1. Thank the giver---a lot.
2. If somebody else picked out the tank, do this BEFORE you take off the stickers and start in...figure WHAT you want to keep in it, and be sure that's the right shape and size. Before those labels come off, you can very likely exchange it, and you CAN order a tank the store may not have in stock.
a) As a rule, pair of perc or ocell clowns and (later) nem or (not and) small blennies and gobies, smallest jawfish (nothing that grows to more than 4" as an adult) and some corals go in a 30;
blennies, gobies, a small angel in a 50;
in a 100 gal, multiple damsels or a small-species browsing tang; or a dwarf angel; with blennies, gobies, etc....nothing that exceeds 5" in adult size.
And so it goes. If you're aching for a species that grows to 10" adult, and is active, you need a special-order tank. BUT---all this said, a 30 is a manageable size if you just stick to what it can handle: you can learn things you'll need to succeed, like water chemistry, etc, etc. Siting a large-species tank in your home is like finding room for a grand piano. It's not for everybody. Blennies, gobies, small jawfish, clowns, are all very nice fish.
There is also the 'specialty' tank, in which you keep one or two fish who don't play well with others.
Can you do a reef in a 30? Absolutely. Some corals are easy: you just need to do weekly water tests. And have proper lighting for them. There's a learning curve, so make your mistakes small in a small tank first, then consider more ambitious steps.
Next, and before you buy sand and rock or add water: read all the sticky-posts at the top of the Reef Central 'New to the Hobby', 'Reef Discussion' posts. Ask us if you have further questions. This is not the sort of hobby where you can fly by moment-to-moment research: a mistake early in setup can give you grief and cost you money. Know which goes in first, (rock, and I underlay my rock with eggcrate lighting grid to keep sharp points off the bottom glass) and whether to wash your sand (if dry, oh, yes!) and whether tapwater is ok (it isn't) and how long to mix your water (overnight with a mixing pump is good). You see what I mean---wrong choice can send you back several steps.
You'll need a source for live rock and a ro/di filter.
And finally---don't hesitate to ask here. If you THINK something's wrong, come here and ask early, rather than after it's gotten complicated.
2. If somebody else picked out the tank, do this BEFORE you take off the stickers and start in...figure WHAT you want to keep in it, and be sure that's the right shape and size. Before those labels come off, you can very likely exchange it, and you CAN order a tank the store may not have in stock.
a) As a rule, pair of perc or ocell clowns and (later) nem or (not and) small blennies and gobies, smallest jawfish (nothing that grows to more than 4" as an adult) and some corals go in a 30;
blennies, gobies, a small angel in a 50;
in a 100 gal, multiple damsels or a small-species browsing tang; or a dwarf angel; with blennies, gobies, etc....nothing that exceeds 5" in adult size.
And so it goes. If you're aching for a species that grows to 10" adult, and is active, you need a special-order tank. BUT---all this said, a 30 is a manageable size if you just stick to what it can handle: you can learn things you'll need to succeed, like water chemistry, etc, etc. Siting a large-species tank in your home is like finding room for a grand piano. It's not for everybody. Blennies, gobies, small jawfish, clowns, are all very nice fish.
There is also the 'specialty' tank, in which you keep one or two fish who don't play well with others.
Can you do a reef in a 30? Absolutely. Some corals are easy: you just need to do weekly water tests. And have proper lighting for them. There's a learning curve, so make your mistakes small in a small tank first, then consider more ambitious steps.
Next, and before you buy sand and rock or add water: read all the sticky-posts at the top of the Reef Central 'New to the Hobby', 'Reef Discussion' posts. Ask us if you have further questions. This is not the sort of hobby where you can fly by moment-to-moment research: a mistake early in setup can give you grief and cost you money. Know which goes in first, (rock, and I underlay my rock with eggcrate lighting grid to keep sharp points off the bottom glass) and whether to wash your sand (if dry, oh, yes!) and whether tapwater is ok (it isn't) and how long to mix your water (overnight with a mixing pump is good). You see what I mean---wrong choice can send you back several steps.
You'll need a source for live rock and a ro/di filter.
And finally---don't hesitate to ask here. If you THINK something's wrong, come here and ask early, rather than after it's gotten complicated.
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