Hi

[Asco1104]

Hi
I have had tropical fish for 2 years now and I have just decided to jump into to marine, second tank is on order
Looking forward to the ride and looking through this forum.

 

[RayAllen3422]

Welcome to the forums. Read the stickies at the top of the forums. They provide a lot of useful information. Ask questions and enjoy the ride.

 

[Asco1104]

Hi

Thanks I will have a read, Im dead excited but I have a 3-6 week wait for my tank so time to research

 

[homer1475]

Take everything you know about freshwater, and forget it. Saltwater is a whole different beast. About the only thing thats the same is the nitrogen cycle. Different bacteria, but the process of cycling a tank is roughly the same.

 

[Asco1104]

I'm going to take it nice and slow, I made a few mistakes with my tropical so I want to learn as much as I can before the tank is ready.

 

[Asco1104]

I'm going to take it very slow as I made a few mistakes with my tropical take but then I didn't have you lovely lot to help me out

I have at least a 6 week wait for the tank but hopefully it will be 3 weeks.

So I have order

Aqua oak 155l
2x 200watt heaters
Ai prime light unit led, I think that's the make
bubble Magnus protein skimmer c3.5
Aqua one moray pump
2x hydor wave makers
Live sand
15kg live rock

Is there anything else I will need for the setup stage?

I havnt picked filter media yet, what's best to put in there, sponge? Media balls or live rock?

How often do you have to do water changes?

I'm sure I will have hundreds more questions but I'm very excited

 

[Sk8r]

No filter for a reef. It's your live rock. You need 1-2 lbs per gallon, or for your tank (abt 40 gallons US?) you need 40-80 lbs, or 18 kilos to 36 kilos. 15 is a little shy of that, but if you can find lacey limestone, that would condition into good rock. Your live sand will help.

Problem is, if you put dry limestone is, you're going to leach phosphate out of the rock, which will fuel a lot of nasty hair algae---the good news is you can stop that with a gfo (granulated ferric oxide) reactor, which sops up phosphate. It's always a trade-off in marine---everything affects everything. Read that red arrow sticky up above.

 

[MikeyAl]

I'm going to take it nice and slow, I made a few mistakes with my tropical so I want to learn as much as I can before the tank is ready.

Plan, plan, plan. Are you going fish only, corals- what kind? Have a plan and research species comparability. Know your budget for equipment and plan accordingly. Check out sellers forum for good deals.
Most importantly IMO- have a QT and make sure you use it. Research quarantine procedures.
Above all don't rush things- it will cause you a lot of pain and cost you a lot of money.
Below is a good comparability chart.
Welcome and good luck- don't be afraid to ask questions. If you research and plan you will be experiencing an amazing hobby.

http://m.liveaquaria.com/general/compatibility_chart.cfm

 

[Asco1104]

No filter for a reef. It's your live rock. You need 1-2 lbs per gallon, or for your tank (abt 40 gallons US?) you need 40-80 lbs, or 18 kilos to 36 kilos. 15 is a little shy of that, but if you can find lacey limestone, that would condition into good rock. Your live sand will help.

Problem is, if you put dry limestone is, you're going to leach phosphate out of the rock, which will fuel a lot of nasty hair algae---the good news is you can stop that with a gfo (granulated ferric oxide) reactor, which sops up phosphate. It's always a trade-off in marine---everything affects everything. Read that red arrow sticky up above.

Ok thanks I will up the amount of live rock I get.

Don't I need to put anything in my sump expect the pump and skimmer then?

 

[Asco1104]

Plan, plan, plan. Are you going fish only, corals- what kind? Have a plan and research species comparability. Know your budget for equipment and plan accordingly. Check out sellers forum for good deals.
Most importantly IMO- have a QT and make sure you use it. Research quarantine procedures.
Above all don't rush things- it will cause you a lot of pain and cost you a lot of money.
Below is a good comparability chart.
Welcome and good luck- don't be afraid to ask questions. If you research and plan you will be experiencing an amazing hobby.

http://m.liveaquaria.com/general/compatibility_chart.cfm

I was planning on getting it cycled then look at snails shrimp etc then move on to soft corals but no idea yet then a few fish, then much latter down the line hard corals.

Thanks for the link

 

[Asco1104]

Plan, plan, plan. Are you going fish only, corals- what kind? Have a plan and research species comparability. Know your budget for equipment and plan accordingly. Check out sellers forum for good deals.
Most importantly IMO- have a QT and make sure you use it. Research quarantine procedures.
Above all don't rush things- it will cause you a lot of pain and cost you a lot of money.
Below is a good comparability chart.
Welcome and good luck- don't be afraid to ask questions. If you research and plan you will be experiencing an amazing hobby.

http://m.liveaquaria.com/general/compatibility_chart.cfm

Thanks I was going to get the tank cycled then move on to snails shrimp etc then soft corals, no idea what yet then some fish and much later hard corals.

Thanks for the link

 

[MikeyAl]

Good luck. Post any questions.

 

[ScienceRulez]

Take everything you know about freshwater, and forget it. Saltwater is a whole different beast. About the only thing thats the same is the nitrogen cycle. Different bacteria, but the process of cycling a tank is roughly the same.

I wouldn't forget it, there are some parallels. The trick is to think in general terms, not specifics. Things such as making sure your bacteria colony is healthy before adding fish. Make sure to test water quality regularly. Making sure your fish get along together. Algae control. Knowing what fish are algae eaters vs carnivores so they stay healthy.

That's not to say there aren't major differences, there are. The biggest one is that there is a lot less room for error in a marine environment, and disaster strikes lightning fast. Some how brooklynella got into my tank several months ago and killed all my fish within 48 hours. I've never seen anything like that in the fresh water world.

Finally as in the freshwater world, be patient and don't crowd the tank.

Most importantly have fun!