BigWyll

Thank you very much for taking the time to answer my questions. I feel alot more comfortable now. It's funny how the small things can make someone so nervous. one other question based on your response. If I understand you correctly, a deeper sand bed will limit the amount of algea that grows on the sand due to less oxygen within the sand and the extra work required to break up the nitrates into oxygen and nitrogen. (I'm realy wishing I didn't sleep through chemistry class. But I'm not wearing my stupid cap, so I get it.) Can you explain how a refugium can do the same thing? Also, I will adjust my stock list according to your recommendations. Thanks again. Wyllyam

Instead of starting a new thread everytime I have a question, I would like to post my questions in this thread with a link in my signature so that I don't fill up the boards with dumb questions. How can you tell if you have good water circulation? I currently have three Maxi Jet 1200 I beleived it is rated at 295gph. One is hooked up to the AquaC Remora skimmer. The tank is full and the water seems to circulate well without live rock but I'm not sure if I need more powerheads when I place the live rock in the tank. Where to Buy Good Quality Live Rock and Live Sand? When looking at online providers of premium live rock they are very colorful, while in LFS what i have found was a brown dull rock in tanks full of water. I understand that when ordering online you typically don't get the rock pictured in the advertisement, but I didn't know if ordering online will provide a better quality than what i found locally. Not knowing what to look for, I suspect that the better quality will have more color to it. I have read in another forum that it is better to drive 3 hours for quality live rock locally than it is to order from online and not know exactly what your getting. How many inches of sand <2" or >4"? Shallow bed or deep bed? I have read about the differences of having a deep bed versus a shallow bed, but I don't really understand the benefits vs. maintenance. A deep bed will have areas of sand with a lower oxygen content or something like that. It is a foreign language to me at this point. Which do you prefer? How do you introduce multiple fish to your new aquarium? If you purchase several fish from the same store as the first fish you introduce to your tank, should you still go through the quaranteen process? In this case I expect to already have the live rock and inverts in the main tank. And how would you do that with multiple fish? How many is too many fish to introduce at one time? In my signature I have the list of fish that I plan to have in the tank. This deals with the question above of how to get them into the tank?

Hello my name is William. I live in Suitland, MD. I'm just a few feet south of DC. I work in DC. I'm a complete newbie. This will be my second fish tank. My first salt water. My frest water has only been up for 6 months. I haven't decided yet whether the salt water will be a reef tank or just Fist with Live rock. But I have an empty 55g with the recommended equipment. I appreciate any advice, and I'm will post my 1,000 question in another thread.