New to the hobby.

ecpierce · 08/31/2008, 10:17 AM

Well, I currently have 3 Pearlscale goldfish in my 10g. I want to start a reef tank in my 10g and move my goldfish to another tank. I also want a mated pair of clownfish. Anyone have any suggestions?

klepto · 08/31/2008, 10:30 AM

my suggestion: go bigger than ten.

I wanted to start a reef and was thinking of doing something smaller (20-30gal) but after doing some reading it was clear to me that for my first tank it would be a safer investment to go with something closer to a 55 gallon. The reasoning behind this is that by having a decent volume of water- your chemistry (temp,salinity, ph, nitrates etc) will be MUCH more stable.

This is KEY in my opinion and I am grateful for that advice. Once you have your system down, and a better understanding of how saltwater works- then attempting a nano tank such as a 10 gal would be fine.

The best thing you could do is start saving now! haha because the costs will keep coming- and when you go to buy- make good investments that will ensure that you dont just waste livestock- not to mention hundreds of dollars - buy aquacultured or tank raised livestock as much as possible- it will do better in transit and captivity as well as you wont be supporting the upsetting the delicate ecosystems that make up our natural reefs.

READ- as much of the "new to the hobby" faq and other 'stickied' threads as you can. RC is a priceless resource - make the most of it.

-find a good lfs (local fish store) with some experienced staff that are helpful. (ie not petco- you want people who can teach you about marine biology and how to keep your critters thriving)

best of luck!

IslandCrow · 08/31/2008, 10:35 AM

Have you read this: http://reefcentral.com/modules.php?s...showpage&pid=1? It should answer a lot of your basic questions. Then you can ask some more specific questions here.

As for the mated pair of clownfish, that's a pretty good choice. Clownfish are usually pretty good fish for beginners. The only advice I'd give is not to let the fish store sell you two clownfish from separate tanks and tell you it's easy to pair them up on your own. It's not too difficult with some species, but a real challenge with others. If they say they're a mated pair, they should be in the same tank and spending some time in relatively close proximity, not keeping to their own corners.

08/31/2008, 10:17 AM	#1
ecpierce Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Earleville, Maryland Posts: 23	New to the hobby. Well, I currently have 3 Pearlscale goldfish in my 10g. I want to start a reef tank in my 10g and move my goldfish to another tank. I also want a mated pair of clownfish. Anyone have any suggestions?

08/31/2008, 10:30 AM	#2
klepto Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Monterey, California Posts: 1,955	my suggestion: go bigger than ten. I wanted to start a reef and was thinking of doing something smaller (20-30gal) but after doing some reading it was clear to me that for my first tank it would be a safer investment to go with something closer to a 55 gallon. The reasoning behind this is that by having a decent volume of water- your chemistry (temp,salinity, ph, nitrates etc) will be MUCH more stable. This is KEY in my opinion and I am grateful for that advice. Once you have your system down, and a better understanding of how saltwater works- then attempting a nano tank such as a 10 gal would be fine. The best thing you could do is start saving now! haha because the costs will keep coming- and when you go to buy- make good investments that will ensure that you dont just waste livestock- not to mention hundreds of dollars - buy aquacultured or tank raised livestock as much as possible- it will do better in transit and captivity as well as you wont be supporting the upsetting the delicate ecosystems that make up our natural reefs. READ- as much of the "new to the hobby" faq and other 'stickied' threads as you can. RC is a priceless resource - make the most of it. -find a good lfs (local fish store) with some experienced staff that are helpful. (ie not petco- you want people who can teach you about marine biology and how to keep your critters thriving) best of luck! __________________ Everything you do can be done better from a place of relaxation. Stephen C. Paul

08/31/2008, 10:35 AM	#3
IslandCrow Reef Monkey Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Rockledge, Fl Posts: 5,759	Have you read this: http://reefcentral.com/modules.php?s...showpage&pid=1? It should answer a lot of your basic questions. Then you can ask some more specific questions here. As for the mated pair of clownfish, that's a pretty good choice. Clownfish are usually pretty good fish for beginners. The only advice I'd give is not to let the fish store sell you two clownfish from separate tanks and tell you it's easy to pair them up on your own. It's not too difficult with some species, but a real challenge with others. If they say they're a mated pair, they should be in the same tank and spending some time in relatively close proximity, not keeping to their own corners. __________________ All opinions in the above message should be taken with 35 ppt salt. -Mike C. Current Tank Info: I have a reef screen saver on my phone, does that count?