i need help

[ametz_14]

i have just come across this site and realized i want to start a saltwater coral reef tank, how big of tank should i get, how much LR, filters, and other crap, what kinda of corals and fish and inverts, and anything else i need to know

 

[orby]

Boy now thats really a WIDE question, There is a ton to know. I think you should really go out and by a beginners book or two on keeping saltwater fish and reefs. This is not a hobby you want to jump into blindly and without doing a bit of reading on the subject first. I'm not scolding you, I'm saving you alot of heartache and $$$$$.

 

[adrian]

First thing I will recommend is a good book to get you started, Natural Reef Aquariums by John Tullock is and excellent book and it will provide you with a good foundation for setting up a tank. Some other good books are Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman, and The Coral Reef Aquarium by Dr.Ron Shimek. Youll find a lot of opinions in this hobby and the best way to start if to get a good understanding of what it takes to keep saltwater organisms healthy and then ask others for advise. This way youll find out all the different ways people keep reefs and decide for yourself how you want to go about it. With that said, get the biggest tank you can afford, and that dosnt mean the cost of the tank itself but the cost of the tank and all the equipment. Dont skimp on anything, youll only replace things later on, you wont need any filters if you go natural route, ie live sand and live rock, you may want a skimmer, some people use them, some dont, I think they are a vital piece of equipment, your lighting will depend on what you plan to keep, what you plan to keep will depend on how much lighting you can afford HTH

 

[dad]

how much do you want to spend? how big is your house? how much do you know about this hobby?how? how? how?
there is alot of hows'.lol
i suggest that you buy some books and start reading first before you plundge into it.

 

[danielle]

Ametz:
Welcome to the board! This is a loaded question that can have alot of answer's.
1. What size tank? The bigger the better. Get as big of a tank as you can afford.
2. As for LR depend's on what size tank you get. General rule 1- 1 1/2 pounds per gallon.
3. Filter's??? I wouldn't know what the best kind would be as I will only use LR. Someone else will have to help you out there.
4. Light's That's a good one! This is a very debateable topic. Some say metal halide, vho,powercompact's, etc... It really depend's on what you can afford and what kind's of coral you plan to keep. I'll let MR. SALTY or someone else help you out there.
5. Get test kit's. Salifert is said to be one of the best out there. For a new tank you will need... Ammonia,ph,calcium,nitrite,nitrate,copper (incase you don't know if you have any in the water), and a hydrometer(for the salinity). Any one else want to add some more? The best thing to do is to find out what is in your water. Get a print out from your local water company so you know what is in your water. Also a you should get a good ro/di unit(to purify the water).
I can't help you with the fish or coral's because I have no idea what size tank you have or will have. And you should not get fish,coral's,or invert's until the tank has COMPLETELY cycled. And when your cycling your tank stay away from DAMSELS. They are the nastiest fish I think I have ever seen.
6. Read, read, read, read,read,read,read,!!! There is much reading to be done before you even put water in your tank. Their are alot of friendly,and helpful people on this site. don't be afraid to ask question's and research the archive's on this site. there is alot of helpful info in the archive's.
I hope I have been helpful. And read
Danielle
Ps, sorry for the long post

 

[kappadoku]

Everybodys going to say this, but go to the library and check out anything you can on marine aquariums and reefs.
This site has a very good beginners section also, that will paraphrase alot of essentials into easy to understand sections, so you realize what your getting into before you drop a wad of cash.
Specific answers?
* The bigger the tank the better, theres not too much of a price difference between 75 gallon and 150 gallon. The bigger the tank is, the more margin of error, or room for newbie-ism you have.
*Live rock should be in the amount of approx 1-2 pounds per gallon of water. A 100 gallon tank needs 100-200 pounds.
* Filters and other crap...ummm... Look into a "miracle mud" sump setup. It is a wet-dry filter, sump, nitrate reducer, and refugeum in one shot. Youll need extra power heads to move water around and keep it oxygenated also.
* As far as fish and corals, research each specimen individually. Know what they eat, what they need to thrive, if their compatible with what you allready have, and what to look for in a healthy specimen.
* You need to know- Lighting. Lighting is going to be the biggest decision, and biggest headache, and most expensive purchase you will need to make. Metal halide (MH) with power compact (PC) or Very High Output (VHO) flourescents combinations are best. MH lights give you the best nourishment for light loving critters, and the added PC or VHO will give you added wattage, color, and dawn/dusk lighting.
Strive for a general rule of 4-5 wattts per gallon, unless its a shallow tank (<20 inches tall) where you should strive for 5000 -10000 lumens per square foot of surface area.
BEST TIP EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AVOID IMPULSE BUYING!!!
Dont buy anything on some dude at the Local fish stores (LFS) word that its healthy and compatible with what you have. If you like something, reserve it, do your research, wait at least 2 days (more like a week), then go buy it, if it still looks good.
Hope this helps, and Welcome!

 

[flydan]

Welcome,
I've read the replies you've been getting and I agree with them. The one thing that helped me, before I spent a ton of money, was my local library. They have dozens of books on the subject of Marine Aquariums. I wouldn't bother with any written more than 10 years ago since lots of things have been discovered since then.
One thing you should decide early is what it is about saltwater fish keeping "you" find the most exciting. Is it a specific type of fish? (Lionfish = Aggressive set-up) Corals or Anemones? (Reef tank) or just the real colorful and interesting fish you see at the store? (Fish Only Tank) This will determine what equipment you need! For example, reef tanks need lots of water movement and tons of light. Aggressive set ups might have what is politely termed "messy eaters" and need more filtration.
There are lots of different ways to set up a tank. Do the research and ask questions here when ever you want to. (You can also search by topic on this bb.)
Good luck!
Dan'l
PS. I'm suprised nobody told you yet, but you will have to be very, very, very, very patient when setting up a Marine tank! It may take a year before you can put a certain fish, or coral in your aquarium. Seriously!

 

[must tang]

Some advice....make sure you know what things are going to cost before you even buy the tank. I found the tank and stand to be suprisingly inexpensive and had no idea what was still ahead. Check out the costs of lights, filters, rock, sand, fish, chemicals.....before you make the decision to get into the hobby. I didn't do that. It's a lot of fun and worth the money if you love it. But it costs $$$$

 

[banshee]

It will also help to read past posts on this board. Lots of good info!

 

[burnnspy]

I highly recommend you purchase the following books:
The Reef Aquarium by Julian Sprung
Aquarium Corals by Eric Borneman
Live sand secrets by Bob Goemans
Protien skimming and activated carbon secrets by Bob Goemans
Keep in mind that this is usually a very expensive hobby.
Check out my webpage for some light reading also.
BurnNSpy