Reef Aquariums

[austin21]

im intrested in the reef aquariums at this time and wanted to know how difficult it is compared to keeping saltwater fish what would i need i have a 30 gallon tank that i want to convert and i have a 150 gallon if it is not to difficult i would like to do it but is it more rewarding looking than triggers and are the corals always dieng i have heard conflicting answers some say its not that hard some say it is impossible i would like to know what i need to buy what are good starter coral inverts etc any response will be greattly apreciated

 

[chevron tang]

honestly it's really not that hard. you just have to make sure you have adequate lighting and you will have to start dosing your tank with elements such as calcium. as far as what to put. soft corals are the easiest to keep.

 

[striker]

Building a reef is difficult and can ultimately fail when one does'nt do enough research before starting. Read a few books, check out past threads and ask questions along the way. It is definitely more expensive (lighting and livestock) than a fish only but far more interesting and rewarding. Patience is definitely a key to sucess. Once you understand the basics you can start with live rock, sand, test kit and a good protein skimmer. It would be best to add the fish, inverts and any corals after the cycle is over. Livestock should be introduced into your tank without overloading. I've heard that mushrooms are good to start out with. The 150 gallon would be your best bet in starting a reef and you could always use the 30 as a sump. Good luck, frank.

 

[coraltrapper5020]

If you have the bigger tank use the bigger tank. The more space you have the more time you have to see mistakes and fix the mistakes.