If You Are New to Reef Central, Introduce Yourself Here!

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by Crab>Fish
Hi, I'm Chrisy.

My boyfriend is a reef addict, and I'll be taking over his tanks when he deploys in August. He has 2 gold stripe maroons, which he is moving over to a 14 biocube which will be easier for me to take care of than his larger self-modified tank. He also just bought me a 40 hex for my bedroom which is currently cycling with live rock and sand. Currently I have a solomon isle true perc and an oscellaris in a ten gallon. They'll be moving to the 40 when it's safe. Not sure yet what else I'm putting in the 40, but I have a dream team all planned out...

First of all I salute your boyfriend for being in the services.

sounds like you have great fish plans--be sure and post pictures of your progress


To Reef Central Chrisy

[WaterKeeper]

Hi Chrisy,

I did not know a thing about SW aquariums when I went into the service in the late 1960's but I got into it as almost as soon as I came out. Anything I can do to help just ask.

[alrightsir]

Hi everybody!

My name is Brian from the East Bay Area, Ca. This is my first adventure into salt water aquariums and have been digesting every book I can get my hands on. I am currently in the research/save money stage and I'm extremely content with taking my time. If there is anyone in the bay area looking for someone to pass their knowledge and know how on to, please feel free to drop me a line. I love the community and the willingness to help that Ive been seeing on Reef Central and look forward to picking your brains in the near future.

Thanks in advance everyone!

[WaterKeeper]

Hi Brian

To Reef Central

You might start by looking HERE

[itchytickles]

Hello!

I am new to the whole SW thing. I have had FW tanks before but the SW stuff is so much more interesting to me! I recently got a 29G tank from a coworker and just got it started friday! I ended up taking out the crushed coral substrate today as i read that sand is better due to many reasons, and am waiting for the water to clear back up. I actually am very lucky to have an experienced buddy nearby to help me with my ventures. He is actually going to seed some sand for me as well as my LR to put in my tank to get me started. Right now i have a shrimp in the tank waiting for the cycle to begin and end. I am looking forward to learning a lot here and i'm sure i'll have a million questions!

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by itchytickles
Hello!

I am new to the whole SW thing. I have had FW tanks before but the SW stuff is so much more interesting to me! I recently got a 29G tank from a coworker and just got it started friday! I ended up taking out the crushed coral substrate today as i read that sand is better due to many reasons, and am waiting for the water to clear back up. I actually am very lucky to have an experienced buddy nearby to help me with my ventures. He is actually going to seed some sand for me as well as my LR to put in my tank to get me started. Right now i have a shrimp in the tank waiting for the cycle to begin and end. I am looking forward to learning a lot here and i'm sure i'll have a million questions!

To Reef Central Itchytickles

I am assuming the shrimp in there is dead and it is in there to help cycle your tank.
That is really unnecessary as the live rock will recycle your tank. The shrimp could cause higher ammonia spikes killing off any invertebrated hitch hikers that might have come in with the live rock.

[Akimbo]

Hey! I am new to the hobby just starting out with a 10 gallon tank. I haven't started the cycle yet or anything. I have just bought the supplies that don't need to be in the water.

[itchytickles]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur

To Reef Central Itchytickles

I am assuming the shrimp in there is dead and it is in there to help cycle your tank.
That is really unnecessary as the live rock will recycle your tank. The shrimp could cause higher ammonia spikes killing off any invertebrated hitch hikers that might have come in with the live rock.

capn_hylinur, i really appreciate the feedback! i see what your saying with the ammonia spike when i put the LR in in a few weeks. Actually i am going to clean my tank out as my buddy offered to not only give me the sand and LR, but 25 gallons of his water as well so i should be good to go in a few weeks. again, thanks for the feedback!

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by Akimbo
Hey! I am new to the hobby just starting out with a 10 gallon tank. I haven't started the cycle yet or anything. I have just bought the supplies that don't need to be in the water.

good luck and keep us posted


To Reef Central /Akimbo

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by itchytickles
capn_hylinur, i really appreciate the feedback! i see what your saying with the ammonia spike when i put the LR in in a few weeks. Actually i am going to clean my tank out as my buddy offered to not only give me the sand and LR, but 25 gallons of his water as well so i should be good to go in a few weeks. again, thanks for the feedback!

that's great---if you transfer the live rock immediately from one tank to the other there should not be much cycling.
Here is where you can use the dead shrimp--in a week or so add the raw shrimp overnight for 12 hours then remove it. Take ammonia and nitrate readings--if zero your tank has cycled and is good to go.

[bonklers]

Hi I'm new here. Currently I have a planted FW tank, hopefully I can start on my a SW tank within a few months. I've been planning this for over a year now, and the only thing I have right now is two pounds of LR in my QT tank. I haven't bought a single fish which is sad or very good depending how you look at it.

I want to thank everyone that has shared information freely on this forum and the reefkeeping magazine. It is a great source of information to get us newbies started. Whenever I'm ready to get my tank set up I will share my experiences to return the favor (if appreciated), or just to show that your work has not gone in vain.

Before that time comes I still have a lot of things to learn and decide what system I want to keep. My sources for now are:

this forum of course and its magazine
Anthony Calfo book of coral propagation
and just to drool over glassboxdesign.com

And on the 27 of June I'll be attending talks from Sanjay Joshi, Helmut Debelius and Anthony Calfo himself. I hope this will give me inspiration on what animals to keep, I'm looking forward to it though.

Greetings from Holland

[sunnyday]

Hi everyone,

Please forgive me...I've been so busy reading that I neglected to register...and introduce myself. Although I'm new to RC, I am not at all new to the hobby. My current tank has been in operation for a little over 7 years, with some updates here and there. I started doing some research on a much-needed tank upgrade and stumbled across RC. Up until now, I have been flying by the seat of my pants and my chemistry/biology and orchid growing background, which has gotten me pretty far in this hobby, although everything I've learned has been through trial and error.

My current tank is an old-school Oceanic 65g (55g footprint and 24" high) with external overflow box that is on its last legs. I have hated that overflow from the first day, and also the depth of the tank. The whole package was a gift more than 10 years ago, so I was just glad to have it. The tank itself is in fine shape and I am toying with the idea of converting it to FOWLR...not sure yet.

My husband handed me a nice chunk of change for Mother's Day to finally do the tank upgrade and I now have a 75g AGA reef ready sitting in my basement (wish Oceanic made a 75g Ultimate 'cause I love the 75g dimensions and I love Oceanic), along with the lumber for the new stand which my husband has offered to build for me per my design. I've already switched the old tank over to a larger sump, new skimmer, and exclusively T-5s, although I wish I would have read the DIY LEDs writeup first; I would have gone that route instead. The sump and lights will transfer over to the 75g once the stand is complete...at the rate it is going I am guessing end of the summer after I return from a family reunion in Canada. In the meantime, I am enjoying my time on RC. If I can be of help to any of the newbies, please let me know. Many, many thanks to all of you who work behind the scenes to make this site possible!

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by bonklers
Hi I'm new here. Currently I have a planted FW tank, hopefully I can start on my a SW tank within a few months. I've been planning this for over a year now, and the only thing I have right now is two pounds of LR in my QT tank. I haven't bought a single fish which is sad or very good depending how you look at it.

I want to thank everyone that has shared information freely on this forum and the reefkeeping magazine. It is a great source of information to get us newbies started. Whenever I'm ready to get my tank set up I will share my experiences to return the favor (if appreciated), or just to show that your work has not gone in vain.

Before that time comes I still have a lot of things to learn and decide what system I want to keep. My sources for now are:

this forum of course and its magazine
Anthony Calfo book of coral propagation
and just to drool over glassboxdesign.com

And on the 27 of June I'll be attending talks from Sanjay Joshi, Helmut Debelius and Anthony Calfo himself. I hope this will give me inspiration on what animals to keep, I'm looking forward to it though.

Greetings from Holland

To Reef Central

here is a good thread to also include in your sources:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1031074

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by sunnyday
Hi everyone,

Please forgive me...I've been so busy reading that I neglected to register...and introduce myself. Although I'm new to RC, I am not at all new to the hobby. My current tank has been in operation for a little over 7 years, with some updates here and there. I started doing some research on a much-needed tank upgrade and stumbled across RC. Up until now, I have been flying by the seat of my pants and my chemistry/biology and orchid growing background, which has gotten me pretty far in this hobby, although everything I've learned has been through trial and error.

My current tank is an old-school Oceanic 65g (55g footprint and 24" high) with external overflow box that is on its last legs. I have hated that overflow from the first day, and also the depth of the tank. The whole package was a gift more than 10 years ago, so I was just glad to have it. The tank itself is in fine shape and I am toying with the idea of converting it to FOWLR...not sure yet.

My husband handed me a nice chunk of change for Mother's Day to finally do the tank upgrade and I now have a 75g AGA reef ready sitting in my basement (wish Oceanic made a 75g Ultimate 'cause I love the 75g dimensions and I love Oceanic), along with the lumber for the new stand which my husband has offered to build for me per my design. I've already switched the old tank over to a larger sump, new skimmer, and exclusively T-5s, although I wish I would have read the DIY LEDs writeup first; I would have gone that route instead. The sump and lights will transfer over to the 75g once the stand is complete...at the rate it is going I am guessing end of the summer after I return from a family reunion in Canada. In the meantime, I am enjoying my time on RC. If I can be of help to any of the newbies, please let me know. Many, many thanks to all of you who work behind the scenes to make this site possible!

To Reef Central Sunnyday

Look forward to you posting some pictures of your tanks.

This thread is a favorite with the moms

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1568586

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by capn_hylinur

To Reef Central Bonklers

here is a good thread to also include in your sources:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1031074

[mickey69]

Hi Everyone.....

Saying hello from deepest , darkest Africa.... Botswana specifically

Kept a basic freshwater tank for about 2 years, but marine is where I really want to go. Hope to learn from everyone here!

Look forward to meeting some of you!

[Eightbit_nova]

Well Hello.

My name is Louise, please just Louis( pronounced Lou-ie like the french.) I am a 19 year old full time college student from Monticello Arkansas. I am biology major starting next fall. I've been in school for a year but just now chose a major. I extremely new to the hobby. I've owned tones of freshwater tanks in the past, saltwater has alway baffled me.

my current set up.

56 gallon tank, I'm iffy on the dimensions but it built more like a square not rectangle. I'm gonna say its about 18 by 30 and possible 2 feet deep.

I have 34 pound of live rock currently waiting on my next shipment to come in. I use a mix of non-live sand, store bought live sand and some live sand I bought on line. Currently 45 pounds. I stop there because the bed seemed a little deep.

I have been using a just a plan old aquaclear filter as the guy at the pet store said it would be fine until I started adding corals and fish.

I've been using a heater set for tanks up to 70 gallons as it was hand me down but hope to hope to replace it with two smaller one in the near future.

The sand and live rock have been set up for about a month now. I'm seeing a small amount of algae growth on the side of my tank and my rock is just now getting a good color on it. I haven"t invest in a proper lite yet so bare with me. i try not to run the lite much anyways to help discourage the algae growth.

So far in my adventure I've already been hit by a mantis shrimp. It hurt a lot. Though he was a pretty green so I gave him to a pet store instead of flushing him, I'm nice that way.

So after my last 12 pounds of rock comes in should I start adding my starter fish. i've wait a month with a empty tank. i'm just having such a hard time waiting any longer.

[pierce79]

Hi all.

I am a 25 year old Army Officer and have owned a 29 gallon tank for about 6 years. It has been off and on due to it being moved at least once a year. I returned from an Iraq deployment a few months ago and we have set everything back up. It currently contains 7 turbo snails, 1 green chromis, and 1 sailfin blenny with about 30 pounds of live rock and 40 or so of sand. My kids love to watch the fish, but they also like to beat on the glass to watch them move. Not the thing I like to see. I plan on keeping this setup for a couple of years, at least until I am out of the Army and can live in one place for more than a year. I am here to gain some more information that I can apply to my small tank and to start building plans for a larger reef system.

Thanks.

[Michael]

Originally posted by mickey69
Hi Everyone.....

Saying hello from deepest , darkest Africa.... Botswana specifically

Kept a basic freshwater tank for about 2 years, but marine is where I really want to go. Hope to learn from everyone here!

Look forward to meeting some of you!

looking forward to meeting you as well mickey welcome to the forum

[Michael]

Originally posted by Eightbit_nova
Well Hello.

My name is Louise, please just Louis( pronounced Lou-ie like the french.) I am a 19 year old full time college student from Monticello Arkansas. I am biology major starting next fall. I've been in school for a year but just now chose a major. I extremely new to the hobby. I've owned tones of freshwater tanks in the past, saltwater has alway baffled me.

my current set up.

56 gallon tank, I'm iffy on the dimensions but it built more like a square not rectangle. I'm gonna say its about 18 by 30 and possible 2 feet deep.

I have 34 pound of live rock currently waiting on my next shipment to come in. I use a mix of non-live sand, store bought live sand and some live sand I bought on line. Currently 45 pounds. I stop there because the bed seemed a little deep.

I have been using a just a plan old aquaclear filter as the guy at the pet store said it would be fine until I started adding corals and fish.

I've been using a heater set for tanks up to 70 gallons as it was hand me down but hope to hope to replace it with two smaller one in the near future.

The sand and live rock have been set up for about a month now. I'm seeing a small amount of algae growth on the side of my tank and my rock is just now getting a good color on it. I haven"t invest in a proper lite yet so bare with me. i try not to run the lite much anyways to help discourage the algae growth.

So far in my adventure I've already been hit by a mantis shrimp. It hurt a lot. Though he was a pretty green so I gave him to a pet store instead of flushing him, I'm nice that way.

So after my last 12 pounds of rock comes in should I start adding my starter fish. i've wait a month with a empty tank. i'm just having such a hard time waiting any longer.

heu louis, welcome aboard, when your 100% sure the tank is cycled you can add fish, to confirm its cycled test for ammonia and nitrite, if its 0 for several days and your sure the test kits are in date and functioning then theres no reason why live stock cant be introduced, do it slowly and dont add anything which will become to large for your system

[Michael]

Originally posted by pierce79
Hi all.

I am a 25 year old Army Officer and have owned a 29 gallon tank for about 6 years. It has been off and on due to it being moved at least once a year. I returned from an Iraq deployment a few months ago and we have set everything back up. It currently contains 7 turbo snails, 1 green chromis, and 1 sailfin blenny with about 30 pounds of live rock and 40 or so of sand. My kids love to watch the fish, but they also like to beat on the glass to watch them move. Not the thing I like to see. I plan on keeping this setup for a couple of years, at least until I am out of the Army and can live in one place for more than a year. I am here to gain some more information that I can apply to my small tank and to start building plans for a larger reef system.

Thanks.

hi-pierce, my respect and thanks to you for your bravery and courage my friend, thanks for your service fella

theres plenty of information here, just read the stickys under this thread at the top of the forum and


To Reef Central

[benr]

I finally did it, joined Reef Central. I have used it for years for good info but never joined. Well now that I am single again, have some time on my hands and have moved to Richmond I find myself spending more time on the computer and with my new reef set-up. You can see pictures of it in the Richmond Reef Club forum under 'aquarium room -2months old'
I have played with aquariums, fish and coral for many years first with fresh and then with salt. I have kept various fresh water tanks since I was young, always having a metal frame 40 gal. in my room when I was living at home, then when I went to college started a 125 gallon fresh water and a 20 gallon tank for an octopus that I found in a coke bottle scubadiving, my first saltwater tank. Kept it alive on gold fish for about 6 months and then placed it back in the ocean. I was amazed at the varity and color of ocean fauna during many dive trips.
Several years latter when I had a job and some expendable income got into saltwater reef aquariums. I started with a 60 gallon which filled up fast and turned into a 125 and then to a 240 within a couple of years. When I moved from South Pasadena to Santa Barbara I decided that 240 looked small and bought a custom made glass 300 gal. and ran this for a few years before starting a 1000 gal. Well that about took all of my free time along with a good chunk of electricity.
When I got divorced they all had to go.
Put away some stuff in storage, gave away some and sold some.
About a year ago I took a job in Richmond and brought some of my tanks out here to start things on a smaller basis but be more involved in raising quality coral and experiment with equipment and enviroment to see its effect on growth rates. I set up my tanks about 2 months ago and started adding coral about a month ago, so far so good have gone thru a bunch of cycles and tanks look stable now. I started to frag my corals about three weeks ago and plan to bring my 300 gal tank out here someday to place the best frags in. For now working of coral growth rates and the effect that fragging has on color and growth. Also plan to play around with new types of LED lighting and its effect on growth and color.

[kvn1691]

Hey guys I'm Kevin from Chicago, IL. I've had a tank for about one year and sad to say it I'm addicted to it. Right now I have a 180 gal reef tank with about 15 fish and 13 corals ranging from Zoas, Softies and acros. I have 3 actinic bulbs with 2 20k halides.

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by benr
I finally did it, joined Reef Central. I have used it for years for good info but never joined. Well now that I am single again, have some time on my hands and have moved to Richmond I find myself spending more time on the computer and with my new reef set-up. You can see pictures of it in the Richmond Reef Club forum under 'aquarium room -2months old'
I have played with aquariums, fish and coral for many years first with fresh and then with salt. I have kept various fresh water tanks since I was young, always having a metal frame 40 gal. in my room when I was living at home, then when I went to college started a 125 gallon fresh water and a 20 gallon tank for an octopus that I found in a coke bottle scubadiving, my first saltwater tank. Kept it alive on gold fish for about 6 months and then placed it back in the ocean. I was amazed at the varity and color of ocean fauna during many dive trips.
Several years latter when I had a job and some expendable income got into saltwater reef aquariums. I started with a 60 gallon which filled up fast and turned into a 125 and then to a 240 within a couple of years. When I moved from South Pasadena to Santa Barbara I decided that 240 looked small and bought a custom made glass 300 gal. and ran this for a few years before starting a 1000 gal. Well that about took all of my free time along with a good chunk of electricity.
When I got divorced they all had to go.
Put away some stuff in storage, gave away some and sold some.
About a year ago I took a job in Richmond and brought some of my tanks out here to start things on a smaller basis but be more involved in raising quality coral and experiment with equipment and enviroment to see its effect on growth rates. I set up my tanks about 2 months ago and started adding coral about a month ago, so far so good have gone thru a bunch of cycles and tanks look stable now. I started to frag my corals about three weeks ago and plan to bring my 300 gal tank out here someday to place the best frags in. For now working of coral growth rates and the effect that fragging has on color and growth. Also plan to play around with new types of LED lighting and its effect on growth and color.

BackTo Reef Central and the hobby Benr

Hope you post some pictures of the 300 gal

[Aquarist007]

Originally posted by kvn1691
Hey guys I'm Kevin from Chicago, IL. I've had a tank for about one year and sad to say it I'm addicted to it. Right now I have a 180 gal reef tank with about 15 fish and 13 corals ranging from Zoas, Softies and acros. I have 3 actinic bulbs with 2 20k halides.

To Reef Central Kevin

Would love to see some pictures of your 180 gal reef Kevin