New to the Game

Hornet

Reefing newb
Hi everybody I'm new to Saltwater aquariums. I find my freshwater tank to be to small for the room and a bit boring. I've been surfing the web and reading a lot and I'm thinking of setting up a 90 - 120 gal. reef setup. I've always wanted a saltwater but was not ready to learn the hobby.

I'm in no hurry to get set-up because I don't want to waste my money. So I'll keep reading through different stuff while i figure out a battle plan.

I've already been reading through the articles section here. Grrr, the more i read the more I realize I don't know :)

If anybody is in Virginia area and has suggestions on places to purchase aquariums and stands let me know.
 
Last edited:
Welcome to the site!

You are doing the best thing by researching as much as you can.Sorry,can't help on good location in Virginia to buy fish tanks.Any other specific questions-feel free to ask.
 
Welcome to the Reef, read a ton then read some more and ask some questions then read while they are being answered. Have fun with it all!
 
Hi and welcome! I lived in Falls Church, VA for 2 years, but that was before I set up my tanks... Sorry, I can't give you any help there.

But feel free to ask any questions you might have!

I think that if you start with a 90 gallon tank or larger, you will be very happy you did. That's a perfect size for a first tank! So much you can do with it and so many different things you can put in it, and the water volume is large enough to be forgiving of "newbie" mistakes and dilute out any problems.
 
I've been reading through the forum and I came across glasscages.com. I may go with them. But I'm going to check my LFS before I order. Hopefully I can find a good tank local so I don't have to deal with the shipping charges.

I'm also thinking about maybe building my own stand to possibly save a few bucks. Although the basic design seems simple I'm no carpenter and I want something that is going to look real nice in my dining room.

Once I come up with a tank and stand setup I'll post before I buy so you professionals can advise me on things I may not be thinking of :). I'm in a house that I plan on staying in for sometime so even though this is new to me I'd prefer not to throw $$ away setting up wrong.
 
I would read up on Glass cages.

There are pros and cons on them,
it is a very smart decision going bigger.

Welcome to the reef
 
I would read up on Glass cages.

There are pros and cons on them,


Mostly what I've seen on here is people have had issues with poor customer service. But most of those post I came across seem to be a a bit old. If anybody else has in suggestions for a place where I can get a good tank let me know.
 
Did some more googleing on glasscages and I'm thinking I may try to look a little harder in local area to find a good shop. I live kinda close to beach so there has gotta be something around here somewhere. This is going to be a big investment and the more I think about it I'd really like to at least have the opportunity to talk with somebody face to face.

With all my googleing I did come across a local guy about 40 mins away that may work out. But he is know for custom acrylic tanks and I was leaning toward glass. I'l
 
Definitely go with glass over acrylic, if you can. Acrylic scratches very easily and is difficult to clean. It's just not very practical for a saltwater tank filled with rock and sand.
 
I recomend that you just by a common AGA tank, not a "Reef Ready" and drill the back wall for an overflow and return lines. Get the best of both worlds, the cheapness of a mass produced tank and the customization of designing your own overflow and return system. Or crank it up a notch and also put in a closed loop recirculation system and then you will have a tank that does not require unsightly power heads or space robbing overflow towers. Not fully custom, but close enough to stand out from the average tanks and the outmoded "Reef Ready" tanks so common today. Do anything even SPS dominate with style. A lot cheaper than custom and you will still have the glass drilling holesaws to custom build sumps and refugiums with external pumps instead of heat producing submersible pumps. And make a lot of reefer friends drilling holes for their reef tanks and sumps etc. Hole saws are as cheap as the cost of having one hole drilled at most places. http://glass-holes.com is a good, cheap, reliable source for drills and overflow boxes.
 
Last edited:
Thanks for all the tips.

But I have yet another noob question.

Is AGA a namebrand of a tank or is does that just stand for All Glass Aquarium :shock:?

And is that just the normal aquarium that I would find in my LFS. I'm kinda liking the idea of getting something with low iron glass (starfire or whatever its called) but I'm not sure if I can find anything local.
 
Hey buddy saw that you are from the hampton roads area. I would recomend that if you have any questions about what to buy definaly ask in this forum because these guys will help you out no matter what. If you want to buy stuff and have trust in some of the LFS the ones that I would recomend are Reef Chief in Virginia beach, great bunch of guys in there and great prices, Also Petworld on Mercury Blvd in hampton. The guys that are good in both stores that I trust are named Jeff. At Reef Chief they have siminars and meetings to teach and inform you on equipment and taking care of your tank. If you need anymore info about the areas LFS`s just let me know I have been to all of them.
 
Thanks for all the tips.

But I have yet another noob question.

Is AGA a namebrand of a tank or is does that just stand for All Glass Aquarium :shock:?

And is that just the normal aquarium that I would find in my LFS. I'm kinda liking the idea of getting something with low iron glass (starfire or whatever its called) but I'm not sure if I can find anything local.
It is their brand name and also stands for all glass aquarium. As far as I know of they do not do any custom work and produce no tanks with clear glass fronts, just standard plate glass with the slight green tint like nearly all tanks. Most custom tank builders charge around 20 to 40 percent more for a tank with a clear front glass. They are about the cheapest mass produced tanks of acceptable quality. They bought out sevearal aquarium building copanies over theyears and are continueing to grow. They also produce the majority of the cheap tanks offered as starter tanks at stores such as Wally's World and Fred Meyers. They have been around since the old days when most tanks had stainless steel frames. At a level of one to ten I would give their standard tanks an eight. I would give their "reef ready" tanks a four or five. I think they should use thicker glass so as to do away with center cross braces. Other than that I have no problem with there tanks except their poorly set up "reef ready" tanks with huge overflow towers and undersized bulkhead holes. Do not be surprised if you look at the prices for custom tanks and find them 3 to 5 times more expensive than an AGA or other mass produced tank of comparable size. It usually requires a very special spouse/girls friend to accept the cost of a custom marine tank. It can easily equate to a person buying themselves a fair sized diamond.
 
Last edited:
Thanks a lot Mtrueblood. I was planning on riding down to Va. Beach before the week is out. I came across 2 stores while looking for tanks Fish Safari and Animal Jungle. I just tried to look up "Reef Chief" but could not find anything. I had just went to Pet World in Mercury today during lunch and they seemed pretty cool. But I want head down to the beach and check out some of those shops before I decide on a tank.
 
All Glass is the name of a company that makes mass market aquariums.The name has changed to Aqueon now.Both Aqueon and Oceanic are both owned by Central Pets(mother company).Aqueon for the mass market and Oceanic for custom orders.Oceanic does have the option for starphire glass on the front or front and sides....Aqueon doesn't.One other thing to consider Aqueon has a two year warranty and Oceanic a lifetime warranty.If you have the money than definitely go with starphire glass....they are really,really clear in comparison to the others.You will never notice until you see both side by side.
 
Your welcome. I definatly say go to Reef Chief before you go to the other two places. Animal Jungle has some good prices but not a whole lot of advice to give out with the equipment. Buying for the first time you will want to have someone that can explain the stuff that you are buying and Animal Jungle is busy all the time and just want to sell it to you. Fish safari is another good place to go. They can offer alot of good info but when it comes to Live stock, corals, inverts, etc... The owner really doesnt sell you his good stuff. Reef chief will make a deal with you on anything that is in his shop. He definatly has the widest selection on Live Rock and on Corals. His website is www.reefchief.us. The contact tab at the top will give you the address and phone number. Hope that this info helps.
 
I made up an excuse to ride down to Va. Beach today. I was not to impressed with the advice I got from Animal Jungle, they said I should talk to the owner when I started asking some out of the ordinary questions for the avg. highschool kid.

Hmm, I might just make a trip to reefchief tomorrow. I'm kinda eager to get a plan laid out so I can start figuring on how much money I'm going/willing to spend.
 
LOL true true glad to see that I am not the only one who feels that way about them. I think that you will like Reef Chief they are a whole lot better and they will be able to answer all your questions.
 
Back
Top