New to all this

[trble81]

Hello Everyone!

My husband and I are looking to start up our first saltwater aquarium starting after the new year. We were directed to this site by a very helpful employee of PetSmart (who is also a member of this site). This will be our first salt tank and any suggestions on how to get things started would be much appriciated. It seems a bit overwhelming right now but we are really looking forward to getting it up and running.

[jason the filter freak]

Ah welcome, you would have spoken to me... Lets see what they can do for you now... btw to all members reading all we sell are sea clone 100's, kent products, and carib sea at 30$ a bag, I thought they could do better on here, what have we got?

 

Here's a good read to get you started

 

<font color='#000000'>Here's my hints list

1. First Get A Turkey Baster!!!! If you don't already use one, get a clean new TB; Jack of All Reef Tools! Blows detritus off rocks; sucks up unwanted "stuff"; use it to target feed corals; and the list goes on.

2. Dog toothbrushes are a reefers second best friend (see above for the first). Get the kind with a large and small end are the best, 2 in 1.

3. Want to vacuum the tank without having to do a water change?? Just get some 3/8" flex tubing....or whatever size you want and put a fine mesh bag or a nylon on the end of it and rubber band/tie it on. Then stick the end w/ the bag into your sump. Start the siphon as mentioned below and vacuum away! The bag will filter all deitritus /flatworms/ valonia/ whatever and let the water pass right thru.

4. Start your siphons by placing the submerged end of the hose in front of a power-head.

5. Vinegar is good for soaking pump/power-head impellers--it dissolves the CaCO3 that tends to build up on the internals.

6. If you have a venturi skimmer, drop the air tube into a cup of hot RO/DI water once a week to get rid of any salt creep into the venturi (remove the air line muffler if equipped).

7. I stick a scotch pad (synthetic 0000 steel wool) between my magnets (on the inside of the tank) which I rinse out frequently when cleaning my GLASS TANK.

8. The life of wooden air diffusers can be extended by heating them up in the microwave for 3-5 minutes. So when its time to change the diffuser,, pop it in the microwave and you'll be able to use it again.

9. You can make spray bars out of PVC instead of buying return nozzles.

10. Have clams for dinner. Wash shells, and use them to cover annoying algae patches on you rock...after a week or two the algae will be dead and gone for lack of light.

11. When catching a fish out of a tank use a rose vase. One of the big one's, for dozen roses, which has a large opening curves down for the neck, and then open back up. Put in a piece of food and set the vase on the side at the bottom of the tank. The curve in the neck will stop the food from floating out. Once the fish is in put your hand over the opening and pull it out. Most fish swim away from your hand so even if you are not fast enough to cover it they will probably stay in.

12. Place rubber matting underneath all of your equipment. It comes in 4 foot wide rolls at most hardware stores and is indispensable. It protects the floor beneath and helps isolate vibration. Its grooved surface helps control spills. You can curl it wherever it meets a wall to keep water from leaking out.

13. Save all the disposable plastic containers you get, eventually you'll find a reef use for them.

14. Put a piece of aluminum foil on top of your tank over your overflow to block light, keeps nuisance algae from growing in there and you don't have to clean gunk out of the overflow teeth.

15. If you have a deep tank, invest in a small step ladder. (2 or 3 steps) Instead of having a chair around, use the ladder to access your tank.

16. Finally, and this has been said before, keep a journal!! It doesn't have to be fancy or completely detailed, but one needs to record actions, observations, and perceived results. Water changes, livestock additions (or losses), bulb changes, etc, this things are forgotten and overlooked until something comes up, and then it's too late.

 

Feeding

Make your own food

 

Edited December 31, 2006 by jason the filter freak

[emissary]

Welcome to the club! And great first response there Jason. I suspect you've already "signed up" and it's just a matter of time before your club membership becomes active at which point there are all kinds of deals to make and connections to be had. Add your location to your profile too so that reefers in your area can offer you free stuff

[Guest tgallo]

welcome to the club.

 

Have you decided on wich size tank, 55, 75, 120 gallon etc yet.

 

what you want to keep in the tank will also play a role in equipment selection.

 

You mite want to go around and check out some of the members tanks first, it will save you money and heartache in the long run, trust me i've been there.

 

ask alot of questions, dont be shy because we all want to help.

[dhoch]

trble,

 

Again welcome...

 

Don't know what your schedule is but a couple pieces of advice:

 

1) Read a lot and go slow

 

2) Sign up and become a full member (family is only $35, and the meetings are well worth).

 

3) Keep your eyes out for a intro to reef keeping session sometime in February.

 

Dave

[dandy7200]

Welcome, we are all here to help. Here is some good reading to start you off.....

 

A word of warning: starting a marine tank cause a serious change in human behavioural patterns - looking dreamy eyed at your tank for hours on end; phoning your loved ones (or anyone!) in the middle of the night to tell them about a new polyp, worm, glowing thingy about 1mm long, ... which you have just discovered; not buying new clothes, furniture etc. because your tank REALLY needs that new light, filter, ROCK, etc.... Oh well, maybe you won't get hooked so badly.

 

Rest found here.

 

Please put your location in your profile so we can direct you to a few good local fish stores. Petsmart is fine for the time to time emergency supplies but, the nicer marine stores are owned by obsessive hobbiest like us and there knowledge and advice will guide you in the right direction, although Jason has appearantly done very well here.

[fab]

Be sure to follow all the good advice and ignore the bad.

fab

[Guest beatle]

Taking things slowly is probably the best advice I've used.

[Grav]

Some good advice above. Above all take things very slow. Even those of us that have been doing this for years get into trouble when we try to rush things.

 

Phil

[TROLL]

Welcome to saltwater/reef world! You'll love it but it takes some time to create some of beautiful tanks!

 

As I suggest many beginners, start with 20L to 55 gallons, go with FOWLR (fish only with live rocks) then gradually go up to hardy beginners corals such as zoanthids, mushrooms, xenia etc.

 

Someday, within a year or 2, you and your husband may endeavor to advanced corals such as acroporas- nature's true prizes

 

Don't hesistate if you have any questions, even stupid ones- We'll be glad to answer them for you. I've had 7 years of experience plus BA in Marine Biology and still ask some stupid questions, lol.

[rooroo]

My best advice is go slow, get the largest tank you can afford and fit in your place, and get an ro/di. It really seems that the larger the tank, the more stable the conditions, and the easier it is for it to recover from new hobbiest errors. Also there will be lots of errors, so don't take it too hard if you mess up a bit. Research your equipment. Often the more expensive equipment is more expensive because it really is better. Check out the for sale section here and at RC, you can get lots of great equipment at a great price, and most equipment is just as good used as it is new.

 

And welcome to the hobby/obsession!

Edited January 2, 2007 by rooroo

[Gatortailale]

Thank you for checking out WAMAS. I hope the advice you get here is helpful.

 

1) Figure out your budget on how much you want to spend/can spend

2) Decide if you are looking for / want a new tank or used.

3) As tgallo said, try to visit some members homes and see how they set things up and/or look through posts here for threads & the wamas gallery about members systems - some have photos of their system and equipment.

 

If you are still interested in setting up a tank, make sure you buy good equipment - especially when it comes to protein skimmer, lighting equipment, and RO/DI water filter.

 

- Also, get the biggest tank you can afford. If your budget is enough, go with a 120 to get the 24" front to back - makes aqua-scaping rock much easier. I would also go with built in overflows.

 

Good luck & ask lots of questions.

[HowardofNOVA]

Heather and her husband reside in the Columbia MD 21045 area.

 

Welcome again!

 

First, recommend getting your membership out of the way and access to the Members Section, where alot more information is available, sales, trades, group buys, meetings etc are going on all the time!

 

Second, start reading a book or two to understand the basics! My favorite was John Tullock book "Natural Reef Aquariums: Simplified Approaches to Creating Living Saltwater Microcosms"

Link: John Tullock Book

 

Others I'm sure have their own favorites and there are many!

 

..at this point, don't fill like your about to get overwelmed, but just try to understand the basics, especially the Natural Filtration Cycle and this will put you far ahead of the game! This hobby has become very "simple" compared to years past (Well at least that what I've heard?) :wink:

 

VISIT Members near you! Members are very friendly and love to show off their tanks, so don't be afraid to ask!!! After seeing a few tanks and getting some understand the way the systems work, make a plan of what you want, educated plan! Ask for help and remember, there are alot of ways to go about systems, but find the one that fits what your looking for!

After you think you have what you want, don't be bashful, post on the site for suggestions! You might here a few idea's on ways to cut corners to save a nickel or two!

Once your plan is set, be patient and start keeping an eye out for equipment on sale that will work into your plan, watching for Internet Group Buys and last but not least, going to LFS (Local Fish Stores) for suggestions too!

 

Bottom line, enjoy, learn and have fun!

[trble81]

Thanks very much everyone. We would have responded earlier but we were too busy reading all the good pointers.

 

We did become members a couple of days ago, so we're excited to see what cool stuff we can get from you guys. We figured we would take the time to post some info on what we're trying to do here and hopefully we'll get more good information.

 

-We live in the Columbia, MD area (21045). So any word on good LFS to check out would be greatly appreciated.

-We have a never been used 35-gallon hex tank that we're going to use. We're not dancing for change on the corner but we don't want to spend millions on our first tank. We're looking to do a fish only set up with live rock (and some live sand too). We know we're going to be limited as to what fish we can get but we are excited to get into the hobby and branch out from what we have at a later point.

-We would really appreciate info on canister filters, live rock/sand, fish, heater, etc. so please, if you have the time and are willing to share some wisdom, we do appreciate it.

 

Thanks again for everyone's time and we will be checking out this forum and all of the other goodies we are able to access from this site on a regular basis. Thanks again!!

[cbashaw]

Check out this thread for LFS's

 

http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=3804

 

I would get a copy of "Marine Fishes" it will give you an idea of what fish you can possibly get instead of just limiting yourself what you see in the fish stores.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Marine-Fishes-Essent...TF8&s=books

[steveoutlaw]

Heather and Hubby,

Welcome. This is a great club and you will get a lot out of it. Just let me know when you get set up and are ready for some hardy, easy to keep corals and I'll give you some frags.

 

Now, on to my advice (uh-oh).......re-think the small tank. I started with a 20g and went to a 29g within 2 weeks.......and then to a 55g within 2 months and then to a 120g within 3 months of that. I think rooroo said it best with "get the largest tank you can afford". I can't tell you how much money I threw away because it doesn't matter how old an item is, once it's used you're lucky to get 1/2 what you paid for it when you sell it.

 

That being said, it you're committed to the hex tank, put your money into a good skimmer. I tried a bunch of the bargain skimmers out there such as ASM and the Coralife Super Skimmer and guess what........I sold them for 1/2 of what I paid for them and now have a Euro-reef. Again, this hobby is about patience and getting what you pay for. I, as well as all the other members will be happy to help you out so don't hesitate to ask.

 

Welcome to the club!!

Edited January 3, 2007 by steveoutlaw

[martin]

That being said, it you're committed to the hex tank, put your money into a good skimmer. I tried a bunch of the bargain skimmers out there such as ASM and the Coralife Super Skimmer and guess what........I sold them for 1/2 of what I paid for them and now have a Euro-reef. Again, this hobby is about patience and getting what you pay for. I, as well as all the other members will be happy to help you out so don't hesitate to ask.

 

Welcome to the club!!

 

Yep, cheap stuff is soon to be junk in a closet. Go quality on the water filter, skimmer and live rock. When going for lights go for what you think your aquarium will need in a year, it saves a PC fixture in the closet.

[Grav]

Amen.

 

The top places to spend $ are in the skimmer and live rock... h and lights too (once you are ready for coral.)

 

There are some good Hang-on skimmers that will get the job done for a tank like yours. I used a red sea Prizim skimmer on a 33g tank for years and had 4 or 5 fish and lots of coral. A Bak Pak would work just as well and is a little more user friendly. It is just easier to adjust and clean and such.

[lmeyer]

I'm going to take a different tack. If you want to go with a small tank, by all means do so. I still have the 20 gallon tank I bought from a co-worker almost 15 years ago. Its in the master bedroom and requires almost no maintenance. I do water changes when I think of it, change the filter media almost as infrequently, and use the standard flourescent bulbs that work with the hood that came with it. Yet that tank is highly successful. The reason . . . very low bioload. I have 3 small fish and thats it.

 

If you are willing to live within the limits of a small tank and stock it wisely, you can have great success. You may want more quickly, however. In addition to the 20, I have a 225 gallon reef and am looking to upgrade to 375.

 

I don't know about LFS in Columbia. There is one in the mall, but it didn't get good press the last time someone mentioned it here. I have no firsthand experience with that store. The closest store I frequent near Columbia is SCALES in Cloverly. Andrew (one of the owners) is both knowledgable and helpful. They have a pretty good selection and give a discount to WAMAS members. There are a number of LFS on the way to Baltimore, but I don't get there enough to give you advice on them.

 

As has been said, read and visit as much as possible. I like the WAMAS site (of course), reef central, and wetwebmedia for on-line info. I like the Tullock book someone else mentioned. I don't keep many fish specific books and I don't know if it is still in print, but I also still like **** Mill's Encyclopedia of Marine Fishes. The book is somewhat out of date, but I always liked the fish compatibility chart it contained, and it gives nice pictures of some of the more commonly found fish for the hobby.

 

Good luck and enjoy!

[rooroo]

I used to live in Columbia. A couple of good stores out that way...

 

Sea Save in Glen Burnie is my first recommendation. They have great livestock, especially fish, but their selection is limited as are their hours. Check out their website (google it) and see if you can stop by on a Saturday when they're open.

 

House of Tropicals is also in Glen Burnie. They have great live rock and corals but are pretty expensive. Every time I've checked out their fish its been sub-par. But its a big store and they have lots of equipment.

 

Aquarium Center in Randallstown. This is a big store and has a lot of equipment. Their fish selection is pretty impressive but the health of the stock is up and down. Not sure about live rock as I've never inspected it, and the coral selection, from what I remember is kind of limited. But they seem to have good prices on equipment, and especially good prices on tanks.

 

FWIW I started out with a 33 gallon FBH as a FOWLR several years ago, then moved to a 65 gallon reef tank when I was given the tank, stand and canopy. I stuck with the 65 gallon size because it fits best in my house and budget. A bigger tank is certainly in the future but not until I get a bigger house, which will be 5 or more years down the road.

[trble81]

FWIW I started out with a 33 gallon FBH as a FOWLR several years ago, then moved to a 65 gallon reef tank when I was given the tank, stand and canopy. I stuck with the 65 gallon size because it fits best in my house and budget. A bigger tank is certainly in the future but not until I get a bigger house, which will be 5 or more years down the road.

 

That is the main reason we are sticking with the 35gallon tank. We just bought our home and we really don't have a ton of money to go right out and buy another larger tank right now. In the future if we get a larger home, or rearrange some things, we would love to go with a larger tank. This weekend my hubby Mike and I are planning on going to some LFS.

[jason the filter freak]

http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=11623

 

Check there for a wet dry filter and a skimmer, make sure the wet dry filter has an over flow box, the price on both skimmers is pretty good

 

They came to visit me at work today, I told them to post again today, I see they took that and ran with it. See if anyone can help them with suggestions of live stock they can put in their tank. Also I was thinking about setting them up with a Rena Filstar XP3 or XP4 if they can afford with with a custom flow kit, if they're shy on a wet dry system, I love the Rena filters for fresh water and have heard decent things about them for saltwater tanks, any other opnions... I suggested they may buy one new from us, because being a big corp we have a pretty lax return policy.

 

I had suggested the rena xp3 hooked to one of these http://www.amazon.com/Customflo-Aquarium-W...e/dp/B0001UZVXK

 

Gives lots of flow options, pretty simple to work with, no drilling

Edited January 3, 2007 by jason the filter freak

[TROLL]

http://www.wamas.org/forums/index.php?showtopic=11623

 

Check there for a wet dry filter and a skimmer, make sure the wet dry filter has an over flow box, the price on both skimmers is pretty good

 

They came to visit me at work today, I told them to post again today, I see they took that and ran with it. See if anyone can help them with suggestions of live stock they can put in their tank. Also I was thinking about setting them up with a Rena Filstar XP3 or XP4 if they can afford with with a custom flow kit, if they're shy on a wet dry system, I love the Rena filters for fresh water and have heard decent things about them for saltwater tanks, any other opnions... I suggested they may buy one new from us, because being a big corp we have a pretty lax return policy.

 

I had suggested the rena xp3 hooked to one of these http://www.amazon.com/Customflo-Aquarium-W...e/dp/B0001UZVXK

 

Gives lots of flow options, pretty simple to work with, no drilling

 

I've been using fluval series for few years- I've found that you can really do some modification to the intake tube and use it on output (bend to L shape and drill holes along the pipe) It will do the same as custom-flo. Just get mini-overflow, don't know what it's called but it attaches to any pump or filters(black tube with flex-tube attachment and clear circular floating overflow on top).

[cbashaw]

IMO I would not use a canister filter. They're great for fresh water tanks or FO tanks but since you are going to use live rock let it provide natural filtration for you.

 

If you get a wet dry filter don't use the bio balls or your nitrates will always be high.

[rooroo]

I used a canister filter on my FOWLR, actually a micron filter, the Magnum 350. Good little filter and eliminates the issues of high nitrates as long as you are religious about changing the filter every 2 weeks. If your not going to keep corals for a bit, theres not much reason to fear higher nitrates as the fish can handle it. Just need to be good about water changes. Unless you get some expensive, highly populated live rock with sponges and corals on it. Otherwise, you shouldn't have to worry about nitrates the way those with reefs do.