HELP!! I need tips for setting up my new reef tank!!

[alexandra]

hello everyone since I am new to the hobby I will need some good expert advice on this. I have researched several different sources but they all have conflicting ideas about how to set up the tank. Many say that a protein skimmer is crucial, others say that it isn't necessary. I will also need some tips on the following:
*whether to use live sand or crushed coral
*reccomeded tank size (is 40 gal. OK?)
*lighting:florescent?
*and a step-by-step guide to how to set up the tank (some say wait a week for the tank to cycle, others say a day, still others months, what do i do?!)
i need good advice soon, do not take advantage of the fact that i'm new to this! thank you!

 

[fshhub]

protein skimmerrs are not crucial, but highly reccommended, they can mak your life much easier
go with a dsb(deep sand bed, NO crushed coral), and you can seed it with part live sand,
and a 40 is ok(that was our first), but if you can, a 55 is a better choice, the larger the easier to maintain(i do however suggest rectangles, they are easier and better for newcomers)
lighitn all depend on what you intend to keep, but i use 10,000kelvin pc's now,a nd am gettin 2 actinic vho's soon , for corals
as far as step by step, ireally like the book "the new marine aquarium" by michael paletta, it is easy to follow and answers alot of questions, and guides you through it step by step,
and also
<a href="http://home.gardenet.co.za/landman/Starting%20with%20Marines.htm" target="_blank">read this link</a>
and finally WELCOME TO A GREAT ADDICTION, you're gonna love it
and the best advice anyone can offer is:
NEVER HURRY ANYTHING, SPEED DEFINITELY KILLS HERE!!, go slow, and come back and ask lots of questions

 

[mlm]

One more bit of experience. If you can aford it go with a 75 gallon. It is the same length as a 55 but a few inches wider. Those few inches make the tank a lot easier to work with. I know b/c I bought a 55 and I wish every day I had a 75.

 

[captained]

Welcome, welcome!
OK, my 2 cents: Buy the tank you really want now- moving up later is not a painless experience, believe me. I highly recommed a tank w/built in overflow so you can add a sump/refugium. If money is an issue, you can always capoff the overflow for now. Size matters- the bigger the better! Not only is it easier, but you will want that one, gorgeous fish that needs at least the 75 sooner than you think
If you've had freshwater tanks, forget everything you learned- I didn't and wasted a lot of time and money. What works best in SW/Reef is the most natural biological filtration you can use, e.g., DSB, LR, and a refugium. You probably want a skimmer at least in the beginning to compensate for the fact that it takes months, if not a year, for a SW tank to fully mature.
Finally, chances are your LFS (Local Fish Store) will not be your best source of information. A search of this BB will find lots of recommendations for good books.

 

[cyn]

Welcome! I can understand your position. My tank has been up for almost 4 months now after years of reading and dreaming. This BB is a godsend. I found it after I had started my reef tank, and wish I had found it before. I started with cc for substrate and could not get my nitrates below 10ppm. Using the advise here, I changed to dsb and now have undetectable nitrates. In fact my tank appears to be very stable right now.
The this bb offers the newbie both the ability to search for information and the perc of getting immediate answers. The first post you should read is called slang assistance, do a search. It helped me alot. There are also many posts on dsb, how to do it, pro's and con's etc. I would also purchace a high quality test kit. One that includes Ph, Ammonia, nitrate and nitrite to start. Down the road you will be testing for other things depending on what you intend to keep, but the basics above will help you determine when the 'cycle' is over. On that thought, you could also search using cycle to get more info on determining when it is safe to begin adding critters.
Above all, patience! Welcome to the addiction!
cyn

 

[alexandra]

thanks to y'all for your help! please feel free to give any additional advice you have. I am very excited to be part of this hobby!!

 

[tellico tornado]

The setup i use is called a "plenum System"
The object is to trap "dead space" underneath a deep sand bed. I used the plastic part of a undergravel filter. covered that up with a piece of fine fiberglass mesh, and then added a 4" DSB on top of that. Then i added about 25lbs of live rock and three damsels to cycle the tank. I have a good heater and a hang on the back filter for the floating debris. Other than that, i use nothing else. No skimmer, no wet/dry filter. My tank is self sufficent. Keep in mind, with a setup like i use, the water changes need to be more regular but the chemical part of the equation is much more stable this way i think. My PH and ALK and stuff like this are way more stable.