Noobie to marine tanks ...

jcarrell

New member
I'm about to start getting ready to setup a 55 gal reef tank, and was wondering if any one has a few words of wisdom to offer.

I've read through some of the info the site has to offer and it has been very helpful, but still leaves me thirsting for more knowledge before I get started.
 
READ, READ, REAd! knowledge is everything in this knowledge, ive bean asking and reading for months now and i am still figuring things out, take it slowly, very slowly, reachearch every coral/fish/invert that you want know them inside and out, uuummm year just read and this hobby will be more enjoyable if ya just decide to wing it! good luck with this hobby and hope it goes SMOOTHLY for you!
 
Buy the best equipment you can afford especially the protein skimmer. Down the road you will be happy you did. Take your time, try not to get itchy fingers and buy livestock too soon. Make sure the tank has completely cycled.

Good luck.
 
also post everything that you want here to makeshre that it will suit os you dont but a moray eel with a damsel!!!!!!!!!!!!
 
Take your time is on the best words of advise for starting a marine tank. Read and learn as much as you can and don't be affraid to ask questions here.
 
a damsel with a moray eel is a good thing, IMO...

the eel gets a snack, and theres one less mean fish in my fishtank. :D

my advice, after you do research, HAVE FUN-but within limits.

what are your plans with a 55? FOWLR, or reef. a FOWLR is fish only with live rock-thats mostly encompassing the big nasties-lionfish, eels, triggers, but occasionally its for people that don't want to hassle with corals.
the reef is full of corals. check out the tank of the month for reef tanks. they have some fish, but the main focus is on the corals.

things to research: filtration systems, sandbed systems (shallow or deep or bare bottom) Live rock, cycling, and stocking.

PS: and no tangs

and welcome!!!
 
Take your time. A great reef is not created overnight. It takes quite some time. Use a fair amount of live rock. You need great light, filtration, and water flow (around 30 x tank size - or so I have been told).
 
If I were you I would try and plan out everything, including the tank setup, plumbing, sump, etc.. Its much more difficult to come back after everything is running and try and change things. Like everyone else said; read and do some research about what type of tank you want. Bob Ferrner's book (sp?) "the Conciences Marine Aquaris" is a great book to get and read.
 
My best advice would be to write everything down, I mean everything, from buying salt to what kind of fish/ corals you want to keep....

Saltwaterfish.com, and marine depot both have reasonable comparison charts for fish that are compatible....

Write down the one's you want, then compare them, size, temperment, colors, eating habits....

If you see a fish you think you have to have, don't buy it, get on RC, and ask people that have had one, what they think....it will give you an overall opinion on the fish, and you can decide if you can live with the amount of care, etc, that's needed..

You will need a supplies list, i.e., food, tests, salt, heaters, powerheads, how many? RO/DI water, nets, medicine, supplements....for fish or corals, if you plan on keeping them...

How are you going to plumb your tank, using a sump, refugium? Draw it out on a piece of paper...

Will the room your keeping your tank in get direct sunlight where it's sitting, what about the AC or the heater?? Do you have enough outlets??

MOST important!!! Are there GFCI outlets installed on the outlets you will be using...

Just really think it all through, cuz once that tanks got water in it, you're basically stuck with what you got, unless you want to do the work of moving it....

Rewrite your list with the most important things you need NOW....not talking about LR or water for that matter...do you have everything you need so that when you add water, you can also add LR at the same time??

Just some things to think about...I really jumped the gun, and lost two very nice percula clowns do to me not being "ready" for fish, and thought I could get "this" later, or that, when I got the $$....Get it all, then you have it, when/if you need it!!!


OH!!! Don't forget to take PICS!

[welcome]

Have a great time, and feel free to ask anything you think you need to know an answer to, someone on here will certainly have an answer, even if it's one you don't want to hear!!
:D
 
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