The very basics

Crackerballer

Crackerballer

New member
I was browsing the forum, and just thinking to myself, there is no stickied thread for people who may have NO aquarium experience on how to start out. What I mean are some of the more basic things like:
*How to mix salt
*using a hydrometer
*What misc supplies you need to start (thermometer, test kits, etc)
*Setting up lighting cycles

etc

The reason I say all this is because you can never search this forum, and I know it is very popular for people wanting to get into saltwater.

Anyone want to take on the task of writing up a starting out thread or link up some good stuff?
 
Re: The very basics

*How to mix salt

Buy Instant Ocean salt. Add 1/2 cup for each gallon of RODI water. Stick a heater and powerhead in the bucket and let it mix for 24hrs before you use it. Check to make sure its 1.026sg and you can add it to your tank.

*using a hydrometer

Don't even bother buying one. Spend an extra 30$ and get a refractometer. My 2week old hydrometer was off by 4 compared to my calibrated refractometer. Get some pinpoint solution so that you can calibrate it perfectly!

*What misc supplies you need to start

You need all the basic test kits made by Salifert. (Ammonia, Nitraite
 
Re: The very basics

*How to mix salt

Buy Instant Ocean salt. Add 1/2 cup for each gallon of RODI water. Stick a heater and powerhead in the bucket and let it mix for 24hrs before you use it. Check to make sure its 1.026sg and you can add it to your tank.

*using a hydrometer

Don't even bother buying one. Spend an extra 30$ and get a refractometer. My 2week old hydrometer was off by 4 compared to my calibrated refractometer. Get some pinpoint solution so that you can calibrate it perfectly!

*What misc supplies you need to start

You need all the basic test kits made by Salifert. (Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate, PH, Calcium, Alk, Magnesium)

Get a magfloat to clean your glass and think about using a filtersock in your sump. It will need to be swapped out and washed every 2days.

Get yourself an RO/DI system. You will save yourself money in the long run.. trust me on that one. Been there done that.. Tap water cant be trusted.. one week it might be fine.. the next week they might dose loads of clorine etc..

*Setting up lighting cycles

You need to get some timers from your local hardware store. Set actinics for 12hrs and MH for 8. I run my actinics noon - midnight and MH 2pm-10pm. Then moonlights at night.
 
i suggest reading waterkeepers thread - a few times. I have and i swear i find something i missed everytime i read it. Or maybe i just didn't make it all the way through last time. Anyway. There is some great info in there that you should read.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9268887#post9268887 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by L and L
I would highly recommend you get the book:

The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner
Click to expand...
Excellent advice, I have read it multiple times and would not be without it.
 
I think the best advice, if you have NO aquarium experience, is to start with a fresh water tank. You can learn a lot of things with FW that will help you when you switch to SW -- plus it's a lot cheaper.
 
I started with goldfish in 1952and was a feature writer for Goldfish Magazine by the time I was seven.

1720homepage_fish1-thumb.gif


And anywhere between 78-82 degrees is fine but not for Goldfish. :D
 
Sprung and Delbeek say ideal is 74-76 ^F for reef tank.

Eric Borneman says ideal reef tank temp is towards more natural reef temperatures of 80-84^F.

If you have a chiller, skip the next 3 paragraphs. =) I say set your heater to come on at 78^F. Right before your lights go OFF should be your highest temp.... hopefully, it will be 80^F or less.

If your highest temp is more than 80^F… let’s say it’s 82^F, then I would re-set your heater to come on at 80^F. If that increases the 82^F to something hotter, then IMO start over again at 78^F and add some cooling methods to your tank.

You could actually set your target temp anywhere in between 75-82^F and be fine as long as you stayed +- 2 degrees of that target temp (experts recommend). I've had + 3-4 degrees in the summer with no problems (at least none that I noticed). But, large fluctuations in a short time period could cause your fish to get ICH.

Eric Borneman also wrote: The temperature average of 1000 reefs in the world was from 70-86^F.

Interesting... A low temp was 61^F and high was 93^F (!).
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9421784#post9421784 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by AZDesertRat
They had aquariums in 1952??? Gawd you are older than dirt! Or did they even have dirt then?
Click to expand...

Besides Goldfish bowls; I also invented dirt. :D

Average reef temps vary but, in tropical regions, the average is just under 82.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=9418917#post9418917 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Tehrab
Excellent advice, I have read it multiple times and would not be without it.
Click to expand...

Excellent book. I'm reading it again (and probably again).

After you read that, grab "Reef Invertebrates" by Calfo and Fenner. I'm halfway through it and have already significantly changed my future tank plans (things that would have been 'mistakes').
 
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