noob

[imcosmokramer]

Hello.

I am starting my first tank, here is the info: click to go to thread

I live in Cleveland Hts and was just trying to get in the loop. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

 

[boozerell]

Welcome.
This is a good site for getting a lot of information and help when needs arise. There are monthly meeting at the Cleveland zoo, where we all get together and talk about tanks and so forth. It's really a good time and I've never been disappointed that I went. The club is C-Sea. I'm new to the hobby also and had wished I came here before I set-up my tank. Despite reading a ton of books, I still made some newbie mistakes. I think I could of avoided them, if I had found the site sooner. Good luck and welcome to the addiction.

 

[oldreefer76]

[welcome]

 

[imcosmokramer]

Cool.

I'll try to come to the next meeting. So much to learn, so little time. If it's in 4 weeks, my tank will still be cycling, so hopefully I won't make THAT MANY mistakes yet

 

[EYESEEU]

Success is as easy as one, two, three...
Quick Steps to Guaranteed Success As A New Reef (or other) Aquarist:


1) Find a hobbyist, dealer or guru that demonstrates consistent, long term success. Choose carefully. This person, and the rapport you establish with him/her, will greatly affect the likelihood of your becoming a successful aquarium hobbyist.

2) Listen to this mentor, ignoring the conflicting opinions of others, until you can confidently diagnose typical aquarium situations and the appropriate course of action, as your mentor would. Do not proceed to #3 until you also clearly understand exactly WHY s/he does what s/he does. (I'm not suggesting that you don't read everything you can get your hands on..... However, you should try to focus on animal biology/husbandry and not aquarium philosophy.)

3) Once you have completed step #2, but never before, begin to pay close attention to other SUCCESSFUL paradigms practiced in the hobby. You will now have at your command the basic understanding of reef keeping required to successfully experiment. Before long, you will develop your OWN successful approach to reef keeping.

Another Important Note:
Books and magazine articles are great resources. Unfortunately, there's as much bad/outdated information as there is good. New hobbyists should look to their mentor to help sort through it all!!!

 

[CleveYank]

Re: noob

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11888509#post11888509 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by imcosmokramer
Hello.

I am starting my first tank, here is the info: click to go to thread

I live in Cleveland Hts and was just trying to get in the loop. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

I live one city away from you.

If you run into a quandry let me know.

 

[Dtip]

The next meeting will be a really good one to come to from the sound of it: very much about running over the basics of good husbandry.

I'd also advise getting some solid books on the subject. The internet is a great resource, but sometimes too shallow and conflicting when it counts.

If you're still looking for Chaeto, I have a horrendous amount that I don't really have any need for anymore (I was keeping some in my sump, but now don't have room after I added a RDSB DIY) which you can have some of, or I can bring to the next meeting.

 

[imcosmokramer]

eye - that is the most thorough response I've read on a forum. Thanks...want the job?

dtip, any advice on books? I live right by the library, and everyone lives right by amazon.com

cleveyank - where do you live? I may take you up on that offer later on.

Should I put Chaeto in my refugium even as the tank cycles? or only once that's done?

 

[Dtip]

As for Chaeto, it doesn't matter that much, but I wouldn't bother until its done cycling. I don't know how sensitive it is to ammonia or nitrite, and it won't help you cycle as far as I know. It grows so fast that it really doesn't matter when you add it: if you get a decent amount, you'll already be pruning it back within a month or two anyway. If you'd like some, like I said, I've got a baseball sized amount that grew to fill most of a 10 gal QT tank in just two months, and I don't have room for it in my present system.

The classic book I like is Fenner's The Conscientious Marine Aquarist, though it's quite outdated now in terms of technology and science. But it's worth a read if you can find it in the library system especially for its philosophy of reefkeeping. He does have a website (wetwebmedia) where he and others respond to emails about more recent stuff.

As for modern books I'm not sure what's best, but I've heard that Paletta's The New Marine Aquarium is pretty good.

 

[CleveYank]

Beachwood
not even a one tank trip

 

[imcosmokramer]

cleveyank - you are right around the corner!!

My sister has a 16 gl hex fowlr, would she benefit from having chateo in her tank? I read that you can have it in tank, as long as it is contained with something like a cpr in tank unit.

I may PM you as the tank finishes it's cycle, if that's ok.

What are lighting needs during cycling? I can't imagine the need for the MH's to be on. If I am not mistaken, I don't really need those on until I add corals, right?

 

[Dtip]

Yes and no. Ghost lighting can't hurt, but isn't essential, and certainly no need for strong light if you don't want to spend the watts. But it's worth establishing a basic photoperiod routine early on so you get a sense of changes in your system (like ph swings night to day) as well as for the hitchhiker organisms already in your tank and in your LR.

Any size tank can benefit from a separate fuge, provided the size is proportionately large enough to make a difference. Anywhere from 10%-20% of the tank volume or more (can't ever go wrong adding to water volume after all) is a good idea. Chaeto will need to be separate from the rest of the system, contained in a particular location, but mostly only because bits will break off and float around, making an unsightly mess in your display. I'm not a fan of in tank fuges though, because the chaeto will block light, hurt flow, and you aren't adding any volume to your system.

 

[Chelo's Big Sis]

Welcome!

Welcome!

I live in Cleveland Heights also.

Let me know when your ready and I will give you some of the basic corals I have in my tank. I have Kenya Tree and Tulip Anenome (sp??) They grow like weeds, and if they don't make it for some reason, you can come and get more. Good luck.

Cindy