Newer than New and clueless

[1112-425XL]

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Hello all! My name is Pamela. I'm new to forums, and as the title says, VERY new to saltwater and reef aquariums. I've only had freshwater tanks, but always wanted a saltwater reef setup. Well, without going into detail and possibly upsetting anyone (keeping it family friendly), I got some news 4 years ago that has me working on my bucket list. It's time to start building my life-long dream reef aquarium! I currently have a 45 gallon empty tank, and no idea where to begin. It's going to be a gradual build and slow process, but that gives me a better chance of getting it right... right? I'm bursting with questions, and appreciate any and all help and advice I can get. Thanks for reading!

Welcome! My first question is, is it drilled and also what kind of tank do you want? Mixed reef? Fish only? What are the tank dimensions (very important to know)? Do you have a sump? How do you plan to test water?

 

[Jimbhoy13]

Welcome to R2R and the salty world Pamela. Take things slowly. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here who will support and advise you when needed. Best wishes with your bucket list.

Where in the world is your Chatsworth. There is a stately home near me called Chatsworth.

 

[smitten with ocean life]

a warm welcome, pamela!

 

[Uncle99]

Welcome to the reef!

 

[DDenny]

 

[CoralB]

Welcome !!

 

[PJs_Bucket_List_Reef_75]

Welcome! My first question is, is it drilled and also what kind of tank do you want? Mixed reef? Fish only? What are the tank dimensions (very important to know)? Do you have a sump? How do you plan to test water?

Undrilled. I want a mixed reef. Tank dimensions are 36.25"L x 12.60"W x 24.80"H. At this point, I only have the tank and stand. I desperately need some help and direction with this. I plan to get a test kit and do regular testing as required (more frequent during cycling, then set up a schedule). I'd like to keep it as simple as possible, and I'm getting the equipment a little at a time, as budget allows, before setting up. What should I start with?

 

[PharmrJohn]

Well, ya got a smaller tank, which is gonna make things easier on you budget wise. With a 45, I'd consider a Tunze DOC DC 9004 skimmer. It hangs on the backside of the tank out if the way. You're gonna need a couple of small powerheads inside. I'd go DC all the way. Jaebo makes some cost effective choices. The PHs you get will depend on what kind of corals you'll keep. For a heater I'd get something like a Titanium Body 200W from BRS with an Inkbird Controller. It's a little on the high side, but you can dial it down. Remember that the heater absolutely needs to be high quality. It's an integral part of lifesupport. And the Controller will help with managing deviations in temperature. And I'm sorry you're working on your list so young. That's rough.

 

[Coinzmans Reef]

Welcome.

I did a 75 gallon fairly inexpensive, here is a list of equipment and scape.

1- 40 lbs. Caribsea pink Samoa sand (less for your tank) Bare bottom is an option
2- 55 lbs. Base rock ( what ever you like)
3- Eshopps HOB overflow box
4- Eshopps AR- 100 sump
5- Eshopps S- series 120 skimmer
6- 2 Jabo 70's wave makers
7- 2 Finnex heaters (one in sump and backup in tank incase sump goes off line or one heater dies)
8- Lighting 2 Ref led 90's (lots of options out there)
9- Eshopps 5 gallon gravity fed top off container with float switch in sump

Personally I would buy all of the equipment used with the heaters being the exception. Lighting, find something used and reasonable, lots of choices.

I painted my rock work with Two Little fishes coralline red cement mixed thin with a arts and crafts brush, this helps a lot with the ugly phase. I also made a couple of cool multi level scapes with the cement.

My weekly maintenance,

1- swap out 7" sock in sump
2- Rinse sponge in overflow Box
3- Check collection cup on skimmer
4- Check KH and Calcium and adjust to tests

Monthly maintenance,

1- 10% water change (Red Sea blue bucket)
2- blow off rockwork
3- Add Chemipure elite when needed. (when water seems a bit cloudy or when the po-4 is elevated)

The tank ran this way for some time before adding the Apex, Dos and Trident. I grew weary of testing as I run two tanks. My biggest tip is Don't overload your tank with fish and refrain from adding once the fish have settled in. Currently I have a Blue faced angel, Lavender tang, Purple Dotty back and Six-line Wrasse. The tank also has your typical CUC (Clean up crew) Two emerald crabs one Bumble bee snail one hermit crab and 15 or so mixed snails.

The investment of time and money for me has been well worth it. Most tank issues work themselves out over time just enjoy the process and the journey. When you get a chance follow Paul B, he has a great way of looking at the hobby. Instead of fighting everything and bending it to our will let nature do its thing and enjoy a little slice of the reef stress free. (most of the time)

Best of luck

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Undrilled. I want a mixed reef. Tank dimensions are 36.25"L x 12.60"W x 24.80"H. At this point, I only have the tank and stand. I desperately need some help and direction with this. I plan to get a test kit and do regular testing as required (more frequent during cycling, then set up a schedule). I'd like to keep it as simple as possible, and I'm getting the equipment a little at a time, as budget allows, before setting up. What should I start with?

As someone else just said, get a good quality heater(s) and hook them up to an inkbird. I would suggest an Eheim Jaeger heater.
You can save money by starting with dry rock and ammonia dosing and introduce some bacterial supplements such as Dr Tim’s. Please be patient with a cycle. It can take up to 2 months, especially without live rock. For water movement, everyone has good suggestions. Tunze makes very good power heads that won’t break the bank. If you want higher end, you can go for a eco tech vortech pump but they are expensive.
Lighting- maybe try something like 2 AI primes. You can also do a t5 6 bulb fixture. The marketplace here has some great deals on lights and pumps that people want to get rid of so they can upgrade.
Tests- there are 4 you absolutely need for a mixed reef. They are Nitrate, Phosphate, Alkalinity, and Calcium. For Alk and Ca, Salifert tests are cheap and easy to read. For the others, I use Hanna checkers, but they are not cheap (65$). Hanna tests will give you an exact number instead of having to try to match colors. You can do salifert for all your tests if you want. Some
might suggest buying Ammonia and nitrite as well. Again, Salifert. These 2 tests will tell you how your cycle is coming along. again, buy one test every 2 weeks or something. You don’t need these up front.

Do you have an RODI? You really want to be able to make your own water on a tank over 20-30g. Salt mixes are another expense.

I’m probably missing a few things. Be patient and read as much information as you can on this site. Start with soft corals once you are cycled. You won’t be ready for stonies for many months after your cycle is complete.

Also start reading about fish you might want, and more importantly, what cleanup crew you will buy (snails, hermit crabs, etc).

Read, read, and read some more.

 

[Coinzmans Reef]

10- RODI

WOW how did I forget that ?

 

[NorCalReefing]

Welcome to our crazy little family on here! Lots of great people with all kinds of advice. Many of us have made every mistake in the book so hopefully you can avoid a few.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

i want to add, I am moved by your bucket list statement. Please let me know if I can help you with the process. If you need anything, i’d like to help. I have some dry goods and possibly rock to help you out.

What I want to know is… what questions do you have for us for right now? Equipment? Advice?

 

[PJs_Bucket_List_Reef_75]

i want to add, I am moved by your bucket list statement. Please let me know if I can help you with the process. If you need anything, i’d like to help. I have some dry goods and possibly rock to help you out.

What I want to know is… what questions do you have for us for right now? Equipment? Advice?

I'm honestly so moved by the welcome I've received here! People have
readily engaged, answering my questions with details, specifics, and a friendly, nonjudgmental attitude, so I don't feel dumb for not knowing what might seem obvious lol. I really appreciate it, and I'm reading everything I can, soaking up all the information I can get my eyes on.
I appreciate the offer to help more than you can imagine, and I'll definitely take you up on it. I can use all the help and advice I can get. I'll be firing off questions right and left lol. The answers and lists I've gotten here are a great starting point!

 

[TheMetalReefs]

Welcome to the hobby! Congrats on the plunge from fresh to salt. We all have different skill levels and knowledge so dont hesitate to ask any questions you might have. Keep us updated on your journey.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Coming from freshwater helps a lot. The nitrogen cycle is essentially the same, just how they colonize is obviously different.

 

[fishface NJ]

Welcome!

 

[PJs_Bucket_List_Reef_75]

Welcome.

I did a 75 gallon fairly inexpensive, here is a list of equipment and scape.

1- 40 lbs. Caribsea pink Samoa sand (less for your tank) Bare bottom is an option
2- 55 lbs. Base rock ( what ever you like)
3- Eshopps HOB overflow box
4- Eshopps AR- 100 sump
5- Eshopps S- series 120 skimmer
6- 2 Jabo 70's wave makers
7- 2 Finnex heaters (one in sump and backup in tank incase sump goes off line or one heater dies)
8- Lighting 2 Ref led 90's (lots of options out there)
9- Eshopps 5 gallon gravity fed top off container with float switch in sump

Personally I would buy all of the equipment used with the heaters being the exception. Lighting, find something used and reasonable, lots of choices.

I painted my rock work with Two Little fishes coralline red cement mixed thin with a arts and crafts brush, this helps a lot with the ugly phase. I also made a couple of cool multi level scapes with the cement.

My weekly maintenance,

1- swap out 7" sock in sump
2- Rinse sponge in overflow Box
3- Check collection cup on skimmer
4- Check KH and Calcium and adjust to tests

Monthly maintenance,

1- 10% water change (Red Sea blue bucket)
2- blow off rockwork
3- Add Chemipure elite when needed. (when water seems a bit cloudy or when the po-4 is elevated)

The tank ran this way for some time before adding the Apex, Dos and Trident. I grew weary of testing as I run two tanks. My biggest tip is Don't overload your tank with fish and refrain from adding once the fish have settled in. Currently I have a Blue faced angel, Lavender tang, Purple Dotty back and Six-line Wrasse. The tank also has your typical CUC (Clean up crew) Two emerald crabs one Bumble bee snail one hermit crab and 15 or so mixed snails.

The investment of time and money for me has been well worth it. Most tank issues work themselves out over time just enjoy the process and the journey. When you get a chance follow Paul B, he has a great way of looking at the hobby. Instead of fighting everything and bending it to our will let nature do its thing and enjoy a little slice of the reef stress free. (most of the time)

Best of luck

Oh, I've already discovered and followed Paul B lol. I enjoy both his writing and outlook on the hobby, and I've learned some things from his articles. Thank you for your detailed reply. It's helpful to know what could work for the tank size I'm working on. I'm envious of your stock! I'd love to have a tang eventually, but I haven't read about any that won't outgrow my tank.

 

[PJs_Bucket_List_Reef_75]

Welcome to R2R and the salty world Pamela. Take things slowly. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here who will support and advise you when needed. Best wishes with your bucket list.

Where in the world is your Chatsworth. There is a stately home near me called Chatsworth.

It's a little town in Northwest Georgia. I actually get that question a lot, even from people who live in Georgia lol.