New and lots of questions!

[bioman]

I've been reading the posts for about a week now and decided to ask a few things (by a few things I meen alot).
Herer it goes:
1. I would like to get a 55g tank , will this work for a basic reef tank and maybe an anenome?
2. on an auction sight there seems to be alot of the Jebo brand high compact light fixtures with two 65W 12000K tubes and two 65W antinic tubes so thats a total of 260W is that enough light for som mushrooms, polyps and maybe an anenome? Also, it is a avout $120 with shipping, is that a good price?
3. Can I use a normal hang-on-the-back filter from tetra (tetra-tec pf 300 to be more specific) or will I need a fancy canister filter?
4. Do I need a sump?
5. I live in a town a small town in norhtern BC, the only pet store we have has on 55g reef tank with livestock. should I ask them to order the coral, inverts and fish I want or should I order online and get it shipped up here?( I'd love to order from this sight but they don't ship to canada)
6. I thought damsels would be good starter fish after I cycle my tank but now I'm thin king otherwise. What family of fish would be a good starter?
:help:
by the way, I'm 15 and am on minimum wage so my budget isn't that big.
Sorry for all the questions.
Thanks in advance!
One more thing, what would be a good, general marine food for my fish?

 

[treybomb]

okay wow lost of ?'s
but thats good

okay umm...
i would recommend getting the biggest tank that you can afford.. although it may cost more money it will be more forgiving in chemical balances
sorry i cant help you with the lighting
for filters i would say get some kind of biowheel filter... ive heard some bad things about the canister however i ahve no experience with them...
you dont ever really need a sump but for a reef .. they are recommended
develop a good relationship with your lfs and see what they can help you out with... they might not always tell you the right things so post your ?'s on here too

i wuold strongly advise you not to get damselsl... they are really aggressive even to fish a lot larger thna them
you should get live rock and live sand to start the cycle
im 15 also (as of today

) so i know what kind of budget your on... keep in mind that this is a very expensive hobby (especially if youre going reef) and it requires alot of patience
i would recommend picking up a book called the conscientious marine aquarist by robert m fenner
^^
that book is really helpful
i hope i answered most of your questions if not just let me know
welcome to the boards
-thomas

:cheer:
sorry for rambling!

 

[sinner's girl]

1. I would like to get a 55g tank , will this work for a basic reef tank and maybe an anenome?
Yep, but you shouldn't get an anenome till your tank is at least 6months with no problems, you'll need your water to be perfect and you'll need certian lights.
2. on an auction sight there seems to be alot of the Jebo brand high compact light fixtures with two 65W 12000K tubes and two 65W antinic tubes so thats a total of 260W is that enough light for som mushrooms, polyps and maybe an anenome? Also, it is a avout $120 with shipping, is that a good price?
sorry, clueless about lights. Check on the reed board.
for filters i would say get some kind of biowheel filter... ive heard some bad things about the canister however i ahve no experience with them...
ditto, canisters tend to harvest/grow/collect not sure of the word, nitrates, which are bad.
4. Do I need a sump?
Nope, don't need one, but it couldn't hurt.
5. I live in a town a small town in norhtern BC, the only pet store we have has on 55g reef tank with livestock. should I ask them to order the coral, inverts and fish I want or should I order online and get it shipped up here?( I'd love to order from this sight but they don't ship to canada)
Depends, you can only add one or two (if it's a pair) fish at a time, most sites want you order a min amount of fish/inverts. You can order all your inverts online, since they can be added at once. Just learn about your inverts first, make sure they are campatable with each and any fish/corals you want to get. Most fish stores will order fish ect for you.
6. I thought damsels would be good starter fish after I cycle my tank but now I'm thin king otherwise. What family of fish would be a good starter?
Can't go wrong with a pair of clowns. BUT...you need to figure out what fish you want before you add any. Make sure what you want will get along with what you have.
by the way, I'm 15 and am on minimum wage so my budget isn't that big.
shop around if you can. Buy used, buy base rock (non live rock) and and it will became lr in time, buy sand, and add some live sand. the ls will seed the nonlive sand. Corals and such will add more money since you'll need better lights. You might want to stick with lights that come with the tank for awhile, then later add lights for corals and such. You shouldn't add coral and such for at least 6mns after cycle-your tank needs to be established and stable.
Sorry for all the questions.
Glad you asked, rather than just buying and killing fish.
Thanks in advance!

No problem. You're welcome.
One more thing, what would be a good, general marine food for my fish?
Nope, depends on the fish. Different fish need different food. Frozen enriched brine shrimp is good, but some fish will need algea or something else.
buy or borrow a couple of books, read, read, read. Ask questions here, read the posts here and go slow. Good luck!

 

[bioman]

OH Thank you guys so much!!

 

[shnabbles]

The lights you are talking about will work for ALOT of corals... Anenomes need super strong lighting. I have the same lighting and have 1 Rose Bubble Tip Anenome and it has gotten alot smaller since i bought it from a store that kept it under Metal Halide Lighting...
If you want an anenome solly for a clown to host, clowns will host several corals also. And with corals you dont have to worry about them moving around the tank and stinging corals.
Also if you want a reef your going to NEED a protien Skimmer...
If you cant afford enough live rock to equal out to 1 pound of rock per gallon i suggest you get a hang on back filter. I have a 55 and use a Aqua Remora C protien skimmer, and a Penguin 400 HOB filter that i replace the carbon in every 2 weeks.

 

[bioman]

what would base rock be? Could I use something like lava rock or does it have to be base rock?With The lights I am thinking of getting wouldn't work for an anenome?
thanks!