...stop.
...do not pass go.
...do not set up before you read the sticky notes marked *** in the list above.
It's not like you see on television. There are some initial decisions that need to be made that will affect what kind of tank you have...and what you can and can't keep alive. Ideally, read those before you lay money on the counter. Remember that someone who sells equipment and fish would like you to buy the equipment and fish and chemicals he/she has in stock. BUT that may not be the best decision.
1. Reefs use a totally different kind of filtration than fish-onlies. A reef can keep fish nicely; but a fish-only can't keep every kind of coral if there's a sudden yen for corals.
2. Corals and clams are very particular about their lighting. Some corals are madly particular about their lighting and filtration.
3. You're buying extremely baby fish. They grow--fast. And large. Don't plan a tank by what you see in the tank at the store. Plan it for what they will become. Kittens become cats. Puppies become Rottweilers. And baby tangs grow to be a foot long.
4. little corals become big corals if happy---my 3-head hammer now fills my 54 gallon tank and I've fragged off half of it this year. You do not buy huge specimens: if it's going to do well in your tank, it will grow. If it won't grow, you have a lighting or water quality issue.
5. 5 pounds of live rock can seed 500 lbs of dry rock, given time and gentle treatment. You do not have to have all live rock. All-live sets up in about 4 weeks; mostly-dry with a little live rock sets up in about 12. If you have patience, you can save yourself enough money to afford the lights you need. Seeding potions in bottles are generally a waste. You cannot hurry the process. Happy bacteria breed like mad, but getting into the rock pores and getting set up properly---that takes time and you're not going to hurry it by pouring magic potions into your tank.
6. You should not have ANY fish in the tank during cycling. There will be plenty of things to watch that come in with your live rock: worms, small snails, funny tubes that develop tentacles, and finally algae. Even with no fish in the tank, you will likely find it worthwhile sitting and watching your tank develop during its cycling process. If you just let nature take its course, these hardy species will very likely survive cycling and reproduce in your tank. You may even find small bits of coral. I had a piece of bubble coral survive the cycle---which does not need to be rendered into a toxic soup to be effective. Run your system during cycling and make it behave as nicely as possible, with a steady salinity. Your bacteria will be quite happy with that situation.
HTH. Remember: when you don't know what you're doing, pick a cohesive, modest plan with instructions that will get you all the way through the early stages. After you have a year's experience, you'll find there are some alternate ways to do things safely; but when you're starting, find a sensible plan and stick with it. READ THOSE FILES! and take notes.
...do not pass go.
...do not set up before you read the sticky notes marked *** in the list above.
It's not like you see on television. There are some initial decisions that need to be made that will affect what kind of tank you have...and what you can and can't keep alive. Ideally, read those before you lay money on the counter. Remember that someone who sells equipment and fish would like you to buy the equipment and fish and chemicals he/she has in stock. BUT that may not be the best decision.
1. Reefs use a totally different kind of filtration than fish-onlies. A reef can keep fish nicely; but a fish-only can't keep every kind of coral if there's a sudden yen for corals.
2. Corals and clams are very particular about their lighting. Some corals are madly particular about their lighting and filtration.
3. You're buying extremely baby fish. They grow--fast. And large. Don't plan a tank by what you see in the tank at the store. Plan it for what they will become. Kittens become cats. Puppies become Rottweilers. And baby tangs grow to be a foot long.
4. little corals become big corals if happy---my 3-head hammer now fills my 54 gallon tank and I've fragged off half of it this year. You do not buy huge specimens: if it's going to do well in your tank, it will grow. If it won't grow, you have a lighting or water quality issue.
5. 5 pounds of live rock can seed 500 lbs of dry rock, given time and gentle treatment. You do not have to have all live rock. All-live sets up in about 4 weeks; mostly-dry with a little live rock sets up in about 12. If you have patience, you can save yourself enough money to afford the lights you need. Seeding potions in bottles are generally a waste. You cannot hurry the process. Happy bacteria breed like mad, but getting into the rock pores and getting set up properly---that takes time and you're not going to hurry it by pouring magic potions into your tank.
6. You should not have ANY fish in the tank during cycling. There will be plenty of things to watch that come in with your live rock: worms, small snails, funny tubes that develop tentacles, and finally algae. Even with no fish in the tank, you will likely find it worthwhile sitting and watching your tank develop during its cycling process. If you just let nature take its course, these hardy species will very likely survive cycling and reproduce in your tank. You may even find small bits of coral. I had a piece of bubble coral survive the cycle---which does not need to be rendered into a toxic soup to be effective. Run your system during cycling and make it behave as nicely as possible, with a steady salinity. Your bacteria will be quite happy with that situation.
HTH. Remember: when you don't know what you're doing, pick a cohesive, modest plan with instructions that will get you all the way through the early stages. After you have a year's experience, you'll find there are some alternate ways to do things safely; but when you're starting, find a sensible plan and stick with it. READ THOSE FILES! and take notes.
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