Hi all - new membmer

Hey Adam, your reasons are valid and intelligent. Exotic Aquariums is the only place I go and have been going since 1986. They are one of the best, if not the best, LFS around.(IMO) They dont push you to buy anything and kindly ask you the size of your tank, age, what type of fish you already have, etc etc...... I've been to all the others around Bird RD. and no one has the selection and service that they have, again. IMO. Let me know if you need any help. Luna

 

A 10 gal tank would make a nice nano, small fish and try a few corals, they'll grow on ya, no pun intended. Do what you can afford now, no hurry, just have to be a little more dilligent on wchanges, and cleaning rutine as the 10 will be less forgiving where parameteres are concearned.

 

howdy! and welcome to 3Reef

 

Welcome!!!

 

Don't let us talk you out of starting up a SW tank just because it is small.

A nano can be very very satisfying.

Just do lots of study and keep close, close eye on water params.

You have little margin for error.

You will learn quickly what attention a SW takes to run and if you have the skills and knowledge to do so.

Unfortunately, you will also learn quickly you don't. :-/

My 12 Gallon NanoCube, which I am quite proud of and enjoy working with every bit as much as my larger tank..










Good luck and keep us posted!!!

(We are close by if you need any help )

 

Hi all,

Thanks for the great web pages, and for all your great suggestions. I went to a LFS (a good one) to discuss using a 10 g as my first SW, and they pretty much encouraged me not to try it. And this lines up pretty well with what I have been reading online. So, my current thought is to just give it a go with a bigger tank when I am able to do so (probably in about a year or so).

But, I will use this time to continue to read and learn, so I will still be hanging out on these forums, checking out the SW sections of my LFS, and hopefully joining a local SW aquarium group or club (Luna if you are reading this, do you know of any good associations in Miami?).

Other than that, I will likely turn my left over 10 g into a nice Fresh Water tank at the end of the summer (I always think it is a good idea to put things off a while, as I learned from experience it is not always good to feed this addiction too fast).

Thanks,

-Adam

 

welcome!

 

i've always seen live sand in bags as snake oil.i have always either got a very small amount of sand from an established tank to spread over new sand (set up 2 that way)or just used new sand and let the live rock make it turn into live sand(set up 2 that way).i have'nt noticed a difference either way.since your in florida check out tampa bay live rock,its the only live rock you don't have to cure,its readdy to go,shipped in buckets of water.it is illegal to take live rock from a reef without a permit.tampa bay live rocks site explains it all.their not even allowed to take real rock.they have to dump limestone and harvest it many years later.you get some corals and sponge on the rock so i would have the lights ready before ordering.

 

I almost bought a 75 gal system on craigslist for $700. Bare bones, 100 pounds of LR, a filter, hang on sump, and other stuff, some fish, two snowflake eels, but the person never replied. I guess they really had issues selling their tank.

I agree, 10 gallons will only give you grief. If you're going to do a sw tank, start out with the notion, bigger is better. You'll end up spending more initially, but once those start up costs are realized, you'll be so happy you made that choice. I was struggling with what size to get, and ended up starting out with a 75 gallon tank. The question is, are you committed to a tank, and if you're unsure, don't start. It took me 4 years to get a tank.

Welcome aboard!