New people, READ ME!

[shaidarol]

Don't put a friggin tang in a tank smaller than a 40g. Not only will the anti-tang police flame your butt, but you will be harming your tang in the long run.

 

6 years ago I was all about big tanks and big $ in Arizona. then I moved to florida, and in a smaller house, or at least one that has no good homes for monster tanks... So here I am with these new nano cubes... we have nano skimmers, nano fuges, nano halides, nano stands, and now nano tangs? It was my understanding that you needed like 90-140 gallons depending on species for a tang to thrive... mine thought there was a world of difference between my 45 and the bigger tanks.

 

Oh No... who drafted me into the tang police?

Edited January 2, 2008 by shaidarol

[Reef Chicks]

Hey Jay, I am from Miami too, although I am stuck in Vero for the next year. But I am always in Miami...lol. PM me and I will give you some info on reputable LFS around here.

 

Aly

[Bonsai]

Keep your wife happy....buy her flowers, remember birthdays and your anniversary - and for God's sake do your share around the house. These things will come in VERY handy when you are shelling out that dough for that Beautiful Coral or LS that you just "have to have"!

 

I'm brand new here, and that piece of advice really hits home! Tonight, my wife enjoys 4 hours away from the kids getting pampered at the Salon ... tomorrow, my first SWT arrives via UPS. A guy has to do what a guy has to do.

 

Anyway, my name is Jason, I'm 28 .. from Michigan. A few months ago, I discovered this great local fish store and now I'm finally able to get my first SWT up and running.

 

Our house isn't huge, so I decided to go with a Nano Reef, by way of Oceanic's 14 Gallon Biocube. I'm extremely excited to get things going and get the cycling process going. Thanks for all the great beginner's advice!

 

Jason

[Withers]

i was recently talking to someone about the feeding periods for my fish. i was saying how i planned to feed them either lightly once a day, or a normal amount every other day or so.

 

i got reamed out for "being cruel" by not feeding them 2-3 times a day. i brought up the whole idea of "more food = more waste" in a nano tank, and they reamed me out some more. this person has more experience than me in the hobby so i wasnt going to fight what they said.

 

so is it ok if i feed my tank every other day? lately ive been feeding them once a day, but making sure that only a pellet or two make it to the ground (the nassarius love that stuff). i only have two small ocellaris right now, and they dont eat a lot when i feed them, so im wondering if feeding them every other day would be better for them, as i know it would be better for the rest of the tank's inhabitants.

 

Anybody who makes a blanket statement about anything in this hobby is automatically wrong and should not be trusted.

 

As with everything else, it is completely dependent on the fish you are keeping. Do they graze on algae? If yes, then you can get away with feeding them a lot less often. If no, then you may want to feed them more. Are they prone to nipping corals (angels)? Then you should probably feed them enough to keep them from sampling everything you have. Unless you have a harem of anthias, you should not need to feed your fish 2-3 times a day. Doing so will cause you to pollute the water.

 

That being said, I feed my fish once a week. They all graze on algae and are nearly full-grown though. Smaller fish should be fed more often.

 

I think every other day would be fine, in other words

[IdahoReef]

Cool thread.

 

Just an excuse to get subscribed to the thread since I did not find any other way to do this in this forum.

[Oscar]

Anyone care to provide a sequence of corals to add to a new tank for a new reefer? Variables to consider: hardiness, cost, feeding, growth expectations.

[cartoonman34]

Be sure to Explore!

[szman167]

THE MOST IMPORTAN RULE TO NANO REEF KEEPING:

Dont get a Royal Gramma!

Why not the Gramma? I have had them is my bigger tanks, but now I have a Red Sea Max and after my cycle is complete I was planning on picking up a Royal Gramma as one of my first fish. What are the worries about them that you have?

 

Thanks.

 

Steve

[JWeller]

I wish I had found this forum when I first set my tank up or actually a month before. Now that I've learned my LFS guy is a moron and the Fisson Nano Skimmer has been tossed into the trash (I can't find the box to return the stupid thing)... I can relax knowing that I'm doing everything else right.

 

I'm off to make a fresh cuppa and read some articles on your most fantastic website.

 

JW

 

 

____________

24 gallon AquaPod (now heater n skimmer-less)

[Agm2315]

I do not know if this has been mentioned but if you purchase Live Rock to cycle your tank right off the bat, dry it out to get all the hichhiking crap of the rock. Then start the colonizing of bacteria from scratch.

 

I say this because i purchase live rock that came with about 3 crabs/ bristleworms which killed alot of my fish.

Edited February 19, 2008 by Agm2315

[BKtomodachi]

I do not know if this has been mentioned but if you purchase Live Rock to cycle your tank right off the bat, dry it out to get all the hichhiking crap of the rock. Then start the colonizing of bacteria from scratch.

 

I say this because i purchase live rock that came with about 3 crabs/ bristleworms which killed alot of my fish.

Nope, this is generally viewed as a bad idea. Bristle worms are harmless, and you should just do a visual inspection for things like crabs, or remove them during the cycle if possible.

[Militant Jurist]

I bought my LR from three different sources, and I haven't had any problems so far. The trick I believe is to QT the LR or to give it a quick FW bath. The change in salinity should send the hitchhikers running. The only hitchhikers I've had is 3 feather dusters and a couple of small worms (although those could have been from the LS).

[JWeller]

I bought my LR from three different sources, and I haven't had any problems so far.

 

I also got my LR from three different sources. The ONLY hitchhikers, I've found so far: button polyps (2 colors), two earthworm looking things (not bristleworms), a couple of feather dusters. All the hitchhikers seem to have come from one source while, the other two sources have nothing on them but I also had a ton of die off from the first two sources. Of course we are only 18 days in.

[IdahoReef]

The hitchhikers from the last two posts seem to be things to not worry about. Other that aptasia (sp?) what else could cause problems? I guess there are Mantis Shrimp, but what else?

[Withers]

I bought my LR from three different sources, and I haven't had any problems so far. The trick I believe is to QT the LR or to give it a quick FW bath. The change in salinity should send the hitchhikers running. The only hitchhikers I've had is 3 feather dusters and a couple of small worms (although those could have been from the LS).

 

Freshwater baths also kill off everything on the rock, so short of having a mantis in there, I couldn't recommend giving any LR a freshwater bath.

[OB1]

Dry out live rock???? Freshwater dip live rock??? Crazy, why not just buy cheap dead rock and start your tank with that and a piece of shrimp??? The whole point of paying big money for "LIVE ROCK" is to keep as much life on the rock as possible. You can deal with undesirable hitchikers during the cycle and balance period. Most hitchikers are good for your tank. Besides, the fun is to watch the life blossom from a piece of what looked like just an old wet rock

[rhunter513]

I think everyone should read this article before starting a nano reef.

 

http://www.nano-reef.com/articles/?article=17

 

Anyone starting should already have a basic understand of the nitrogen cycle.

 

One thing that stands out to me about that article is the arugment made that deep sand beds are a bad idea espeically in a nano tank. And that it talks about how our live rock is a great source of denitrification.

 

Good stuff

[jm82792]

Man I read all of this big debate,

Skimmers or no skimmers for newbies like me your

#1 Saving $80-$100

#2 Getting a skimmer and wondering if you shoulda spent the money on MH,sump or better equipment.

#3 get a better canister filter with the money Well great thread more reading to go...

Edited March 12, 2008 by jm82792

[RBuddha]

Reefing advice? Hmm well my advice would be.

 

1. Drip Loops and GFI's save lives

2. Buying cheap equipment only costs you more later.

3. Plan for what you want thats within your budget.

4. Use the SEARCH BUTTON on this site, it saves lives also

5. A good tank doesnt need to be stuffed to the rim with corals, enjoy the beauty of a well designed tank not one that just shows how much money the owner has.

6. If you have the time and patience learn to build some of the simple things you could buy. Knowing how everything works in your tank makes you a better aquarist.

7. Book of Coral Propagation should be your bible. Know what you're putting in your tank and what it needs to survive.

8. Read up on lighting and requirements for your inhabitants. Usually more is always better, A tank thats overlit is better than one thats underlit.

9. Commercial pet stores are the devil, try to find a local dealer. They give better deals and actually care about the hobby.

10. Dont be afraid to ask questions, its how we learn and in this hobby mistakes are expensive.

 

Good luck!

Edited March 12, 2008 by RBuddha

[IdahoReef]

9. Commercial pet stores are the devil, try to find a local dealer. They give better deals and actually care about the hobby.

 

Good luck!

I would suggest qualifying the LFS first, hopefully by talking to other reefers in your area. I have found out from those in my area that I MUST be VERY careful when taking advice from our LFS owner. He will agree with you on everything if it means a sale. Not the best resource if you don't know that going into it. Some have said they got healthier livestock from ebay.

[GrantWW]

Im very new to the hobby, and im still researching. I have had much experience with fresh water and im looking for somthing different. But I am wondering what will be more costly, a 30g biocube or a 30 gallon regular tank/w filter?

[scokill]

Alright, NR vets and otherwise smart members, let's make an informative topic for new people to read. Hopefully this will reduce the "why is there so much brown algae all over everything?" and "why did my damsel die when he bit the lit firecracker that I tossed into the tank?" Just post your pointers and discuss whatever ones that have already been posted. Please don't hyjack this thread. It doesn't need to be 8 pages of crap. Just 1 or 2 pages of good, useful information.

 

 

I'll go first. N00bs, here are some common problems that you shouldn't worry about.

• The imfamous "brown algae bloom." It happens to everyone who sets up a tank. So don't panic.
  
• The nytrogen cycle. Learn it before setting a tank up. It goes Decaying matter = Ammonia = Nitrite = Nitrate = Nitrogen gas. Wait it out. Don't add anything until Ammonia, nitrite, and most of nitrates are gone.
  
• Feeding. Don't feed your fish every day. Nano tanks build up waste easily, so feed every other day or every three days.
  

 

 

What do you mean specifically by "let your tank mature for 2 months after cycle"? don't add anything?

[lakshwadeep]

What do you mean specifically by "let your tank mature for 2 months after cycle"? don't add anything?

 

It is mainly directed to not start adding fish or corals immediately after ammonia/nitrites are zero and nitrates are low. You should begin to add your CUC, not all at once, right after the cycle has finished to deal with algae blooms. Even though a tank has finished its cycle, there will be different phases of organisms (specifically different algae blooms) in the tank. Also, the wait gives a chance for pod populations to grow without any predation to "sustainable" levels. This will help the majority of fish that are kept in nano-reefs to have an extra food source that they can rely on between feedings.

 

Basically, it is to get people to slow down (and hopefully think and plan in the mean time) their stocking. Many fish/corals/inverts will fare better if added to an established tank, which means letting the tank mature. Some things can't be hurried...

[Ocho Cinco]

What's so bad about crushed coral?

[Sexy Shrimp]

If you get an algae bloom the crushed coral will get discoloured. It encourages more ripping down of reefs in the ocean if we buy it. I'm sure there's a chemistry problem too but I'm not posting an answer to that in case I get it wrong