New to marine aquariums

mraber · 11/17/2009, 01:30 PM

i have always been a fan of keeping aquariums, but never kept a marine one. when i decided to finally give it a try, and after researching, i realized it is much different than keeping a freshwater aquarium. i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to any good reads on the subject. there is a ton of great information here, and love looking at all the pictures of wonderful setups, but i think it would be a great idea to have a hardcopy on hand in case of emergency... thanks everyone

mikemartinez · 11/17/2009, 02:00 PM

I have a couple of books but nothing compares to being able to check RC and search for the answer your looking for, plus you know that what you're reading is up to date with whats out there.

I would problably also recommend to check out the club forums and see if there is a club around your area and you can ask questions or try to get help from people that might be just right around the street from you.

If all else fails then just print a couple of good topics and keep them handy.

Arrgh Matey · 11/17/2009, 02:02 PM

Welcome to the hobby! I know it seems like a whole lot of information at first.

What really helped me was this book:
http://www.marinedepot.com/The_New_M...FIBKSW-vi.html

The author does a great job describing how to set up an aquarium, the equipment, the nitrogen cycle, fish selection and care, etc.

The only thing he doesn't go into is the coral side of things, but it is the best book I've seen hands down on introducing people to saltwater aquarium keeping.

I hope you stick with it, I'm so glad I did.

rale2001 · 11/17/2009, 02:11 PM

Yeah welcome to rc I've learned so much here to prevent me from making horrible mistakes.

Grassroots · 11/17/2009, 02:11 PM

I personally think RC is a great resource if not the greatest resource available to marine aquarium enthusiasts. I suggest you use this site to get as many answers as possible from other hobbyists with plenty of experience in the subject in which you are asking the question. You will find out quickly who is a wealth of knowledge in some areas while not as strong in others.

At first this hobby looks very complex compared to freshwater but really it isn't as hard as it seems, the primary thing in this hobby is patience and dedication. Many people once their aquariums have been setup only do water changes once a month for maintenance and top off their aquariums as required. The setup costs for this hobby is the biggest turn off for many "potential hobbyists", once the initial start up is done you basically just need to buy salt, new bulbs, filters, ect... just the running costs items very similar to fresh water aquariums.

The thing with this hobby is, it is still developing very quickly and unfortunately that means the books get out dated very quickly at the same time. The newer books generally have information that is still viable to some degree but are not always 100% accurate. There are several books though that are interesting reads and you can find them at many of the retail stores online or even at local shops near you.

As for looking at pictures you should read Reefcentrals Reef Keeping Magazine, it is a online magazine that has very good reads and a article called Tank of the Month that show cases a users aquarium. These Tank of the Month aquariums are very amazing to look at. Really 99% of the tanks posted on this site are fun to look at and read about.

Sisterlimonpot · 11/17/2009, 02:48 PM

To Reef Central
a great place to start is the stickies posted at the top of this forum.

SecGenGSX · 11/17/2009, 02:51 PM

I've read my fair share of books, but nothing compares to the wealth of knowledge the people on these forums have.

stingythingy45 · 11/17/2009, 03:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SecGenGSX

I've read my fair share of books, but nothing compares to the wealth of knowledge the people on these forums have.

Oh trust me,this place is great for information.But,sometimes it can be somewhat confusing from all the different experiences hobbyist have had.
JMO,but I'd read as much as I can just to have a good basic knowledge of the terms used in the hobby.It will also help you understand the different classes and needs of each individual creature.
If you get into this hobby as much as I did,you'll have reading material everywhere.

11/17/2009, 01:30 PM	#1
mraber Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Posts: 10	New to marine aquariums i have always been a fan of keeping aquariums, but never kept a marine one. when i decided to finally give it a try, and after researching, i realized it is much different than keeping a freshwater aquarium. i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to any good reads on the subject. there is a ton of great information here, and love looking at all the pictures of wonderful setups, but i think it would be a great idea to have a hardcopy on hand in case of emergency... thanks everyone

11/17/2009, 02:00 PM	#2
mikemartinez Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Nashville Posts: 517	I have a couple of books but nothing compares to being able to check RC and search for the answer your looking for, plus you know that what you're reading is up to date with whats out there. I would problably also recommend to check out the club forums and see if there is a club around your area and you can ask questions or try to get help from people that might be just right around the street from you. If all else fails then just print a couple of good topics and keep them handy. __________________ "Obey the principles without being bound by them." Current Tank Info: 14 gal BioCube Reef (Coming soon)

11/17/2009, 02:11 PM	#5
Grassroots Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: Kennesaw GA Posts: 270	I personally think RC is a great resource if not the greatest resource available to marine aquarium enthusiasts. I suggest you use this site to get as many answers as possible from other hobbyists with plenty of experience in the subject in which you are asking the question. You will find out quickly who is a wealth of knowledge in some areas while not as strong in others. At first this hobby looks very complex compared to freshwater but really it isn't as hard as it seems, the primary thing in this hobby is patience and dedication. Many people once their aquariums have been setup only do water changes once a month for maintenance and top off their aquariums as required. The setup costs for this hobby is the biggest turn off for many "potential hobbyists", once the initial start up is done you basically just need to buy salt, new bulbs, filters, ect... just the running costs items very similar to fresh water aquariums. The thing with this hobby is, it is still developing very quickly and unfortunately that means the books get out dated very quickly at the same time. The newer books generally have information that is still viable to some degree but are not always 100% accurate. There are several books though that are interesting reads and you can find them at many of the retail stores online or even at local shops near you. As for looking at pictures you should read Reefcentrals Reef Keeping Magazine, it is a online magazine that has very good reads and a article called Tank of the Month that show cases a users aquarium. These Tank of the Month aquariums are very amazing to look at. Really 99% of the tanks posted on this site are fun to look at and read about. __________________ Bobby -------------- Current Tank Info: 700+ gallons of water...

11/17/2009, 02:48 PM	#6
Sisterlimonpot R.C. Fraternity President Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Litchfeild Park AZ Posts: 11,490 Blog Entries: 2	*To Reef Central* a great place to start is the stickies posted at the top of this forum. __________________ Jimmy MASVC President Dishes are done man! Current Tank Info: 300 in progress

11/17/2009, 02:02 PM	#3
Arrgh Matey Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 79	Welcome to the hobby! I know it seems like a whole lot of information at first. What really helped me was this book: http://www.marinedepot.com/The_New_M...FIBKSW-vi.html The author does a great job describing how to set up an aquarium, the equipment, the nitrogen cycle, fish selection and care, etc. The only thing he doesn't go into is the coral side of things, but it is the best book I've seen hands down on introducing people to saltwater aquarium keeping. I hope you stick with it, I'm so glad I did.

11/17/2009, 02:11 PM	#4
rale2001 Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Memphis, Tn Posts: 429	Yeah welcome to rc I've learned so much here to prevent me from making horrible mistakes.

11/17/2009, 02:51 PM	#7
SecGenGSX Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Murrysville, PA Posts: 156	I've read my fair share of books, but nothing compares to the wealth of knowledge the people on these forums have.