Droskie20
where's nemo?
So I'm new to this hobby, I just have a 30 gallon tank now on my to do list is filter, water, sand, lights, and rocks I can use all the help you guys can give me or advise...
Last edited:
Hey guys this is What I'm starting with...
- Thread starter Droskie20
- Start date
R3verb
Time to add some coral!
I was writing a couple tips for a friend who is buying a tank. Ill share it with you. Veteran reef keepers, chime in, let me know if anything im saying is dumb.
Things you need to buy BEFORE fish:
• Test kits (get one that does PH, Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates. This will get you started)
• Hydrometer/refractometer (these are used to test how much salt is in your tank. Hydrometers are cheap but inaccurate, refractometers are accurate but expensive. When you are just starting, a hydrometer is fine but plan on upgrading in 6 months)
• Salt! (Red Sea is great. Don’t get the crap at petco, go to one of the fish stores I have listed)
• Substrate (This is sand or crushed gravel or rock. I gave you some but you want about a 3-4” sandbed)
• All in all, you are looking at about $100 before you can get fish. This will ensure you don’t kill anything!
Things to buy after you get fish:
• More flow/wavemaker (these are usually powerheads. Get 2 good Hydor Koralis and their wavemaker. This will keep all the water in your tank moving so you don’t have “dead zones” where stuff piles up. This will run you around $200-$2000 for a really really awesome setup)
• More test kits (if you want to get into corals or if you are going to put pricy fish in your tank, get the next set of test kits. They are worth every penny because they keep your fish safe and happy.)
• Clean Up Crew or CUC (snails, crabs, worms, these things will keep your tank clean from algae and dead stuff)
• LED light upgrade (this is not necessary but LEDs will be better in the long run for your fish tank and your electric bill!)
• RO/DI or reverse osmosis and deionizer (this cleans the water from your tap. Tap water in Denver has around 200 TDS (total dissolved solids) in it. You want to put water in your tank that has 0. This will help to keep Nitrates down and algae at bay and if you are doing corals, will help keep them alive. An RO/DI will let you do it at home. Most grocery stores have a place where you can buy water. That water should be 0 TDS as well and is usually 49C per gallon so that is an option as well.)
• Hang on back refugium (this is a place that you can grow macro algae (good) and a breading ground for copepods. Pods are what some fish eat like mandarins and macro algae will help keep nitrates down)
A few set-up no-nos
• Getting fish too soon. You need to cycle your tank before you get fish. This is done by getting your tank full of saltwater and throwing some frozen fish food like shrimp in it and letting it rot. You will see a spike in ammonia, then nitrite then nitrate. When ammonia and Nitrite are 0 you can add a fish. You will see the cycle happen again after every fish you add. Waite for the cycle to end before adding another fish. This is the bacteria in your tank growing. They break down the ammonia and nitrite in your tank into nitrate.
• Getting anything but fish too soon. When I started, I went right for an anemone. I almost killed it because I didn’t know that nems need AWESOME water quality. Same goes for invertebrates like shrimps. If you have raised anything, they will just die in your tank and cause all kinds of problems. Remember, do you research, know what you are buying.
• Don’t trust anybody. When I started, I went to Petco. Everything they sold me I had to bring back because the guy at the pet store didn’t have a clue as to what the fish he was selling me actually needed. Go some place reputable like the stores I have listed. I am sure there are good ones in Denver as well. Talk to a bunch of people, post on the forums and do your own research. This will keep you from any big blunders.
• Putting water in your tank before you thing it through. Make sure you are happy with where your tank is BEFORE you fill it. When it’s empty, it weighs around 100lbs. easy to move. When it’s full, it weighs about 600-800lbs. not so easy to move.
• Last no- no. If you don’t want to put in the time and money, don’t get into the hobby. Fish tanks are extremely rewarding and I watch mine as much as I watch my TV but you have to be willing to put in the time to do water tests, water exchanges and tank maintenance and the money to replace worn out equipment and used up salt. Remember that your fish can’t just get out of your tank and go to the neighbor’s house if your tank isn’t clean, their lives are completely in your hands. That being said, fish are great pets. They are relaxing and beautiful and a lot of fun to watch grow.
Some saltwater tips
Tip #1-Go Slow
I can’t stress how important this is. The faster you go, the greater the chance that you mess something up. Make sure you plan out every move you make in this hobby and understand the implications of every decision. Example: When I started, I went out and bought a few cheap damsel fish to start my tank off. These fish were great but the kickback was this; if I wanted to do a tank with corals and tangs, I would have to get rid of these little guys. Now I love my damsels and I will have to give them up soon to get the tank I really want. Every fish you put in your tank means that you can’t get another 10 fish.
Tip #2-Plan it out
Because of the above example, It is important to plan out your every move. Sit down and look up different types of fish and see what you like. Make sure that kind of fish can live in your aquarium. For instance, You can go to the fish store and see a blue Hippo Tang swimming in a tank that is much smaller than yours. If you buy him though, he will outgrow your tank QUICKLY. A Blue Hippo Tang needs a 180 gallon tank to live in. Make sure you know what you are going to the fish store to get rather than going to the fish store to figure out what you want. Also, It is important to decided what kind of tank you want. If you want Corals, you can do some fish like Angles, if you want a lionfish, you can’t do shrimp. There are TONS of rules like that. Plan out what you want to put in your tank. Do you want a FOWLR (fish only with live rock), a reef tank (corals) an eel tank, a seahorse tank? If you figure this out before you start, your experience will be much better!
Tip #3-Join a forum. The internet is a wealth of knowledge and you can get it really fast. I am a member on Living Reefs - Reef Aquarium Forums and just about everything I put into this paper is stuff I have learned from that site. You will be amazed how many people know what they are doing and can help you with any questions from A to Z.
Tip #4-stockpile. Always buy something as soon as you open another. Example. If you have a bag of salt and you open that bag of salt, you need to go buy another bag of salt before you take the first scoop of salt out of the first bag. Same thing with lights. If you have a bulb burn out, you want another on hand that you can swap in and then order a new one right away. Food is a little trickier because it will go bad. Just make sure you always have food on hand. Your fish need food just like you do!
Tip #5-last tip. Dream as big as your tank. Think of the most beautiful tank you have ever seen and scale it down to your tank. Go around to fish stores and look at their show tanks. Take pictures of things that you like and thinks you don’t like. Post them on the forums and find out what they are. Remember that the more tanks you have, the more the money has to be split up. If you put all your money and energy into one tank, you can have a really awesome tank!
Good LFS (local fish stores) in Fort Collins
Alpine Koi-these guys are my favorite. Go check out their show tank sometime when you are in town it is amazing. These guys are super knowledgeable and very helpful and friendly. They all love fish and ALL have SW tanks of their own. They are also locally owned in fort Collins.
D&G pets – these guys are my backup if Alpine doesn’t have something I need or want. Most of them are knowlageable and most of them have a tank either SW or FW. They have a really nice selection of fish and live rock and lots of chemicles.
Amazon-I know, it’s online. Make sure you check prices on amazon. My rule is, I’ll spend %10 more at a LFS to support them. I will NOT pay $90 for a $40 heater (I have seen this). Amazon has TONS of stuff and a huge selection. Also, check out customer reviews on everything you are buying. This will help you get good stuff.
Petsmart-this is the only chain I trust. They are my LAST RESORT if I can’t find it at all of the above or I need something like a gravel vac or something. They are good they have good fish keeping practices.
DO NOT GO TO PETCO. THEY SUCK AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
I hope all of this helps you get your tank set up and brings you many many years of enjoyment from your tank.
Things you need to buy BEFORE fish:
• Test kits (get one that does PH, Ammonia, Nitrites, and Nitrates. This will get you started)
• Hydrometer/refractometer (these are used to test how much salt is in your tank. Hydrometers are cheap but inaccurate, refractometers are accurate but expensive. When you are just starting, a hydrometer is fine but plan on upgrading in 6 months)
• Salt! (Red Sea is great. Don’t get the crap at petco, go to one of the fish stores I have listed)
• Substrate (This is sand or crushed gravel or rock. I gave you some but you want about a 3-4” sandbed)
• All in all, you are looking at about $100 before you can get fish. This will ensure you don’t kill anything!
Things to buy after you get fish:
• More flow/wavemaker (these are usually powerheads. Get 2 good Hydor Koralis and their wavemaker. This will keep all the water in your tank moving so you don’t have “dead zones” where stuff piles up. This will run you around $200-$2000 for a really really awesome setup)
• More test kits (if you want to get into corals or if you are going to put pricy fish in your tank, get the next set of test kits. They are worth every penny because they keep your fish safe and happy.)
• Clean Up Crew or CUC (snails, crabs, worms, these things will keep your tank clean from algae and dead stuff)
• LED light upgrade (this is not necessary but LEDs will be better in the long run for your fish tank and your electric bill!)
• RO/DI or reverse osmosis and deionizer (this cleans the water from your tap. Tap water in Denver has around 200 TDS (total dissolved solids) in it. You want to put water in your tank that has 0. This will help to keep Nitrates down and algae at bay and if you are doing corals, will help keep them alive. An RO/DI will let you do it at home. Most grocery stores have a place where you can buy water. That water should be 0 TDS as well and is usually 49C per gallon so that is an option as well.)
• Hang on back refugium (this is a place that you can grow macro algae (good) and a breading ground for copepods. Pods are what some fish eat like mandarins and macro algae will help keep nitrates down)
A few set-up no-nos
• Getting fish too soon. You need to cycle your tank before you get fish. This is done by getting your tank full of saltwater and throwing some frozen fish food like shrimp in it and letting it rot. You will see a spike in ammonia, then nitrite then nitrate. When ammonia and Nitrite are 0 you can add a fish. You will see the cycle happen again after every fish you add. Waite for the cycle to end before adding another fish. This is the bacteria in your tank growing. They break down the ammonia and nitrite in your tank into nitrate.
• Getting anything but fish too soon. When I started, I went right for an anemone. I almost killed it because I didn’t know that nems need AWESOME water quality. Same goes for invertebrates like shrimps. If you have raised anything, they will just die in your tank and cause all kinds of problems. Remember, do you research, know what you are buying.
• Don’t trust anybody. When I started, I went to Petco. Everything they sold me I had to bring back because the guy at the pet store didn’t have a clue as to what the fish he was selling me actually needed. Go some place reputable like the stores I have listed. I am sure there are good ones in Denver as well. Talk to a bunch of people, post on the forums and do your own research. This will keep you from any big blunders.
• Putting water in your tank before you thing it through. Make sure you are happy with where your tank is BEFORE you fill it. When it’s empty, it weighs around 100lbs. easy to move. When it’s full, it weighs about 600-800lbs. not so easy to move.
• Last no- no. If you don’t want to put in the time and money, don’t get into the hobby. Fish tanks are extremely rewarding and I watch mine as much as I watch my TV but you have to be willing to put in the time to do water tests, water exchanges and tank maintenance and the money to replace worn out equipment and used up salt. Remember that your fish can’t just get out of your tank and go to the neighbor’s house if your tank isn’t clean, their lives are completely in your hands. That being said, fish are great pets. They are relaxing and beautiful and a lot of fun to watch grow.
Some saltwater tips
Tip #1-Go Slow
I can’t stress how important this is. The faster you go, the greater the chance that you mess something up. Make sure you plan out every move you make in this hobby and understand the implications of every decision. Example: When I started, I went out and bought a few cheap damsel fish to start my tank off. These fish were great but the kickback was this; if I wanted to do a tank with corals and tangs, I would have to get rid of these little guys. Now I love my damsels and I will have to give them up soon to get the tank I really want. Every fish you put in your tank means that you can’t get another 10 fish.
Tip #2-Plan it out
Because of the above example, It is important to plan out your every move. Sit down and look up different types of fish and see what you like. Make sure that kind of fish can live in your aquarium. For instance, You can go to the fish store and see a blue Hippo Tang swimming in a tank that is much smaller than yours. If you buy him though, he will outgrow your tank QUICKLY. A Blue Hippo Tang needs a 180 gallon tank to live in. Make sure you know what you are going to the fish store to get rather than going to the fish store to figure out what you want. Also, It is important to decided what kind of tank you want. If you want Corals, you can do some fish like Angles, if you want a lionfish, you can’t do shrimp. There are TONS of rules like that. Plan out what you want to put in your tank. Do you want a FOWLR (fish only with live rock), a reef tank (corals) an eel tank, a seahorse tank? If you figure this out before you start, your experience will be much better!
Tip #3-Join a forum. The internet is a wealth of knowledge and you can get it really fast. I am a member on Living Reefs - Reef Aquarium Forums and just about everything I put into this paper is stuff I have learned from that site. You will be amazed how many people know what they are doing and can help you with any questions from A to Z.
Tip #4-stockpile. Always buy something as soon as you open another. Example. If you have a bag of salt and you open that bag of salt, you need to go buy another bag of salt before you take the first scoop of salt out of the first bag. Same thing with lights. If you have a bulb burn out, you want another on hand that you can swap in and then order a new one right away. Food is a little trickier because it will go bad. Just make sure you always have food on hand. Your fish need food just like you do!
Tip #5-last tip. Dream as big as your tank. Think of the most beautiful tank you have ever seen and scale it down to your tank. Go around to fish stores and look at their show tanks. Take pictures of things that you like and thinks you don’t like. Post them on the forums and find out what they are. Remember that the more tanks you have, the more the money has to be split up. If you put all your money and energy into one tank, you can have a really awesome tank!
Good LFS (local fish stores) in Fort Collins
Alpine Koi-these guys are my favorite. Go check out their show tank sometime when you are in town it is amazing. These guys are super knowledgeable and very helpful and friendly. They all love fish and ALL have SW tanks of their own. They are also locally owned in fort Collins.
D&G pets – these guys are my backup if Alpine doesn’t have something I need or want. Most of them are knowlageable and most of them have a tank either SW or FW. They have a really nice selection of fish and live rock and lots of chemicles.
Amazon-I know, it’s online. Make sure you check prices on amazon. My rule is, I’ll spend %10 more at a LFS to support them. I will NOT pay $90 for a $40 heater (I have seen this). Amazon has TONS of stuff and a huge selection. Also, check out customer reviews on everything you are buying. This will help you get good stuff.
Petsmart-this is the only chain I trust. They are my LAST RESORT if I can’t find it at all of the above or I need something like a gravel vac or something. They are good they have good fish keeping practices.
DO NOT GO TO PETCO. THEY SUCK AND HAVE NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
I hope all of this helps you get your tank set up and brings you many many years of enjoyment from your tank.
marcah
Reef enthusiast
howdy and welcome to the site..:D
I will make this a little shorter..
filter: none your liverock will be your filtration for your tank..
substrate: aragonite sand, and does not have to be live it will turn live
Liverock: 1 to 2 pounds per gallon, could buy a small piece of live and the rest dry rock and let it turn live.
Protein skimmer: you will want to get a good one with a proven track record... Reef octopus is a great skimmer..
Powerheads: I would throw two in and turn the tank over at about 30 times per hour, this will alsoo allow for corals later
heater: I usually recommend two since it is the one thing that breaks most often in this hobby, that way if one breaks the other will run until you can get a new one..
LIghting: a good set of t-5's will work on your tank
that will be about everything you need to start up
Later down the road or from the beginning you could look into a small sump ( not necessary ) but does help with water volume.. more water = more stabilty
and not all chains are bad depending on where you go stores are like another chain some are good some are bad, cant say all petcos are bad just because of a few bad apples.
and research research research before making descisions...
slow and steady is best for this hobby dont rush
good luck and enjoy
I will make this a little shorter..
filter: none your liverock will be your filtration for your tank..
substrate: aragonite sand, and does not have to be live it will turn live
Liverock: 1 to 2 pounds per gallon, could buy a small piece of live and the rest dry rock and let it turn live.
Protein skimmer: you will want to get a good one with a proven track record... Reef octopus is a great skimmer..
Powerheads: I would throw two in and turn the tank over at about 30 times per hour, this will alsoo allow for corals later
heater: I usually recommend two since it is the one thing that breaks most often in this hobby, that way if one breaks the other will run until you can get a new one..
LIghting: a good set of t-5's will work on your tank
that will be about everything you need to start up
Later down the road or from the beginning you could look into a small sump ( not necessary ) but does help with water volume.. more water = more stabilty
and not all chains are bad depending on where you go stores are like another chain some are good some are bad, cant say all petcos are bad just because of a few bad apples.
and research research research before making descisions...
slow and steady is best for this hobby dont rush
good luck and enjoy
Smitty
Reef pro
Hello and welcome aboard.
little_fish
Moderator
Hello and Welcome!
Just a couple more comments, dont use crushed coral or gravel for substrate. That will collect poop and stuff, causing water quality issues.
Refractometers dont have to be expensive, you can get them for around $20 on ebay with the calibration fluid being at $3. Which is about what you will spend replacing hydrometers in the first year.
Just a couple more comments, dont use crushed coral or gravel for substrate. That will collect poop and stuff, causing water quality issues.
Refractometers dont have to be expensive, you can get them for around $20 on ebay with the calibration fluid being at $3. Which is about what you will spend replacing hydrometers in the first year.
Becky
Reefing newb
Hello and welcome! :wave:
motorcyclereefer
I am Graffiti Petey
Welcome to the site.
Droskie20
where's nemo?
little_fish
Moderator
Off to a great start! How much rock you got in there? Looks like you could use a few more pounds.
Droskie20
where's nemo?
I've got 33 pounds of rock and 25 pounds of sand and 25 gallons of water
