Help on a good startIng tank

Robtv

Reefing newb
Hello lady's and Gentlemen*
I believe after talking with my co worker about his 180 gallon salt water tank
I would like to jump into the water and get my feet wet always wanted to try this *I have been reading articles and info for the last two weeks. Have not purchased anything I've looked at tanks, rocks , and needed accessories to have a successful start.
I currently have an expensive hobby already RC Airplane I have $ 100 airplanes to $2000 airplanes so I tend to research every *I buy being in the air with a 2k plane and having a bad servo or other item will not work it will take one overlooked problem to snow ball into a pill of sticks. So I will take my time and not rush into buying the wrong tank, fish , Etc few questions*?

What do you guys think of the almost ready NANO cubes , oceanic and other makes ?are they good starter tank or will I find my self upgrading the factory installed filters, lights *Etc *To get the tank *right. Would like to have my first tank for at lease 4-5 years

Would it be better for me to put together individual equipment tank, filter Etc any good suggestion any brand of anything I should stay away?

I Like the rimless look will I experience any problems**my friend is telling me I should run a pump for the filter don't want to get over my head too fast he thinks a drilled tank would be okay *I'm thinking about a 30- 40 gallon tank would like a few corals and fish.

What do you guys think have read lots of good advice so far
Thanks in advance*
 
Welcome to the site!
I have very recently gone through the exact same line of questioning with myself. I ended up deciding on the 28 Gallon Nano Cube LED. My reasoning was this:

The newer Nanocubes have upgraded lighting systems already, Biocube as well. There is the HQI Units, the LED (two versions Intermediate and Expert. The latter able to grow the more high intensity light demanding organisms)

I was concerned with weight and flood potential of larger systems.
Ease of startup. The only modifications I will be making is the addition of a skimmer to run for 3-5 days every other week, and adding cheato and LR rubble to the included media basket. (I may upgrade it with an aftermarket basket that is a little wider.)

I was able to make a accurate budget and estimate of future cost with my limited experience level.

I have only had the system running for a week now, so I have no comment on the long term usage of the system. I am sure that there are certainly some cons with the nano systems but I have not run into them yet. I believe this is a good system for me to learn the process first hand, and to promote the confidence to I need for a larger system down the road.
 
Hi and Welcome!

Saltwater tanks are a very fun, exciting, and addicting hobby. If you research everything, have patience and heed the advice of more experienced members you will be successful!! There are a few things I think that you should consider :)

1-Smaller tanks like nano's can be more work. I have a 30 gallon tank and I stay on top of it. If you can pay at least 5 minutes a day of focused attention on it you should be fine. The reason they can be a bit more work is because when you have something that small, it can go downhill quickly. There isnt the wiggle room you have for error like you have in a larger tank. You must be careful with your livestock collection and make sure your water parameters are always in check.

2- There is a general 1 fish for every ten gallons rule.but that doesnt mean you cant have something beautiful!! Fish need room to swim and live, while there is a rule on fish, there really isnt one on invertebrates. You can get beautiful inverts to compliment your fish!! Go to Aquarium Fish: Tropical Freshwater Fish and Saltwater Fish for Home Aquariums and click on the nano section to see what your options would be!!!

3-This IS an expensive hobby. While the start up cost to a nano may be smaller then that of a larger tank, in my personal experience to maintain a healthy saltwater tank it is going to cost a little bit of cash. It depends on where you buy your livestock, where you get your water (Do you mix your own or do you buy it premixed), your test kits etc etc.

Unfortunately disaster strikes the best of us in this hobby, so just because you did everything by the book doesnt mean you wont have your ups and downs, but doing your research and doing what you can to prevent them will help stop most of them from becoming an issue from the start. Just remember that our fish, to most of us, are more then just fish, they are pets that we get extrememly attached to so plan to take the best care of them that you can. Im sure the mods or other more experienced members will have some more advice for you but I think you are off to a good start in researching.
 
Welcome to the site, it looks like the others have you covered. I would plan on getting the largest tank your budget will allow for several reasons:
1) Larger water volumes are more forgiving when it comes to water parameters - it will take longer for a problem to develop
2) Fish selection - As you get into the hobby you'll find fish that you want to keep but are unable to because of the system you have.

Alternatively, if there are particular fish you really want to keep, look into their care requirements, and design your system around those fish and their needs
 
to tell you the truth i never check my water params except salinity, i use tap water, i mix my own salt, i never quarintine my fish or corals, i never ever use ANY chemicals in my system, and i do a monthly water change. NO problems at all :)
 
hey nano reefer,i think your extreamly lucky but your methd may cause someone else to have a totaly crashed tank,this is not a good idea for anyone starting out in reefing,bad for corals and bad for anything else someone may put in the tank,just because your not checking your tank dont mean its right
 
not recomending somebody else to do it, but it works for me.it makes you think about things and be more cautious, an oversized skimmer, a small bioload, tank maintenence, a good cuc, and waterchanges with a good salt.
 
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