GabrielHoffer
Reefing newb
My daughter was diagnosed with leukemia three years ago. Ever since she saw Nemo, she always wanted to have a tank with Nemo and Dory in it. For the past three years, she's been fighting her illness off. Due to time constrictions and money being tight, we couldn't afford a sea water setup. To begin with, I know nothing about aquariums. My daughter (who is now 12) did ALL the research on Internet on her own last year and wrote a lot of notes for me to look at.
Yesterday we learned she was in remission. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how OVERLY excited and happy we are. She'll be able to come home in a month. I immediately told my wife I wanted to set up an aquarium before she returned, and my wife had the same idea before we had even exchanged our idea. We can afford it now, we have been saving for this for some time. Our budget is 4000$ for everything, including corals and fishes and tank. It's not very high but I understand it should be sufficient to get something nice.
I read my daughter's notes again and have questions. I don't want to ask her these questions since it would spoil the surprise. She would know immediately what I was preparing. She's the smartest kid I know By the way, I know the aquarium will never be ready to receive fishes in a month as it takes longer for the ecosystem to prepare, but even then, she will be very excited to know Nemo and Dory will be here soon.
The only thing I already have is a 5 stage RO filter to make my own RO water (which is not to be included in the budget). I was planning to make my own salt water, buy fishes and corals locally, but I order the lights, tanks and other things online as there are better deals to be found.
I was looking at a Red Sea Max 250 at first because it seems to come with everything, but I was wondering if such a system really came recommended? We have an empty 5'x5' space we made in the living room for the aquarium. After we have it we plan to have a library built around it.
Ultimately (and I know it's her ultimate dream because she wrote it in pink and bold) she'd like to have seahorses in the tank. She wrote they can breed under the right condition, but that they require more experience to handle. She also wrote sea horses cannot co-habit with every species, but she needed to research the topic more.
Are clown fishes, surgeon fishes and sea horses capable of co-habiting? What about those blue and yellow emperors? She loves those too.
Basically I'm still in the planning stage of budgeting and listing everything I need so when I order I know I'll have everything I need. I just want to make sure I do not mess it up for her!
I thank you very much for your assistance! :)
Gabriel Hoffer
Yesterday we learned she was in remission. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how OVERLY excited and happy we are. She'll be able to come home in a month. I immediately told my wife I wanted to set up an aquarium before she returned, and my wife had the same idea before we had even exchanged our idea. We can afford it now, we have been saving for this for some time. Our budget is 4000$ for everything, including corals and fishes and tank. It's not very high but I understand it should be sufficient to get something nice.
I read my daughter's notes again and have questions. I don't want to ask her these questions since it would spoil the surprise. She would know immediately what I was preparing. She's the smartest kid I know By the way, I know the aquarium will never be ready to receive fishes in a month as it takes longer for the ecosystem to prepare, but even then, she will be very excited to know Nemo and Dory will be here soon.
The only thing I already have is a 5 stage RO filter to make my own RO water (which is not to be included in the budget). I was planning to make my own salt water, buy fishes and corals locally, but I order the lights, tanks and other things online as there are better deals to be found.
I was looking at a Red Sea Max 250 at first because it seems to come with everything, but I was wondering if such a system really came recommended? We have an empty 5'x5' space we made in the living room for the aquarium. After we have it we plan to have a library built around it.
Ultimately (and I know it's her ultimate dream because she wrote it in pink and bold) she'd like to have seahorses in the tank. She wrote they can breed under the right condition, but that they require more experience to handle. She also wrote sea horses cannot co-habit with every species, but she needed to research the topic more.
Are clown fishes, surgeon fishes and sea horses capable of co-habiting? What about those blue and yellow emperors? She loves those too.
Basically I'm still in the planning stage of budgeting and listing everything I need so when I order I know I'll have everything I need. I just want to make sure I do not mess it up for her!
I thank you very much for your assistance! :)
Gabriel Hoffer
