new to this!

E

epic464

New member
hey i recently bought a 35gal tank from a friend
i bought a bio-wheel filter for up to 50 gal tanks, a 150watt heater, i currently have everything set up and getting ready. oh and he gave me his old light which is a one bulb one, not sure what it is though.
so im hoping to get some help from you guys on which route i should go

ps: it would be great for you guys not to flame me to much lol

-thanks-
 
[welcome]


I doubt you will get flamed at all. in fact it is rather frowned against as we like to be a good, friendly, family oriented place for the hobbyist;)

First question is what are you looking to keep? This will surely help us point you in the right direction!
 
Time to start doing some reading. There is an icon on the top of this page that says "Forums". Click on that and then search for the "New to the Hobby" forum. The top couple of links are permanent and you can read them at your convenience. Once you have finished your reading, come back and ask questions. In the meantime, take your bio-wheel back to the store. We don't use them in saltwater. Happy reading and.............good luck. If you take things slowly, you'll have a wonderful time learning about this terrific hobby.
 
hey that awesome, probably one of the only forums Ive seen that discourages flaming, but i really think i want fish with live rock.
 
Read the stickied threads on top of this forum first and formost. Then get ready to open your wallet and watch the money fly out:)

One thing most will say you need a protein skimmer, live rock (amount dependent on what you want to do for a reef I've seen anything from 1-1.5lbs per gallon or more, live sand (at least a cup from an establish tank if possible with the rest regular sand-others can be more specific), better lights for a reef, if fish only not sure it matters. Be patient!

Plenty more, but I'm new too, so the best I can say is read every thread on here even if it doesn't sound interesting or relevant, you never know what direction a thread will turn. Follow links in threads. Lots of valuable information on here. Get books and read some more!

Hope this helps, I'm sure others will come with more specifics.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13196513#post13196513 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by epic464
hey that awesome, probably one of the only forums Ive seen that discourages flaming, but i really think i want fish with live rock.
Click to expand...
:lol: you're not the first to come over here and say that... we get some pretty beat up members from some other sites who are always pleasantly surprised with the welcome RC seems to roll out for them.

You'll find out most people on here will bend over backwards to try and help you out.

As EllieSuz said, the sticky at the top of the thread is a great place to start.

Good luck... and

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>
 
Not disagreeing with the biowheel suggestion but I've seen that they can be used for QT tanks (you will learn about these plenty!), might be worth hanging on to since you already have it.
 
Welcome to RC to start.

Well first off what kind of saltwater system do you want-

FO- fish only ( which in salt i dont see that much, the live rock is key to biological filtration.)

FOWLR- Fish only with live rock.

Softies- Mushroom coral, zoa's, leather corals, Zena. Low to
Med flow and light. ( Most do well in very intense lighting too.)Good water quality. Most afordable to the new reefer.

Mixed reef -softies, LPS, SPS, clam- high flow, and light. $$$$

SPS dominat- small polyped stonies. High flow and light, excelent water quality. $$$$$$

LPS- Large polyped stonies. Med to High flow and light, excelent water.


What kind of water did you use? Tap, RO, RODI, premix LFS (Local fish store)

If mixed your self, what salt mix was used?
--------------------------

I ask what water was used because tap water has impurities in it bla bla bla, amquel isn't enough for saltwater tanks.

RODI is the best water to use, its like 99.99 % impurity free. If its not available Distiled water from your grocery store or LFS ( where i get my RODI) will do.

One things for sure make sure you buy wise. Get the best skimmer the first time, get the koralis, tunze stream water pumps,
Metal halide fixture befor the PC. Because YOU WILL WANT TO BUY IT LATER.

This hobby requires $$$$ and lots of it, and if you can't afford it dont do it. It will be very rewarding when you do spend it and some how never satisfying. Its like smokin rocks im not gonna lie.

Next
 
Instant OCean is a good general use salt for FOWLR tanks.

Highly recommend if you want to do this right, you use RO/DI

This isn't a hobby for the impatient or the broke(in general), so read as has been suggested and think long and hard over if you are willing to put in the money, time and effort to do it right...otherwise dont bother lest you become the next guy to sell off everything for a major loss in the Buy Sell Trade forum.

This is my second journey into this, I rushed and didnt read beforehand the first time and failed miserably.

This time, I started reading up and collecting pieces of equipment one at a time over 7 months ago....the tank will be setup and running sometime in the next two weeks.

Im gonna take my time and do it right this time.....I suggest you learn from my mistake and dont rush anything....if you arent sure about what you are reading, ask here before doing anything.

Hope this helps you on your potential new hobby.
 
In modern marine, we don't tend to use filters at all: the biochemisry of live rock and sand takes care of much of the waste; the skimmer (protein waste) gets the rest; and for a real clean-up of phosphates and nitrates, a refugium, which is a separate tank or a part of your sump q.v., full of rock, weed, and sand.
Most larger tanks have a sump: a lower and usually not-nice-looking tank that receives overflow by gravity from the top tank, puts it through the skimmer, (injecting a lot of air, really good for fish) and maybe through a fuge, then shoots it back up via a return pump to your tank, cleaned, reoxygenated, and ready to be inhaled by your fish.
Don't be spooked by corals: simple mushrooms are easy to keep, and serve as a good indicator of water quality: if they're not expanded and enjoying the water, there's something wrong. Personally, I lean on my corals a LOT to tell me how my water is: a sniffle of displeasure from them sends me running for my water tests and a look at the situation in the sump. They're fairly cheap, reproduce crazily, and most fish don't bother them.
Do read those 2 threads with * beside them. THat will save you a ton of money and problems.
Ro/di is a good idea, even with well water. You need decent water pressure to run the filter: between 50 and 90.
And you can usually get answers fast here. An appreciative and positive attitude always generates quick help and a lot of it---even if we may start arguing among ourselves about WHICH of several solutions is best. ;)
Welcome!
 
Here's one more valuable tip: Anything Sk98r says is always right on the money! As you spend time on Reef Central, you'll get to know which members have the experience and know-how to send you in the right direction. Sometimes you'll get a bunch of different opinions and it's not always easy to sort out the best ones.
 
Next time we go to sea dwellers to get your rock, Joel will probably give you a cup of sand. He gave me one. If not I guess I can give you one.
If you want to try some mushrooms I will give you some once I think it is cycled.
The bulb is some type of 50/50 mix. Its been a few years sense I bought it so I don't remember what it was for sure. It did get used to much though, I upgraded not to long after I bought it.
I will probably be over later to dial in the salt now that it is up to temp and cleared up.
 
Hi Epic 464!
Welcome to the club!
My recommendation, as already mentioned by the others, read, read, read and read some more! Our reefs are dying in the ocean and it is our resposibility to take good care of the few fish/corals/invertebrates we get from our oceans.
It isn't as easy as it appears, but is a lot of fun and you do have a great community here at RC, that will help you a lot!
 
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