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Help a new member start a tank!


Chris1810

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You can easily do a reef for 500 to 700 in my opinion. You just have to be on the lookout for deals. Have you checked craigslist for old Biocubes? There are cubes in my area with all the bells and whistles that are almost always in the sub 300 dollar range.

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burtbollinger

the difference between the ease of care and moving of a single freshwater betta in 5g vs moving a stable, successful reef tank is the difference between tossing a paper airplane and flying a Cesna on instruments. Your approach of waiting is very wise and commendable.

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the difference between the ease of care and moving of a single freshwater betta in 5g vs moving a stable, successful reef tank is the difference between tossing a paper airplane and flying a Cesna on instruments. Your approach of waiting is very wise and commendable.

 

Thank you, as much as it sucks I would not want that extra stress added especially a SW tank. One day I'll get it up and running! :lol:

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You can easily do a reef for 500 to 700 in my opinion. You just have to be on the lookout for deals. Have you checked craigslist for old Biocubes? There are cubes in my area with all the bells and whistles that are almost always in the sub 300 dollar range.

I have not but thanks for the suggestion! Ill look into it, maybe Ill get lucky! :D

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right off the bat, you can't be getting too crazy with this if you think you're having to move a tank or you have visions of it running on auto-pilot for weeks while youre away. Moving a tank and inhabitants...giant PITA. These tanks are really not meant to be moved around like you might a goldfish bowl. Maybe others can chime in on that. My vote is keep researching this, keep your freshwater tank, and once you are in a more permanent place, then dive in, having the money and knowledge you need. Patience is key...maybe practice that by NOT diving in before you are in a good place.

 

as for general advice....

 

wildly random tidbits I wish people would have taught me...all just my opinion. the above comments are solid...above all, research until you can confirm or call BS on the below. asking about protein skimmers, etc, means you're still at way too basic a level. You should probably watch all of these THEN dive in: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/video-category/52-weeks-of-reefing

- MONEY. this is not a cheap hobby...dead minimum for a 20g. IMO is $800-1000.
- DO not start with less than a 20g.
- learn about the importance of alkalinity and calcium...especially alkalinity. visit bulkreefsupply and look into their two-part starter kit.
- avoid buying the cheaper version of something essential. Bulkreefsupply.com is a great guide, if they sell/recommend it, its GTG...if not, I'd really research.
- when you have a question on a topic, visit this site, and spend at least a solid hour researching...avoid searching for what you WANT to hear.
- at some point, once you've really researched, you'll discover this hobby isnt as hard as it originally appeared to be.
- buy a good salt mix and an ro/di unit, and begin making your own water
- go slow, and keep your hands out the the tank if possible
- avoid non-photosynthetic corals IMO
- avoid clams unless you have proper lighting, and an established tank.
- avoid gorgs, sea fans...and mandarins...
- even at 5-6 months, your tank is in its infancy...treat it carefully and be prepared for ugly algae blooms
- consider running a media reactor with carbon and GFO
- if you dont test it, do not dose it...iodine, strontium....all that crap is a waste.
- ignore Ph....focus only on keeping a stable alk. Ph will take care of itself...
- dont buy things to make wife/kids happy....youre the expert, not them.
- magnesium helps keep alk. stable.
- Aim for a salinity @ 1.025
- damsels are mean....6-line wrasses can be mean, maroon clowns are mean
- peppermint shrimp may or may not be reef safe
- sally lightfoot crabs are not reef safe
- you need some sand stirring snails
- www.bulkreefsupply.com, notice I've mentioned several time...I've been doing this hobby for 15 years...if pressed, this website and BRS are the most awesome things out there for hobbyists for information and not getting ripped-off.
- don't take the LFS employee's word for anything
- don't frequent LFS who have employees who are rude or elitist.
- dip all corals, quarantine would be ideal
- probably start with dry rock, better to not intro pests into the tank via crappy LFS live rock.
- do not introduce corals into your tank that you dont want spreading everywhere. I ruined a tank putting in small clump of ugly green palys that spread everywhere.
- the vitamin C method really does work on bryopsis. hope that you never get this sort of algae though.
- once everything is going good, and you're happy with the tank...STOP. Don't add any more corals. Fight that 'just one more' urge. Tanks die when you add that one last coral that ends up having a nasty pest onboard, etc.

 

all very sound advice however I call bullshit on- DO not start with less than a 20g.

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Wow - probably the most posts on a "I'm new and want to start a tank" thread I've seen in a while!

 

Anyways - everyone seems very well intentioned so I won't add anything other than make sure you keep this thing yours. As you've seen there are no lack of thoughts/opinions on how a reef tank should be set up. Though the goal is similar there are sooooo many ways to go about it. Different methods of set up, equipment combinations, DIY solutions, etc...

 

I'm not saying be an askhole - just take the advice/opinion given and make sure you understand it before moving forward. Ask questions (don't be afraid to call someone out!) and understand the pros/cons/alternatives before taking action. For example don't buy a Vortech MP10w QD because someone says you can't keep SPS with anything less. Similarly don't think that you have to do a fishless cycle with dry rock because someone says that any other way will leave you with harmful hitch hikers.

 

Seems you're on the right path though so I'm sure you'll have a good experience as you set up your reef tank!

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Hey guys I got a quick question about stocking and bio load. I assume I have to take into account corals and anemones along with fish and inverts? If someone has any input or could point me in the right direction that would be great!

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Corals/Anemones/fish/inverts all contribute to bioload, yes. However, the amount contributed in a 3 in fish is more than a 4 foot coral. Fish and inverts are normally what people look at most in regards to bioload.

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I had the skyye light. It was ok for softies and some lps. No option on light control.

 

I switched to the aquamaxx nemolight, far better. I have birdsnest and pocillopora growing under it with lps as well.

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Hey guys,

 

thanks for the input, I had one quick question tho.

 

Even though I cant really setup a 10g+ tank due to transportation issues, do you guys think that if I had, say a 5-6g, with just soft corals and maybe a few hermits it would be easier to transport? I would think most hermits can handle the drive but wanted to be sure. Same goes for the corals.

 

I know having a smaller tank will require much more diligence and maintenance, but I don't mind do that so long as I feel I am well prepared!

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Any tank transfer from location to loction will be work. Its easier with small tanks but steps will need to be tken to ensure the corals make the transfer.

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