newbie looking for good used stuff!

Laura and Jim will be hosting the May meeting this Saturday the 12th and it will be the usual of food, drinks, raffle and fun.
 
Doors will be open at 6:00 pm for social talk and the meeting will start at 7:00.  Parking gets a little tight and the city says you can't park on 4th but there is a parking lot a block away.   Meeting is usually held in the backyard so feel free to bring your favorite lawn chair, weather permitting of course.

If you need address/directions, contact a club member.

Best if you park at Mini Mall (where the spaghetti establishment use to be)
 
You will get to see his new frag tank set up in the making.
 
Hope to see you there!

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[VickiG]

Brand new to the hobby (many years freshwater; first SW)  Rick told me to post a want ad because he thought somebody might be selling a 125g.   Just in planning stages for new tank, so we are looking for good used equipment locally before we buy new.  We live in Richland and will pick up if you have something that will work for our new project.  Thinking of at least a 90g, but trying to talk hubby into a 120 (48" long tank is about the biggest we can fit in our space).   Prefer glass, pre-drilled - if we buy new, we are looking at Oceanic's reef ready. (They are pricey, but even though we don't know much yet, we do know you at least gotta have a tank!)  Anyone selling??

Thanks!

[The Apprentice]

Welcome to the Club Vicki a 125 gallon  in a 48" set would be a good choice it would also save you from a 3 rd metal Halide Light. ALL Glass makes a dual over flow in a 125 that is 48" long. Are you going to have coral Or just fish or BOTH??? Tell us more on what you want to have ...Jeff

Brand new to the hobby (many years freshwater; first SW)  Rick told me to post a want ad because he thought somebody might be selling a 125g.   Just in planning stages for new tank, so we are looking for good used equipment locally before we buy new.  We live in Richland and will pick up if you have something that will work for our new project.  Thinking of at least a 90g, but trying to talk hubby into a 120 (48" long tank is about the biggest we can fit in our space).   Prefer glass, pre-drilled - if we buy new, we are looking at Oceanic's reef ready. (They are pricey, but even though we don't know much yet, we do know you at least gotta have a tank!)  Anyone selling??

Thanks!

[Ed]

Vicki,
    I would recommend calling Steve at Coral Reef @ 509-535-8787 to see if he has any used Tanks or try  Calling Kevin Pockell @ Aquatic Dreams @509-228-9954, lots of times a Fish Store will have things posted on Cork board of visitors wanting to sell aquariums.    I will keep my eye open.  Another avenue would be to check out is IAP.   Lately, there has been a guy in the club building tanks also.   You may want to talk to him at the This months meeting.   I look forward to meeting you,  I wish you good luck.
I will keep my eye out for a four foot tank for you.  
Ed

[VickiG]

Thanks for the welcome, Jeff.  I am really excited about meeting all of you at the Jan 28 get-together and learning as much as I can before we actually start our reef.  To answer your questions:  we want fish and inverts - a mixed reef.   My wish list at the moment:

120gal glass, pre drilled
biggest sump we can fit under it
venturi type protein skimmer (euro reef?)
lots of live rock - Kaleini preferably (probably be the biggest part of the investment)
1-2" substrate of live sand (carib sea aragonite?) with washer wand behind rock (We started out thinking of a Jaubert system - plenum and deep sand bed, but after much reading and some advice from others, have done a 180 to what I will call a modified Berlin system.  Lots of LR, not much substrate)

DSB in refugium to be added down the road
D/O unit
lights? - MH vs T5 (still studying this topic)


Of course lots of patience to mature the tank before adding livestock, but a very rough draft of our working wish list:

2 clownfish - Solomon Island are my favorite, but still learning
yellow tang and/or hippo tang
gobies
maybe a small shoal of chromis
some day I really want a Mandarin but I know not until we have a very mature tank and a good refugium - I don't want to starve one to death
looking at dwarf angels - maybe a flame
maybe a gramma?
maybe a blenny
cleaner shrimp and other janitors, although I am not a big fan of hermit crabs - afraid they'll eat my fish.  Again, need more education on that topic.

And yes, we want inverts - soft corals, feather dusters, mushrooms etc down the road.  Doubtful we will get into the hard corals, but like most things with this hobby, seems like your desires change the more you get into it, so we want the best set up we can get for a good mixed reef tank.  

My list of what I know I don't want is probably longer than what I think I do want.  My want list is subject to change as knowledge of species increases.  I know I want two clowns - that is how this started (and no, I've never even seen Finding Nemo!) and I want a tang, or two if we have a big enough tank and can get two to get along.  I know some species to stay away from, like the powder blue - "ich magnet" is what I've heard there.  

We have just started the process and I am big on planning a project before starting it, so the first thing I did was buy books. We have

Marine Fishes  by Scott Michael
Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies by Gregory Skomal
The Complete Book of the Marine Aquarium by Vincent Hargreaves
The Marine Aquarium Problem Solver by Nick Dakin
The New Marine Aquarium by Michael Paletta (this has been a great resource for us).

On order:  The Concientious Marine Aquarist by Fenner and I want to find Eric Borneman's book on corals (I think that is the author).

So much to learn and so little time - wish I could quit my job to read more books, but then I won't be able to support what obviously is going to be an expensive habit!  

I haven't got enough knowledge, especially of inverts, yet, so am hoping to get some education from all of you in the club!   Right now we are long on patience and excitement, but short on knowledge or any equipment!  So, gotta start somewhere so the tank/stand is the first thing we are concentrating on.

Your thought/suggestions on my very rough wish list and any comments, advice etc are much appreciated.  We have zero ego about this because we know we are total newbies, so you won't hurt our feelings if you shoot it down.  I think we have the patience to do this right the first time and we just need good local reef buddies to help us get started!

Thanks again for the welcome!

[VickiG]

Thanks Ed.  I will give those guys a call tomorrow.  Appreciate all the support for a newby who knows nothing!  Looking forward to the meeting!

[Rico]

Hey Vicki,

The people who bought my 155 bow front will have their tank for sale as soon as they get mine.  I believe they have a 75 gallon acrylic tank with stand, hood, sump, skimmer MH etc.  It is a complete system running and ready to go.  They are Nate & Colleen.  I don't think they can make the next club meeting, but I can put you in contact with them.  It is a very nice system they have had running for several years.

Rick

[VickiG]

Thanks Rick - I think we've decided that we definitely want glass, at least 90gal, and maybe 120.  So I don't think we'd be interested in their 75, but I really appreciate you keeping an eye out for us!  We are exploring all options, so if you want to have them contact me, that would be fine.  Thanks!

[Yellotang]

You have made me the happiest person on this board. Thank you for reading before diving into this hobby.  

At the present I do not know anyone selling either a 90 or 125. They also make a 150 that is 48" long.

[VickiG]

Hey thanks!  I have read too many threads on Reef Central and other sites where people have started way too fast and killed too many of their fish and inverts, so I am trying to be patient and go very slowly, but it is hard seeing everyone's beautiful tanks and all I have to look at is a bare spot on the wall, but I know the patience will pay off.  Really looking forward to meeting everyone on the 28th!

[Les]

My advice is to buy the biggest tank you can afford and fit in the space available. (Bigger is better Ed  :lol:  :lol: )
You may want to rethink limiting yourselves to glass tanks only; I have found that acrylic is very flexible for modifications later on.
Anyway, welcome to the club and forum, and I am also glad that your are reading everything you can find.

[VickiG]

Thanks Les.  We are not totally ruling out acrylic.  Right now my husband really favors the Oceanic starfire glass 90 gal bowfront, so unless we get a better deal that we simply can't pass up, that is on the top of our wish list.  I wanted to go 120, but he really likes the bowfront, so we've been asking pros/cons and it seems people either love them or hate them, so we think we need to go see some set up and not just empty at the LFS.  Thanks again for the input!

[Ed]

Vicki,
     I see a 125 half circle tank.   I do not know if it is for sale still.   Here is link to it.
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=5536&page=2&pp=15

Ed

[VickiG]

Thanks Ed.  That is a colorful set up, isn't it!  I will check it out.  Thanks again!

[Ed]

It is a little bright sorry.... :oops:

[Yellotang]

half circles are a PITA.
JMHO

Starfire rocks!