Start of a Nano Reef

[DerrickH]

I’m starting my first nano reef soon. I’ve had fish tanks for years including both fresh and saltwater. I’ve watched a few videos including Inappropriate Reefer’s Nano guide on a budget. I’m open to any tips/suggestions that can be offered. 

Thanks.

[Clown79]

Anything in particular you are looking for tip wise.

 

Going through TOTM's, member journals, various sticky threads are definitely a good option. You can learn so much with the various methods of doing this hobby.

[FISHnChix]

Make a plan first and figure out a exact budget lol.

 

 

Think about what type of tank. Softie, lps, sps, nem tank. What type of fish and how many you want. Make a list of must haves like a specific coral, fish, or invertebrates and then we can suggest some equipment 🤙

[mcarroll]

Get at least one good book...very hard to learn reefing based solely on internet advice...just too much advice out there...more bad than good...so it takes a little bit of expertise just to know the good info from the bad.   A lot of that good and bad is with respect to your specific situation too, which is another reason that a little bit of expertise is needed.  

 

A book is an excellent grounding source for your knowledge. If you are not opposed to reading, I would really suggest two or three good books. 

 

For some starting points to online info, look up Randy Farley's old reefkeeping.com articles as well as everything chemistry related on advancedaquarist.com. ( not sure if that material is being transferred to reefs.com or not )

[derf9h]

Hardest thing to do is to set it up and leave it alone lol. I have zero patience so its always a struggle to keep my hands out of the tank or redo the plumbing or change the rock work. Best advice is to let it be. Let it cycle properly, don't rush anything, and add new stuff slowly. I've been doing salt water for a long time and remember my first couple of tanks always seemed to struggle. I was always trying to "fix" something. It was only when I stopped putting my hands in the water that my tanks really started to flourish.  

[nickfarmer]

I would look around at everything you want and design it out and make sure everything is compatible.  

[nickfarmer]

Also, take it slow.  Enjoy the process  🙂

[j.falk]

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/video/budget-saltwater-aquarium-series/

 

and

 

 

[Gravity]

I would recommend watching the BRS 52 weeks of reefing. This will give you a great base of information. Then plan out your tank keeping in mind best practice and be aware of any short cuts you take.

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video/category/52-weeks-of-reefing

 

You don’t need to know everything you want but you should determine your must haves to get an appropriate tank size. Here is a good start:

 

[1891Bro]

Forget all that, buy the high dollar cured live rock, not the dry stuff, add sand and salt water and GO! 

[Clown79]

On 9/16/2019 at 10:51 PM, 1891Bro said:

Forget all that, buy the high dollar cured live rock, not the dry stuff, add sand and salt water and GO! 

Nothing like a tank set up with liverock.

[Elephant999]

I perused this forum up and down, particularly the tank journals before I bought my Evo.

 

a wealth of info on here but as said before, a good book is worth its weight.

[1891Bro]

On 9/19/2019 at 2:34 AM, Elephant999 said:

I perused this forum up and down, particularly the tank journals before I bought my Evo.

 

a wealth of info on here but as said before, a good book is worth its weight.

Hmmm, what’s the copyright on the most recent book you’ve read to help in the hobby?

I’m not downing books, esp. fiction but, as fast as things can change I think there’s a lot more to be gained elsewhere. Maybe a magazine subscription would keep you up to date, then again you could just subscribe to the website...

point is, it takes too long to get good info published in print now. I like books. I read books. For non fiction stuff though... I dunno. 

 

Edit: Well there’s always that  early 70s encyclopedia set at my moms...

[1891Bro]

On 9/18/2019 at 1:17 PM, Clown79 said:

Nothing like a tank set up with liverock.

Real. Cured. All the way cured. Live rock. It’s already ready. It’s 🚴‍♀️ faster than lance armstrong after a good injection of the finest dope. 

[mcarroll]

23 hours ago, 1891Bro said:

Hmmm, what’s the copyright on the most recent book you’ve read to help in the hobby?

Wrong question. 😉

 

What's the OLDEST copyright you've read that's helped?

 

Check out first:

https://reefsuccess.com/2017/09/10/aquarium-history/

 

Here's a link to archive.org where you can find several free copies of the Aquarium Handbook I linked in the article:  https://archive.org/search.php?query=marine+handbook&&and[]=year%3A"1856"&and[]=year%3A"1855"

(It doesn't appear like Google, which I linked in the article, allows reading anymore.)

[1891Bro]

2 hours ago, mcarroll said:

Wrong question. 😉

 

What's the OLDEST copyright you've read that's helped?

 

Check out first:

https://reefsuccess.com/2017/09/10/aquarium-history/

 

Here's a link to archive.org where you can find several free copies of the Aquarium Handbook I linked in the article:  https://archive.org/search.php?query=marine+handbook&&and[]=year%3A"1856"&and[]=year%3A"1855"

(It doesn't appear like Google, which I linked in the article, allows reading anymore.)

Yeah. 1855 and 56 were amazing years in the home reefing world. Most were just trying to keep a turd alive in the old chamber pot. Natural sunlight and a bit of gumption (plus some tricks from the town apothecary) and a reef it shall become!