350 Gallon

wvreef · Jul 27, 2010

Hello all,

I am looking into getting a 350 gal sw tank and wanted to get some input and suggestions on what I need to get and look for? I am wanting to do a reef tank with some fish manily corals and such... Any suggestions?

:bigsmile:

TopNotchCorals · Jul 27, 2010

wvreef said:
Hello all,

I am looking into getting a 350 gal sw tank and wanted to get some input and suggestions on what I need to get and look for? I am wanting to do a reef tank with some fish manily corals and such... Any suggestions?

:bigsmile:

Skimmer,lighting,powerheads,dosing material,reactors,live rock,sand,salt mix,sump,I can go on and on if you dont specify exactly what it is your looking for

Mr E Wrasse · Jul 27, 2010

if you've never had a large tank (over 75), then 350 might get you in over your head. you need to give us more specifics so we know what you want. and how much money you want to spend. everything goes way up in price with that size tank!

Murfman · Jul 27, 2010

How much experience you have would also be helpful

wvreef · Jul 27, 2010

I am new to this, with that being said I have been researching everything I can about sw tanks and currently have a 46 gal. started..... I have a friend that wants to sell me his 350 gal. tank for 500.00 that is currently up and runniing for sw with all fish and live rock and corals. Has all lighting and pumps and is currently up and running. I was wanting to get some advise on water changes how often and how much to do each time? I know alot of people do 50/50 water changes and some do 20/80 ect. ect. just woundering what you guys do when you do water changes.....

Thanks, kelly

Reefer831 · Jul 27, 2010

That is a big jump in size. I think you should start off a little smaller so you don't overwhelm yourself. Everything can add up quickly in price on a tank that size, if you want to do it right. Just to keep the thing up and running will cost a lot monthly. I think you would be better off starting a 150 or a 100 gallon at the most and see how you like that first. Reef tanks can be a tricky thing sometimes, that will make you want to bang your head into the wall and just give up. Take your time go a little smaller and get the hang of it first, a 45 gallon is nothing like taking care of a 350 gallon in any way, its a totally different world.

Murfman · Jul 27, 2010

10 weekly should be enough of a water change, unless you are having issues. The price is excellent for that size tank.

Reefer831 · Jul 27, 2010

That is a good price on the tank, but on a tank that size its not the price of the tank you got to worrie about, it is everything else. and if you have a tank that size you usually don't have money issues.

Emoney · Jul 27, 2010

Skimmer lights and pumps alone will run you $2000-3000..not counting Live Rock can be some what pricey

SaraB · Jul 27, 2010

So does the 350 come with all the equipment or this is this just the tank only?

As others have said, setting up, stocking, and running a tank of this size can be very expensive. If you have plenty of disposable income, then it should not be a worry. If you don't, this could turn into a sink hole of funds and I would hate to see you lose half of what you end up investing into it is all.

I personally have 520 total gallons running and it is not a cheap hobby at all.

110reef · Jul 27, 2010

That is a great price on a 350 gallon fully functioning set-up! You will need to find out what equipment it comes with, lighting, skimmers, etc before you can plan what to do with it. See if you can list the equipment here - size, brand, etc and we can help you out. A big tank is very nice to have, and if you can afford it is definitely the way to go. I wish I had a 350 gallon tank, although my current 240 gallon is plenty enough to keep me busy.

Water change frequency and quantity will be influenced to some extent by the equipment that you have and what you are trying to keep. On a tank that big many people do not do as frequent of water changes as smaller tanks. If you have a calcium reactor, that will help keep the water parameters better. SPS require better water than other corals and fish, so more frequent water changes may be needed if you are keeping sps.

Best of luck as you dive into this hobby. Nothing good happens fast , but many bad things do happen fast. The best advice I can give you is take your time, and ask lots of questions. I have been doing this for 36 years now, and I still learn new things every day.

Murfman · Jul 27, 2010

wvreef said:
I have a friend that wants to sell me his 350 gal. tank for 500.00 that is currently up and runniing for sw with all fish and live rock and corals. Has all lighting and pumps and is currently up and running.

Sounds like it comes with most equipment.

SaraB · Jul 27, 2010

Murfman said:
Sounds like it comes with most equipment.

Well if it does, that another story then! Just the cost of stocking with his likes, maintenance and fixes then.

wvreef · Jul 28, 2010

well so much for my dream tank:cry:
my friend was moving and broke the tank, all fish corals and all gone........
asked about all the other parts and he said he was so ****** he thru it all away....... DUMB DUMB:cry:

so back to looking again............