Starting up a new tank!!

[pskirby307]

:wavehand:

I'm Patrick,

I'm going to be starting a new tank here in the next few months!

Im definitely leaning towards a 200+ gallon, however, this is the first tank that ive had that will be an actual reef tank. Are there any pointers that you could give me?

I currently have absolutely no equipment, so any advice there would be appreciated!!

Thanks!!

 

[Jwheld]

Start saving your money!

 

[Lsufan]

They have to many things to list but it is a great time to start a tank because u can save a bunch of money on equipment for Black Friday.

I would recommend doing a lot of research one thing at a time. Being Black Friday is around the corner I would start with equipment like lights, skimmer, return pump & wavemakers so u can get them on sale for Black Friday. Once u figure out your equipment list then move on to the sump if u plan on having one. With the sump u will need to decide how big of one u can fit, If u want to have a refugium & if u want to use socks or not.

Then I would decide on the overflow & drain setup u want to use. I would recommend a beananimal drain setup with as long of a overflow box as possible.

U will have to decide if u want to start with dry rock or live rock from somewhere like Tampa bar saltwater. Decide on the type of sand u want to use.

Do a little research on each so u can get a idea what you would like. Once u have a idea then post your questions & u should be able to get the help u need. If u have a idea before posting your questions u will understand the responses u get better & will be able to make the right decision based on your needs.

This is a great forum for learning about the hobby. Most of what I know I learned from this forum.

 

[Jwheld]

Joking aside, brs on YouTube has the 52 weeks of reefing series that goes through every aspect. I watched it as I was setting up my tank.


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[Jekerry]

Read the newbies sticky thread. It is so helpful!

 

[rocsec1]

Figure out your budget and then double it. Brs’s Black Friday sale is great, but buying used equipment is even better.

 

[thaitopher]

Dont skip on yoir light because if you buy a crappy one you will just want a new one in a few months and yes I speak from experiemce. [emoji54]

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[ratm909]

Go as big as possible you'll just end up wanting bigger :/


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[Jeramirez85]

Make a list of the equipment you will be buying according to the type of corals you will have. Plan a budget and plan to spend over that budget lol buy used and visit the diy forum frequently. Lastly enjoy it and patience is big

 

[NS Mike D]

find the local shops that deal in reefs - drop in the club forum nearest you on this site for advice on LFS. Visit the shops and attend club meetings to help you vision the type of tank you want.

Corals can be picky about their water and light. We don't know enough specifics about how the reef ecosystem works - which is why two hobbyists can have successful tanks with very different approaches. Just keep reading up and pay attention to the debates among long time reefers who have hands on experience as well as studied up on the various research.

You can go insane and broke as there is an urge to buy every piece of equipment to lower your nutrients and stop the algae from growing.

In addition to the BRS videos, Red Sea has a series that simplifies coral needs. It's geared to using their products, but the education in those videos will help you decide how you are going to keep your corals happy.

One thing that puzzles me: we spend a fortune on lights and corals, and we are obsessive about testing the water parameters, but yet we tend to not invest in PAR meters to check the lighting in the tank and rely on the lot of trial and error and anecdotal advice. When you start looking at lighting, consider a PAR meter purchase of if a local club has one to lend to members. At the very least, check manufactures web site as most of the reputable ones will post PAR mappings to help give you a general idea what to expect in your tank.