n00b-Wanting to start a new hobby

lion_crazz

lion_crazz

Active Member
A powerhead will also be needed. The Aqua Clears and Maxi-Jets are both good powerhead brands.
As for a skimmer, the AquaC Remora or Excalibur are both excellent.
 
vti eg6

vti eg6

Member
Originally Posted by lion_crazz
A powerhead will also be needed. The Aqua Clears and Maxi-Jets are both good powerhead brands.
As for a skimmer, the AquaC Remora or Excalibur are both excellent.
Are there any stickies on the site, that would give me basic info on skimmers/powerheads/filtration system/etc.???
-I want to get a basic understanding on a few things.
 
aztec reef

aztec reef

Active Member
Originally Posted by VTi EG6
Will that be enough flow for the thank or would a powerhead be needed?
Also depending on the tank I decide to get in the end, what protein skimmer should I go with overall?
Tank is going to be no larger than 40G for sure.
is recommended to have at least 15x turnover water in tank per hour,the more the better.. as for protein skimmers cpr bkp works great..also heard some good things about red sea prizm skimmer(imo it sucks!!)
 
vti eg6

vti eg6

Member
Also if I'm going with something like a 30g, would I need to build a sump for it?
At what point should I have to build one?
 
aztec reef

aztec reef

Active Member
you can do without one for now. but eventually is a great addition to anytank.you can set up a sump/refugim, both are great addition, plus it will give you more water volume. if i had to choose between the two i would go with the refugem. it's a breeder for pods & fauna , incresing the biodiversity which will help to have a healthy tank.....
 
who dey

who dey

Active Member
welcome to the boards!!!i ran 2 Marineland biowheel 330's on my 55gal for about a year when i first fired it up. They seemed to work ok. I switched over to a sump ( under the cabinet) they are great places to store certain hardware ie heaters, protein skimmers etc.. to keep them from cluttering up your display tank. GOod luck with everything and watch out for the addiction!! It's a tough one to kick
 
vti eg6

vti eg6

Member
Thanks Everyone for your imput. I'm going to the bookstore sometime this week. Hopefully I'll have answered my own ?'s, If not I'll be back on this thread :happyfish
I'll keep everyone updated once I start making purchases.
 
vti eg6

vti eg6

Member
Acclimation Process: I've seen 2 methods, One on this site, and this link I'm posting. Also seen some at pet stores....
http://www.***********.com/general/g...3319&subref=AI
What I'm confused is some fish take about 1-3 hours to acclimate. Would this be the same with the home/bag method rather than the drip.
What methods is everyone using at this time? ***)
I thank everyone for their info
 
marine

marine

New Member
IMO 2 hours is too long, because that time frame causes a big difference in temperatures. I usually drip for half an hour to an hour.
 
ckjess19

ckjess19

Member
Just wanted to asy that I bought the Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies. I read through it and it has a lot of great information broken down nicely for beginners without a clue like me. I had already bought most of my set up and found after reading that I was lucky and bought all the recommended things for my future tank. I just thought I would share.
 
beatlesfan

beatlesfan

Member
Ok, you seem off to a good start. Also I have ALOT of time on my hands right now so just go ahead and (if you want) type up every question that comes to mind. If you don't want to do that, the books suggested are good resoursces and this site in general is as well.
 
vti eg6

vti eg6

Member
Originally Posted by marine
IMO 2 hours is too long, because that time frame causes a big difference in temperatures. I usually drip for half an hour to an hour.
So if I were to purchase off this site, the recommended acclimation would be incorrect for fish that need 1-3 hours?
Just wanted to clarify that......
Originally Posted by ckjess19
Just wanted to asy that I bought the Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies. I read through it and it has a lot of great information broken down nicely for beginners without a clue like me. I had already bought most of my set up and found after reading that I was lucky and bought all the recommended things for my future tank. I just thought I would share.
I'll check that out this weekend when I head to barnes.
Originally Posted by Beatlesfan
Ok, you seem off to a good start. Also I have ALOT of time on my hands right now so just go ahead and (if you want) type up every question that comes to mind. If you don't want to do that, the books suggested are good resoursces and this site in general is as well.
I might have a few, but keep checking back on me with this thread....
So far I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the cycling process and the acclimation. I know they are very important when setting up a tank.
-I guess I just got confused with the whole dead shrimp/live rock/sand/ etc.
I'm more of a I see it kind of learner.
I'm going to buy a few books this weekend for sure, and study on the days I don't go to the gym, or like now when I'm at work....and it's pretty slow.
My main thing is setting up something small for my niece within the next month. 10-20G
 
monalisa

monalisa

Active Member
Hi, welcome to the boards!! You're going to love sw keeping, and you'll have a LOT of questions...post, post, post. Look at the number of posts I have in the relatively short amount of time I've been a member. That number is soon to increase as I begin a seahorse set up (my second sw tank).
As far as acclimating, I've always, ALWAYS done the drip method for fish according to this site's recommendations. It acclimates the new arrivals to the tank parameters such as salinity, SG, etc., and to the temperature (sometimes for long acclimations, I'll put a small heater in the acclimation bucket, just to be safe). This method has been very successful for me and for my daughter, who has a 55 gal set up.
Again, welcome. Glad to have you on board, and asking questions...that's the best way to start!
Lisa :happyfish
 
monalisa

monalisa

Active Member
Originally Posted by VTi EG6
So far I'm having a bit of trouble understanding the cycling process and the acclimation. I know they are very important when setting up a tank.
-I guess I just got confused with the whole dead shrimp/live rock/sand/ etc.
I'm more of a I see it kind of learner.
I'm going to buy a few books this weekend for sure, and study on the days I don't go to the gym, or like now when I'm at work....and it's pretty slow.
My main thing is setting up something small for my niece within the next month. 10-20G
Sorry, missed your question about cycling. A good way to start the cycle is to get the tank set up with live rock and live sand...you can use some base rock and base sand as well, the live will seed those. Don't worry if you LR isn't cured, as it will cure during the cycling process (this changes, however, after cycling and you have critters in the tank). Once you have your tank set up with rock, sand, water (RO), and equipment, throw a fresh cocktail shrimp in the tank to kick start the cycle. Begin testing for pH, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. When all look stable for a week or so, pH at about 8.2, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates at zero...you're ready for SLOWLY adding livestock. The cycle, however, can take weeks.
Hope this helps...I'm sure someone will chime in with more details.
P.S., You're a good uncle!!
Lisa :happyfish
 
vti eg6

vti eg6

Member
Originally Posted by MonaLisa
Sorry, missed your question about cycling. A good way to start the cycle is to get the tank set up with live rock and live sand...you can use some base rock and base sand as well, the live will seed those. Don't worry if you LR isn't cured, as it will cure during the cycling process (this changes, however, after cycling and you have critters in the tank). Once you have your tank set up with rock, sand, water (RO), and equipment, throw a fresh cocktail shrimp in the tank to kick start the cycle. Begin testing for pH, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. When all look stable for a week or so, pH at about 8.2, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates at zero...you're ready for SLOWLY adding livestock. The cycle, however, can take weeks.
Hope this helps...I'm sure someone will chime in with more details.
P.S., You're a good uncle!!
Lisa :happyfish
Thank You on your info. It's nice to see that people actually care on this site. As far as the tank for my niece, I might do a small 20 gallon for her.
If I have anymore ?'s I'll be sure to ask.....

-Carlos
 
vti eg6

vti eg6

Member
Ok....so I get payed friday. I have a 20-25 Gallon Tall tank in the attic.Pic off the web for reference.

Remember this set up will be for my niece, as long as she gets her nemo (percula) in the tank that's my main goal. I was considering a nano/bio
http://www.reefsaltwateraquarium.com...quariums1.html
Just a bit confused on what to look for ^^^^^^^
OR if I were going to spend, $300+ Pet's Mart has a 20g long tank for about 14.99. I figured I could possibly piece one together nicely.
Pic off web for reference.

Any advice??

BTW: I'm not too fond of acrylic tanks, that's out of the ? for me
 
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