Beginning Hobbyist

[jakatude2]

Hello, my name is Jacqueline. I recently built a new home and purchased a 4 foot in wall aquarium. I am ready to began preparations for starting a salt water aquarium and am seeking suggestions on the best way to prepare. I have only purchased the aquarium to date, but am ready to get live sand, rock and perhaps a reef package. I went to my local pet store, but they seemed anxious to sell me a lot of stuff with minimum details on how to make this aquarium work. What should be the first thing I purchase and is it better to order my products or go to the local pet store? :happyfish

 

[1journeyman]

Welcome to the hobby.
This book is the greatest investment that you can make. It explains the different type aquariums you can have.
Decide what you want and we'll go from there!

 

[jakatude2]

Thanks for the book info. I am ordering it now and will let you know what I learn and like you stated, we can go from there. I appreciate the book link, very convenient 4 me.

 

[garnet13aj]

Good job on not letting your lfs bully/trick you into buying things too early. Definitely read the book from front to back, ask a million questions on here and you will be on your way to responsible aquarium keeping. The general rule of thumb for people just getting into the hobby, is don't rush into things (looks like you are doing well with that one). Also, I would suggest forgetting about fish at the moment, it'll be a while before you purchase any and it is really important to get the right equipment. Good luck, people on here love to answer questions so feel free to ask away.

 

[garnet13aj]

is it better to order my products or go to the local pet store?
I'd say it's a personal choice. I can't promise to be home when the package comes, so I have to buy at the store. People give mostly good reviews about this site though, I've heard they have beautiful live rock. One good thing about going to the store though, is that you get to pick exactly which fish/invert you want and you don't have to rely on somebody else to guess which one you'd really like.

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by garnet13aj
Good job on not letting your lfs bully/trick you into buying things too early. ....
Well said.
I love ordering from this site. For one thing the fish come very healthy. When you purchase from a fish store you don't know how many hands the fish/coral/invert has gone through. Each tank the animal enters increases chance of disease, stress, acclimation shock and injury.
Prices here are good and I like supporting SWF for providing this forum.

 

[saltfreak4]

Originally Posted by 1journeyman
I like supporting SWF for providing this forum.

Well said

I agree. I think ppl should realize that it takes some work to keep a site like this running. The stores prices are very reasonable. I am going to order some corals when they get restocked some, and I am ready for more animals.

 

[rbaldino]

Personally, I prefer to buy from a LFS. For one thing, you actually get to see what you're buying, and you don't have to spend a certain amount at one time, unlike mail order places. Try and find a good store in your area and develop a good relationship with at least one person there. Ask questions, and if they give you honest, useful answers, go back for more. Other than that, do research and have lots of patience. Good luck.

 

[1knight164]

Don't know too many LFS that can match SWF.com's guarantee, though. But if you find one, tnen you get the best of both worlds. Happy shopping!

 

[newtankman]

Welcome Jacqueline!!

You are defiantly starting out right by finding this forum. There are a lot of helpful people here to answer your questions and point you in right direction.
Lfs or web based? For equipment compare prices; and for your little critters go with the place that has the healthiest livestock and check for a guarantee. If you can find both in your lfs you will be very lucky.
Keep us up to date, it’s always fun to keep posting as you go and document it with pictures.
Again welcome!