hi living reef forums

[LConte17]

hows everyone doin? im pretty new to the hobby of reefs and salt water aquariums. ive recently purchased a 12g nano cube Deluxe, the one with teh upgraded lights. along with that i got a Protein Skimmer, along with some living sand. im plannin on ordering up a powerhead and a wave maker in the next few days. is there anything else other then live rock i should get?

where does everyone get there corals/fish/ and supplies from?

so far ive looked at live aquaria/drsfosterssmith.com, along with Vivid aquariums, marinedepot and blue zoo aquatics. along with a few local stores such as Wetpets [which i believe has a national website for ordering].


thanks in advance to anyone that answers any of my questions. hopefully once the tank is done cycling and everything is good to go i can get myself a pretty sweet reef set up.


thanks, ZO

 

[yote]

Welcome to the livingreef Lconte

I perfer to buy my livestock from the LFS,that way I know what im getting,and once you figure in shipping your coming out about the same price wise.
As for supplies, it all depends on who has the best price weather online or local.If I order any thing online its usually from liveaquria or petsolutions.
Just remember that with a 12gal nano you'll really have to stay on top of your parmeters.
Keep us posted and good luck.

 

[Bifferwine]

Hello and welcome! I don't think you would need a wavemaker for a nano... A powerhead should be sufficient. It sounds like you have everything you need besides test kits (pH, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, calcium) and either a hydrometer or a refractometer.

I have ordered things from etropicals, liveaquaria, and marinedepotlive. I usually buy livestock from my LFS though.

Keep us updated on how things go and feel free to ask any questions that you might have.

 

[LConte17]

oh yah i ordered a test kid and a hydrometer when i ordered teh skimmer i knew i forgot something. and i got a 2 part Kent marine Nano reef buffer too.

 

[jhnrb]

Make sure your read up on buffers before using um. always test and do not add any chemicals to your system unless you test 1st and have a deficientcy. welcome to the site.

 

[reeffreak]

I used Liveaquaria,E-tropical,Marinedepotlive,and Blue Zoo(I use so many)
In a matter of fact I've just received 3 Zooanthid polyp rock and 3 mushroom rock yesterday from Blue Zoo.Total price was 150.00 including shipping.Locally that would be 40.00 a rock,a large savings.Oh and they all look great.

 

[LConte17]

Make sure your read up on buffers before using um. always test and do not add any chemicals to your system unless you test 1st and have a deficientcy. welcome to the site.

i went to the local shop and the kid there told me that in his opinion Purple up was the best. but he said that stuff i got was a close second. he told me they use eitehr of those two for there showrooms.



Thanks everyone that posted thus far for tips i appreciate it

 

[yote]

All purple up is supposed to do is help coraline algae grow.Its not really a supplement.I used it for a while and found that mine actually did better without the purple up.But I think it might have helped Biffs tank.

 

[Bifferwine]

Yep Purple Up won't do anything to buffer your tank. It contains calcium, but not enough to be relied upon for a reef tank. Actually, it's really just fine sand ground up real good :D. I used it go kick start coralline growth in my tank, and it did work for me. But I don't know if it's worth the price, since coralline will eventually grow on its own anyways if you keep your water quality and lighting right. It helps to be wary when your LFS tells you that you "need" to buy something, such as an additive. Unfortunatly, a lot of them are just out there to make money...

 

[bobby]

Hello, and welcome to living reefs!! I get all my livestock from my LFS like yote said is saves alot on shipping. I agree on purple up it a calcium additive not a buffer, to buffer and raise my ph I use seachem marine buffer 8.3 to my makeup water and it hasnt failed me yet. Here are a couple of sites that have good prices on them
Premium Aquatics INC - live rock and aquarium supply
Fish Supplies, Online Fish Supplies, Aquarium Products, Aquarium Accessories at Big Al's Online
Also if you can you should join a club, most members will try and help you get started and give or sell you frags for cheap, then when there ready to frag again you can return the favor to another new hobbiest, also if your in a club you can meet alot of people with alot of experience that can help you out if your having any kind of problems with your tank.

 

[beancntr]

Hello and Welcome!! You will find the knowledge on this site invaluable! LiveAquaria is excellent with customer service, but I'd still be wary of buying livestock through the mail. A good lfs will order anything you want for you and insure it's health before letting it go.

 

[JellyMan]

hello and welcome to the reefs I cant tell you anything about starting your tank that hasnt been said. The only thing I can reccomend for your tank is kent marine pro buffer dkh with coraline acceleator, and use water other than tap such as spring or distilled water for your water top off and changes you can find it rather cheap in the drink section at wal-mart. Hope this helps :D remember if you have any questions or concerns dont hesitate to ask.

 

[TorretFilmas]

I Am Now Banned

 

[RigoSharon]

hello..i buy from my lfs..never yet bough online..i guess i like to see first what im buying..i have the advantage that i live in a tropical island..most of my invertebrates and live rocks i caugh myself...it looks like your nano is ready to go..good luck and dont forget to post pics..