Hello everyone... nice place you have here

[itZme]

Hi,
I am new to saltwater aquariums. I currently have 7 fresh water tanks running and recently we acquired a 140 gal that will be our first attempt at SW. I am in the research stage right now but getting excited about getting this thing filled soon. I am resealing the tank myself and have about half of the old silicone removed so far. It is a slow going process since I am trying to do this perfectly. I will also be building a stand, a canopy, 20 gal refugium and lighting for this tank. I will have 3x 250 watt MH bulbs to start with. I have been looking on Ebay for live rock/sand and I was surprised to see that I would have to spend $300 to get my tank going unless I find someone nearby that can sell me some without overcharging for shipping like the Ebayers. If any of you are in the position to sell any sand I would really appreciate it and it would make my wife and me so happy to get started.
I won't be ready for about 2 more weeks but then I will be in the market for a clean up crew, sand, rock, some macro algae for the refugium and other assorted stuff. I have only one LPS around here (N.E. Ohio) with any SW fish and they are pretty poorly stocked so I may be ordering online and have to pay the $45 shipping for the cleanup crew.
Hope I don't bother you guys by asking too many questions. I try to read alot and find my own answers first but sometimes I just need a voice of experience to set my mind at ease.
Well, sorry for the long post. Talk to you all later.

-- itZme

[FragOutpost]

Hello itZme and welcome to Frag Outpost!

What kind of corals are you planning on keeping?
You don't need to use all live sand. Really, you could use all dry sand and add handfuls of sand from other peoples tanks. Within time it will all become live sand. Bacteria and pod biodiversity is important, so getting live sand from more than one source (assuming it is free of red bugs, parasites, and other undesirables) would be beneficial.

There are alternatives to live rock as well. You could use dry rock as a base and use the nice decorator rock as the outer or top layer. It will all become liverock soon enough.
Check out HiRocks.com for dry base rock. I've never used it but have heard good things from people who have.
There is also the aragocrete method. garf.org has a good article on how to do it. This method is very cheap to do can can take a few months before it is ready to add to your tank. If you want more info I can dig up some articles for you or try searching Google for "diy live rock" or "aragocrete".

For cleanup crew and macro algae I highly recommend FloridaPets.com. They usually have a great selection and always have great service.

Hope this helps.
Can't wait to see some photos of your tank when you get it up and running.

-FragOutpost

[FragOutpost]

Here are a few photos of some diy rock I made from oyster shells, crushed coral, and portland cement.

[D12monkey]

First off


Now do not hasitate to ask questions. That's what we all are here for. I personally don't consider myself an expert, nor have I been an avid reef keeper for ages. But between everyone here I'm sure we all can help you get this tank going. It is a real satisfaction in getting one going and actually thriving.

About the live rock. You can DIY like Frag has mentioned. About.com has an awesome article on it with mixing portions and everything. Let me know if you need the link. Like Frag also asked... What do you plan on keeping in the tank because you might have the opportunity to keep the tank with out the sand in the display.

Give us an idea as to what is your goal with your tank and we might be able to better guide you to reach it.

Again WELCOME.