well I am new to this so i have many questions....

[swimmarz]

Whats goin on, hope everyone had a good holiday. My name is rich, I am a college student and i am looking into getting a saltwater setup, I have never done this befor so i have many questions befor i start investing more money than i already have. To start I am looking at buyin an tank about 30 gallons in size, and because of this i have already bought a Marineland H.O.T. Magnum Hang On Filter. The spec sheet says it can handle up to 50 gallons so i thought it would be fine for my application.... if you can help me find produst that i need, or will want to use for cheap(remember i am a college student $ is tight) it would be greatly appreciated thanks

 

[Anonymous]

If you want to go cheap, you need to ask yourself if you still want to get into this...

Seriously.. - Do you still have the receipt for that filter? - Might want to think twice about keeping it if you want to do up a reef setup.

It'll be ok I suppose if you just want to keep some small fish, but that filter is generally only used for vaccuming / periodic maintenace type stuff. In a reef type setup a filter like that becomes whats known as a "nitrate factory" - meaning it's good at turning ammonia into nitrates, but not finishing the job and doing the final conversion to nitrogen.

I'd take it back for store credit if nothing else then hold off on making any more purchases until you get a really solid idea of what you want. And don't be shy to ask about products before buying them.. - A LOT of us here have bought stuff that just doesn't fit for what we want/need and are more than willing to chime in on stuff...

Welcome!

 

[Anonymous]

Once again, welcome to RDO! Check out the link titled "Beginner'e tank Info" below my post, and read read read. You will thank yourself later. I was exactly where you are 5 years ago, and I remember how tempting it was to go fast and jump into it. You will save a ton of money in the long run by researching now, and only buying exactly what you need. Also, there are several things you can build yourself to save more money.
Feel free to ask us lots of questions!

 

[shawn114]

I have a skilter 250 filter/skimmer in one. Is this adequete for my 20 Gal. Or do I need to get a different filter or skimmer?