Starting a 20gal

[skabooya]

I have to get a new tank. *sigh*
I took a close look at my 20 and noticed that there is condensation building up under the silicone. I stuck my hand in to feel the silicone and yea its bad. Its comming up in some parts. So i spoke to my hubby and he said why spend all that money on a saltwater tank for the tank to burst a little while later. He told me to just get a new tank.
Now my dilemma what should i go with. I would like to go bigger obdviously but the bigger the tank the more the expense. I want to keep it in the same price range which is under $600 for the setup.
I was thinking maybe a 20 long but where can you pick one of those up? can you get them online? are they that much more expensive?

The only issue with the 20L would be that finding a 30" light would be a pain but i can still use the 24" which is what most people use but they end up having glass on the edges of the tank for a light balance. The other problem is that the edges of the tank wont get much for light.

Should i just stick with a 20gal H ? all i need is the glass box

[skabooya]

ya know the 30gal tank is looking better and better. Its just as high as a 20 but its wider and longer. I would need to get 36" lights. And again the Nova extreme 4x39 T5 HO 36" fixture with moonlights is lookin pretty good again. But its an extra $100, i will need to get a K2 instead of the K1. Thats an extra $10, 35lbs of LR instead of 25. Thats a price increase of about $80 not including the shipping.

With the same bioload however i will have more stable params. Should work be crazy i dont need to freak out should i forget to do a WC one week. Every other week might be okay. Will need to research this more.

I am reading more about having a group of cleaner shrimp in a tank. They breed and voila free coral food. It would be nice if some survived though.

With a larger surface area evaporation will be a bigger concern. So now i am also looking at a refractometer $60 and a glass top. Im not worried about temp because the tank will be in my office which is cooler anyway except in the summer. I can always take the lid off for the summer anyway.

Because of this huge increase in $ i will be set back in bringing this simple tank into fruition. After talking with my hubby it looks like we will be waiting until the end of summer to see what kind of $ we have left and to see if i even have a job when september comes.
Im a teacher and my contract was for this semester only. If another job posting comes up i will apply for that along with many other teachers. Then they will choose the best for that position. I guess its just more planning and shopping around and decision making until summer is over. *sigh*

[Boomboy]

well you always end up spending more when you dont plan, so its good that you are, i would try to wait for a good deal where you are, and get it, you save hundreds of dollars when the little things come with it, like heater, and if it comes with stuff you dont want sell it for a little money, and get what you want, better to plan every detail then spend more money down the road, and defitnally go with the 30G i would have like it better to but i have my 20H for now, soon to be 60 .

[skabooya]

AHHHHH GUYS/GALS!!!! I NEED HALP!!!

i was reading the local paper today and guess what i saw..... 40gal and 75gal saltwater tank for sale includes everything but the water and fish. 400obo

So in a frenzy i give the guy a call. no one home so i left a message. I want to ask a few questions so help me out. Im more interested in the 40 because it would be less work.

1. is the 40 a sump for the 75?
2. Does it include a skimmer? What kind?
3.Does it include a hydrometer/refractometer?
4. Does it include salt? How much? What kind?
5. How many lbs of LR? What kind?
6. Apista? Mantis? Cyno? Hair algae? Any troubles with the LR over the past?
7. What kind of sand? How many lbs? How old is the sand bed?
8. Does this setup include coral? What kinds softy, lps, sps?
9.Lights: what kind? Age of bulbs? Wattage?
10. Powerheads: what kind how many?
11.Test kits included?
12. Age of setup?
13. Is the $400 for the two tanks or for each tank?
14. Are the tanks drilled?



Can anyone think of any other questions i could ask this person?? Please Help me!!!!

Thanks

[skabooya]

Wow well i just got off the phone with the seller. She knows next to nothing about saltwater. I dont claim to know a lot but WOW!
She couldnt answer very many of my questions at all.
The ad is for both the 75 and the 40gal but the 75 leaks and needs to be re sealed. the 40 didnt leak when she unplugged it but its OLD.
The LR is dead, the Sand is dead and has been for a year.
The tanks have been sitting in a corner as a dry display for a while now. BUT everytime she goes down to kelowna she buys new stuff for the tanks.

She has a seaclone 100 HOB skimmer still in the box
a "new" 5 year old pump (her words not mine)
Hydromoter (although i had to describe to her what that was)
Salt (no idea what kind but she said the good stuff)
She said she had coral (fake/dead)
Test kit... Whats a test kit?
Lights: No idea there are lots. Some are crappy and some she just bought. Aparently she bought whatever the lfs told her to buy.
She says there is a ton more stuff and she wants it all gone for $400 obo

hmmmm. Im gonna go over there later today and take a look although i think the tanks are a write off.

So now looking at all of that i will still need to buy
a new tank
possibly new lights
LR but how much? the rest of the stuff is dead so maybe i can seed it?
possibly new power heads
Maybe test kit (Even if she does have it, it will be old and innacurate)
Maybe a heater (depends on what she has)

Sheesh i dont know if this is worth it. $400 sounds like a lot now for two crappy tanks and a whole bunch of old stuff, Dead sand and LR.

[skabooya]

i decided to go with my gut and not take this deal. I will continue to plan as i was before.

[Boomboy]

i think that was a good call, but keep your eye out for good deals, good luck.