Beginner's Questions

[jules-of-fish]

So being a beginner, I naturally have a bunch of questions, and have decided to just post them all at once. First off, should I buy a brand new tank or save some money and just buy a used one? Is a larger tank like a 24 gal. more rewarding than a 12 or 14 gal.? Is it really worth the money to ship in corals and fish rather than going to my local fish store? I'm really leaning towards the 12 gal. nano dx, is there anything else I need to add to it or can I basically run a reef tank with that alone? I thought I had to buy powerheads and protein skimmers as well? Is there a layout plan I can follow? How much money is required for the average nano tank? What items are worth cutting some corners on and what arent, such as a tank or a heater? Sorry for all the questions, but I would really appreciate any advice/tips! Thanks sooo much!

[AquaticDiscounts]

So being a beginner, I naturally have a bunch of questions, and have decided to just post them all at once. First off, should I buy a brand new tank or save some money and just buy a used one? Is a larger tank like a 24 gal. more rewarding than a 12 or 14 gal.? Is it really worth the money to ship in corals and fish rather than going to my local fish store? I'm really leaning towards the 12 gal. nano dx, is there anything else I need to add to it or can I basically run a reef tank with that alone? I thought I had to buy powerheads and protein skimmers as well? Is there a layout plan I can follow? How much money is required for the average nano tank? What items are worth cutting some corners on and what arent, such as a tank or a heater? Sorry for all the questions, but I would really appreciate any advice/tips! Thanks sooo much!

 

 

I had a nano cube 12g and I returned it after a 2 weeks. I like having a little bit bigger tank. more room to work and less to go wrong. I have a 29 gallon right now with a glass holes over flow and a custom made acrylic sump made by me and I love it. the water is more stable and I have more room to grow and do the things I want. if you want to start cheap I would say get a regular 20 gallon,heater, some power heads, good live rock & sand, and a decent light like a current usa t5 light. Thats what I used for a long time and I still got growth. and just do weakly water changes. You dont really need a filter because saltwater is different. your live rock is the filter. I think buying corals online is better if you buying a bunch because its a lot cheaper than what the stores are selling them for.