Time to Start!!

Tremayn

Tremayn

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Hey guys, iv been reading for quite a while on masa :) and it really helped so now i think im ready to start with my tank :thumbup:..

i am in need of advice.. i wanted a 4ft tank but at the LFS they have a 3ft tank with overflow, stand and 2ft sump for marine and its R1800 and i can prob get a discount on that... only thing i dont like is that its a bit thin, like 34cm and i feel this will suck with the aquascapping.. then they can have a 4ft built for me for marine with a 3ft sump same as the 3ft tank for R3500 and the said they can give me a small discount on that... the 4ft is nice and big and is quite fat also :) .. but its almost double the price!! the 3ft tank they had for a while so i guess tats why its so much cheaper! both tanks have mirror strips at the top so i figured if i loose that on the 4ft it would be cheaper.. so what im asking is which is the better buy? i can afford either but is it really worth paying almost double? and i have space for either size..

2nd is that i dont have a RO filter but i have the normal single filter thing that has carbon etc.. Was wondering if i could set up the tank using filtered water and just like use a whole bottle of aquasafe to remove the heavy metals from the water until i get a RO filter? Was thinking that with regular water changes it would keep the water parameters in check?

Iv been asking around and guys who use normal tap water use alot of chemicals to treat the water but they say that regular water changes is the key..

Need help here guys.. i would like to start the tank up with filtered water with aqua safe etc and later get a RO filter, or am i just shooting myself in the foot? I think that it would b ok and i could get away with the filtered water at the beginning but i know its not a long term solution..

oh yes and im planning on keeping fish and some soft corals, the easy stuff to keep lol...
 
Treyman there really isnt a short cut with RO water. the quality of water you use as a base ingredient to your tank is of paramount importance, going with a short term solution for now and then upgrading to a RO unit would be a very poor decision in my view. Get a decent RO unit from the start and a ATU while you are about it :)

as to those tanks i have no idea what a new tank costs these days, but that 3 foot sounds very narrow and will give you difficulties with scaping and space from the glass (you need you magnet cleaner to be able to fit btwn the glass and the rock work) and its probably made out of 6mm glass. Personally I'd look for a second hand tank, a 1.8m (8foot) goes for around R5000-R6000 which is double the size of that 4foot and you'd have a far nicer tank for fish like tangs etc. Go second hand on tank, and save the bucks for RO unit, skimmer lights and LR :)
 
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Hey GREAT that you are starting a tank! My personal opinion is go for the 4foot, in the future you will be agro with yourself cause you took the small one because it's cheaper. The 4 foot also allows you to keep tangs and other kind of fish while the 3 foot only limits you to dmasels and chromisa and clowns and all those mini tanks. A bigger tank is also more staible. Please fill the tank with RO water and not tap water or filtered water. Aquasafe only takes out chlorine and heavy meatals but RO water is stripped from all inpurities. I filled my tank when I first started out with tap water and I struggled with Cyano and ditoms for months. Please rather buy RO or maybe ask someone on the form close to you to maybe give you some RO. I'm sure they will be more then happy to do it.
 
Sorry Crispin posted the same time.
 
hey i was looking at ads now and i came across a factory place and they are crazy cheap! :) so i emailed them for a quote on a 4ft with overflow with a stand and 3ft sump... it should b much cheaper so im sure i can get a RO filter also :) ... so i will go there next weekend because im still writing :( ... 4ft is about as big as i can go at the moment...
 
So i finally got the RO filter! Its a marine 1 and the guy is going to come later today to install it for me :yeahdude: ... next is either the tank or the skimmer!
 
Here is a pic of it still in the box
29184bf3bf613fc54.jpg
 
got it from the filter shop in lenz hey... Bottled water cost more than petrol so its worth getting the filter! haha ... tank soon to follow ;)
 
hey, does anyone know what are good value for money skimmers? Im looking on spending around R1500 or so on a skimmer... Gonna get a 4ft tank with 3ft sump. How are via aqua's and weipro? crap?
 
I read the reviews for the weipro and via aqua.. lol not gonna even consider that.. I was thinking about the TS2.. that should skim a 4ft nicely? What about Orca? the prices?
 
and how much does that orca cost? Im open to anything, i just want something decent :) .. I don't care about brand lol.. i heard the orca's are good
 
Hey Tremayn, keep your eye on the "For Sale" threads, I have seen a few guys selling quite a bit of equipment which you can pick up and very decent prices. There aren't specifically things for sale every day, but certainly often...most of the guys look after their stuff well so it is for the most part in very good condition but it would be for yourself as a buyer to ensure anyhow.

Going off track on the skimmer for a moment and talking about the tank, I am running a 4ft setup with a 3ft DSB and it works well but IMHO, this tank is 100x better (see link below)

http://www.marineaquariumsa.com/showthread.php?t=17093

The problem I personally have is that my stand is very short so whenever I want to lok at teh tank I have to kneel down or stand at a distance - I didn't mind in the begining but it is beginning to bother me a bit, something to bear in mind in your build.
 
Ok so its been a while! But I finally got a tank.. These are the pics that were sent to me Before i bought it.. Thanks Slagter ;)
Tank2-1.jpg

Tank1-1.jpg
 
The tank is 1.5m long x 70cm wide x 50cm high.. I only have the DT at the moment. Still have to pick up the hood, stand and 4ft tank which will be the sump..
 
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