Newbie Saying Hi :D

sealover

sealover

Reefing newb
ello guys i'am alan thought i,d stop by here 1st and say hi :wave:

i,ve always well neally always had some sort of aquarium but i've always had fresh water aquariums,
when ever i,ve gone into the shops to by new fish or fish stuff i look at the sea aquariums and think wow they look so nice and the live rocks and fish are just unbelievable but then i think could i really do a marine aquarium not knowing nothing about it at all.well i know theres salt in the water lol,

I have a 48"x15"x18" tank and two filters 1 inturnal and a tetra tec EX 700 canister filter, i would like to take the inturnal filter out really as it takes room up and i,ve been told that my canister filter is more then i need for that size tank??

well not sure where to start as i will be real new at this and will be starting from scratch i still have the fresh water aquarium set up at the moment but i'am looking for new homes for my fish and will be looking at setting up a marine aquarium soon so any help on how to start off would be great :D
 
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hello Alan and welcome to the site:mrgreen: there are alot of knowlerdgable people here that are more than willing to help you out through your transitions from fresh to salt.
 
welcome to the site it sounds like you have a 55gal tank and that is a good starter tank to have. so feel free to ask any question you may have. just remember that most LFS will sell you crap that you dont need. some will give you great advice and lead you in the right direction. so learn as much as you can about something you want before you go to the LFS that way you will have an idea if they are just trying to sell you something to make a buck
 
daugherty said:
welcome to the site it sounds like you have a 55gal tank and that is a good starter tank to have. so feel free to ask any question you may have. just remember that most LFS will sell you crap that you dont need. some will give you great advice and lead you in the right direction. so learn as much as you can about something you want before you go to the LFS that way you will have an idea if they are just trying to sell you something to make a buck
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thanks for the warm welcome guys:D

yes daugherty its a 55 gal tank i,d love a bigger one but really dont have the space at the moment,

my 1st few questions would be once i have my tank emty and have cleaned everything from the old fresh water tank how do i find out the salt water mixs needed?? how long would i wait before putting any fish in the tank?? what temp should a marine aquarium be?? i want to take my inturnal filter out giveing me more space should i put an under gravel/sand filter in its place??,what do i feed the living reef with?? i would like to end up with a marine aquarium looking a bit like the one below but i have no ideal how to get the living reef started i'am afraid :(

MAX.jpg


thanks for any and all advice
 
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well to have a tank like that it is going to take time.

a couple bigh things that are needed is a set of lights. like a t5/mh combo or a good set of t5's i have 8 bulbs on my 75 and can keep anything under them. mh lights are great but they get hot. the secpond thing you need is 1-2 lbs of live rock for the tank and some good sand no crushed coral that is bad stuph. the third is a good skimmer stay away from seaclones skilters and prizms. they suck but nuts. check out octo hob's or if you have a sump check out there insump models.

never add any thing that you dont test for it is to easy to overdose a tank with additives.

and nothing happens fast in this hobby every thing you do needs do be done with research.
 
daugherty said:
well to have a tank like that it is going to take time.

a couple bigh things that are needed is a set of lights. like a t5/mh combo or a good set of t5's i have 8 bulbs on my 75 and can keep anything under them. mh lights are great but they get hot. the secpond thing you need is 1-2 lbs of live rock for the tank and some good sand no crushed coral that is bad stuph. the third is a good skimmer stay away from seaclones skilters and prizms. they suck but nuts. check out octo hob's or if you have a sump check out there insump models.

never add any thing that you dont test for it is to easy to overdose a tank with additives.

and nothing happens fast in this hobby every thing you do needs do be done with research.
Click to expand...


yes i can see that research is going to be needed daugherty,

t5/mh combo or a good set of t5's i have no ideal what there are can they be bought on sites like ebay??

a good skimmer?? whats a skimmer??

good sand no crushed coral i will have to ask my local shop for things like that i take it??

stay away from seaclones skilters and prizms?? what are they??

check out octo hob's?? what are they?? or if you have a sump check out there insump models?? really sorry but never heard of them :(

as you can see i'am truely a beginner but i do learn pretty quick,

thanks for helping me though :)
 
sealover said:
yes i can see that research is going to be needed daugherty,

t5/mh combo or a good set of t5's i have no ideal what there are can they be bought on sites like ebay?? www.drfosterandsmiths.com catalina aquariums, premimum aquatics.

a good skimmer?? whats a skimmer?? a skimmer takes organics out of the water helps to maintain good water quality

good sand no crushed coral i will have to ask my local shop for things like that i take it?? i use oolite sand it is a really fine arognite sand

stay away from seaclones skilters and prizms?? what are they?? these are really crappy skimmers

check out octo hob's?? what are they?? or if you have a sump check out there insump models?? really sorry but never heard of them :(
an octo i am refering to is a hang on back skimmer, some of them are very large so they need a sump to sit in.
as you can see i'am truely a beginner but i do learn pretty quick,

we are here to help if you want it you will get tons of advice from people on here
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And whatever you do don't use tap water!!
I did when I started and had to start all over again. And my rocks are still leaching all kinds of phosphates into my tank.
 
Also, you mentioned an "undergravel filter". Refrain from buying one! :) You don't need it. In fact, they are detrimental to a marine aquarium, trapping :pooh:. The Live Rock that you'll end up buying will be sufficient biological filtration for your tank. A skimmer uses bubbles to create a foaming action making waste rise into a collection cup, which you empty occasionally. Finally, like has been stated, take your time while adding things and make sure the fish you add aren't TOO much for your size tank. Read the requirements on anything you add, it'll save you $$ and headaches.

Oh ya!! Welcome to the hobby and Living Reefs!
 
Hi and welcome to the site!!

You should definitely stay away from undergravel filters. A canister filter will work to some degree, but most of the time, canister filters end up leading to poor water quality. They are just not meant for saltwater.

Instead you should get a protein skimmer. It's a type of filter specifically designed for saltwater, and it's the best type of filtration system you can put on your tank.

You will need live rock, and you should use sand.

When you first set your tank up, it will go through a cycle. This usually takes 3 weeks or so to complete. After the cycle is finished, you can add your first fish. You should add no more than 1 fish every 3 weeks or so. This is not like freshwater, in that you can't add many fish at once.
 

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