I Need Help And Advice

[EthanEdge]

Hey Guys,

I'm completely new to saltwater fish. I grew up helping my grandad with freshwater and tropical fish. Im 19 now and want to take the hobby on myself, i have a well payed job and really want to get started! Over the past week I've been researching how to start a saltwater aquarium. It's safe to say the more I look into this topic the more fascinated i get. I've picked up little pieces of information from different sites, but I'm hoping someone on here could help me?

I would like to start with a FOWLR aquarium and maybe look at corals as i gain more experience. I think the best way to start would be a list of the equipment i will need, that way i won't miss anything out.
I would also be privileged to have any advice from someone who is more experienced and can help me from making "rookie mistakes"

Thank you

 

[BigBlueTang]

Hey Guys,

I'm completely new to saltwater fish. I grew up helping my grandad with freshwater and tropical fish. Im 19 now and want to take the hobby on myself, i have a well payed job and really want to get started! Over the past week I've been researching how to start a saltwater aquarium. It's safe to say the more I look into this topic the more fascinated i get. I've picked up little pieces of information from different sites, but I'm hoping someone on here could help me?

I would like to start with a FOWLR aquarium and maybe look at corals as i gain more experience. I think the best way to start would be a list of the equipment i will need, that way i won't miss anything out.
I would also be privileged to have any advice from someone who is more experienced and can help me from making "rookie mistakes"

Thank you

Hey Ethan, welcome to RC!
It's a great community, and near everyone will be trying to add to your success! I'm 16 myself and my tank is running strong, so don't let anyone tell you you're too young to have a reef :lmao:

Here is a great link to make you very successful. Be forewarned though, it's like a book. It can teach you basically everything, and if you have questions, don't hesitate to ask! No such thing as a dumb question
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074

 

[JUNBUG361]

Hello & welcome to the club/hobby

 

[homer1475]

Welcome to the addiction, err hobby.

As already stated, everything you need to know to get started is in that sticky. Read it, then reread it and keep it in a bookmark for reference. Then if you have questions ask away. This is a pretty friendly community and were all here to learn and help each other.

Keep in mind, forget everything you know about fresh water tanks, because none of it applies to salt. About the only thing thats the same is cycling the tank to get the nitrogen cycle going.

 

[Microcosmos]

Welcome EthanEdge!! There is definitely a lot to learn in this hobby, but even after reading everything you will still make a few mistakes, so don't wait forever absorbing knowledge! Learning by doing is also valid.

To truly give good advice it would help to know a bit about you and what you want and what you're willing to spend.

1. How big is the space you have for your tank and stand?

2. Do you foresee moving the tank? If so, remember that tanks are a big PITA to move and you won't want it too big, I'd say max 40 gallons especially if you'll be moving multiple times. If you're one of the rare 19 year olds who own a house then by all means go really big: this allows flexibility in what you can keep in it and stability of water parameters.

3. Do you want big, aggressive fishes or smaller, peaceful fishes? Both can have tons of personality and both can be rewarding, but you very rarely can have both in the same tank.

4. Are you a DIYer or do you plan to buy all of your equipment pre-made? There are pros and cons to either.

5. Are you a perfectionist who likes to keep everything pristine or are you more into watching what develops naturally in your tank?

6. I could go on for about 85 questions, but I'll stop at 6: do you have other pets or family members who would bother or help with the tank? Take into consideration cats can be curious and dogs can be clumsy. Same goes for humans. Also it is nice to have help for the tank as well as others to appreciate it.

Don't be afraid of rookie mistakes! I still make them after over two decades of this ridiculous, expensive, wonderful hobby!


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[CButkos]

I say this jokingly but I think the biggest rookie mistake is thinking your fowlr will stay a fowlr for more than a couple months.

Partially because your patience will wear out in about 6 months and you'll say "well maybe I can just have this one easy coral, it's only a little gsp everyone says you can't kill it" which turns to more and more and you end up having to buy buy better lights etc etc and all of a sudden you have a sps dominated reef.

The second part of this is you may end up wasting money buying equipment for the fowlr just to sell it at a fraction of the price a few months or a year later. Get into proper practices now, even if you actually do have a fowlr, keep the water quality impeccable as if you were keeping corals. That way when you do start your new addiction it'll be easier.

What I would do is envision the reef that you want 5 years from now. Make a parts list and buy the right stuff the first time. I tried to avoid buying an "expensive" controller by getting regular timers for my lights. By the time I bought the three timers and a power bar I probably spent 85 bucks and had a s.hitstorm of wires behind my tank. I could have just gotten a reefkeeper lite for $120 and been able to time all the lights to the minute, control the heaters to within 0.1°F, watch pH, and have 5+ extra controllable outlets for powerheads and skimmers and whatever. Moral of the story I bought a reefkeeper and now habe $85 worth of silly timers.

I could go on, but I'll stop there. Do as much research as you can before you buy something, add something, or change something. Feel free to ask if you have questions.


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