# fish tank supplies



## whbfootball56 (Jul 17, 2008)

Im a beginner in fish tanks and i wanted to know when you buy a fish tank what supplies do you need for the fish and the tank?

can you please list the items.


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## iamntbatman (Jan 3, 2008)

That all depends on what sort of tank you're setting up. This is the saltwater section, so your saltwater options include FO (fish only), FOWLR (fish only with live rock) and reef setups. I don't know much about marine FO setups, but I do know that you'll need more specialized equipment if you're planning on keeping corals in a reef setup.


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## whbfootball56 (Jul 17, 2008)

what supplies exactly would you need for a 120 gallon tank reef setup?

is it the hardest set up out of all of them to care for?


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## Quaddity (Feb 28, 2007)

whbfootball56 said:


> what supplies exactly would you need for a 120 gallon tank reef setup?
> 
> is it the hardest set up out of all of them to care for?



You would need a lot of money. Just the live rock alone at a minimum of 120 lbs would cost $600-$1000 or so. If you want to do corals you'll spend a lot of money on lighting as well. Then there's the protein skimmer, sump, salt, etc.

If you don't have a couple thousand dollars to invest in the tank you'd be much better off doing a freshwater tank. 120 gallon freshwater gives you a lot of options.


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## Fish-addict (Jun 11, 2008)

I think your best choice is to start out with a FOWLR setup. 
Things you'll need:
powerheads (1000 gph system)
100 lbs of base rock
10-20 lbs of live rock
50-100 lbs of substrate, depending on how much you want to spend
fluorescent strip light/cover
filter (optional, any kind will work)
heater (300-400 watts)
thermometer
hydrometer/refractometer, depending on how much you are wanting to spend
master test kit
salt mix

A 120g FOWLR setup will probably cost you $1,389 + the cost of the tank and stand. If you don't already have the tank/stand, I would reccomend setting up a 55g FOWLR system if you don't think you have the money for a 120g system.


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## SKAustin (Aug 1, 2006)

Reef Ready tank
Stand
72" hqi or T5 lighting fixture (appx 720 total watts)
Sump with refugium
appropriately sized lighting for the refugium
Plumbing materials
Return Pump
Heater(s)
Protein Skimmer
2-3 additional powerheads
250lbs Live Rock (some base rock may be used)
Refractometer
150 gallons of saltwater
2 digital thermometers
appx 90 lbs of Caribsea Aragonite Seaflor Special Grade Reef sand (personal preference)
Test kits for Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate, calcium, alkalinity(kh), Ph, Magnesium, strontium, and iodine.
various buffers, chemical suppliments, and foods.
Propagation tools
Powder free latex surgical gloves
a few tubes of Loc-tite super glue gel
an abundance of live rock rubble, empty shells, and/or propagation plugs/disks
razor blades
Turkey baster
rubbermaid "brute" trash container(s)
various small rubbermaid tubs
Red lens LED flashlight
sturdy set of plastic measuring cups and spoons
several heavy duty medicinal dosing cups (nursing homes are a good source for these)
Several previously unused 5 gallon pails
Nets
Tube brushes
small scrub brushes
Algae scraper
mag-float algae brush
and a million other things you'd never think of until you need them.


OK, so I went a bit overboard. But eventually, you will end up needing nearly everything I've listed, plus a good many things I haven't thought of.

hope that helps


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