Am I happy or what?

[bishop_gideon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6944540#post6944540 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by mhurley
Trust us...go to these other stores and you will see the difference between what is close to you and what is a little drive. It's night and day.

Maybe I'll go to deepreef tonight... dekalb is out, but downers grove? it's possible... can't buy any fish yet... but I can at least look around...

 

[Naperville Reef]

if you are looking for advice from an LFS in our area than i would be very careful about who you listen to.

Deep Reef is great for fish, so-so for corals. their employees seem knowledgable.

you will get, without a doubt, the best advise from Rod's Reef. IME, you will save $ by listening to Rod b/c he will recommend the proper equipment that is suitable for your tank the first time. i have heard some ridiculous stories about LFS taking advantage of newbies.

before you buy anything based on the recomendation of an LFS in our area, with the exception of Deep Reef and Rods Reef, i would ask this board first.

 

[mhurley]

Ditto what Naperville Reef said.

 

[pk1]

When I first started out a LFS in my town sold me a trickle filter, a RIO return pump and a 4x55 w PC lighting combo, and told me I could keep anything available to a hobbist from the ocean. All 3 are now collecting dust. I have a feeling this guy would have sold me a shark for my 55gl tank if he had one. your on the right track here at RC, and I'm sure you will learn a lot at the upcoming CMAS meeting, featuring a few members virtual tank tours.

 

[bishop_gideon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6944695#post6944695 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Naperville Reef
if you are looking for advice from an LFS in our area than i would be very careful about who you listen to.

Good advice... The Pet Fun place at first wanted to sell me something that would cycle my tank in 2 days... then I started sounding like I sorta knew what I was talking about and they changed thier minds...

Deep Reef is great for fish, so-so for corals. their employees seem knowledgable.

Well, against everyone elses wishes I'm doing FO for now... sounds like the place for me...

you will get, without a doubt, the best advise from Rod's Reef. IME, you will save $ by listening to Rod b/c he will recommend the proper equipment that is suitable for your tank the first time. i have heard some ridiculous stories about LFS taking advantage of newbies.

I'll have to make it a point to stop out there someday...

before you buy anything based on the recomendation of an LFS in our area, with the exception of Deep Reef and Rods Reef, i would ask this board first.

You know it! I'm all over this board from now on...

 

[Naperville Reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6944925#post6944925 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bishop_gideon
Good advice... The Pet Fun place at first wanted to sell me something that would cycle my tank in 2 days... then I started sounding like I sorta knew what I was talking about and they changed thier minds...

The owner of Pet Fun also has a pet store called Pets Etc which is right by my house. They have a very small saltwater section. Their display tank looks terrible, full of algae and dieing corals. One day i said to an employee that the mandarin fish (which was obviously starving) in that tank was going to die within a few weeks if they didn't provide it with some pods. She told me she would inform the maintenance company. The maintenance company?????? They can not even run a 50 gallon tank on their own yet they are selling fish and offering advice. SCARY!!!!

 

[bishop_gideon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6945018#post6945018 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Naperville Reef
The owner of Pet Fun also has a pet store called Pets Etc which is right by my house. They have a very small saltwater section. Their display tank looks terrible, full of algae and dieing corals. One day i said to an employee that the mandarin fish (which was obviously starving) in that tank was going to die within a few weeks if they didn't provide it with some pods. She told me she would inform the maintenance company. The maintenance company?????? They can not even run a 50 gallon tank on their own yet they are selling fish and offering advice. SCARY!!!!

Yikes... the guy I talked to seemed to somewhat know what he was talking about... after the lady walked away...

I'll have to see what a good store looks like then compare... Deep Reef here I come...

 

[Doubledown]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6945044#post6945044 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bishop_gideon
... Deep Reef here I come...

Bring your swing arm Hydrometer with you and ask Steve or Doug (Jeff won't be in tonight) to calibrate it against their refractometer while your there.

 

[bishop_gideon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6945607#post6945607 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Doubledown
Bring your swing arm Hydrometer with you and ask Steve or Doug (Jeff won't be in tonight) to calibrate it against their refractometer while your there.

Hmmm that may be a good idea...

Only two people in the store? Or do I need to find one of these guys specifically...?

 

[Doubledown]

Anyone there should be able to help with the swing arm (I started with one as well, but quickly switched over to a more accurate refractometer). Not sure who will be in tonight. Doug is a marine biologist by education and Steve is sort of like the right hand man with all the answers. They have a few other guys working the store, but I rely on the information I get from Jeff, Doug or Steve due to their level of experience.

Jeff for anything and everything.
Doug for fish behavior and health.
Steve for equipment and general fish/reefkeeping knowlege.

All three have helped me greatly.

 

[bishop_gideon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6945916#post6945916 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Doubledown
Anyone there should be able to help with the swing arm (I started with one as well, but quickly switched over to a more accurate refractometer).

Sounds expensive...

Sounds like I jsut walk in and ask someone to calibrate my swing arm if they'd be so kind...

I wonder if it's off... and if so... by how much...

 

[Doubledown]

I think I paid $35 from Premium Aquatics (RC Sponser).

It should be on your list for future purchases - after you have all the other necessities. The hydrometer should be fine until then once you find out how close to true it reads.

 

[bishop_gideon]

Ok... so a great (and expensive) visit to Deep Reef... my swing arm was 3 points off...

and I picked up alot of dead rock... why dead? because that's what the guy who's helping me wants me to start with...

I'm getting quite confused... everyone... and I mean everyone... tells me that I need live rock... the guy who's helping me put together my tank says "You don't need it for fish only..." sigh... I don't want to **** this guy off... he's really helping me out and gave me an amazing deal on a filter/overflow/pump... but I'd hate it if he's giving me bad advice...

 

[Ladipyg]

You can start with dead rock and then add a few pounds of un-cured live rock to give you the ammonia you'll need to cycle the tank...that how I did it and now I have 2 tanks full of "live" rock, loaded with coralline algae...you don't need a lot of uncured rock...you could probably ask when one of the LFS would be getting a shipment in and make a deal to pay less since they won't have to bother with the curing process. Remember, not too much rock...you don't want to stink the house up.

 

[Edward Smith]

With a FO setup, you may never need to buy "live rock." Frequently, people will put dead rock in their sump and let it turn to live rock over time, I believe this method is preferred over bioballs. Some FO systems start with a few inexpesnive fish like chromis to cycle the tank. The choice to put live rock actually in the tank of a FO system, I believe, is primarily for decrorative purposes. It depends on the look your going for.

Welcome to the world of saltwater aquariums: You'll find a million different opionions, some good, some bad. You'll even find some opionions contradict each other and yet still both maybe correct depending on the circumstances. This board is great for buying, selling, chating, teasing :frog: , fellowship, trading, vendor information, and general aquarium info. But my suggestion is this; for setting up your system, stick with one (maybe two) well seasoned people because it will become extremly confusing and potentially hazardous to mix all the opionions you'll find here. Strongly consider Steve at Deep Reef Aquatics as one of those guys.

Good luck!

 

[bishop_gideon]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6950517#post6950517 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Edward Smith
With a FO setup, you may never need to buy "live rock." Frequently, people will put dead rock in their sump and let it turn to live rock over time, I believe this method is preferred over bioballs. Some FO systems start with a few inexpesnive fish like chromis to cycle the tank. The choice to put live rock actually in the tank of a FO system, I believe, is primarily for decrorative purposes. It depends on the look your going for.

Ok... I think I'm getting it now... looks are something different... my wife defines alot of how the tank should look...

Welcome to the world of saltwater aquariums: You'll find a million different opionions, some good, some bad. You'll even find some opionions contradict each other and yet still both maybe correct depending on the circumstances. This board is great for buying, selling, chating, teasing :frog: , fellowship, trading, vendor information, and general aquarium info. But my suggestion is this; for setting up your system, stick with one (maybe two) well seasoned people because it will become extremly confusing and potentially hazardous to mix all the opionions you'll find here. Strongly consider Steve at Deep Reef Aquatics as one of those guys.

Good luck!

I'm noticing that... lots of different opinions... I guess I'll take your advice and stick with a couple people... and go from there... I guess I can't screw up too bad... right?