Hi...Total Newbie Here!

HAHAHAHAHA

Cousins.....HAHAHAHAHA....oh wait. I do treatment for sickos like that... huh, but it is still funny

-Doc
 
Hi All:

My wife didn't want me to get this setup because she is concerned that I won't stick with it.

I guess my question now is would anyone else like the contact info on this setup?

Let me know.

I am going to go with a 12g NanoCube my father-in-law is giving me for my first setup.

Any advice on the initial setup? I need to clean the tank so any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,
ReefyCane
 
Here is the thing. It is MUCH easier to care for a tank that is larger than a smaller one. A smaller one requires a heck of a lot of monitoring of the water parameters to insure that the salinity does not increase due to evaporation, feeding can be problematic due to increased nitrates, it is just a more fragile system.

The bigger the tank, the more room for error you have. I would hate for you to invest time and energy into a small tank that can be difficult to manage and have it fail only to ignore the hobby altogether cuz of a failure. My first tank was a 125 and now I have 2 more 90 gallon tanks. Big is best in this hobby.

If you have a propensity to start things and not ever keep with them, maybe researching more would be a good idea before jumping into ANY tank to see if this is really what you want to pursue for a hobby. It does take some time, but it is SOOOO rewarding. I probably spend 2 hours a week with maintaining my tanks. I spend way more time looking and enjoying them. Up to you. I would recommend going bigger if you can afford it and you know you will keep up with it.

-Doc
 
Marco is right. The smaller the tank, the easier it is to fail. I always recommend people start with the biggest tank they can afford. Even "experts" have a really difficult time keeping nanocubes, like the 12 gallon one you suggested.
 
just think about evaporation. it takes a lot of water to evaporate in a large tank (which I lose a gallon a day to evap) to increase the salinity of the water. in a smaller nano, if the same amount of water goes out, the salt level can climb to deadly proportions for your livestock. Same with nitrates. If I overfeed my fish ina 90 gallon set up, the increase of nutrients is minimal and the water quality stays consistent. In a nano, overfeeding can kill your whole tank and the nitrates pass what the coral can handle.

If you are going to start up, you will find it easier and more satisfying to get the 72gallon. Plus you will find the amount and kind of fish you want so limited in a 12 gallon. You are talking 1 fish that gets about 3 inches long, where in a 72gallon you can have several smaller fish or a few 4-5 inch fish and have more stocking power. Just my :twocents:

-Doc
 
Plus, if you do get a nano and like it, I guarantee you will be wanting to upgrade within a few months, since you will be so limited in what you can put into such a small tank. You will be totally kicking yourself for passing up such a great deal on the 72 gallon tank. As I said before, the lights alone on that setup are worth more than $400.
 
is that enough brow-beating for the new guy? :bounce: Not that Biff and I are opinionated or anything!!!

Do what you think is best, but we are speaking from our experience. He!!, I regret not going with the 180 I had my eye on when I started this hobby 3 years ago.

-Doc
 
I agree, get the bigger tank! I would if I could. I have a 15 gal reef tank just because it's all the room available in my little place. The maintenance is constant. I spend as much time taking care of it as enjoying it. When I can get myself into a house, Big tank club here I come!
Good luck though which ever way you decide to go.
 
i would also have to agree. i started with a 55 gallon ... you would not believe the difference in that tank and what i have now ... 125DT, 100 frag tank, 30 refugium, and 100 sump ... this system is much easier to maintain.
 
I started with a 12 gallon nano.... Big mistake, it was soo hard to get it going, keep it stable, and try to maintain decent water. Its what got me addicted but I wish I would have started with a 30+ gallon... My 12 is gone now and the 125 is rollin good... God I love this hobby...:)
 
have you bought the big tank yet? lol. I tend to agree with the masses on the tank desicion. I wish I could find a deal like that. but, to ease you're wifes mind. you can easily get you're money back on that tank if you decided to get out of the hobby. it's a very good deal. bowfront tanks are expensive, and with a stand and canopy that nice, you are looking at much more than 400 bucks! welcome to living reefs by the way.
 
Hi All,

No, I wasn't able to convince the wifey that I would stay the course and such. Another issue was our finances because we just had our first child (he's a little over two months old) and money is a little tighter than it used to be.

My father-in-law had a 12 gallon nanocube setting around and a Coralife light sitting around for about six months. He does freshwater aquariums and was going to try a reef, but never got around to it. My son seems to really like to watch the aquarium and I got interested in the hobby so that's why I am here and trying to learn everything I can.

I am going to post pics of what I have. Here's a list of the things my FIL gave me for the tank.

JBJ 12 Gallon Nanocube (original cover not included, it has a glass top now)

JBJ Submersible Pump SP1300 Model

Coralife Deluxe Series Double Linear Strip - 12 inch double lamp, 2 - 18 watt 50/50 flourescent lamps True Actinic 03 Blue and 10,000K daylight phosphors, On/Off Switch, Built in Ballasts

Bio Balls and Ceramic Rings

Some sort of black sponges

Bag o' Charcoal

Tell me what I need to do next...the tank was pretty dusty/dirty so I did wash it out with hot water. I know I need to rinse/wash it with white vinegar before I even think about putting anything in it.

Thanks for the time and help. I wish I could have grabbed that deal, but I do like sleeping in the bed! :sfish:

~ReefyCane
 
Congratulations on the boy.I know all to well how kids strip the ole wallet.
With a tank that small,you'll do better to just change a gallon of water every week than to try to run a skimmer.
Get rid of the bio-balls and rings.They want do anything but cause you trouble.
Make sure the charcoal is for saltwater use.Some brands of carbon are for fresh water only.

Good luck with it.
 
Now that you've rinsed the tank out (vinegar water works good) its time to get going. Have you done your research? You will need to invest in some live rock and some other components. Personally, I would ditch the bio-media, sponges, etc. Adding some live rock rubble in the chambers would do more good. You should also budget for a nano skimmer in the future.

You may want to check out a couple of the free podcasts for a lot of good beginner info. I would recommend talking reef and reefcast along with the good people here at livingreefs.com.
 

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