Start simple, you don't need all that crap

J

jetskiking

Guest
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3142194
Have you checked the price of the all in one nano tanks lately (red sea) IMO they are geared up for the hobbyist who has experience but limited space
I know the Red Sea or ELOS are not cheap. I'm talking the big three. Biocube Nonocube and aquapod. Just the lights over my 120 cost more than those whole setups and they will give you good results for cheap.
 
jaodissa

jaodissa

Member
Regardless of tank size I think it boils down to how much of yourself your willing to contribute to this hobby. With all of the items you can buy now a days anyone can care for a nano up to a huge tank.
Personally I wanted to start this hobby with minimal expense. I had a fish tank so I used it. Was given rocks and sand used it. Wanted to be able to keep coral so I bought a skimmer and lighting If I could have found them used I would have.. Now Im sure theres a ton more I could use but so long as I am willing to learn it doesn't matter what my tank size is. I can keep adding as I learn!
Thanks for the awesome post and conversation!
 
carlos413

carlos413

Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3141925
I am a believer in keeping it simple BUT I believe simple and small is not the same thing. I would get the biggest tank I could afford alone with the best equipment I could afford. Smaller tanks have inherent problems due to their lack of volume. The inexperienced hobbyist may not be qualified to deal with these problems, which can in turn dissuade them from what would other wise rewarding hobby So IMO go big but go simple
+1
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
the only good thing about going small is the principle cost. size does not dictate the nitrogen cycle. size does not change the type of technology that is out there, save MH since heat is an issue. in my opinion, size is just a constraint, deterimining what we can and cant keep in this hobby. the only reason i would ever suggest to someone to get a small tank is to see if they like this swf thing. most people, i think, will go to a bigger tank assuming they dont royally screw up the small one. because whatever anyone is into, be it cars, be it fabrige eggs, they'll drop the dough on it. in my eye, a well cared for sw tank is a classy addition to a living space. i think that's how a lot of people feel. i also think that you cant expect something to look like money, without it having cost some money. and yes, the initial cost of setting up any sw tank is high, the costs to maintain a tank are respectively low.
 
greenreefer

greenreefer

Active Member
Well that's an overstatement if I ever saw one. Many people really like the looks of small tanks and this thread was to share my opinion/expierience with your average new person considering this hobby. For most people that aren't saltwater addicts yet time and money are their two biggest concerns. I never pitched price as a reason but small tanks do tend to be cheaper. They also take a lot less time, things even as simple as cleaning the glass are much less time consuming on a small tank.
 
spanko

spanko

Active Member
Originally Posted by florida joe
http:///forum/post/3141934
True
BTW There is however one person who has been preaching small is better and that is Henry
Yeah and I finally have her believing it so
.
I started with a 29 biocube in January 07. I like the maintenance amount on it. I think a small tank offers great opportunity to learn about the hobby and to get a maintenance schedule down and in place. Also offers the opportunity, once you have the basics down, to stretch the envelope some and experiment with things that if they fail don't have the cost implications that a larger tank would have. And do not have the loss of life a larger tank with more critters might have.
So small, it's all in how you use it!!
 
E

eric b 125

Guest
i'm not saying it cant and shouldnt be done. there are plenty of people that start with a nano and they are totally successful with it. if a small tank is what they want, then that's what they should get. however, in the op first post it was said that you should "start small until you figure out what you're doing because youre going to upgrade no matter what". why not just start in the size tank you really want in the long haul? (or as close to it as you can... we can't ALL have monster 750+) there are obvious benefits of starting with an all-in-one package like biocube, but there are plenty of LFS that will tell someone that putting that little ol' panther grouper in their 29 will work out since the fish is small and they can make a sale. research and asking questions is essential with any sized tank, but i think moreso when youre dealing with a newbie and a cube. this is just my opinion, obviously. the all in one packages are nice and easy to get started and i've seen a bunch of sick cubes on this site that i would gladly have in my house.
 
cranberry

cranberry

Active Member
IMO, your odds of success isn't dependant on whether you go big or small or simple or complicated. You are going to be as successful as you WANT to be. The time you put into maintenance and research usually corresponds with your amount of success with whatever system you choose.
I started with a 44 gallon with sump and all sorts of automated gadgets that I adapted for the tank. My very first fish was seahorses... this was before support from forums and the interwebz.
I'm still here over a decade later and that's because I was willing to put in the time for maintenance and research.
 
flower

flower

Well-Known Member
Originally Posted by Cranberry
http:///forum/post/3142985
IMO, your odds of success isn't dependant on whether you go big or small or simple or complicated. You are going to be as successful as you WANT to be. The time you put into maintenance and research usually corresponds with your amount of success with whatever system you choose.
I started with a 44 gallon with sump and all sorts of automated gadgets that I adapted for the tank. My very first fish was seahorses... this was before support from forums and the interwebz.
I'm still here over a decade later and that's because I was willing to put in the time for maintenance and research.
+1 so well said, and so true.
 
fishtaco

fishtaco

Active Member
I also think a nano is a good starting point, I think I would have been in way over my head if I would have started out with a big tank. I spend a total of about 45 minutes a week doing maintenance on both my tanks and usually top them off with FW once a week also. Very little livestock death, my corals are doing great and I still have my original pair of clownfish in one and my yellow tailed damsel in the other. You folks with monster tanks, my hat is off to you, but people need to be honest with themselves about the time and money these bigger tanks take and if they will stick with it week in and week out for years. I would like a bigger tank someday, but for now I am perfectly content with my pair of little nano's in my computer den.
Fishtaco
 
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