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ConnorSpiezio1

New member
Hello,

My name is Connor I am a 22 year old male from upstate New York and I am so new to this hobby but I look forward to meeting all of you guys!

First build coming soon… never ever done this before but I know I want live coral and neat fish as everyone does ! :)

Obviously I am going to do my own research but if anyone has links/ideas/helpful opinions/experiences it would be helpful and appreciated !

Thanks in advance and I look forward to talking with everyone here 😃
 
Welcome to RC! There’s definitely a lot to know about saltwater. If you have an idea of the type of corals/set up you want, it can help us give more targeted advice
 
Welcome. As Shane said, start thinking about the types of corals you want to keep. Knowing that will help us in making suggestions for equipment.
 
looking for recommendations….. I’m not sure if there are beginner vs expert coral but I will look around and come back with some ideas of what I may want!
 
ConnorSpiezio1 said:
Oh just saw there was a joined thing under your name…. Been around for awhile huh? That’s awesome !
Click to expand...
John is also the owner of Reef Central😉

So, for newbie corals, you might like to look into Zoanthids, photosynthetic Gorgonians, mushroom corals, leather corals, some species of LPS. Take a look at some of those and see what you like. Once you decide, we can help choose the right equipment.
 
I agree with George. Easier corals will be your soft corals (corals that have no skeleton) and photosynthetic gorgonians and then your LPS (large polyp stony corals (are usually fleshy and have a skeleton)) are generally beginner/intermediate with some crossing the more advanced line. Then you have SPS (small polyp stony corals) that general require a much more balanced water chemistry and are much less forgiving to environmental changes.
 
griss said:
John is also the owner of Reef Central😉

So, for newbie corals, you might like to look into Zoanthids, photosynthetic Gorgonians, mushroom corals, leather corals, some species of LPS. Take a look at some of those and see what you like. Once you decide, we can help choose the right equipment.
Click to expand...
Awesome will do ! Thank you!
 
reefing102 said:
I agree with George. Easier corals will be your soft corals (corals that have no skeleton) and photosynthetic gorgonians and then your LPS (large polyp stony corals (are usually fleshy and have a skeleton)) are generally beginner/intermediate with some crossing the more advanced line. Then you have SPS (small polyp stony corals) that general require a much more balanced water chemistry and are much less forgiving to environmental changes.
Click to expand...
Alright ! You the man. I will check this out !
 
@griss @reefing102 I have decided I am thinking I like photosynthetic Gorgonians out of the list that you guys gave me and literally anything out of this webpage on leather corals .

What is the recommendation of how many different kinds allowed in one tank? Sorry if that is a stupid question lol there will be a lot from me most likely.

Also lets talk equipment whenever you guys are ready :)
 
Soft corals, you’re good adding what you want. For photosynthetic Gorgs, Zoas and F. Ricordea mushrooms, here’s a couple excellent places to buy from.

www.kpaquatics.com

Welcome to KPAquatics

We are providing healthy, hand-captured Atlantic Sea Life for over 25 years. We would like to tell you more about us and who we are. Please click here to learn more. Ship Days / Guarantee We normally ship every Monday and Tuesday to ensure save arrival of your order. Follow this link for...
www.kpaquatics.com www.kpaquatics.com

reeftopia.com

Your Source for Saltwater Invertebrates & Fish | Reeftopia

Welcome to Reeftopia! We have over 40 years of experience in selling saltwater invertebrates and reef compatible fish to aquarium enthusiasts around the U.S.
reeftopia.com

Macro Algae: Your Source For Quality Marine Plants and Macroalgae | Gulf Coast Ecosystems

We specialize in saltwater Macroalgae and Seagrass | GCE has the largest selection of Macroalgae online, offering over 35 different species
www.live-plants.com
 
Agreed soft corals you can mix and match. The gorgonians may be a little sensitive to soft corals touching them so give some space from the softies.

Lighting - pretty much any of the reef LEDs will do (Viparspectra, SmatFarm, Radion, AI Primes, etc) just depends on your budget.

Protein skimmer…again your choice. I currently have mine off as it was stripping too much of my nutrients, but I run a reef octopus. A skimmer will also depend on what tank. Many all in one style tanks are too small for standard skimmers and have what many believe are mediocre at best custom skimmers.

Heater - again your choice, I would just have it connected to an external controller that can shut it off in case of heater failure, such as Inkbird or Ranco.

Auto Top Off - Same as above, your choice. I use Kamoer ATO’s. I’ve ran Neptune ATO’s and it wasn’t a bad experience but their pumps just didn’t last for me. Many run Tunze which seem to have a very good track record.

That’s the basic equipment I’d start with but others may have other thoughts.

***Also a word of caution…be sure to research the websites you plan on ordering from. The ones @griss linked are good to go. I’ve heard very mostly poor reviews about Aquarium Creations Online and that they are the Aquacon from back in the day which had a terrible reputation.***

There are many good vendors depending on if your looking for frags or colonies. Colonies I’d reccomend Corals.com (they’re also a vendor here) and though I have no experience Extreme Corals as well.

For frags, I’d look to Top Shelf Aquatics, World Wide Corals, AquaSD, or even check with local facebook groups for other hobbyists selling frags. My Facebook groups consistently have softies and mushrooms on them. Just be sure to do in person meetings as scams run rampant on Facebook for shipping purposes.
 
My brother from another mother (Shane)^ is right on. 😂🤣

Regarding lighting, he knows a lot more about LED lighting than me…I’m still using metal halide.
 
reefing102 said:
Agreed soft corals you can mix and match. The gorgonians may be a little sensitive to soft corals touching them so give some space from the softies.

Lighting - pretty much any of the reef LEDs will do (Viparspectra, SmatFarm, Radion, AI Primes, etc) just depends on your budget.

Protein skimmer…again your choice. I currently have mine off as it was stripping too much of my nutrients, but I run a reef octopus. A skimmer will also depend on what tank. Many all in one style tanks are too small for standard skimmers and have what many believe are mediocre at best custom skimmers.

Heater - again your choice, I would just have it connected to an external controller that can shut it off in case of heater failure, such as Inkbird or Ranco.

Auto Top Off - Same as above, your choice. I use Kamoer ATO’s. I’ve ran Neptune ATO’s and it wasn’t a bad experience but their pumps just didn’t last for me. Many run Tunze which seem to have a very good track record.

That’s the basic equipment I’d start with but others may have other thoughts.

***Also a word of caution…be sure to research the websites you plan on ordering from. The ones @griss linked are good to go. I’ve heard very mostly poor reviews about Aquarium Creations Online and that they are the Aquacon from back in the day which had a terrible reputation.***

There are many good vendors depending on if your looking for frags or colonies. Colonies I’d reccomend Corals.com (they’re also a vendor here) and though I have no experience Extreme Corals as well.

For frags, I’d look to Top Shelf Aquatics, World Wide Corals, AquaSD, or even check with local facebook groups for other hobbyists selling frags. My Facebook groups consistently have softies and mushrooms on them. Just be sure to do in person meetings as scams run rampant on Facebook for shipping purposes.
Click to expand...
Oh, and @Nanook has gotten some nice stuff from Battle Corals
 
@reefing102 Wow! I appreciate it, that’s a lot to take in ! Looking through stuff now… I am used to fresh water tanks a protein skimmer is a replacement for a traditional filter correct?
 
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