newb seeking help

[aggiereefer]

this post is prolly gonna be flamebait but here goes nothin. I would like to start a NR but Im not exactly sure about how to start. I took an aqua sci class in highschool so I'm used to doing water changes and all that good stuff. I've read all the beginner questions but Ive got a few questions. One thing to keep in mind is that this will be going into a dorm so space is tight.

 

1. What equipment am I going to need? (I was thinking about going with a bio filtered system, no p-skimmers)

 

2. Is there a brand of aquarium that comes with stock lighting that would be adequate for corals? (i would like to put something like pulsing xenias, zooanthids, and green star's in it)

 

3. Are there any reasonably priced equipment packages that would suit my needs?

 

Thanks for the help

[Crakeur]

1. http://www.nano-reef.com/articles/

 

the articles will tell you what you need

 

2. many aquariums now come with lighting that is suitable for some corals however, you should strongly consider upgrading to even higher wattage as it is inevitable that you will want more lighting down the road.

 

3. depends on what you call reasonable. I have found that almost every where I looked, the prices were fairly similar. Chris Marks makes some stellar tanks but he doesn't sell rock and sand.

[OneOfDaZZZ]

Originally posted by aggiereefer

this post is prolly gonna be flamebait but here goes nothin. ...  I took an aqua sci class in highschool so I'm used to doing water changes and all that good stuff.

 

I hate you! They never had any cool classes like that at my Highschool!

[aggiereefer]

the class was pretty cool, the teacher made the students do all the aquarium maintenance. Each tank had an eheim, so we would have to change out the filter floss, and do partial carbon changes. I had to feed an anemones in one of the tank's freeze dried shrimp, ooowee they sure did stink up the room.

[birdman204]

Best thimg to do is yea, read the articles. also go into the Members reef sections to get ideas for setups, filters, powerheads, even aquascaping. 1 good thing is to try not to make anything "too permanent_ as you may realize in the future it may need to be , taken down , reconfigured , optimized , restructed , or for the simple fact that you wanna change something cuz you don;t like it. Son mis dos centavos!

[kennerd]

Research & reading first will not only save you the money caused by buying lower end equipment then upgrading, as well as frustration (you'll have plenty of that anyway, so try to hedge it from the beginning!). The only problem is the anticipation of wanting everything immediately, but knowing better than rushing.

 

Before buying any equipment, figure out a basic size and what type of livestock you'd like to eventually keep, then design your system around that. It's a real time and money saver.

[birdman204]

^^^^^^

 

Yep

 

Also Setup the system prior to installing anything if you can. Cuz, once water sand and rocks are in there, its hard to say......man I wish I woulda made the PH's more accesible for cleaning........or....... Damn , This Hood I made sucks, cuz I f-ed the cords up, Now, I can't even take it off the tank.........or..........Shizzle, why didn't I buy the Aquaclear 200 instead of the mini , I really wanted to try that mini refugium.......... Believe me, Something will always come up!!! P.S. Have fun!!!