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!

[Crazy Tiki]

-People are really hard up right now so you can probably get a real good deal on a used tank.

-I have a BC 14 and it has been fun but I am running out of room, but if you are iffy about the hobby starting small may be better

-I would buy online for large quantity purchases but LFS are great for small and emergency stuff. Plus you can always look at the corals and fish before buying. Also recommend looking on craigslist as people are always selling and or trading.

-You could probably use the nano-dx straigth up with no modifications but it depends on what you want to stock it with. Most mods found on this site are meant to save you from issues in the long run and are highly recommended.

-I would recommend researching anything and everything before purchasing as cutting corners may cost you in the long run. You can always do DIY stuff if you are handy to save on money, or just buy things used.

 

Good Luck

[seabass]

First off, should I buy a brand new tank or save some money and just buy a used one?

You can usually buy used. Keep in mind that even if every is working, you might still have to replace the bulbs.

 

Is a larger tank like a 24 gal. more rewarding than a 12 or 14 gal.?

Not necessarily; however, the larger tanks allow for more/different livestock selections.

 

Is it really worth the money to ship in corals and fish rather than going to my local fish store?

It depend on you LFS. Mine doesn't have good coral selections. Buying multiple selections from an online livestock store helps spread the shipping cost across each of the items.

 

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?

Check out what some other members have done. Light upgrades are fairly common. You might consider a different tank just for other lighting options.

 

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?

You could go with a Koralia Nano pump versus a Vortech MP10, but don't skimp on quality (sometimes it just costs you more to do it right later). However, you might start out without a skimmer.

[jules-of-fish]

Thanks for the advice!!!! And I'm almost positive I'm going to buy the bc 14 gal and upgrade the pump to a maxi-jet 900 or 1200. Petco is having a good sale for one brand new with free shipping for 180, and there are absolutely no nano or biocubes for sale where i live, not on CL or my LFS. Plus I fell safer starting off new and fresh! I'll replace the bioballs with some of that floss stuff everyone's ranting and raving about. And definetly the lights, since i would really like to keep corals and possibly a small clam. Do you have any suggestions on what lights i can use? I really dont know anything about metal halides or how I could possibly install them... Thanks again for the advice!!! It's much appreciated

[seabass]

You will need to go with a MH bulb to keep a clam (probably something like a Viper).