To my fellow aquarium enthusiasts

[Trueg115]

I last had a few saltwater aquariums around 2005-2006 and am looking to get back into it, but I don't remember much from it so I need to refresh my memory on everything. What is a good central site that has trustworthy information to get back into the swing of things? I'm thinking about starting off again with around a 20 gallon and going from there. I used to specialize in growing coral and that is what I am interested in doing again

[homer1475]

Right here is the best collection of information I've found.

To get back into the swing of things, have a read up on the setting up sticky(the one with the big red arrow in the title) at the top of these forums.

[Marinenthusiast]

Theres a lot of good information out there, just be careful what you read because some gets contradictory. The most valuble info i have learned from is from forums and Facebook groups. There is also a good post on saltwaterfish.com titled "101 tips to beginning and maintaining a saltwater aquarium." Ask questions and do lots of research, patience is key as well.

[Trueg115]

Sounds good guys!

[Jeremiah_Conway]

Originally Posted by Trueg115

I last had a few saltwater aquariums around 2005-2006 and am looking to get back into it, but I don't remember much from it so I need to refresh my memory on everything. What is a good central site that has trustworthy information to get back into the swing of things? I'm thinking about starting off again with around a 20 gallon and going from there. I used to specialize in growing coral and that is what I am interested in doing again

Welcome back.
There are a few great forums to rely on.
This one seems to have the most experienced refers. Though they can be quite critical at times. Gather info from a variety of sources and you'll be back into it in no time. My only suggestion is start with the largest tank you think you can handle cause bigger is easier to keep stable. Happy Reefing.

[anthonys51]

you used to specialize in growing corals a few years back, and now you forgot everything. how old are you

[heathlindner25]

Originally Posted by anthonys51

you used to specialize in growing corals a few years back, and now you forgot everything. how old are you

Kind of what I was thinking

[Trueg115]

haha I am actually 25, so I was about 14-15 when I last had a few tanks That is why I have to re learn everything, a lot can change in that amount of time when your that age.

[Misled]

Don't re-learn, start over. Quite a few changes in ten years. Start with the stickys at the top of the page. Go slow.

[anthonys51]

I wouldn't say a lot has changed in 10 years. The basics are the same really. So new technology, but the nitrogen cycle. Keeping nutrients low and making sure saltily cal ph alk mg is stable has been a main stay of this hobby. Sure numbers might have changed a little, ways of getting there and maybe feeding of corals But use what you remember and hone your skills a little. 25 year old you is probably able to absorb more than 15 year old you. So it might feel like you learning all over again. Just one word of advice. Be patient stay on top of your tank and don't skimp on equipment. Buy the best you can afford .

[Misled]

The basics may be the same, but from someone that's been doing this over 25 years and is setting up a new tank now, I would say quite a bit has changed. My last tank was set up about 9 years ago. While it can be used today and not be too bad, There is better equipment. What I have in my sig can still be used, none of it will. There are better ways.

[CStrickland]

The stickies, especially the setting up one with the red arrow, are full of info but it's the basic stuff that hasn't changed much. Once you refresh your memory, youll want to poke around the rest of the forum for more up to date stuff.

In the last ten years LED lights have gotten decent and affordable. Def read up on them. Also barebottom tanks are way more common and people really like them. Testing is easier and cheaper. Also, carbon dosing like vodka has really taken off for nutrient control. A lot of the equipment is smaller, like powerheads are much sleeker so people aren't doing the complicated external pumps to move water around in the tank; and skimmers are smaller.
It's like all the same biology, but better gear to complement it.

Another big change might be quarantining things before you put them in the tank. I'm not sure how common that was before but almost everyone does some form now. People say the fish are coming with more diseases from getting exposed in the supply chain, and we understand more about how to prevent them. Coral too, there are lots of dips and stuff you can do to kill nasties. With a little planning you can keep a lot of issues from ever getting into your display where they are hard to deal with. The stickies on quarantine are very good and up to date.

[anthonys51]

Better ways don't mean different Of course things always get better ( hopefully) now there are so many options.

Hell I think there are 4 to 5 different rocks to choose from now before maybe 2. There is boat rock, air rock, dry rock, article rock , reef saver purple rock. All have pros and cons

[Trueg115]

Im glad to hear there are many more options now technology wise Im looking forward to researching it all now. Thanks everyone for your help so far!

[CarrieB]

When did Bean and Herbie overflows show up?

[Chibils]

Half of this hobby is exploratory. We don't know as much as we like to think, so everyone does it a little differently. Take it all with a grain of salt. This board is absolutely one of the three sources I go to for most of my reading and knowledge, but you have to vett the info you see carefully.

I'd also strongly advise you to keep it simple for a while. Tank, sump, heater, skimmer, kalkwasser. Water changes are still one of the best (or the best, based on personal opinion) to remove nutrients, add cal/alk/mag, and replenish trace elements. Unless there's a bad run of salt on the brand you use, it will consistently reduce nutrients and replace the things your coral need.

If you've got the time, BRStv on YouTube has a series that I've really enjoyed called BRS160. It's a good series for a beginner but I found it to be a great refresher course that made me look at some practices in a new way. They start from the bottom and go through the process of setting up and maintaining a 160 gallon high tech reef tank over 52 ten to thirty minute episodes. Episode 35 just went up this week, but I think by next week's video they will have covered everything needed to star a tank. It'll all be maintenance, upkeep, and upgrades from there. Even though they go way high tech and expensive with their build, the advice they give, simple explanations for things, and use of data to back up their claims is really outstanding. I'd highly recommend it.

This definitely puts the opinion part I wrote earlier to the test, but I really think metal halide and T5 are preferable to LED. I know LEDs can grow coral and produce great colors. I've seen it. I won't tell you they don't work well. But lots of people struggle with it, especially people who are new or just returning to the hobby. Intensity, colors, and individual channels for each color make LEDs easy to mess up but very rewarding to master. Very few people know what spectrum their corals need. They just tune the channels to create the look they want, and usually it works out ok. I think Kessils are great for this, because no matter what setting you turn the knob to, the color spectrum is designed to be good for corals. Unless heat or energy costs are a big issue for you (e.g. you're in SoCal), I think halides are superior to LEDs. You simply can't fail to grow corals with them unless you undersize them, like a 150W for a 36" deep tank. Please take the above with a grain of salt; it's all my opinion.

[Hal]

+1 to Chibils post above. The Bulk Reef Supply videos "52 weeks of reefing" available on YouTube and BRS's website are a pretty good resource. Each weekly video covers one topic in setting up a reef tank. They're a sponsor, and a great place to buy many of the needed equipment.

[Trueg115]

Thank you Chibila for your awesome reply. I know a decent amount about LEDs as I have used it to grow plants, and would agree that halides are still the way to go for the most part (even with plants) I'll check out that series as well!