New aquarium and corals
- Thread starter redshad
- Start date
flower
Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Redshad
http:///forum/post/3251052
When setuping a new aquarium, would it be a good idea to setup the majority of the corals and let them get established first before adding fish or does it really matter? I'm just wondering what would be best for the marine enviroment
Thanks
It dosn't really matter, AFTER cycle, it depends on what you want to look at first. You could get 1 fish and a coral or two
http:///forum/post/3251052
When setuping a new aquarium, would it be a good idea to setup the majority of the corals and let them get established first before adding fish or does it really matter? I'm just wondering what would be best for the marine enviroment
Thanks
It dosn't really matter, AFTER cycle, it depends on what you want to look at first. You could get 1 fish and a coral or two
xcali1985
Active Member
I started by adding a few fish first. Then when i got into corals slowed down on the fish, although the ones in seemed to love the new additions. I add one fish a month now when I use to add 1 every two weeks. Corals are expensive and will put a nice dent into you wallet if you are looking for colonies and not frags.
If you are going to go with frags there wont be much to see to begin with and you may choose to add a few frags but also continue adding fish, lets face it a frag plug with 10 zoas on it isn't much to look at but over the couse of a year or so you can have a tank that has all your fish and corals developing nicely.
So in summary it just depends on your financials and your preference, me I went with about 20 colonies of corals and about 10 frags of the more expensive kinds. Local reef clubs often have great deals on the expensive ones as members with fully established tanks frag often.
If you are going to go with frags there wont be much to see to begin with and you may choose to add a few frags but also continue adding fish, lets face it a frag plug with 10 zoas on it isn't much to look at but over the couse of a year or so you can have a tank that has all your fish and corals developing nicely.
So in summary it just depends on your financials and your preference, me I went with about 20 colonies of corals and about 10 frags of the more expensive kinds. Local reef clubs often have great deals on the expensive ones as members with fully established tanks frag often.
redshad
New Member
THANKS for the help, I have another question, if I wanna use base rock and live rock, what would be the ratio of live rock to base rock i would need so my base rock would become live rock and, im planning on doing some aquascaping does it matter if my live rock dries out so i can attach to the PVC? Also im wanting to have a bunch of corals and a wide variety of them, would something like a calcium reactor be something that i should consider investing in? Tank is 50gallons and i apologize for all of the questions, i just realize the investment im about to make and want to do it right the first time. Thanks again for the help-Tyler-
lol
Member
Use a 1/1 ratio of base rock to live rock. More base rock and you could have problems with hair algae in the future. You should never let your live rock completely dry out - it should always be moist. There are creatures on the rock that require to be moist with saltwater or else they will die. It's ok to keep it out of water for a little while, but while you are working with it, it's better to wrap newspaper around the rocks until you use them.
A calcium reactor is not something you should consider for a 50g aquarium. There are much easier and better ways of adding calcium to an aquarium without that expensive piece of equipment. There are liquid based calcium supplements and there is what is called limewater or kalkwasser (pickling lime) which when used properly can be just as easy as any other calcium supplement. You should google it and read some threads on here about them if you do decide to go that path.
About the investment - you are creating a money pit. Seriously. When you get a tank, you are not going to make any money off of it. Most of the time a beginner will make some purchasing mistakes, even if you research everything and ask opinions before hand. Just realize that it is a hobby and continue doing it if that is what you enjoy.
Hope this helps.
A calcium reactor is not something you should consider for a 50g aquarium. There are much easier and better ways of adding calcium to an aquarium without that expensive piece of equipment. There are liquid based calcium supplements and there is what is called limewater or kalkwasser (pickling lime) which when used properly can be just as easy as any other calcium supplement. You should google it and read some threads on here about them if you do decide to go that path.
About the investment - you are creating a money pit. Seriously. When you get a tank, you are not going to make any money off of it. Most of the time a beginner will make some purchasing mistakes, even if you research everything and ask opinions before hand. Just realize that it is a hobby and continue doing it if that is what you enjoy.
Hope this helps.
redshad
New Member
Thanks Flower, Xcali1985, and lol for the help. Yeah I realize its a money pit but, unfortunately i think i made a mistake with my career choice. I went from being accepted to Texas A&M Galveston and planning on studying ocean and coastal resources but, decided to pursue instrumentation instead due to the fact i was afraid of job availabity when i graduated. So doing the whole saltwater aquarium is a way to keep the love of the ocean and its inhabitants close to me. Anyways enough on the life story, thanks again i really do appreicate it.