Dream May Become Reality

[bvanfish]

Hey everyone! Brand new to Reef2Reef.

It has been my dream since I was a little kid to have a saltwater aquarium. I think I may start moving in the direction of actually having one now. I have started to read a little on here but I would love some feedback from the pros! I have compiled a list of questions that I have and any insight would be largely appreciated. My dream has always been to have a few clownfish and anemones, I find them truly magical. The rest would just be awesome additions.

Questions:
1- how big of a tank to have some fish, corals, etc
2- what are good beginner fish, corals
3- good books / youtubes to learn how to keep a tank well
4- average monthly costs associated with a tank
5- ways to get a beginner tank full set up maybe?

Thank you!

 

[shakacuz]

welcome aboard the r2r board!

1. the bigger the initial tank, the less you’ll have to worry about what fish to buy or corals. i recommend a starting size of: 40, 75, 90, 120, 125 gallon tanks
2. beginner fish are many… but really also depends on how big the tank will be
3. BRS (bulkreefsupply) how-to videos, 5 minute videos, etc. very informative
4. average cost depends on the person. you could make things more complicated or expensive depending if you go a certain route (manual dosing compared to monitoring via controller)
5. buying second hand or from someone getting out of the hobby. marketplace, craigslist, offer up, ebay, etc…

 

[TheyGaveItToMe]

You would have got more feed back if you posted this in the Meet and Greet forum.

1)A simple 10 gallon build can house fish and corals.
2)Clowns are popular for a reason. Corals like pulsing xenia, green star polyps, and kenya trees are so easy they can spread out of control, but are under appreciated in my opinion.
3)I second the BRS youtube channel.
4)This can vary greatly. Tank volume and buying water vs making water will make the biggest difference in monthly cost. But, this isn't a cheap hobby. You can find ways to save money, but it still isn't going to be cheap.
5)You are best starting with an AIO. Buying second hand isn't a bad idea, but you are still going to want to buy new return pump and heaters. And, the larger the tank the more it cost for the gear to support it.

 

[davidcalgary29]

welcome aboard the r2r board!

1. buying second hand or from someone getting out of the hobby. marketplace, craigslist, offer up, ebay, etc…

Yes, do this.

You could also volunteer to help someone with their tank(s), although this sort of action, admirable as it is, comes with its own set of risks these days.

 

[kingoftheHiLLpeople]

Welcome!!! And here:

Saltwater Books

Hello, Does anyone have any recommendations for quality books on reefing, corals, fish, and/or marine biology? Thank you and have a wonderful day.

www.reef2reef.com

 

[saltnut]

Hi welcome. I am so glad you are doing research before buying anything. Absolutely watch a bunch of the BRS video's.

 

[steveschuerger]

Welcome to Reef2Reef

and yeah research research and more research. Plus patience lots of it. I learned that the hard way. I’d definitely say when ready start with a larger tank, at least 40 plus gallons. Easier to keep in balance parameter wise.

 

[Anemone_Fanatic]

Welcome to R2R!

1- I'd go with something in the range of 45-90 gallons as a first tank. Big enough to keep parameters stable and fish happy, but small enough to be easy to maintain.
2- My favorite fish are royal grammas, assessor basslets, hawkfish, gobies, and clowns. All of these are easy to care for, and should do well with basic parameters and feeding. If you want to roll the dice or are ok with only keeping certain coral, dwarf angelfish are great. Avoid tangs, anthias, and chromis at first. Stick to rock flower anemones, easy LPS, and softies to keep your tank low maintanence.
3- ReefDork is a great channel to watch. So are Seafriendlyreef, Danny's Aquariums, and Bahama Llama Coral.
4- It depends on what sort of setup, gear, and animals you keep. Don't expect it to be low, however.
5- Waterbox, Red Sea, CADE, Innovative Marine, Fijicube, and Prostar are the six main tank manufacturers for complete systems. All sell setups that have at least some of the stuff you need. (Sump, plumbing, stand, etc).

I hope that this helps!

 

[LeDart]

1. There is no size of tank needed for coral, for fish I would recommend to get the biggest you can afford short, and long term.
2. Good beginner corals are softies, as in zoas, cloves, and star polyp, however you should always check how easy a coral is to keep, as some zoanthids are harder than others. The best fish in my opinion, depending on tank size is a clownfish as they are very hardy, and only need a 15 gallon or more, I would recommend the a 20 gallon though.
3. SaltwaterAquarium has some really good videos, so does BulkReefSupply, and ReefBuilders.
4. The average cost is, in my opinion around 50 cents to 1 USD per gallon per month.
5. I would always go with a new tank as a beginner as buying used can lead to a lot of issues. A good way to start is by going to a local fish store, or if none are around, then buying from Waterbox aquariums (it’s a website) or, if that is still not possible because they are too expensive, then I would suggest buying from a petstore chain like petco or petsmart, their aquarium are cheap, but they don’t come withr filter, so I would recommend a canister filter at the very least, but preferably a sump.

 

[bvanfish]

I have been watching and reading tons and decided to go with a waterbox 25. Got my water live sand and rock cycling with some turbo start. Got my ai prime hd rocking. Cant wait for it to clear up a bit and to get it cycled! Thank you all for the help. Can’t wait for the journey.