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

[scubadan206]

look into the quarantine thread on the tank transfer method. Just found it, looks interesting...

[scubadan206]

Originally Posted by Tin Man

Hi RC,

I guess I should stop lurking. I am a former FO retard, having gone without LR ... and was mildly successful. I quit 7 years ago when I killed off 3 tangs and some other fish, some I had for 6-7 years, when I introduced a French Angel from a questionable LFS, who is out of business now, without quarantining. Ouch!

Anyway, I am leaning heavily toward starting things up again with my 125 and 60+ gallon sump (one of those clarity plus systems with the sump being the stand). This time it will be live rock! I have been reading the beginner threads and am quite impressed with the level of expertise and experience here. In the past, I tended to throw money at my projects. This time I plan to constrain the costs and use time and patience to my favor. By this I mean, I am going to buy good hardware to replace what needs upgrading and resurrect the things that will work for a FOWLR setup even if it is not ideal. This means new pumps, new LED light fixture suitable for fish, but not reef, old skimmer (ETSS), toss the bio balls, new heater - heck, every thing was tired or failed when I crashed the tank. Sigh. I am also going to start a QT (I had one before, but with mixed results) which will take some more reading/thinking as there are several schools of thought here on RC. Then I will probably start the DT with dry rock and let time (and a dead shrimp) turn it into live rock.

I don't know if anyone cares or reads this, but it helps me to type my thoughts out.

look at the quarantine thread about the tank transfer method, looks interesting...

[scubadan206]

Oh yeah. I'm Dan. I've had fishtanks for close to 25 years, but my first reeftank is about 6 months old. I'm a visual learner and a perfectionist who likes to information gather... My tank is a 120 mixed reef with DIY 40 sump. I am taking it slow so I have a dozen small fish and about a dozen small coral frags. Like a good little reef junky I have ideas in the back of my head for a 600+ display tank in the living-room, with the sump in the basement and multiple satelite tanks, all about 1200 gallons total volume. All DIY built tanks...
Anyway, Looking forward to chatting with fellow enthusiasts.

BTW Why are people still putting Damsels in their tanks. ON the reef those things are little terrors. They end up being no different or worse in confined fishtanks...

[fishfandanman]

Merry christmas!
I've been keeping and breeding freshwater fish for close to 4 years now. About 3 weeks ago I began to setup my first saltwater tank -a 30" wide 29 gallon. Currently the tank doesnt have any corals, just live rock, live sand, and 4 domino damsles (which wont be in the tank for long). I love this tank so much that I might even convert all my other tanks to saltwater .

[rudy1220]

Hello everyone new to the site also looking for some help around the el paso tx area for help to set my my tank. Yes i could pay also ......

[mmn]

Hi,

This is my first reef tank. I've been doing a lot of reading in ReefCentral, watching a lot of videos, and I've read a couple of books. I was going to go for a 75g but I saw a good deal locally and picked up a NIB 125g undrilled with a custom metal stand.

I have about a 20 foot run and up five steps from the laundry room to the tank in the living room. I'm planning on putting a rodi and a mixing station in the laundry and using roll up hose with quick couplers to do the water changes and to fill an ATO tank at the DT. Also plan to put a QT down there. It's all tile on slab so occasional spills are not a big deal.

The overflow I like is a Bean with an internal (almost) c2c weir and an external box. I'd like to leave room at the each end of the internal box for return lines.

It's going to be reef only for awhile - maybe a few fish (way) down the road. I'm leaning towards a DIY sump using a 40g or so glass tank. Like to try a 40b but it looks like it won't fit in that stand.

Design considerations:
1) Limited budget so I want to get it as right as I can without buying things I'll regret for one reason or another.
1) I want this setup to be as quiet as possible without breaking the bank.
2) I don't want to haul water.
3) Efficiency is good.

All I have so far is the tank and stand. The array of available equipment choices is truly staggering and bewildering, as are the design options. I may try to start a build thread when I need help with some specifics, but for some time I'll be reading and re-reading.

Regards,
Michael

[Sgoldstein]

Hello RC and fellow reefers,

I have been following RC on an off for some time now but finally just became a member.

I currently have a 90 gal mixed reef tank that i purchased a couple of years ago on Craigslist/ iwaki pump/ wet/dry sump with Bio Ball (want to try out a refugium in my next tank soon).

I started out with my first saltwater tank about 6 years ago when a friend moved out of state and gave me his 44 gallon corner tank. Boy did i learn the hard way. I had no idea what i was doing.. i kept topping of the evaporated water with Salt Water (lol) until almost all of the fish died. I took some water to the fish store to be tested(at that time i really had no idea what i was even to look for) and that is when i found out about salinity.

Fast forward a few years later and i am addicted to the hobby. I bought a fish only salt 55 gallon tank (craigslist special). This started out with 2 hang on filters (no sump yet) and some generic pet store lights. after a few months I had to upgrade the filtration to an overflow box, sump with wet/dry, added a protein skimmer and UV light etc, T-5 lights and some coral.

But as you all know it is never enough. So i started looking to Craigslist for a larger mixed reef setup and bought a 90 gallon mixed reef tank that was established for about 6 years. So now this is where i learned the most... i bought a lot of fish and corals that are no longer with me...due to obvious reasons (poor water quality, insufficient calcium, low PH/Alk etc)

Now i am a little wiser and a lot broker but now is the time to apply some of my knowledge(and gain a lot more) and upgrade to a larger tank. I am leaning toward the marineland 220 gal.... my LFS has a very good price and i can get tank stand for around $1500. I will keep everyone posted with my new tank build as it progresses

Scott

[theblennyman]

Hi i just wanted to introduce myself. Started with reef aquarium hobby. No previous aquarium experience. Got me a 48 gallon reef octopus luxury T90 with 10 gallon sump and protein skimmer, maxpect razor lighting and ecotech wavemaker. Aquarium still empty except the rocks and gravel. Chemi-pure in the sump. This is only the first week of the aquarium.

[jay5]

Hello
I'm a 35 year old I'm new to the hobby I just set up a canister filter also running a refugium filter.and I'm looking for all the help I can get to get this up and running correctly

[macaddict89]

Hi,

I'm just starting into this hobby with a 75g with a sump. Starting off FOWLR but trying to make the whole setup scalable to other things if wanted. I've been interested in this for a couple years but have been living in an apartment. Now I'm moving and the place will let me have fish. I've read many books over and over again and read up on many threads that RC has to offer. Excited to get started!

[battys reef]

Hello, My name is Chris. I am new to saltwater, I had a freshwater tank most of my life. Having a tough time getting my saltwater tank to settle. I do have a question, what size refugium do I need. I am currently looking at the CPR aquafuge2 (small) is this enough for copes and filtration for a 55 gallon cube style tank? I ask because I would like to hang it on the side of my tank due to space issues in the back. the medium is to large for the side and I cant afford an under tank refugium yet. Please help, I am losing coral also would i be able to get rid of my canister when i put the refugium on the tank?

Any help will be greatly appreciated, thank you in advance!

[swk]

Hi everyone,

My name is Sean. I've been yearning for some new challenges lately and am thinking of jumping on the sw bandwagon.

I've been keeping and breeding mostly tanganyikan cichlids for the last 10 years or so. I'm a mod on a few species specific tanganyikan forums, and am looking forward to getting my feet wet with a smallish, hardy, reef tank. Thinking 40-75gal tops. I have some 125+ gal tanks, but don't want to pull a 2nd on my house to fund them LOL!

For now, I have just been reading non-stop to try and familiarize myself with all the methodologies and equipment that are out there these days to make a successful reef tank. I really find the carbon dosing/bio-pellet movement to be quite fascinating!

Anyways, I'm sure at some point in the future I will be bugging ya'll for some specifics regarding eqiuipment and whatnot, but for now, I'm just gonna keep on reading!

Thanks!
Sean

[brett172]

Hello RC. I am new to this hobby and am looking for some advice. I just bought a 90 gal. tank, but I dont have anything else. I plan on fish, live rock, and corals and want to buy the right equipment for the job. I would like to get a hang on back skimmer and then some LED lights. Also, should I look into a refugium? The tank is not drilled, but I do have plenty of space in the stand.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions and help.

[Kcsuppressors]

Getting back into the hobby after being out for a few years. I use to keep a 225 Reef before getting married, having kids and relocating from Kansas City, Missouri to a small town just outside of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

I recently just purchased a IM Nuvo 16 with an AI Vega and controller. I'm really looking forward to getting back into the hobby as well as getting my wife and kids into it.

I have plans to expand in the future as space allows. I look forward to learning new stuff and meeting new people!

[reefpro21]

hi, im 20 years old and im restarting my tank, i had a 60 now plumbing a 75, hoping to get some great advise from here thanks.

[ProZack199]

Just dropping by to say hello to everyone on the forum.

[b_braz]

New in Saltwater/Reef world. Just started my build yesterday. Glad to be here and follow my build could use the help. I have pictures haha

[californian]

Hello everybody !

Long time into planted aquarium. Just starting on the marine.

[Jonnyrl1]

Newbie here, getting everything together to do a little 29g biocube. Just doing a ton of reading right now trying to soak up all the information I can. Look forward to learning more on this site!

[SilverAvia]

I am Heidi from Binghamton, Love the ocean always have always will. It's always been my dream to have a reef tank. My wonderful husband and I started fish keeping about three years ago at the moment I have two tanks a 55 gallon african cichlid tank and a 40 gallon south american community with guppies, an angel, two rams, and some cory catfish, oh and two otos. Now my husband has suggested I move up to saltwater and we are both very excited, I know it's a whole new ball game but I love to learn and am looking forward to this new adventure.

[denske]

Another new guy here, I've never kept a saltwater tank before, over the years I've kept cichlid tanks, and currently into planted tanks.

I've recently acquired a 120g (4'x2'x2) and a bubble magus skimmer to start my journey into the salt world, can't wait to get started! Any info for a slub just starting out is greatly appreciated.

I find myself researching this site for hours on end, and I'm extremely excited about starting this journey.

-Den

[fishinut2]

Hi everyone, my name is Art and live in the western suburbs of Chicago. A carpenter for 20 years and love to fish.Iam new to the hobby and RC. I have a 72 gl bow with a few of the easy keeping corals like mushrooms, zoos, and a leather. Also in there is a stripped wrasse, dragon goby, diamond goby ,coral beauty. Needless to say I have a lot of questions so don't be surprised to see me in the future .Iam trying to do my homework on lighting before I post the same things others have already asked/answered since iam in need of replacing the power compact fixture ASAP .I don't have a chiller so think MHs' shouldnt be an option so iam torn between LEDs' and T5s'

[scubadan206]

Originally Posted by fishinut2

Hi everyone, my name is Art and live in the western suburbs of Chicago. A carpenter for 20 years and love to fish.Iam new to the hobby and RC. I have a 72 gl bow with a few of the easy keeping corals like mushrooms, zoos, and a leather. Also in there is a stripped wrasse, dragon goby, diamond goby ,coral beauty. Needless to say I have a lot of questions so don't be surprised to see me in the future .Iam trying to do my homework on lighting before I post the same things others have already asked/answered since iam in need of replacing the power compact fixture ASAP .I don't have a chiller so think MHs' shouldnt be an option so iam torn between LEDs' and T5s'

Just think about how much bulb changes will cost you in the future. Then just go get some controlable LEDs.
Cheers

[Wkendwarr]

Hello RC, My name is John. I am new aquariums in general and decided to go straight for SW reef. I got a 90G RR tank and stand, AI hydras, Eshopps sump,skimmer, Rio+ pump, Neptune Apex, Hydor powerbeads, BRS 6 stage ro/di

[UMass14]

This Forum is awesome! Im a complete beginner and this community has been so helpful. I started a 29G Nano in November and finally ready for livestock. Patience in this hobby is difficult and I hope its worth it. I'll start a Nano Progress thread so you guys can chip in with advice or follow on how a newbie is doing.