First saltwater tank with my boys

Rp8 · Sep 4, 2023

Welcome aboard!

MT7 · Sep 4, 2023

Cichlid Dad said:
I have done 5 salt water tanks now from 20 gallons to 90 gallon. If you have not purchased rocks and sand I will give you a suggestion. Only if finances allow I would look into Tampa Bay Salt Water live rock and sand. I always started dry rock and ocean direct sand. I had to deal with the ugly faze in all. It took awhile for the tank to get happy. The latest build was a OfferUp 75 gallon I purchased for 100. 00 including tank stand skimmer. I started with dry rock in the display with crushed coral. To that I added the Tampa Bay live sand 20 pounds and 20 pounds of their live rock so a mix of dry and live. So far I'm having little to no ugly faze and I added coral from my other tanks day one. Coral has not skipped a beat and looks like they have been there for a long time. I will send you a private message with a link so you can see what I mean. Hoping your build brings your family much joy

Thank you for sharing. Wish I knew a week ago before I placed my order!

FrugalReefer · Sep 4, 2023

Uncle99 · Sep 4, 2023

Livin the dream………
Welcome your family to ours, at R2R!
Enjoy

Buckster · Sep 4, 2023

Hello and Welcome to R2R!

1112-425XL · Sep 4, 2023

therootcause · Sep 4, 2023

MT7 said:
Hello! Starting my lifelong dream of having a reef aquarium. Had multiple freshwater aquariums before. My boys are excited to learn about corals, tank chemistry and how to be responsible for living creatures. Looking forward to be part of this community!

Cheers, MT

Welcome to reefing. I don't know the age of your children but I have three under age 9. None of them have an interest in reefing directly, but they are always around the aquarium, and around me as I frag or do maintenance. I would like to caution you against palythoa or zoanthid corals as the toxins are highly potent and there is no treatment for exposure. As with any toxin, the dose matters. With their small size a tiny amount of toxin left on a towel, tool, doorknob, or aerosolized could result in tragic consequences.

Cheers - cautious reefer.

Jimbhoy13 · Sep 4, 2023

Welcome to R2R and the salty world MT and boys. Take things slowly. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here who will support and advise you when needed.

MT7 · Sep 4, 2023

therootcause said:
Welcome to reefing. I don't know the age of your children but I have three under age 9. None of them have an interest in reefing directly, but they are always around the aquarium, and around me as I frag or do maintenance. I would like to caution you against palythoa or zoanthid corals as the toxins are highly potent and there is no treatment for exposure. As with any toxin, the dose matters. With their small size a tiny amount of toxin left on a towel, tool, doorknob, or aerosolized could result in tragic consequences.

Cheers - cautious reefer.

Thank you, we have not come across this information in all of our research, good to know. My 3 boys are aged 9, 11 and 13, with various levels of interest…