Reef Tank

[jmb42]

I deciding on a 75gal tank.I am wondering if a reef is hard to do?I have the time and a certain amount of money(its expensive).I was thinking of a fish only,but the lfs said if I do that I might as well have a reef because it is better looking.I agree,but I dont know if if it is a hard task.I like looking at reefs and starring at all the shrimp and crabs.I would rather reef.Would you have a protien skimmer with a UV sterilizer I ve been reading about reefs and I think if I start off slow like 2 anenomes in the begining and gradually buying inverts it will be alot easier.Please give me some advice.

 

[q]

Just take your time, get educated, then spend your money. It will be cheeper and easier.
Use a Deep Sand Bed (4 inches), 1-1.5 lbs per gallon of Live Rock, and a good protine skimmer. Don't skimp on the lighting go with at least 4 VHO bulbs.
Start with mushrooms as they are the easiest in general.
Ask a lot of questions and spend hours on the web along with buying quailty books.
hope it helps

 

[piscesblue]

Good advise Plato. Here are some great books JMB42:
Natural Reef Aquariums : Simplified Approaches to Creating Living Saltwater Microcosms -- by John H. Tullock, Martin A. Moe; Paperback
Marine Reef Aquarium Handbook
by Robert J. Goldstein (Paperback - July 1997)
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist : A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists
by Robert M. Fenner, Christopher Turk (Paperback - March 1998)
I hope you enjoy.

 

[azzala]

Not only is it better looking, it is also healthier for your fish. I have a 75g I started as a FO but I had die offs and other problems I don’t have with my reef. After the initial expense of rock and lighting I purchased expensive inverts like hermits and starfish. They are amazing to watch and it isn’t much more work than a FO tank.

 

[up north hermit]

I heartily agree with all of the above.
I will add another piece of advice, based on many years of experience. I think the single biggest mistake made is the lack of patience it takes to let the reef mature. Most reefers will tell you to wait 4-6 months (6 is preferable) before adding any corals or anemones, or other creatures ( some snails, crabs, and a few inverts being the exception). Of course the anxious new hobbyist wants to add animals as soon as the cycle ends (and sometimes before ).
If I had to attest to the one thing I did to accomplish my successful reef, it would be that I waited a full six months before adding any corals, and even then I started to add them slowly, letting each one get fully adjusted to my tank before adding any more. By this time my tank was maturing nicely, sand bed teeming with life, and the tank able to basically feed itself.
This is just my .02 and I'm sure there are many ways to a successful reef. But one thing everyone must have is an abundance of patience. There are no short cuts in this hobby, IMHO.
HTH
Hermit

 

[vkesu]

Go to the local library to find all these books. It saved me money and they will check to see which ones they can get for you. First time I had been to the library in years...........WHAT ..NO CARD CATALOG!

 

[jmb42]

Thanks for the advice..