Rookie in need of a Mentor! (or at least some advice)

[ScubaPrawn]

A big hello to everyone at RC!

I'm just starting to set up a FOWLR tank. This will be my first aquarium. I recently got a free tank, stand, filter, power head, and heater from a friend (all used of course, but in good condition and they look to be quality products). I've listed some more specifics below.

My friend used the tank for freshwater fish and I was contemplating doing the same, but my wife and I have always loved saltwater fish--we've done a lot of snorkeling, so we really want to jump right into creating a healthy SW tank. I know it will be more difficult, but we'll be a lot more passionate and driven.

In some of the other forums I've been involved in (different hobby), there have been mentor/mentee programs which were very successful. I was hoping someone might be interested in being my mentor

I don't expect you to feel extra pressure or responsibility, but it'd just be nice to have someone to always refer to throughout the whole experience and it would be great to make a new friend. I also hope the mentor would feel some satisfaction in helping a rookie become a successful enthusiast.

Anyways, if no one's interested, I'd definitely appreciate just any advice everyone throws at me. Here's what I got so far (I've attached pictures below):

Tank: Perfecto 47 Gallon Column (20 x 18 x 30). Stand included.
Filter: Rena Filstar XP1
(http://www.petco.com/product/14447/R...er-Filter.aspx)
My filter just has trays inside, so I'm sure I'm gonna have to buy whatever fills those trays and does the actual filtering (included picture)
Powerhead: I'm not sure if I have this. The owner's manual was in the stand but I don't see it among my equipment. If I do have it, it's a Penguin Model.
Heater: 150W
Lighting: Looks like a basic lamp. It says Eclipse made for Marineland 18''. Here's a link to a replacement for it: http://www.fish.com/item/marineland-.../710548%20001/

So it looks like at the very least I'll be needing a skimmer, some live rock, subtrate, and something to siphon water in and out of the tank.

I'm really excited about starting up this tank and this new hobby. I haven't had much time to read up yet, but I'm the patient and diligent type. I'd prefer to wait and learn before making mistakes--on the other hand my wife is just as excited as me and complains I'm going too slow . She and LFS think we can start off with some coral, but I think we should do FOWLR to start and upgrade after some experience.

Also, I need to save as much money as possible, because I'm grad student, so any tips for that would be appreciated.

Oh, also I'm planning on getting the book The New Marine Aquarium. I should probably also say we're looking at getting couple clowns, some other small fish like a dwarf angel, and a coral banded shrimp. A beautiful yellow tang would be awesome, but unfortunately our tank isn't big enough.

Anyways, like I said I'm just now learning about this stuff, so please excuse my ignorance and thanks in advance for your help!

[ScubaPrawn]

By the way I'm in the process of washing the tank with some tap water just to clean it up, but now it looks less clear than before! It looks like it needs some windex or something which of course would be bad for the fish. What should I use to clean it up now to make it more clean and clear before I start adding livestock?

[jerrym21]

For cleaning, just use a mix of water and white vinegar. rinse well when you are done and let it dry. It should clean everything up nicely. Also. . .welcome to the hobby, hope you enjoy it. My best advice for you would be to go slow and ask alot of specific questions. Everyone here is very helpful.

[WhoDat?]

first off trash the canister filter.... not good in SW.... your light will be fine for only fish... yes you need live sand and live rock.... It you need about 1-1.5 punds of Live ROck per gallon.... powerheads are good.. you need a few of them.... you really need to do research on refugiums and sumps.... these are a must and go under your cabinet where water is siphoned in and then pumped back in the tank....yes get the best skimmer you can possibly afford... this should be your only way to "filter" ..... I tell you all this is the right way... some people have started off with what the LFS says (including myself) and run into nothing but disapointment.... next don't even think of adding fish for at least 6 weeks.... you tank will need to cycle... then another couple months for corals..... this is very very very very basic information and I would be glad to explain "why" all this is needed and what each part does if you are interested..... Do as much research as you can.... the new marine aquarium is good....but disreguard the section about wet/dry filters.... these are outdated and some people still use them but not many at all.... I would be glad to answer any questions you have (if I can) you can send me private messages or email me.... i check it alot.... supergrant1@hotmail.com good luck with all this... it might seem overwhelming at first but just go step by step.... and GO SLOW!!!

[sedor]

Keep in mind you can spend as much as you want on a project like this. Generally you will start out being kind of cheap and eventually you'll realize that it cost you more in the end because you had to buy 2 of "X" rather than just the one good one to begin with. I won't bog you down with details and i'll try and stick with mid-end quality equipment. If you want to look high end its easy, just look at the price tags. You get what you pay for in this hobby and the expensive stuff is usually going to perform a bit better and have more bells and whistles. You can always look for used stuff too, its a great way to get quality equipment for a good price. A ton of my stuff is used! Here is a list you need to get going right away:

1) About 50 lbs of dry rock (Go to www.bulkreefsupply.com for good prices) Your going to want to get a couple pieces of true live rock from the fish store as well to see all this dry rock. Its a cheap way of getting a lot of rock and eventually it will all be live.

2) A nice big salt bucket. You could start with something simply like Instant Ocean, but get a big bucket because your going to use a lot to get the tank full and you go through the stuff pretty quickly.

3) A nice skimmer rated for 100G or higher. An Octopus 150 is a great starter skimmer!

4) A good quality overflow box. You could get the tank drilled but an overflow box is an easy alternative and will allow you to have a sump where you can put all your equipment. Do some research on sumps etc.

5) 2 Hydor Koralia 2's should be fine for a FOWLR setup. These are your powerheads and shouldn't be much money.

Hope that helps some. Welcome to RC and to the world of reefing. Prepare to get addicted!

[ScubaPrawn]

Wow thanks everyone for the quick responses! I've gonna research sumps tonight to see what I can do. The tank I have is made out of tempered glass so drilling is out of the question, but it sounds like an overflow box is a good alternative...?

Anyways once I learn more about sump systems I'll have better questions. For now I want to know what I need to get simply just to get water and and out of the tank. I want to do a test run tomorrow and make sure there are no leaks (there's a scratch on the bottom of the glass that I think I caused when scraping out some of the gravel. I'd like to play it safe and make sure the tank will hold...shouldn't be a huge concern right...?)

Also I was set on buying some live rock and going through the curing process but the LFS guy indicated that he sells live rock that's already cured. If bought that rock from him along with saltwater from mixed at his store, would this speed up the cyclying process of my tank and allow me to add livestock quicker? (I currently live in a small apartment where I don't think using my own RO/DI system is an option--it should be in about a year when I graduate and I'm out of here!)

I'm off to study some more. Thanks again for the warm welcome and advice!

[reefer321]

Hello and Welcome This is a great forum! Learn about the sump and once you know a little about them check out the DIY forum here and you can learn how to build your own out of an aquarium, some acrilic from the hardware store and some fish safe silicone. This will save you a good bit compared to buying one. The pre cured live rock will some what speed up your cycle but not that much, you need to get some good salt water test kits for testing your water.. amonia nitrite and nitrate at a min.... if your not going to get a ro unit buy your water from the lfs dont use tap water since it will cause algae bloom which will be hard to control.... i use a 7 gallon blue water storage container you can get at wallmart in the camping asile, for ro water.... i make my own but it is good in your case as well for transporting to and from the lfs.. you can buy the premade salt if you like from lfs but just a fyi dont use salt water to top off your tank... i would just get the ro water from them and make your own salt water.. that way you dont have to buy both from them.. wait at least a month and a half to be safe like someone else said to add fish... Good Luck!

[WhoDat?]

the cycling process differs for each tank... all parameters will go up... then come down and your done..... easy as that right? .... usually around 4-6 weeks.... so to say if you were to get that rock will it be faster than other rock ??? really can't say....

[Jim96SC2]

Your tank is deep for he size. Your probably going to be limited to a MH pendant if you want to keep SPS on the lower parts of the tank. Drill and sump it, search for details.

[lordofthereef]

Most every this has been covered here pretty well. My opinion on canisters is that they are more hassle than they are worth, in that they need to be cleaned very regularly to be effective. If you are willing to deal with that they are a great tool. If not, I would go with a sump and skimmer, or even just frequent water changes.

[jk1nole]

Some advice from a newbie...
- Read ALOT. Then when problems do arise you at least know what they are.
- Go through some of the tank build threads. They will give you some good ideas on livestock, aquascaping, equipment, types of substrates, etc
- If you go the sump/skimmer route then don't skimp.
- Shop around... I have changed "favorite" LFS 3 times. (Play it up that you are new... I always get discounts that way)
- Join a local reef club. You meet local people who can help in a pinch and you can get cheap equipment and frags.
- Once you find someplace to get your water from, make sure you test it on your own.
- You will make mistakes... but it is the BEST way to learn IMO.
- Oh... watch out for the Tang Police.

I wish I had read more about substrates and aquascaping with LR before I build my tank. It would have save me some time.

[wooden_reefer]

Originally Posted by G-money1

first off trash the canister filter.... not good in SW.... your light will be fine for only fish... yes you need live sand and live rock.... It you need about 1-1.5 punds of Live ROck per gallon.... powerheads are good.. you need a few of them.... you really need to do research on refugiums and sumps.... these are a must and go under your cabinet where water is siphoned in and then pumped back in the tank....yes get the best skimmer you can possibly afford... this should be your only way to "filter" ..... I tell you all this is the right way... some people have started off with what the LFS says (including myself) and run into nothing but disapointment.... next don't even think of adding fish for at least 6 weeks.... you tank will need to cycle... then another couple months for corals..... this is very very very very basic information and I would be glad to explain "why" all this is needed and what each part does if you are interested..... Do as much research as you can.... the new marine aquarium is good....but disreguard the section about wet/dry filters.... these are outdated and some people still use them but not many at all.... I would be glad to answer any questions you have (if I can) you can send me private messages or email me.... i check it alot.... supergrant1@hotmail.com good luck with all this... it might seem overwhelming at first but just go step by step.... and GO SLOW!!!

Absolutely do not trash the canister filter.

It is at least very good for use in a quarantine tank for fish.

Don't sell the canister filter dirt cheap. You may miss it.

[dudley moray]

tanks do not need to cycle any more in a sense they do but it's more like a a week or two and you can add snails rocks and sand after one day (once you water has mixed if mixing your own ) most store bought live sands come pre cycled or more literally prepopulated with nitrifying bacteria so a cycle doesn;t actually happen but good things don't happen fast or cheap,so add fish slowly over say a period of a week adding the least aggressive ones first .
my advise : read everything you can about what you want to keep
make a stocking plan and stick to it limit yourself to about 4-5 smaller fish that are more docile (fishing out aggressive fish isn't fun )
get a good skimmer and bigger than you need so when you get a bigger tank you don't need a new one and you will get a bigger tank trust me !
clams and angels don't mix
hawkfish suck !
live rock a skimmer and a small hob to run carbon is all you should need wait on the sump until you are ready they are complicated
last heres a pic of my latest tank

[WhoDat?]

Originally Posted by wooden_reefer

Absolutely do not trash the canister filter.

It is at least very good for use in a quarantine tank for fish.

Don't sell the canister filter dirt cheap. You may miss it.

I just meant don't use it........ And I disagree with the one week cycle... It takes alot longer... Check your parameters and you will see what I mean... About 2 weeks everything will be high... 2 weeks later it will all be zero... Then your ready for your clean up crew... Then your first fish....if anything is in the tank itight not make it... It's in humane to cycle your tank with damsels they will most likely die....

[ScubaPrawn]

Wow thanks everyone for the advice. This is really great.

I think I'm gonna go the sump route. After reading up on it, it sounds like the best solution.

I've also decided to get a good skimmer. I'll probably get one that supposedly is for a 100 or 150 gallon tank. Again, I have a 47 gallon tank--if I got 150 gallon skimmer would I have any reasons for concern?

Also, I'd like set up my tank and start the cycle as soon as possible. Will I need a sump or can I just got with a good skimmer, substrate, LR, and heater for the first couple months?

[wooden_reefer]

Originally Posted by G-money1

I just meant don't use it........ And I disagree with the one week cycle... It takes alot longer... Check your parameters and you will see what I mean... About 2 weeks everything will be high... 2 weeks later it will all be zero... Then your ready for your clean up crew... Then your first fish....if anything is in the tank itight not make it... It's in humane to cycle your tank with damsels they will most likely die....

Wrong person!

I agree that a robust cycle is very necessary if you want to have quite a few fish even in a reef tank.

[thebkramer]

Originally Posted by ScubaPrawn

In some of the other forums I've been involved in (different hobby), there have been mentor/mentee programs which were very successful. I was hoping someone might be interested in being my mentor
I don't expect you to feel extra pressure or responsibility, but it'd just be nice to have someone to always refer to throughout the whole experience and it would be great to make a new friend. I also hope the mentor would feel some satisfaction in helping a rookie become a successful enthusiast.

I really like this idea!!!!! I could also use a one on one!!!

[WhoDat?]

Originally Posted by ScubaPrawn

Wow thanks everyone for the advice. This is really great.

I think I'm gonna go the sump route. After reading up on it, it sounds like the best solution.

I've also decided to get a good skimmer. I'll probably get one that supposedly is for a 100 or 150 gallon tank. Again, I have a 47 gallon tank--if I got 150 gallon skimmer would I have any reasons for concern?

Also, I'd like set up my tank and start the cycle as soon as possible. Will I need a sump or can I just got with a good skimmer, substrate, LR, and heater for the first couple months?

you will want everything to cycle together if possible.... so have your refugium set up if possible..... If not it can be added later.... if absolutely necessary...