Some pointers for folks considering becoming marine aquarist

[Jan]

Before starting a marine aquarium the new hobbyist should

1- Join a marine aquarist club. Many of the questions you have have been asked an answered many times over. It's ok to ask again. read the new hobbyist threads. Ask as many questions as you want. there is no such thing as a dumb question. Experienced hobbyist enjoy teaching new hobbyist.

2- How much time do you have available to dedicate to the hobby?

3- where will your set up go? Basement? first floor, etc?

4-can the structure withstand the weight. Each gallon of water weighs approximately 8 lbs.

5- will you have easy access to your mixed water in case of emergency? 

6- Patience. do you have it? You'll need it to be successful.

 

When choosing the right set up  

1- Consider the space have available

2- Ease of use - A tall tank high up on a stand will require you using a step stool and then possibly tongs for gripping and placing corals, etc.

3- Lights - do your research. Lights are costly. you have several options depending on what type of set up you want.LED's, MH's or T5's

4- Will you be putting together a mixed reef or fish only? Predator tank or SPS only?

Live aquaria has a great compatibility chart. Each item has a description for care. You can look up corals, fish and inverts. Know what they require before making your purchase.

5- Filtration is very important. Look into skimmers, UV sterilizers and media reactors. You may not need them right away, but you will probably need them down the road.

6- Flow. Water flow is very important. It helps to oxygenate the water and keeps detritus moving so it can get to your filter. Some corals require high flow as this is how they get their food and keep detritus away.

Live rock is considered part of your filtration. Inspect it closely for hitchhikers and pests such as aiptasia and majano .

7- Will you be using a refugium? Hang on back or under tank? Refugiums are great natural filtration addition that will compliment your mechanical filtration. They are also a safe place to house livestock.

8- Heaters. Make sure you choose the right wattage for your set up.  a 25 watt heater wont do any good in a 75 gallon tank. consider getting a back up in case it fails.

9- invest in a refractometer.

 

Cycling your tank

There are several ways to cycle your tank. the choice is yours.

1- Get a test kit that contains tests for Nitrogen, Nitrite, Ammonia and PH. These are the tests you will need when cycling your tank.

2- After adding sand and live rock you can use inexpensive fish to create the bioload necessary to cycle your tank. This isn't recommended for by conscience hobbyist. We want to keep our livestock alive, but if you are comfortable with this method no one will stop you. Remember whatever fish you choose if it survives your stuck with it. 

3- Feeding your tank everyday. Feed flake, pellets or raw foods to start the nitrogen cycle. The food will break down and cause a nitrogen cycle. 

4 - Add live sand from an already existing system. You can get live substrate from an already existing system from a LFS or other hobbyist. The substrate should be from a pest free, well established thriving aquarium.  Many experienced hobbyist start their tanks this way. they will also use chemicals like stability, prime or amquel to block the ammonia from any livestock they may have in their tanks. I do not recommend that a new hobbyist add livestock before their tank has cycled.   

5- Some have even used ammonia. I know nothing about this method.

 

Adding corals and livestock

1- read about pests often found on corals,  

2 - Look at many pictures of diseased fish so you can identify a diseased fish before purchasing it.

Fish should be bright in color and active. They should appear injury free. their fins should not be frayed and they should not have any white spots or cloudy eyes. ask that the fish be fed before purchasing so you can see it eat. Make sure you can provide the proper diet. Many wild caught fish need live foods. they will starve if they cannot be acclimated onto flake, pellet or frozen foods. 

 

3- Acclimate your fish slowly. Have a routine established that will protect your display tank from becoming contaminated by infections and the addition of pests. 

 

Having a quarantine tank and a hospital tank are ideal for observing and then treating for disease and pests.

There are other methods, advanced methods, for treating fish like fresh water dips with methylene blue. I don't recommend this for the beginner.

 

If using a QT system make sure you do not use live sand or live rock. A QT should be bare and have hiding places for fish. PVC pipes are ideal for this. you will need a filter, power head for flow and a heater.  

 

4- dip all corals in dips like Revive or Coral Rx before placing them in QT or in your display tank. Taking a few extra precautions will save you a lot of time and money in the long run. Introducing disease into your aquarium can cause mass infections that can often times lead to death of all livestock. Talk to your LFS about dips and Qt's.

Edited June 10, 2013 by Origami

[Mattiejay6]

Thanks! Just what I needed

[Blue breezy]

Good info, thanks.

[Origami]

9. Hydrometer, Jan? Did you mean to suggest a refractometer?

 

(Sent from my phone)

 

 

[Jan]

9. Hydrometer, Jan? Did you mean to suggest a refractometer?

 

(Sent from my phone)

 

Yes. That's it. Can you make the correction and any others you find? Thanks, Tom.

 

This stuff comes into my head and I need to dump it. It happens fast and has many typos.

Edited June 9, 2013 by Jans Natural Reef Foods

[Origami]

^^Done.

 

A couple of other thoughts, if I may:

 

* Read. Stretch yourself. Read research papers. Read books. Read others' experiences. Share yours. This can be one of the most stimulating aspects of this hobby.

 

* There are many paths to success and another individual's experiences are just that - individual. That doesn't mean that it will be the same for you, but it also doesn't mean it's worthless. If you can't learn from others' mistakes, you may be doomed to repeat them.

[Jan]

^^Done.

 

A couple of other thoughts, if I may:

 

* Read. Stretch yourself. Read research papers. Read books. Read others' experiences. Share yours. This can be one of the most stimulating aspects of this hobby.

 

* There are many paths to success and another individual's experiences are just that - individual. That doesn't mean that it will be the same for you, but it also doesn't mean it's worthless. If you can't learn from others' mistakes, you may be doomed to repeat them.

+1

[zygote2k]

#1 should be to read as many hard copy books as possible on the subject. These books should contain references to other books; read those as well. By reading these books first, you will be able to circumvent 90% of the questions posed on forums.

READ BOOKS FIRST!

[Mattiejay6]

#1 should be to read as many hard copy books as possible on the subject. These books should contain references to other books; read those as well. By reading these books first, you will be able to circumvent 90% of the questions posed on forums.

READ BOOKS FIRST!

Lol.. Don't you like questions? Keeps things lively.