Brand New to Reef Aquariums

[AlanInMiami]

Greetings to everyone. Have had Freshwater Aquariums my whole life. Just getting into Marine. Have a 55 gallon that I hope to setup as a reef tank soon. While here, I hope to lean as much as possible and contribute whenever possible. Look forward to getting to know you guys, as time goes by.

Be safe and be Blessed

Alan

 

[Misled]

Welcome Alan.

 

[Reefing102]

Welcome to the hobby! Ask any questions you may have!

 

[DgenR8]

Welcome to the hobby, and to RC. There's a lot to learn, and success is extremely rewarding.
You'll find people here to answer your questions pretty much day and night.
Another resource that can be invaluable is your local reef club(s).

SouthEast Region-Reef Club Forums

Clubs located in: AL AR FL GA KY LA MS NC SC TN VA WV

forums.reefcentral.com

 

[Anemone]

To Reef Central

Kevin

 

[Timfish]

Welcome! And just a heads up, reefing is an addictive and frustrating hobby!

The science has come along way the last few years. Our understanding of microbiomes at both the system level and the species level has expanded greatly. Here's some links for you to peruse at your convenience:

"Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas" This video compliments Rohwer's book of the same title (Paper back is ~$20, Kindle is ~$10), both deal with the conflicting roles of the different types of DOC in reef ecosystems. While there is overlap bewteen his book and the video both have information not covered by the other and together give a broader view of the complex relationships found in reef ecosystems

Changing Seas - Mysterious Microbes

Nitrogen cycling in hte coral holobiont

BActeria and Sponges

Maintenance of Coral Reef Health (refferences at the end)

Optical Feedback Loop in Colorful Coral Bleaching
Optical Feedback Loop in Colorful Coral Bleaching / Curr. Biol., May 21, 2020 (Vol. 30, Issue 13)

Richard Ross What's up with phosphate"
What's up with phosphate? by Richard Ross | MACNA 2014

15 Answers
How 15 Answers Changed the Way I Look at My Tank Forever! 10 Months of Biome Cycling 12 Aquariums.

 

[Sugar Magnolia]

Glad to have you here Alan!! We have lots of articles that are pinned at the top of each forum page, read through them when you have time.

 

[mtnbike101]

Greetings to everyone. Have had Freshwater Aquariums my whole life. Just getting into Marine. Have a 55 gallon that I hope to setup as a reef tank soon. While here, I hope to lean as much as possible and contribute whenever possible. Look forward to getting to know you guys, as time goes by.

Be safe and be Blessed

Alan

Remember to post pictures...or better yet, start a build thread so we can see your progress and answer questions along the way!

 

[VWD]

Welcome

 

[MagicsPawn]

Micro Reef Tank Setup. I have a Used 20G Tall tank. Purchases to date: Fluval 107, Fluval Spray Bar, Orlushy Submersible 200W Heater, Aqueon 500 Circulation Pump, and a H2Pro 20" Glass Canopy. I'll get an LED light in a couple of weeks. My goal for now is to clean the used tank well and paint the back either black or dark blue. Hope to complete this SOON!

I am struggling with starting out with live sand/rock or not. I've read good and bad on both. Could use some assistance on this as I believe this is my next step before adding pre mixed salt water.

Any other suggestions would be welcomed!

 

[JohnL]

I am struggling with starting out with live sand/rock or not.

I prefer to use live rock but others use dry rock with success.

 

[Reefing102]

Micro Reef Tank Setup. I have a Used 20G Tall tank. Purchases to date: Fluval 107, Fluval Spray Bar, Orlushy Submersible 200W Heater, Aqueon 500 Circulation Pump, and a H2Pro 20" Glass Canopy. I'll get an LED light in a couple of weeks. My goal for now is to clean the used tank well and paint the back either black or dark blue. Hope to complete this SOON!

I am struggling with starting out with live sand/rock or not. I've read good and bad on both. Could use some assistance on this as I believe this is my next step before adding pre mixed salt water.

Any other suggestions would be welcomed!

Some use live, others dry, others use a mix. I prefer live rock for all the hitchhikers (both good and bad ones) and the bacterial diversity. Downside is it’s considerably more expensive. Generally $9ish/lb (aquacultured gulf rock from Tampa bay saltwater, gulf live rock, KP aquatics, etc) plus shipping to $25+ for Australian live rock