Newbie needs advice.

[chaesin]

Hi all, my name is Jae, and this is my first post on this site.
I do not have a setup yet, but am going to buy one soon. I have been reading all the guides I can find. But I still have a couple of questions. I tend to favor the invertebrates like shrimps and crabs over the fish. I am hoping to concentrate mostly on them. Do i need to have a reef setup to accomplish this? If not, what would the difference between a reef setup and an invertebrate heavy tank be? I hear reef stups are very hard to maintain, and I realize I may have to change my mind if I'm not up to the task. (oh yes, I plan on getting a tank in the 30-60 gallon range.) Any and all info will be appreciated.

 

[dean]

You can do an invert tank either reef style or the more conventional saltwater setup. The difference is a reef tank can more easily handle corals and the more sensitive inverts. Lighting is also more complex and expensive with a reef tank since corals are present. If you've never done a saltwater tank before and just want to keep shrimp, crabs and the like I would recommend a more conventional setup since they are easier and cheaper to establish as well as to maintain.
Good luck. Dean.

 

[chuck]

I have done both set ups and I found a fish only tank (not having live rock) is much more diffulcult than a reef tank. Live rock is the best thing any tank could have. You definitely need good lighting to support the life on and in the rock. My tank levels have never been so perfect and my tank has never looked so good. Start slow, the only true way to be successful at this hobby is to read, listen, and experiment. Alot of mistakes will be made, but they will teach valuable lessons. Good luck!

 

[chaesin]

Thanx for the advice. I think what i will do is get me some live rock, but not the harder things to take care of, like corals. Think Reef Lite, I guess. thanx. I'm sure you guys will see alot more posts from me.