Noob in Need.

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GordiniRS

Joined
18 Jun 2012
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Location
Benoni
Hi,

First of all I would like to thank for allowing me to be part of this community.
I'm a noobie when it comes to Marine,
I have however been keeping normal fresh water tropical fish for more than 2 years and loving it but feel the need to progress.
And have always been interested Marine and back then wanted to start marine but ended up going for freshwater to see if i have what it takes to start taking on a bigger challenge.

I have a few questions.(Yes did read the thread about starting marine tanks)
What to buy I know bigger is better but I have limited space and also not trying to break my Bank to bad. Was thinking Boyu 450 or the 550 which is bigger and better.But it all depend on the price.I am willing to buy 2nd hand as this is to start out with but I'm looking for something decent.
Please if anyone know where to buy from in Johannesburg area, Benoni maybe?
Doing it "right" from the start is probable the key of enjoying this hobby...:thumbup:

Kind Regards,
 
:welcome6:

have a look at the for sale section, some guys are selling their systems, parts, best bet is to start there ;)
 
Wes said:
:welcome6:

have a look at the for sale section, some guys are selling their systems, parts, best bet is to start there ;)
Click to expand...

Thanks for the response,
I had a look there but I'm not sure whats a good buy and whats not. :blush:
That is why Boyu TL is appealing to me because its pre-setup
 
Hi GordiniRS, welcome to masa its great to have new memebers joining and we will do all we can to help you along in the facinating hobby of ours. There is a HUGE amount to learn and it takes time so asking questions of others who have the experience and knowledge realy is key.

Choosing a tank is a difficult process and everyone has a personal preferenec or a restriction (tanbksize, budget, available space, what you want to keep etc) so its realy dificult to say that XYZ is the best buy. But there are a few questions to ask yourself and if you get a tank that fits those aspects as best as possible then you are well on your way.

so first off-
what size do you have available in the house? is there an area that you ahve in mind and how big is it. A general rule is that a tank should be as long as possible, as wide as possible not going over 1m front to back if accessed only from one side (1.5 wide if you can get at it from both sides) and around 650 deep (water height) Width is important as it allows lots of options to aquascaping and looks much much better if the tank is over 600 from front glass to back glass. You dont want a tank over 650 deep (within reason) as one gets issues with light penertration (corals need light) and difficulties to work in it later on.

If you can get a sump DO SO. the equipment that can be housed in a sump realy increases the options you have with regards to filtration and makes the system far more stable.

In my view its best to buy second hand and get a system that is marine ready and works. You save a massive amount on a second hand tank as new tanks have VERY little reasale vallue, so looking in the classifieds on masa is your best bet. If you are not sure of the deal, just ask the other memebers of masa. its an open forum and we all aim to help each other.

Budget is a tough one, but one can always cut your clothe to suit the coat. Planning what you have avalable and either spending on key aspects and saving on others is the best way to go in my view. For example i got a big tank, excelent skimmer, good return pump anbd a chiller. That cost alot to start and I skipped on the lights in the begionning as i DIY'd a far cheaper system for lights which i upgraded at a later date. So seeing where you spend your money and on WHAT is key, there are lots of ways to keep costs down.

let us know what size area you have to fill with a marine tank and we can help you find one to fit.
 
crispin said:
Hi GordiniRS, welcome to masa its great to have new memebers joining and we will do all we can to help you along in the facinating hobby of ours. There is a HUGE amount to learn and it takes time so asking questions of others who have the experience and knowledge realy is key.

Choosing a tank is a difficult process and everyone has a personal preferenec or a restriction (tanbksize, budget, available space, what you want to keep etc) so its realy dificult to say that XYZ is the best buy. But there are a few questions to ask yourself and if you get a tank that fits those aspects as best as possible then you are well on your way.

so first off-
what size do you have available in the house? is there an area that you ahve in mind and how big is it. A general rule is that a tank should be as long as possible, as wide as possible not going over 1m front to back if accessed only from one side (1.5 wide if you can get at it from both sides) and around 650 deep (water height) Width is important as it allows lots of options to aquascaping and looks much much better if the tank is over 600 from front glass to back glass. You dont want a tank over 650 deep (within reason) as one gets issues with light penertration (corals need light) and difficulties to work in it later on.

If you can get a sump DO SO. the equipment that can be housed in a sump realy increases the options you have with regards to filtration and makes the system far more stable.

In my view its best to buy second hand and get a system that is marine ready and works. You save a massive amount on a second hand tank as new tanks have VERY little reasale vallue, so looking in the classifieds on masa is your best bet. If you are not sure of the deal, just ask the other memebers of masa. its an open forum and we all aim to help each other.

Budget is a tough one, but one can always cut your clothe to suit the coat. Planning what you have avalable and either spending on key aspects and saving on others is the best way to go in my view. For example i got a big tank, excelent skimmer, good return pump anbd a chiller. That cost alot to start and I skipped on the lights in the begionning as i DIY'd a far cheaper system for lights which i upgraded at a later date. So seeing where you spend your money and on WHAT is key, there are lots of ways to keep costs down.

let us know what size area you have to fill with a marine tank and we can help you find one to fit.
Click to expand...

Hi,
Thanks for the response.
My space is not really my biggest concern is budget and im thinking could be wrong that keeping within 100L to 170L is best for the price on maintenance? Please if you guys could assist in 2nd that would be awesome someone who maybe wants to sell because of upgrading or moving or anything like that?

;)
 
Hi and welcome to MASA. personally i would go for the 550TL. its a bit bigger than the 450. there a lot of species you can keep in these babies + they dont take up a lot of space. otherwize enjoy the addiction.:thumbup:
 
Does anyone know what the price range is for the Boyu tl550?
And what your thoughts on Aquaria AMW102?See they selling for a good price.
 
Welcome to MASA.
Another Benoni boy.:)
I have the 550 and it has worked out quite well for me.
I got it for the same reason you want it, as space was a problem and I also didn't know where to start with the diy tank. I will PM you a shop I know of that stocks them.

I have upgraded my tank a bit as I found the stock lighting wasn't enough for some of the coral I wanted to keep and the ammount I feed was too much for the standard filteration to cope with.

Have a look at the thread in my signature.;)
 
welcometomasa
 
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