New guy needing help

Hey everyone,

So here is my story, the past couple of weeks i have really wanted to set up my own fish tank. Now on school holidays i need something to keep me busy besides the homework. We've had a few in the past but mainly just goldfish. Last night i stayed up to 5am reading threads on clownfish and i now want to set up a clown tank. I have a few tanks and some equipment but not sure whats needed to keep the little guys healthy and maybe even breeding? or am i asking too much for a newbie

I was hoping someone with experience could help me with what i need etc.

thanks in advance
tubz

 

Welcome to 3reef! Glad you are researching before you dive in! My first question is, have any of your tank been used as a fresh water tank? Have you ever used copper based meds in them? If yes, you'll need to get Cuprisorb, it absorbs copper that leaches into the glass and seals. Copper will kill your inverts. You're going to need a protein skimmer and/or a sump/fuge, or some kind of filtration. Go with the skimmer and sump/fuge, if you want to start it out right.

 

thanks for the quick reply
well the only fish we have had are gold fish and we haven't used the tanks in a few years so they are just sitting in the shed. Might have to dig them out again soon.
i don't think we ever used any type of meds before, well dad was the main guy who took care of the little buggers.
a quick note im very knew and i dont know many of the terms used and all the equipment names so sorry

thanks again

 

welcome and you found the right place for experience. What do you have and what do you know so far. We can fill in the gaps after that

 

I made the switch

I made the switch about 8 months ago starting with a little 30g biocube. I've had fresh water tanks all my life and thought why not do salt. They are so much nicer to look at. There is one big dramatic learning curve from fresh to salt. I thought i was the man with fresh water having a 200g with oscars for many years as a display in my studio. Then 2 grand and one little 30 gallon reef shrank my head very quickly. The best advice I was given is to go reef and put enough live rock and a thin 1 or two of live sand so the tank will eventually become what is considered to be self maintained. The first life you should add from what i have been taught is the clean up crew, aka snails and crabs. If you go reef the best salt crystals in my oppion are Oceanic because it adds everything your reef needs and keeps the levels consistant. There are tons of do it yourself posts on the DIY forum 3Reef has. It has been very interesting seeing how people on here make their own sumps, overflows, skimmers and anything else you need ... even the rock. No matter what you put together as a tank a good skimmer will solve a lot of issues. Make sure you plan on letting your tank mature for a few months before you put any life into it. Just like with fresh water you have to let it cycle. The big difference with live rock in the tank is the initial cycle is based on the live rock cycling not the water. The biggest pain for me as been controlling nitrates and the easiest way to control them is to keep the water free of organic matter, meaning do not over stock your tank or it could result in your tank cycling all over again and loosing most of your tank if not all. fish and coral should be added slowly. Plan on doing tests regularly for the first few months. use a reflectometer to test the salinity not a hydrometer like the pet stores tell you. Reflectometers are much more accurate and consistant. Do some research on using different types of carbon and filtration mediums. Ammocarb/carbon works well and Purigen by seachem has saved me time and money when my nitrates and ammonia spike. After chemistry there is still a world of interesting stuff that one needs to know to be successful at this very cool hobby. learning about lighting and understanding chemistry will lead to a happy tank and tank keeper.

 

no problem here's a thread with acronyms
http://www.3reef.com/forums/reef-aquarium-articles-how-tos/common-acronyms-abbreviations-54351.html

this next link is a forum sub section with threads on it. the four stickies are good reading for new peeps!
New To The Hobby - 3reef Forums

this set of stickies is by our fearless leader Matt Rogers good to read too!
Reef Aquarium Articles and How To's - 3reef Forums

lots and lots of reading will get you prepared. have a plan before you set out to set it all up. it'll help you in the long run and save ya some $$.

 

welcome to 3 reef

Steve

 

Well after paying a visit to the shed and garage i managed to take pictures of the 2 tanks we have, im sure i can get my hands on another 1 or 2 and some more equipment.
i found 2 pumps one in the smaller tank and one that we used in the pond out back when it was full. I also managed to find 2 heaters and i tested all the equipment to see if they worked. And to my surprise they all worked fine

im thinking of starting off with the bigger tank and maybe using the smaller for breeding when i have more experience.
i still need to set a budget and discuss this with my parents

here is the picture of the bigger tank
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x76/tubay69/Image044.jpg

it does need a fair amount of restoration, we used to keep a lizard in there at one stage so theres an explanation for all the junk in there.

and this is the smaller tank
http://i183.photobucket.com/albums/x76/tubay69/Image045.jpg

 

Looks like a start, getting dad involved would help immensly!!

 

nice rock

how i show u a pic