To reef or not to reef?

[Trevor Johnson]

Hello fellow reefers,

You’ll have to excuse me as I’m new to this forum and new to the hobby. I haven’t had much experience except with the occasional goldfish and beta fishes growing up, but I’ve always had a goal of starting and maintaining a full on reef tank. Over the past 4+ months I’ve watched many hours of videos on YouTube (mostly from Bulk Reef Supply), stopped into local fish stores, and have read many various articles and forum topics to get a better understanding of how to do a reef tank. I’ve done a bunch of research on the types of fish, corals, and equipment I’d like to have and even started a spreadsheet to track all the details and pricing so I have an idea on the overall investment... let’s just say it’s a LOT, lol.

Great, right?! So what’s the issue/question... well, 2 things:
1) I live in an apartment where I really don’t have the room for the 125+ gal. tank I want. (I really want tangs)
2) I may be moving to another state across the country for my job at the beginning of the year. From what I’ve read and seen, moving a full setup seems very stressful.

So, in your opinions, what should I do? Should I start a smaller tank to get some experience over the next 6+- months and upgrade it later? Or, should I save my money and wait until I move to get something I really want? Your thoughts are greatly appreciated!

 

[Crabs McJones]

Hello fellow reefers,

You’ll have to excuse me as I’m new to this forum and new to the hobby. I haven’t had much experience except with the occasional goldfish and beta fishes growing up, but I’ve always had a goal of starting and maintaining a full on reef tank. Over the past 4+ months I’ve watched many hours of videos on YouTube (mostly from Bulk Reef Supply), stopped into local fish stores, and have read many various articles and forum topics to get a better understanding of how to do a reef tank. I’ve done a bunch of research on the types of fish, corals, and equipment I’d like to have and even started a spreadsheet to track all the details and pricing so I have an idea on the overall investment... let’s just say it’s a LOT, lol.

Great, right?! So what’s the issue/question... well, 2 things:
1) I live in an apartment where I really don’t have the room for the 125+ gal. tank I want. (I really want tangs)
2) I may be moving to another state across the country for my job at the beginning of the year. From what I’ve read and seen, moving a full setup seems very stressful.

So, in your opinions, what should I do? Should I start a smaller tank to get some experience over the next 6+- months? Or, should I save my money and wait until I move to get something I really want? Your thoughts are greatly appreciated!

Welcome to R2R Trevor and thanks for joining. In my honest opinion, if the moving in 6 months is a guaranteed thing, i'd wait and save up for the system you want. 6 month isn't really enough time for a tank to fully mature. So to set it up, then have to tear it down could potentially be pretty stressful to the system. Plus you'll save more money in the long term. Instead of buying a setup, guaranteed tearing it down and then purchasing a bigger setup in the near future; just wait and buy the big setup when you get situated in your new place Take the 6 months and keep on reading and researching. If there is anything i've learned in the 3 years i've been reefing is that you learn something new all the time

#WelcometoR2R

 

[Reefer Deez]

Hello and welcom to R2R! I agree with @Crabs Mcjones 100% the first lesson in reefing is patience, patience and more patience plus do all the research you can ask a lot of questions about anything you can think of! We are all her to help each other and learn from our mistakes and successes

 

[lapin]

It might be better to wait. However ))))))). You could get a small, "All In One AIO" tank . Understand it will not have time to mature. You would need to start with live rock so you can cycle it faster and keep livestock to a min. They will have to go back to the LFS when you move. This would give you some experience. Mistakes and observations are great tools for learning. Would give you some idea of what it takes to run a tank and how things work "hands on".

 

[Trevor Johnson]

Welcome to R2R Trevor and thanks for joining. In my honest opinion, if the moving in 6 months is a guaranteed thing, i'd wait and save up for the system you want. 6 month isn't really enough time for a tank to fully mature. So to set it up, then have to tear it down could potentially be pretty stressful to the system. Plus you'll save more money in the long term. Instead of buying a setup, guaranteed tearing it down and then purchasing a bigger setup in the near future; just wait and buy the big setup when you get situated in your new place Take the 6 months and keep on reading and researching. If there is anything i've learned in the 3 years i've been reefing is that you learn something new all the time

#WelcometoR2R

Thanks for the feedback! I'd have to agree that I've learned something new everyday, so waiting longer probably isn't a bad idea. I'll find out for sure if I'm moving closer to the years end, but until then, I'll keep on researching!

 

[SPR1968]

Welcome to R2R Trevor!

I’d probably agree with what’s been said and wait because I can’t imagine taking my tank to pieces it would be a nightmare.

But you could also have an experiment with a smaller system as also said above.

Whatever you do enjoy the ride!

 

[hdsoftail1065]

I also agree with Crabs Mcjones recommendation. Hold off and save up so you can get what you want the first time after the move.

 

[Trevor Johnson]

Hello and welcom to R2R! I agree with @Crabs Mcjones 100% the first lesson in reefing is patience, patience and more patience plus do all the research you can ask a lot of questions about anything you can think of! We are all her to help each other and learn from our mistakes and successes

Thanks for the feedback @Reefer Deez ! I'll be sure to post more specific questions as I get closer to purchasing equipment & livestock. Even though it's out a ways, I'm super excited to get started!

 

[hdsoftail1065]

We are super excited for you and it's nice to see your researching upfront! Hats off to you!

 

[Reefer Deez]

Thanks for the feedback @Reefer Deez ! I'll be sure to post more specific questions as I get closer to purchasing equipment & livestock. Even though it's out a ways, I'm super excited to get started!

I'm excited for you!

 

[Jesterrace]

Welcome to R2R Trevor!

I’d probably agree with what’s been said and wait because I can’t imagine taking my tank to pieces it would be a nightmare.

But you could also have an experiment with a smaller system as also said above.

Whatever you do enjoy the ride!

Definitely wait, tank transfers are unbelieveable time consuming for the owner, marine life, and all parties involved.

 

[Dennis McGrath]

I guarantee that you will be successful, since you're asking first rather than a lot of folks who buy first, then ask later.
Glad to see that you are asking the right questions and are being patient.

 

[JRAD]

20 years ago I moved 125g 300 miles. Had multiple tangs including hippo and blond Naso. Had life-support system set up with large coolers complete with battery powered air pump and air stones as well as a DC inverter hooked up to power heads. All of the fish made it but it was a nightmare. The hippo tang actually lived for 17 years in my tank . I don’t recommend moving a large tank unless you absolutely have to . I have scaled (pun intended) down and only keep small tanks now but really appreciate the beauty of the larger tanks !!

 

[Brett newell]

On top of doing lots of research for 6 months you could also start to buy equipment that can just stay in boxes. Like a good skimmer, powerheads, lights, kessil h380 for sump. Sump if you're buying one or even buy a used tank and build a sump

 

[Trevor Johnson]

20 years ago I moved 125g 300 miles. Had multiple tangs including hippo and blond Naso. Had life-support system set up with large coolers complete with battery powered air pump and air stones as well as a DC inverter hooked up to power heads. All of the fish made it but it was a nightmare. The hippo tang actually lived for 17 years in my tank . I don’t recommend moving a large tank unless you absolutely have to . I have scaled (pun intended) down and only keep small tanks now but really appreciate the beauty of the larger tanks !!

Wow, that sounds exhausting! Hopefully I won’t have to move it once it’s set up... yikes. Curious, do moving companies do that service?

 

[Trevor Johnson]

On top of doing lots of research for 6 months you could also start to buy equipment that can just stay in boxes. Like a good skimmer, powerheads, lights, kessil h380 for sump. Sump if you're buying one or even buy a used tank and build a sump

Oh! That sounds like a great idea. Do I have anything to worry about when it comes to warranties? Or are there some pieces of equipment that should be bought before others? I think I’d like to try the Triton Method after reading about it, so a sump and a fuge are definitely on my radar...

 

[ScottsTot]

I am also trying to get into the hobby but don’t know what state I’ll be in next year so I’m waiting. I just don’t think it’s worth buying a tank if I will need to move it or even move and have to sell it. But I am wanting to do a small 10 gallon trial and need to hold myself back often lol.

As Brett Newell suggested, start gathering equipment. I found that calling local stores and asking people on local forums can get you some deals. There seem to be hobbyists who can get stuff from brands and cut you a deal and you can end up saving some money sometimes. For example, I found a person who can save me 10-15% on some of the brands that usually don’t go on sale. Might not be a significant amount but every bit seems to count.

 

[curiouser]

With full respect for everybody's opinion I would not buy equipment now, assuming you are going to wait until after your move to set up. As you continue your research as 6 mos go by you may find your taste changes re what you want your tank to be. Also your new house or apartment may present opportunities or restrictions re tank size, plumbing options, etc.
Good luck!

 

[Camaro Show Corals]

Get a biocube

 

[Jesterrace]

With full respect for everybody's opinion I would not buy equipment now, assuming you are going to wait until after your move to set up. As you continue your research as 6 mos go by you may find your taste changes re what you want your tank to be. Also your new house or apartment may present opportunities or restrictions re tank size, plumbing options, etc.
Good luck!

Agreed. The "if I knew then what I know now" factor has been huge for me. I could've cut my $1100 plus expenditure on upgrading everything on my 36 gallon bowfront tank kit (which is what I started with) down to about $400 on a 20 Long FOWLR setup as my first tank and then used the money saved towards my current 90 gallon as an upgrade.