"Why don't you just get a bigger tank?"
- Thread starter Sam_Sushiro
- Start date
Sam_Sushiro
New member
Thanks for the comments guys. Im just trying to make my historic debut like so many others I have seen who have great threads for their tanks from the beginning. My previous thread was hi jacked by some not so friendly people here at RC and eventually deleted by RC because of a joke I made about a goldfish. I'll see you on nano-reef.com... I'm sure it's only a matter of time before the mods axe this thread too that's why I didnt put much effort into it. For those of you who care though, I just got the Hagen Master Test kit and my Refractometer via FedEx yesterday, pics to follow...
Sam don't take it to heart I am sure that you will have a great tank, it really doesn't matter how big it is it only matters how much heart you put into it. You have a long way to go in learning. Most of us with Big tanks started just like you. I think that sometimes we forget that.
JustOneMoreTank
New member
I just think that Sam got off on the wrong foot here on RC. From what I can remember he posted a picture of his FW tank that was only 2/3 full of water from a long time of neglect and evaporation. Then he commented that several of the FW fish he had let die off (neglect??) in the tank and that the only survivor, the goldfish, he was going to flush down the toilet (perhaps joking?? I dunno??)
Anyway... so a few people jumped on him real hard. Also if I can remember someone said that he wouldnt do well taking care of a pet rock. I think most people have gotten over it however and I hope that he has success with his Nano tank and TBS package and doesnt let it evaporate down too much.
Anyway... so a few people jumped on him real hard. Also if I can remember someone said that he wouldnt do well taking care of a pet rock. I think most people have gotten over it however and I hope that he has success with his Nano tank and TBS package and doesnt let it evaporate down too much.
Must be cause I am Canadian that I get to miss all the good stuff
LOL
Spend to much time shoveling snow to read posts lately. But hell am I glad that winter is over. Now I can get back to reading these great threads.
LOL
Spend to much time shoveling snow to read posts lately. But hell am I glad that winter is over. Now I can get back to reading these great threads.
Sam:
I'm a newcomer here too. I've read alot of great information here and alot of stuff that's not so great. Sometimes it gets down right personal but in the end, it's all about the well being of our tanks and their inhabitants.
Try not to judge RC based on a few posts or a thread gone wrong.
Some who have been around for a while are more consious of some issues than we newcomers are. Eventually, we hope to have enough experience to know off-hand some of the things that, right now, seem to have us running in circles asking questions.
The more I read, the more I see newcomers asking the same questions I asked. The answers are in the reading if you have time to invest to find it. RC is a wealth of knowlege even if you never post a single question. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Free resources are all around and there are so many folks here who are more than happy to share their experiences, good and bad.
Be encouraged that for the most part we all start out where you and I are now. There is a learning curve and eventually we will be able to share our successes and failures on the other side of the curve. (And maybe once in a while along the way.)
Good Luck and keep us posted,
Davel
I'm a newcomer here too. I've read alot of great information here and alot of stuff that's not so great. Sometimes it gets down right personal but in the end, it's all about the well being of our tanks and their inhabitants.
Try not to judge RC based on a few posts or a thread gone wrong.
Some who have been around for a while are more consious of some issues than we newcomers are. Eventually, we hope to have enough experience to know off-hand some of the things that, right now, seem to have us running in circles asking questions.
The more I read, the more I see newcomers asking the same questions I asked. The answers are in the reading if you have time to invest to find it. RC is a wealth of knowlege even if you never post a single question. Don't throw the baby out with the bath water. Free resources are all around and there are so many folks here who are more than happy to share their experiences, good and bad.
Be encouraged that for the most part we all start out where you and I are now. There is a learning curve and eventually we will be able to share our successes and failures on the other side of the curve. (And maybe once in a while along the way.)
Good Luck and keep us posted,
Davel
psycho_clown
In Memoriam
Sam_Sushiro i think if thats the tank you want then go for it and don't let anyone crush it. build the tank you want and enjoy it and hope to see you around on R/C. hope things go well for you and your new tank.
Scuba_Steve
Premium Member
Not that I know a whole lot about saltwater, but sounds like to many fish to quickly. Add one fish at a time and wait till the tank minicycles in between. Also you say "to start", does this imply that you plan on getting more fish? A 29g reef cant have many fish, I would go with 3-4 tops. If you had a sump, like one of those 100g ones :lol: you could raise your fish number more. Just get a bunch more live rock to put in it and no bioballs or any of that crap. BTW I love my first fish in my 38g, a lawnmower blenny. He was actually a hitchhiker in my rocks, but he has so much personality and from what ive read will eat most algea. I would highly recommend one.
Good luck!
Sam_Sushiro
New member
It all started about 9 months ago with the worst, most neglected, boring, freshwater tank. I think you will agree, this was an eyesore in my living room.
04/09/05
Now that it's winter and I basically have nothing to do I'm using this opportunity to dive into the world of saltwater. Patience is a virtue and hopefully I can give this project the time necessary to do things right.
I had seen tanks with a black background before and decided to do the same to my tank. Here's a pic just before I painted it. I also painted the stand black as well.
01/12/06
Then I masked it all up and went to town with few cans of flat black spray paint.
Here's a few pics of how it all turned out. I love how the black tank looks against the red wall that my wife and I painted last week.
01/14/06
Mixed up 29 gallons of saltwater. Measured 1.025sg (anyone know if this is good?) Here's the specs on the lights that I bought last year: (CD-16907 Orbit Compact Fluorescent Lunar Lights (30") $169.00) came FedEx today from Drs. Foster & Smith (http://www.drsfostersmith.com). This light unit has 3 lights in one it includes Sun Paq bulbs (Dual Actinic are 420nm/460nm & Dual Daylight are 6,700Ã"šÃ‚°K/10,000Ã"šÃ‚°K) I was able to copy and paste that all by myself directly from the website where I bought the lights. I have no clue what any of that means but it all sounds cool. These lights are HUGE (or at least I think so.)
01/15/06
Here's another shot with just the daylights on.
01/15/06
Added 30lbs of crushed coral to the tank tonight. Man, looks like the tank is full of lowfat milk. Anyone got some cereal and a spoon?
01/15/06
So anyway that brings us to today. At this point there is nothing living yet in the tank. Live rock is next on the list of things to buy. Now for my questions. Which is why I found this site in the first place.
04/09/05
Now that it's winter and I basically have nothing to do I'm using this opportunity to dive into the world of saltwater. Patience is a virtue and hopefully I can give this project the time necessary to do things right.
I had seen tanks with a black background before and decided to do the same to my tank. Here's a pic just before I painted it. I also painted the stand black as well.
01/12/06
Then I masked it all up and went to town with few cans of flat black spray paint.
Here's a few pics of how it all turned out. I love how the black tank looks against the red wall that my wife and I painted last week.
01/14/06
Mixed up 29 gallons of saltwater. Measured 1.025sg (anyone know if this is good?) Here's the specs on the lights that I bought last year: (CD-16907 Orbit Compact Fluorescent Lunar Lights (30") $169.00) came FedEx today from Drs. Foster & Smith (http://www.drsfostersmith.com). This light unit has 3 lights in one it includes Sun Paq bulbs (Dual Actinic are 420nm/460nm & Dual Daylight are 6,700Ã"šÃ‚°K/10,000Ã"šÃ‚°K) I was able to copy and paste that all by myself directly from the website where I bought the lights. I have no clue what any of that means but it all sounds cool. These lights are HUGE (or at least I think so.)
01/15/06
Here's another shot with just the daylights on.
01/15/06
Added 30lbs of crushed coral to the tank tonight. Man, looks like the tank is full of lowfat milk. Anyone got some cereal and a spoon?
01/15/06
So anyway that brings us to today. At this point there is nothing living yet in the tank. Live rock is next on the list of things to buy. Now for my questions. Which is why I found this site in the first place.
- What should my temperature be? I'd like to get the water temperature right before adding live rock.
- What is the best number for salinity? I have measured my specific gravity with a refractometer and show 1.025. Is this good?
- Do I need sand with the crushed coral. I had thought about getting a cucumber, but I dont think they can eat crushed coral. I have also heard that if/when they die they are deadly to a tank.
- Where can I get test kits online? The LFS has tests for $12.99/ea I know that I'll at least need tests for pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, and Nitrate. Any recommendations on where to get these cheaper? Any other tests I should need?
- I'm all brand new to this and even though I have spent hours reading message threads here and other forums, I'd still welcome any feedback from you guys who are more in the know than I am.
z_rivers
New member
ooks good so far sam. as for your questions:
1) you should try to keep your temperature between 77-82 degrees F. you should also try to keep the temp from swinging more than a few degrees during day/night
2) 1.025-1.028 is what most people keep their tanks at. 1.025 is fine but IMO i would bump it up to 1.026
3) sand is preferred more over CC. it allows creatures to move freely within it and does not trap detritus like CC does. sand alone will be good for a cucumber and if it dies it will not nuke your tank unless it is black colored
4) there are quite a few places you can try. www.marinedepot.com and www.liveaquaria.com are to name a few. search the RC sponsor board to compare prices with other websites.
everyone starts out new in this hobby. RC is a great place to learn information and people will always be willing to help with your questions. good luck with your tank and have fun learning about this great hobby :thumbsup:
1) you should try to keep your temperature between 77-82 degrees F. you should also try to keep the temp from swinging more than a few degrees during day/night
2) 1.025-1.028 is what most people keep their tanks at. 1.025 is fine but IMO i would bump it up to 1.026
3) sand is preferred more over CC. it allows creatures to move freely within it and does not trap detritus like CC does. sand alone will be good for a cucumber and if it dies it will not nuke your tank unless it is black colored
4) there are quite a few places you can try. www.marinedepot.com and www.liveaquaria.com are to name a few. search the RC sponsor board to compare prices with other websites.
everyone starts out new in this hobby. RC is a great place to learn information and people will always be willing to help with your questions. good luck with your tank and have fun learning about this great hobby :thumbsup:
dastratt
New member
Marine Depot has the Salifert kits which are most recommended here (and seem to be the easiest). I've also got some of the Aquarium Pharm. kits. They seem to read about the same but on slightly different scales. I had a Red Sea, cheaper kit not as good, alk was poor for example.
dastratt
New member
On substrate, better think about what you want to keep in the tank. I've used CC shallow substrate and just vaccuumed it out during water changes - this was for FOWLR though. For a reef I wanted a SB because some of the critters I'm most interested in like a SB.
Sorry I haven't kept the cukes so can't add there. I've used dwarf hermits and snails on CC and had an orange linkia for several months but can't recommend those.
I always get bored with whatever substrate I have. Make sure you like it before you fill the tank up with livestock.
Sorry I haven't kept the cukes so can't add there. I've used dwarf hermits and snails on CC and had an orange linkia for several months but can't recommend those.
I always get bored with whatever substrate I have. Make sure you like it before you fill the tank up with livestock.
