Considering getting into the hobby

Brew12 · Aug 14, 2016

Hi Everyone. Love the forums and have learned an amazing amount by reading them. Having a reef aquarium is something I have always wanted to do but realized I haven't had the time. I am still busy, but think I might have the time to do it right with the amount of automated tools out there.

What I am looking at is a 75 or 90 gallon tank with a sump/refugium. The plan would be to start as a FOWLR and add coral 6 months to a year from now. Budgeting around $2k for what I'll call Phase 1. Phase 2 would be adding corals and getting the automated dosing systems.

My first big question is this. How much cleaning would my clean up crew actually do? I will have time for water changes, cleaning glass and the skimmer, but I don't necessarily want to spend the time to clean the rocks. Is it possible to have a stunning looking reef tank without spending hours a week cleaning algae off the rocks?

recess62 · Aug 14, 2016

Welcome to the forum. With a fowlr system there is not much maintinence needed. If you keep,your nutrient levels in check your live rock will not need to be scrubbed all. I blow my rock of with a turkey baster prior to a water change. Keep your salinity stable with an ato. Don't overfeed and a fowlr tank will not require any more work than a fresh water tank.

kschweer · Aug 14, 2016

Welcome! If you use clean cured live rock and keep up with regular maintenance you should not have to scrub your rocks.

jsker · Aug 14, 2016

Welcome to R2R That is a great plan, watch your nitrates and phosphate by not over feeding, I would start with 10 snails and 2 to 3 small hermit crabs and see how things look.

Salty1962 · Aug 14, 2016

Welcome to R2R! The journey into SW is a wonderful experience. The maintenance with a FOWLR is not bad. Keep up with good husbandry practices and you'll have a beautiful tank. It does involve work but it's well worth the outcome of a wonderful hobby. Your at the right place to get you started!

KJ · Aug 14, 2016

Welcometo R2R

A+ to all above advise!!!

Germ42 · Aug 14, 2016

Welcome to R2R! And hey all the above advice is right on! Only other thing I can say is I started FOWLR and lasted 2 months before moving some coral in! So be careful, it'll draw you in Hehe if you do end up moving in coral early just make sure you pick the easier coral such as zoanthids especially first because with the right light and making sure you have only Reef safe fish it's hard to kill them! Heck before I even knew about calcium and dosing and the correct lighting I had 3 groups of very simple plan blue and orange and yellow zoanthids and a toadstool and they are still alive today! But always remember to be patient and take it slow lol! (I've come to realize the importance and how That was one of the hardest skills for me to acquire) well good luck to you and can't wait to see pics of the project when it's starred!

ArcKatana · Aug 14, 2016

Just one piece of advice: Start small. It's a big commitment to jump into a big (75+ gallons) tank right off the bat. 20-40 Gallons will allow you to keep any coral, and a good selection of fish. It will be cheaper (and if you plan a bit about getting equipment that can scale up as you get into bigger tanks) and honestly like any new hobby, you might realize it really isn't your cup of tea. Having said that, most folks want a bigger tank after they get the first one!

Ask tons of questions and most importantly - go SLOW. Nothing good happens quickly in this hobby, of that I can promise 10,000 percent.

Raddock · Aug 14, 2016

I recommend watching the Bulk Reef Supply 52 weeks of reefing series on you tube. Each episode focuses on an aspect of reefing and while I'm sure many disagree with some points, overall it us a huge amount of information in an easily understood format.

I'll disagree with starting small suggestion. I'd say make sure you want to do it, but then go as big as you can afford. I just started a few months ago with a 160 gallon mixed reef. I love it and am already planning my next tank[emoji28]

1MJG1 · Aug 14, 2016

word of advice. if your uncomfortable burning a 20$ bill don't get into this hobby. some are accustomed to burning hundreds too lol. haha in all seriousness i love it 95% of days, but some days i wonder how much more free time, and free $ i would have without it. I'm sure most can relate. goodluck! take your time.

reef_junkie · Aug 14, 2016

My tank husbandry is on the "above average" side and ive never scrubbed rocks. Before a water change i ramp up my wave makers and return pump. That pretty much does the trick.

TreyC2010 · Aug 14, 2016

I've seen it said already but just to let it ring in your head, nothing good happens fast in this hobby. Go by that rule and just enjoy watching your tank evolve. The critters and clean up crew do most of the rock cleaning if you stay up with your water changes. You'll love the hobby if you learn from what it teaches you. Watch BRS 52 weeks of feeding and see if you want to add any equipment in the beginning. Good luck! You'll do fine.

BummersReef · Aug 14, 2016

1MJG1 said:
word of advice. if your uncomfortable burning a 20$ bill don't get into this hobby. some are accustomed to burning hundreds too lol. haha in all seriousness i love it 95% of days, but some days i wonder how much more free time, and free $ i would have without it. I'm sure most can relate. goodluck! take your time.

Seriously buying ANYTHING in this hobby for $20 is super cheap! But it keeps us busy and always something to do etc..

Brew12 · Aug 14, 2016

Thanks guys, appreciate the warm welcome.
I plan on taking this very slow. If I decide this is the year to get started my goal will be to set up the tank over the week of Thanksgiving. Last child finishes high school next year and once that happens my free time goes way up. So, the plan is to start the aquarium now, add corals in about a year, and by the time they mature a little I will have much more time to work with them.
I am going to try and automate just about everything other than the water changes. I think the extra money now will make it much more enjoyable long term. That, and I do have to travel for a week at a time for work, so my wife will only have to monitor the equipment and make sure the ATO tank doesn't run dry.
I do have some equipment purchase questions (lighting being the biggest one) but I'll post those in the appropriate forum section.

Raddock · Aug 14, 2016

Automate your water changes too. I have my Apex DOS changing 3 gallons a day.

BummersReef · Aug 14, 2016

"Corals in a year" heeee heeee ... We will remind you of that in 3 months when you are asking "can I put a Zoa in now?" <really big grin>

Brew12 · Aug 14, 2016

BummersReef said:
"Corals in a year" heeee heeee ... We will remind you of that in 3 months when you are asking "can I put a Zoa in now?" <really big grin>

Ok, that made me laugh. I can't say that it won't happen, but it would be very unlike me. My wife would tell you I am the most detail oriented and patient person she has ever met. And yes, I am an engineer at work, although I received my training in the navy instead of college.

Edit: The one thing I would like to rush is getting started, but I want to build my own stand and that will take time. Need to finish building a desk for my son before I start that.