From Freshwater to Saltwater

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Welcome to R2R.

 

[KrisReef]

Hello all, I'm brand new to the hobby. I've kept a freshwater tank for the last year, and I decided to take the plunge into salt. I purchased an Innovative Marine 40G, a protein skimmer, and some dry rock. I'm just going to continue to slowly build up my stash of accessories because I'm too broke to afford it all at once. Plus, I have to convince the wife there's room for another fish tank in our living room I'm planning on an AI Prime HD, and a Wavelink 2300 gph pump, and a Sicce 3.0. Any newbie advice is appreciated!

Welcome to Reef2Reef!
You've already got some practical good advice from people on here who said to "Go Slow" and "do lots of research." I'm going to offer you some no-frills advice: Never tell the wife how much you really spent on any new equipment and take her shopping for new furniture and buy the smallest living room couch they have (usually these are called "love seats") and tell her you want it "so that you can sit closer to her while you both look at the reef tank." That will make her happy and it will also make the extra room you need to fit the monster tank you need!

Remember to do your own research first! Not all these ideas are guaranteed to work, but when you ask for advice on here you will always get some. Caveat emptor
(but seriously)->Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[ekoed]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!
You've already got some practical good advice from people on here who said to "Go Slow" and "do lots of research." I'm going to offer you some no-frills advice: Never tell the wife how much you really spent on any new equipment and take her shopping for new furniture and by the smallest living room couch they have (usually these are called "love seats") and tell her you want it "so that you can sit closer to her while you both look at the reef tank." That will make her happy and it will also make the extra room you need to fit the monster tank you need!

Remember to do your own research first! Not all these ideas are guaranteed to work, but when you ask for advice on here you will always get some. Caveat emptor
(but seriously)->Welcome to Reef2Reef!

That made me laugh out loud! I’ve learned that lesson, I plan on telling her most of these addons were part of the tank deal. Little white lie won’t hurt too bad. Anyway it’s going to be a long process of maybe 1 new item a month if I’m lucky.

I’ve been reading lots of forums and watching tons of videos, and while I’m in the process of setting up the tank I’m sure I will refer back to the new tank guide from this site.

 

[P-Dub]

Welcome! I think we all started out fresh then just kinda got all salty. It happens like that. You will not be bored with a marine aquarium, I think. The wife... that's another topic. I wish you all the luck in the world. I find the adage of asking for forgiveness is easier than permission.... Looking forward to the progress. Like and share often and if I can give one word of advice. PATIENCE!

 

[Salty Lemon]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!
You've already got some practical good advice from people on here who said to "Go Slow" and "do lots of research." I'm going to offer you some no-frills advice: Never tell the wife how much you really spent on any new equipment and take her shopping for new furniture and buy the smallest living room couch they have (usually these are called "love seats") and tell her you want it "so that you can sit closer to her while you both look at the reef tank." That will make her happy and it will also make the extra room you need to fit the monster tank you need!

Remember to do your own research first! Not all these ideas are guaranteed to work, but when you ask for advice on here you will always get some. Caveat emptor
(but seriously)->Welcome to Reef2Reef!

What @KrisReef says is true. Take it slow. I crashed my fish reef tank two decades ago, because I tried to go a quickly as freshwater. I had tanks for years, so I thought I knew what I was doing. A lesson hard-learned -- but a valuable one. I love his love seat idea. We women melt with that kind of imagery. But in my case, I have a man. So I have to convince him of expenditures differently. He likes to feel useful. I asked him to help me with my tiny RODI unit. When it took a long time to fill my tank, he went out an bought a big one for me. He now thinks it is his and he constantly checks on it and makes certain it is working. This also sparked an interest in the mechanics of my tanks. It is easier for me to buy stuff if he thinks he is helping with it.
But I'm going on a tangent different from the whole "welcome". I hope you post a lot, read a lot, and have loads of fun here. You will love reef tanks.

 

[ekoed]

Salty Lemon that is a fantastic idea. For my wife, I planned on letting her pick out Corals. She loves the look of different flowers, so I know she can appreciate a beautiful coral. I'm not sure she knows the intricacies of them, but I know once she sees them up close and personal, she will be a fan!

 

[Salty Lemon]

Salty Lemon that is a fantastic idea. For my wife, I planned on letting her pick out Corals. She loves the look of different flowers, so I know she can appreciate a beautiful coral. I'm not sure she knows the intricacies of them, but I know once she sees them up close and personal, she will be a fan!

@ekoed Yep! You are starting to see how it works. (I like your idea btw.) Not that I would ever recommend manipulating a spouse to get your way, but sometimes, you just need go with the right psychological approach.

 

[bsn_rn_cen]

Welcome to reef2reef. Newbie advise from a newbie. Your tank will have some really ugly phases and some of the "quick fixes" can make things worse.