saltwater setup

[TheWidowsPeak]

ok I am in the process of setting up my saltwater tank. I have a 75 gallon tank. I will have a 30 gallon sump, a protein skimmer, a wet/dry filter with bio-balls, I will have an overflow box going to the wet/dry then into the sump, then a CAP 800 to pump the water back to the tank, and one CAP 2200 powerhead to circulate the water. I will be making a Live rock wall on one end of the tank and just using Live sand on the other side. I am planning on putting a blue spotted stingray, a cat shark, a porcupine puffer, and a lionfish in the tank, maybe a few starfish and urchins to add some flavor. so my question is does anyone see any problems I will have with this setup? and does anyone know any other fish that don't get over 16 inches that may live well with these fish... now the shark and stingray arent suposed to be aggressive towards other fish and I know the lionfish do well with most of the larger fish. the only thing I'm worried about it the puffer I am worried he might get picked on. anyway thanks for the info. and I'll have some pics up once its done..( probably in a couple weeks).

 

[looseyfur]

1200 bucks (dependent on how much rock)

hope you work

 

[TheWidowsPeak]

no where near there buddy... I work at a pet store and get all my stuff at cost. the tank was damaged, it still holds water though just a nick in the top corner so it was 50 bucks stand and all. the rock is free. the salt was 10 bucks a bag. the pumps will probably run me around 80 the sand is 10 bucks the filter will cost whatever it cost to build probably under 50, the protein skimmer will be about 100, so I can probably get it all for under 500... and I can make payments so I can pay for it over time... the only big cost is the fish and thats not too much does anyone know what these usually run? I know the lion fish is 12 bucks but the ray and shark I'm not sure about

 

[sunnymarcie]

blue spotted stingray @ $150~ OUCH!! Thats the lowest price
I have seen around my area. Not that it would help you, I am
in Michigan.

Its not the set up thats expensive, its the animals.
Does the shop you work in carry any of the critters you want?

 

[sunnymarcie]

OOPS! Didn't realize the url was a mile long:8o

Here is a page to start with;

Incredipet 306 Southland Dr
Lexington, KY 40503
Phone: (859)277-9736
33.22 mi.


Blue Lagoon Pets 15 E High St
Mount Sterling, KY 40353
Phone: (859)497-0069
37.28 mi.

Just For Pets 5480 S Highway 27
Somerset, KY 42501
Phone: (606)561-5536
43.01 mi.


Glo-Marr Products Inc 400 Lincoln St
Lawrenceburg, KY 40342
Phone: (502)839-6996
46.29 mi.



Aquarium World 1805 Hodgenville Rd
Campbellsville, KY 42718
Phone: (270)465-4567
62.60 mi.



Bluegrass Aqua Babies 2700 Holloway Rd
Louisville, KY 40299
Phone: (502)261-7313
82.64 mi.



Kuhns Timothy 10213 Taylorsville Rd
Louisville, KY 40299
Phone: (502)297-9891
82.86 mi.



Something Fishy Inc 10213 Taylorsville Rd
Louisville, KY 40299
Phone: (502)297-9891
82.86 mi.


Pet Station the 418 S 1st St
La Grange, KY 40031
Phone: (502)222-2017
83.06 mi.


Feeders Supply Co 3070 Breckenridge Ln
Louisville, KY 40220
Phone: (502)451-2775
86.31 mi.



I think there were a few more, check them out

 

[Valael]

Am I completely nuts to think that Starfish will eat urchins? I know they eat various shell fish like clams and such, but I could swear I heard they eat urchins occasionally, too.



Just out of curiousity, though -- What would you feed a starfish in captivity?


By the way, I'm so freaking jealous of you. I want a salt water setup badly, but I could never afford the parts to do it.

 

[TheWidowsPeak]

on the web you get ripped off, but from our wholesalers we get blue spotted singrays for 15 bucks sharks for 10 but the kicker is the 100 buck box charge and sharks and rays take up a lot of space. now starfish eat pieces of sea food like squid and crab meat, but the ones I will be getting are sand cleaners. the just eat the microorganisms and algea from the sand. slatwater hasn't been much of a probem for me so far... I have the sump in place and the overflow and pumps going now with just a filter bag on for now untill I get my wet/dry built. I will be putting some turbo start in and will probably have a few puffers and damsels in around a week from saturday. the I will be getting the shark and ray in about anouther week from then. anyway wish me luck

 

[atavuss]

john, if it were me doing all that to get the saltwater tank going I would want to find out if that chip in the aquarium will weaken the glass to the point of failure when the water is added. you might call a few glass shops or your aquarium supplier to be sure.
Ed

 

[Lycanthrope]

ive been wanting to get a saltwater tank just to have a lionfish in it. those are the coolest fish ive ever seen.

 

[Spiderguided]

Originally posted by Lycanthrope
ive been wanting to get a saltwater tank just to have a lionfish in it. those are the coolest fish ive ever seen.

I agree. Especially the Cinnamon ones. Very cool fish. However, what you feel if you accidentally get nicked by one of their spines is not so cool..
Lori

 

[TheWidowsPeak]

nah there has been water in it for two days now and the nicks don't even go through the whole piece of glass there are just a fraction of a cm deep. so I don't believe it will be a problem. and I personaly like the red volitan lionfish. the dwarfs are cool too though. any of you guys know any other cool fish to throw in there? oh yeah I will be getting an...get this ORANGE ANUS SEA URCHIN thats a cool name. and they have long black spines and well an orange anus. and a few red serpent starfish anouther cool invert. kinda resembles an octopus just kinda. anyway thanks you guys and I will have a pic in a few

 

[TheWidowsPeak]

heres the tank thus far

 

[TheWidowsPeak]

the overflow box and the return tube

 

[TheWidowsPeak]

heres the sum and the temporary filter bag

 

[looseyfur]

hee

bwahahah
take it easy there mcguyver

 

[scorpio]

Originally posted by sunnymarcie
blue spotted stingray @ $150~ OUCH!! Thats the lowest price
I have seen around my area. Not that it would help you, I am
in Michigan.

Its not the set up thats expensive, its the animals.
Does the shop you work in carry any of the critters you want?

Where in Michigan are you from?


And John, Id reccomend some other basic marine fish. Maybe a purple tang

I love purple tangs. I dont have any aquarium experience, but I love them. If nobody in your area carries them, there is a store called www.aquariumstuffers.com that has a sale on them now I believe. If you placed a large orderwith maybe a few other small fish, it could make up for the $40 overnight cost.

Have fun with your tank, and get some coral and anemones. It might look bare with just fish.

 

[Gillian]

John,
Wow, very nice set up!
Btw, another really unusual Marine fish is a Dog Face Puffer. Very cute, and actually has a puppydog face. A tad on the fragile side, though..
Peace,
Gillian