which would be better than bioballs - but bioballs do work if you do the proper water changes and monitor the amounts of food that you give to your fish.

AND - biocubes look very slick and nice! ex. http://picasaweb.google.ca/edikpok/29gBiocube#

Also - check craigslist if you have it in Edmonton. Sometimes you can find cheap biocubes ()$300) there

Buy and Sell here is great, lots of things come up.

What type of reef ? LPS/SPS etc, makes a difference in light. Have you thought on the on-going costs (salt, test kits etc)? Plan for water; treated tap, a ro/di system, buying store water?

I agree that the all-in-one is a good idea for your first. It's amazing how it adds up when you're building a custom system even at the simpler level. Good luck and start a thread =)

Um for live stock im really going to start off pretty basic and I'm looking for something that I would be able to possibly upgrade as i go to house different corals and clams and such. Im pretty okay for the ongoing costs. And Yes buy and sell here is great its just playing the waiting game looking for the thing you want is hard