salty.tiffy's 1st ever saltwater tank!

[sweeder.tanks]

Hello nano-reef friends!

 

I wanted to write up an intro post and get into the community.  I've been lurkin' for a few weeks now and thought it was time to start partaking in the discussion. 🙂

 

For a quick intro, I've been keeping freshwater tanks on and off for about 10 years now. I was always intimidated by the saltwater side of the hobby because of the startup/ongoing costs and perceived "complicated-ness" of it. I always thought that for a successful reef tank you need a really big aquarium (like, 100+ gallons) with a sump and multiple other products that I'd never even heard of when setting up my freshwater tanks. But then I found this forum and was totally inspired and given hope by the countless beautiful and flourishing AIO tanks that you guys have shared! I loved the idea of having one tank with a section in the back (or side, for peninsula styles!) as a place to keep everything you need. Turns out you don't actually NEED a protein skimmer, reactors, and a separate sump!

 

Anyway, now that I'm a few weeks into my research phase, I've learned a TON and have come to a few decisions about what I'd like for my first little reef:

 

1. I know I want to have a system with softies and LPS corals. Some that I've really been drawn to are zoas, acans, and gorgonians. I only want non-aggressive species because I hate the idea of my corals hurting each other!

 

2. I want an AIO system that isn't too big, to make maintenance/water changes as simple as possible (for some reason the idea of making my own saltwater is super intimidating!). The two I have my eye on and am still having trouble deciding between are the Fluval Evo 13.5 gallon and the Biocube 16 gallon. I want something that comes with a lid/lighting built in to reduce evaporation and keep costs down on needing to buy separate LEDs.  

 

3. I really like macroalgae - probably from the fact that all my freshwater tanks are planted and the aquascaping is my favourite part of them. Not sure if I'll include any in my first reef tank, but I'll probably want some down the line for their beautiful colours and added benefits for water quality.

 

4. I want to keep the filtration as natural as possible (spent a lot of time on Algae Barn's website/blog). I'd prefer to rely more on a refugium instead of a host of chemical media.

 

5. I freaking love tailspot blennies.

 

Anyway - that's probably enough rambling for now (thank you for reading this far!). Would appreciate thoughts/advice on deciding between the Evo and the Biocube, or any other general advice for a newbie reefer. 🙂

[mitten_reef]

Welcome, Here’s a good biocube feature you might want to look into. 

 

[sweeder.tanks]

3 hours ago, mitten_reef said:

Welcome, Here’s a good biocube feature you might want to look into. 

 

Thank you! I love @banasophia‘s Biocube 16. I’ve read through her whole journal and follow her on Instagram - she’s my main inspo for that tank! Love that she’s kept the stock light with such success. 🙂