mikersof
Member
WOW! I'm not about 5 weeks into a new 80 Bowfront headed for a reef. Also, 2 weeks into that, I started converting our old 29 freshwater to a reef as well.
What I most wish now is that I had known about the message boards, the educational sites online, and printed material (books, etc)!!!
WHAT A GOLD MINE the foriums are!
At present, I have not waisted a lot of money but I have some. In cycling water, I caught my 29 up to the point my 80 was at-- not really rushing it but not taking nearly as long as my LFS wanted. At present, I have 178lb of RL split 128/50 with 100lb more coming Tuesday. I will have about 2.5lb/gal when finished. I am being very patient waiting for the water to cycle and know that the additional LR may delay that even longer but I want the LR to be in place before I start adding livestock (ok ok... i admit i have 5 hermits so I can watch something =) It was a LONG 1st week watching nothing but water circulate. I'm also using live sand 80lb split 20/60.
Here's some advice I received locally. When I say locally, in my small southern Okla town, we have a LFS that is a petshop you have to pet the dogs and cats and listen to the birds scream while having to put up with the smell of the mice and rats. Also, in OKC 100 miles away, there is a saltwater only LFS that has beautiful reef tanks. I'm finding out there are other saltwater LFSs within 80-100 miles.
Advice from LPS. (1) To grow corals, the 4' single bulb fluorescent light will just not do. you need to buy a 2 bulb fluorescent and have a total of 80W to really get the corel to grow. <SIGH> cha-ching
(2) you don't need to buy a skimmer, just run the emporer 400 and an air stone to create bubbles (they didn't say anything about salt creep) to break up the surface tension.
(3) you will need about 50lb of LR to do well with a reef tank. <sigh> (and they sell LR too!!!)
OKC saltwater shop. (1) you don't need a skimmer-- we don't have a single one anywhere in our shop on any of our tanks. just add a second emporer 400 for water flow and that is what will break up surface tension. <sigh> Cha ching!
... they did say not to use the air stone due to it causing problems with corals.
(2) the 80w fluorescent is just not enough. you need to move up to something like a power compact. (we're talking for my 80 Bowfront that has a 28" water depth). The recommended a Current 4X96W. CHA-CHING
THEN, I found the message boards and got some really good info. I had thought that MH was too expensive but then when I started adding up all the bulb replacement, MH will pay for itself in a couple of years. The good news is that both LFSs will take back the items they sold me with exception of the Emporer 400 <WHEW> But, if i can get so messed up on setup, what in the world would have happened to me when I started stocking critters.
READ READ ASK QUESTIONS and READ MORE! Go visit others and see how they are doing things. One thing that I have learned is that there might not be just one right way of doing something but there are MANY ways of doing it wrong!
I have MH coming for my 80. A very nice power compact coming for my 29 (both Corel Life) and AquaC Remora skimmers coming for both. (so wishing i had them during the whole cycling process!).
I'm reading up on cleaner crews which will be my next step. Probably put my own package together taylored for each tank. then if all goes well, maybe some fish! we'll worry about shrimp, other inverts and coral later.
can't wait to sit back ***) and enjoy my :happyfish
Best wishes all,
James =)
What I most wish now is that I had known about the message boards, the educational sites online, and printed material (books, etc)!!!
WHAT A GOLD MINE the foriums are!
At present, I have not waisted a lot of money but I have some. In cycling water, I caught my 29 up to the point my 80 was at-- not really rushing it but not taking nearly as long as my LFS wanted. At present, I have 178lb of RL split 128/50 with 100lb more coming Tuesday. I will have about 2.5lb/gal when finished. I am being very patient waiting for the water to cycle and know that the additional LR may delay that even longer but I want the LR to be in place before I start adding livestock (ok ok... i admit i have 5 hermits so I can watch something =) It was a LONG 1st week watching nothing but water circulate. I'm also using live sand 80lb split 20/60.
Here's some advice I received locally. When I say locally, in my small southern Okla town, we have a LFS that is a petshop you have to pet the dogs and cats and listen to the birds scream while having to put up with the smell of the mice and rats. Also, in OKC 100 miles away, there is a saltwater only LFS that has beautiful reef tanks. I'm finding out there are other saltwater LFSs within 80-100 miles.
Advice from LPS. (1) To grow corals, the 4' single bulb fluorescent light will just not do. you need to buy a 2 bulb fluorescent and have a total of 80W to really get the corel to grow. <SIGH> cha-ching
(2) you don't need to buy a skimmer, just run the emporer 400 and an air stone to create bubbles (they didn't say anything about salt creep) to break up the surface tension.
(3) you will need about 50lb of LR to do well with a reef tank. <sigh> (and they sell LR too!!!)
OKC saltwater shop. (1) you don't need a skimmer-- we don't have a single one anywhere in our shop on any of our tanks. just add a second emporer 400 for water flow and that is what will break up surface tension. <sigh> Cha ching!
... they did say not to use the air stone due to it causing problems with corals.
(2) the 80w fluorescent is just not enough. you need to move up to something like a power compact. (we're talking for my 80 Bowfront that has a 28" water depth). The recommended a Current 4X96W. CHA-CHING
THEN, I found the message boards and got some really good info. I had thought that MH was too expensive but then when I started adding up all the bulb replacement, MH will pay for itself in a couple of years. The good news is that both LFSs will take back the items they sold me with exception of the Emporer 400 <WHEW> But, if i can get so messed up on setup, what in the world would have happened to me when I started stocking critters.
READ READ ASK QUESTIONS and READ MORE! Go visit others and see how they are doing things. One thing that I have learned is that there might not be just one right way of doing something but there are MANY ways of doing it wrong!
I have MH coming for my 80. A very nice power compact coming for my 29 (both Corel Life) and AquaC Remora skimmers coming for both. (so wishing i had them during the whole cycling process!).
I'm reading up on cleaner crews which will be my next step. Probably put my own package together taylored for each tank. then if all goes well, maybe some fish! we'll worry about shrimp, other inverts and coral later.
can't wait to sit back ***) and enjoy my :happyfish
Best wishes all,
James =)
