Stuff for a pico?

[SeaSerpant]

i'll be getting a pico or maybe even a nano because it will teach me the ropes before i set up my 60g sitting in the garage.

[Stumped]

Originally Posted by SeaSerpant

i'll be getting a pico or maybe even a nano because it will teach me the ropes before i set up my 60g sitting in the garage.

If you're going to set up a 60 reasonably soon anyway I would just forget about the nano/pico entirely. A 60 will be a lot more forgiving in terms of stability than a nano/pico so you'll end up saving money and frustration in the long run. Just go with the 60 and start slowly (imagine its a pico/nano if it helps). The problem with really small tanks is if anything goes wrong, it goes really, really wrong and you lose most of your livestock. In a larger volume tank that rarely happens because there's enough water to buffer the effects of whatever potential mistakes you'll make.

[SeaSerpant]

would i be able to have a fish only tank then add live rock then add corals after a period of a few years?

[Stumped]

Originally Posted by SeaSerpant

would i be able to have a fish only tank then add live rock then add corals after a period of a few years?

If you're talking about in your 60 then yes. In a nano, pretty much no. Live rock acts like a filter and hosts a ton of beneficial bacteria/etc. used to break down waste products expelled from the fish. So you'd end up having to filter/skim or somehow otherwise regulate and purify the water in your nano w/o any sort of liverock. It would end up costing you a lot of money upfront to do that, especially considering you say you'd eventually want liverock anyway.

I'm not sure if you're considering this based on your estimated costs, but I will tell you outright that nanos are not cheap. Since you seem pretty undecided on what you want, I would sit down and make a list and say I would like this, this and this in 2-3 years and then compare that to the price figure you have in mind and see where you stand.

Also I wanted to add that if you really have a 60 gal and presumably the stand/some misc. equipment to go with it, it's definitely a no brainer to go that route regardless of what you do. If you get a tank set up, every reefer will tell you that you're always, always, always going to want more room.

[Marlin65]

Why don't you make your own rock use cement and crushed coral.
You will need it to neutralize but it won't take a lot off cash just time.
You should be able to get that cheap or almost free if you ask on the board.
If you ask people might give you some leftovers as far as plumbing etc just to get rid of it as we all know you are 13 and your funds would be limited.
Not the cheapest hobby to go into.
I might have a few things left over after I finish setting up my tank.

[SeaSerpant]

yep i'll be looking around for free and cheap stuff. once i get a job i won't be that limited. i know it's not that cheap but it will be fufilling when it's done. it will cost alot more because i have a 50g Fw tank and will make it into a 60g Fw planted tank before i set up the Sw tank.