newbie needing help. as well as tank

Mav

Mav

Bat Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
#1
Finally ready to pull the trigger on a saltwater tank. Price is a big factor as I don't have allot of cash. Anyways I am unsure of what questions to ask. I was directed to this forum by a client of mine and I must say they're its a wealth of knowledge here that I hope to be able to tap into.

To start I might add well introduce myself. I'm Austin, live in lakewood and work for a well reputable landscape company in highlands ranch.

I'm looking for a larger tank to set up with a full reef.

What should I be looking for, watching out for, and what questions should I be asking?

Thanks in advance!
 
Craigar

Craigar

Tiger Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#4
#4
Sps-small polyp stony coral hardest to maintain

Lps- large polyp stony coral

Softies- easiest to maintain

Decide what you want to keep that will be the determining factor of it all
 
KhensuRa

KhensuRa

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#5
#5
well well you are a newb... Welcome to the site and first and best advice I can give is patience. I am in Lakewood as well and you can ask any questions you like and even come over to look at the tank before you pull the trigger on any system.
 
newtoreef

newtoreef

Bat Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#7
#7
Welcome

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk
 
Metalsniper

Metalsniper

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#8
#8
Welcome Welcome Welcome to the wonderful world of Reef keeping.

It seems like an almost daunting task of starting up a reef before you get into it, but once you get the few big purchases out of the way it really is quite manageable. The one thing I would suggest is to get an RO/DI at the beginning and save yourself the hassle of driving back and forth to the Local Fish Store (LFS) and spending tons of money on water.

(I had a thermo teacher that said welcome welcome welcome to another wonderful day of thermodynamics at the start of every class)
 
Walter White

Walter White

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#9
#9
I might suggest getting a beginners book to saltwater just to familarize yourself with such things as the nitrogen cycle, the relation ship between calcium, alkalinity, magnesium, ph, etc.

Here is some excellent information to get you started.

The "How To" Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners

The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 1: The Salt Water Itself
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-03/rhf/index.php

The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 2: What Chemicals Must be Supplemented
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php

The "How To" Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners, Part 3: pH
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-05/rhf/index.php

The “How To” Guide to Reef Aquarium Chemistry for Beginners,
Part 4: What Chemicals May Detrimentally Accumulate
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-09/rhf/index.php
 
newtoreef

newtoreef

Bat Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#12
#12
Reverse osmosis deionization its a water filter preferred cuz it leaves you with pure water no trace elements

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk
 
Mav

Mav

Bat Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#13
#13
Gotcha. Don't know all the terms yet. Id buy a book but I dinky know what one to get there are so many
 
ReeferMatt

ReeferMatt

Nurse Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#14
#14
Hmmm.. I'm wondering if I sent you here (Skyler is that you?) :) either way welcome!!!! I second the RODI filter, even though if you live in Ft. Collins or Loveland your water is almost awesome right out of the tap! I would also recommend going to your local library checking out the newer books on saltwater aquariums that they have, and deciding what type of system you want to set up. A lot of people new to the hobby like to set up a FOWLR (Fish only with live rock) system to get started, and as knowledge builds (and $$ allows) start adding equipment like lighting and what not to start adding coral.

Just remember, (in this hobby as with most things) "good things happen slowly, but bad things happen all at once!!" So take your time, plan, research, revise, then execute!!
 
Walter White

Walter White

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#15
#15
I cant remember the titles but there are two good ones I started with that are in depth enough to cover the basics but not so in depth that its overwhelming. I'll post the titles when I get home tonight. You dont really need books its all on line. The problem with the internet though is there is too much inforamtion and too many people stating mis-information as fact. In the beginning I think books are little more manageable.

The best advice I can give is do some research first before jumping in. Understand all the equiptment you are going to need. Things like an RO/DI system are not required but make life allot easier. No amount of reading will prepare you for everything at some point you do just has to get your feet wet but doing some research up front will save you allot of time, money and frustration.

As others has said go slow and be patient, expect that things will die and you will suffer set backs. Its just all part of the learning experience.
 
X

xsocali

Clown Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#16
#16
Best thing to do before you buy equipment is go see other people tank setups and take notes and pics of their systems.After you seen a few you will get the idea on what to look for.Patience is the key.And once you have a tank water and rocks and all the other equipment then starts the cycle period before you are ready to add anything.
 
newtoreef

newtoreef

Bat Fish
M.A.S.C Club Member
#17
#17
If you live in the Aurora Denver are shoot Me a number and stop by can show ya a few things I'm only about 3 months into reefing but doing well I would like to think :D

Sent from my LG-P999 using Tapatalk
 
freedominco

freedominco

Angel Fish
#19
#19
xjmav;158407 said:
Wow I feel like I came to the place and what is a RO/DI
Click to expand...
Yes this is a good place to start, also listen to xsocali, go see some up and running tanks to get some ideas.

Things I would start with are Tank, Tank Stand, Sump, Skimmer, Return Pump, RO/DI water filter and mixing station.

Tank- Go as big as you can afford to prevent a upgrade 6 months down the road, I would avoid using overflow boxes and insist on a reef ready tank with built in overflows. If you choose glass make sure it is scratch free and no chips on the edges.

Tank stand- Will pry come with tank but make sure there is enough room under the tank for all your equipment.

Sump- I like a nice size sump that can hold some water and other equipment, maybe even your skimmer.

Skimmer- To me a good foaming skimmer is a must, skimmer size will pry be determined by how big of tank you get, but good skimmers are always for sale used at fair prices.

Return Pump- Once again will be determined by tank size but things to think about are, is the return pump gonna be external or submersed in water in the sump ?

RO/DI water filter- I wish that this would of been the first thing I bought, being able to make an endless amount of pure water in priceless in this hobby. A good 5 stage system is under $200, I would buy this brand new so you know the history and avoid any problems when it comes to your starting water quality. I would also set up some sort of water mixing station, many use new trash cans or the blue/white 55 gallon barrels, add a heater and small pump and your cost for fresh salt water is a fraction of the cost of buying from a LFS (local fish store)
 
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