Hello from Florida

Hey everyone. Just getting back into fish after last having a tank when I was a teen, and doing the Dad-son trips to the fish store. Now my daughter is 3, so I kinda jumped in with both feet.

In the last 3 weeks or so, we went from having an empty 10 gallon on an end table, to having the 10 gallon setup as a fresh for my daughter, to finding steals on craigslist, and I now have a 55 gallon setup as a fowlr, currently working on a stand to setup the 125 as a fowlr, an empty 55 gallon that will be a sump, and an empty 180 gallon acrylic tank, that will eventually become a reef tank.

Just looking around, and trying to find good resources, so thats how we ended up here.

Hello and welcome to the site! We are glad to have you!

Hello and Welcome!

Sounds like you caught the disease bad! But i love it!

However, if you want my suggestion, i would make the 180 a FOWLR because most of the cool fish you are going to want (ie angels, triggers and big tang) are going to need a tank that big.

Also, it will be easier and cheaper to light up the 125

Anyways, start up a showcase thread! I would love to see your tanks!

Good suggestion. I'll talk to the wife about it. The stand we're working on can fit either, so it wouldn't be a long shot to do the 180 instead of the 125, plus the 180 is pre-drilled, with built in overflow. But then I'd need a bigger pump for my sump....hmmm... decisions, decisions. I want a lion-fish too though. LOL

Thanks for that thought!

welcome man, im right down the road in tampa

Youre welcome!

And you can get a lion fish, but be aware that they will eat anything they can fit in there mouth, which expands quite a bit. Basically he should be the smallest fish.

Also, they are venomous and can accidentally kill your other fish. I would turn your 55 in to the a lion fish only tank.

Welcome to the site...glad to have you.

Hello and welcome!

Where are there good LFS's around? I have 2 close to me, 1 in tarpon springs, and one in New Port Ritchey. One has kinda high prices, the other one the guy acted like he didn't have time to deal with me. Kept having to find him.

I found one in oldsmar yesterday that was pretty cool. Fish & coral or something like that. It's in an industrial park behind lowes on tampa rd. Does saltwater only, and has some awesome corals in there. One guy was extremely helpful, and actually took the time with me. I'll be going back there without a doubt to buy stuff. And I found a few items that were close to on-line prices.

We're going to stay with what we have planned for now. I've gathered stuff for the 125 at this point, and it wouldn't be enough for the 180. We'll be buying a house soon, so we're keeping the 180 empty for the transition. We want to have the 180 up and cycled, move the fish, and then we can move the tanks.

Will a 55 actually be big enough for a lion?

Tampa Bay Saltwater has some awesome Live rock and maybe you can pick it up locally and save a lot on shipping.

Live Rock - Tampa Bay Saltwater Aquacultured Live Rock