Tuffyyyyy
2500 Club Member
Oh man, if WAMAS is anything like Inappropriate Reefer makes it seem on YouTube then you're in a great place for used stuff. Just google the WAMAS reef site and be on the lookout.
What should I do before getting my first tank?
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skim
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Find a good Psychiatrist, read and read tell you can't read no more and then research everything, simply do not take what you read on all the forums 100%, research all info gathered because what works for one does not mean it will work for you. Ask questions, call suppliers and ask questions ( why should I buy yours over theirs ) saying a few prayers can't hurt.
So welcome to the Reef Hobby ( Reef Land ) where Time and Money will bring a whole new meaning to you. Where 1 hour somehow becomes 2 and $100.00 becomes $500.00. Where positive things go slow and bad things happen at lighting speeds, where finding a good Forum like this, will pat you on your back when things go well and help you wipe those tears and say " next time will be better ". One last thing never and I mean never leave receipts ling around from your purchases, as this will lead to Couples Counselling or worse your exit from Reef Land.
Just remember once you chose to enter into Reef Land it is for life as you may be able leave it but it will never leave you!
Good luck my friend and may the Reefing Gods shine upon your journey!
So welcome to the Reef Hobby ( Reef Land ) where Time and Money will bring a whole new meaning to you. Where 1 hour somehow becomes 2 and $100.00 becomes $500.00. Where positive things go slow and bad things happen at lighting speeds, where finding a good Forum like this, will pat you on your back when things go well and help you wipe those tears and say " next time will be better ". One last thing never and I mean never leave receipts ling around from your purchases, as this will lead to Couples Counselling or worse your exit from Reef Land.
Just remember once you chose to enter into Reef Land it is for life as you may be able leave it but it will never leave you!
Good luck my friend and may the Reefing Gods shine upon your journey!
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OP
Benogan
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I'm leaning towards going with either this: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/20-nuvo-fusion-aquarium-innovative-marine.html
or the 30 gallon option of the same.
Is it worth it to buy the starter pack and if I did does it actually have everything I need or should I just get everything else seperately? I know I'll need heaters, lights, rock, sand, powerheads, but what else is essential for starting out?
or the 30 gallon option of the same.
Is it worth it to buy the starter pack and if I did does it actually have everything I need or should I just get everything else seperately? I know I'll need heaters, lights, rock, sand, powerheads, but what else is essential for starting out?
reefertank
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Something I haven't seen mentioned if you are building on a budget, look on craigslist. You can find people getting out of the hobby selling systems that would cost thousands of dollars to build for very little. I got my 90 gallon with sump lights skimmer and ato for 500 bucks. Doing the math if I was to buy new would have been over 2k. Just do the research and IMO start fresh with water and livestock.
mta_morrow
Of course I have room for 1 more fish!
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Firstly, welcome to R2R and thanks for joining!
FWIW, I read on here for about 6 months to learn as much as I could before I bought my first tank.
There are also great videos from BRS, marine depot, and so many others.
The hardest and most confusing part for me when I was starting out was finally figuring out that there are many ways to do / accomplish things.
FWIW, I read on here for about 6 months to learn as much as I could before I bought my first tank.
There are also great videos from BRS, marine depot, and so many others.
The hardest and most confusing part for me when I was starting out was finally figuring out that there are many ways to do / accomplish things.
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First thing I did before I made the jump into reefs was find my local reef club and attend a meeting. Nothing is better than having a few friends and being able to see their setups in-depth.
mta_morrow
Of course I have room for 1 more fish!
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Agreed! Making and having local reefer friends was HUGE for me. Very good advice!
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Benogan
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Yeah I joined the reef club for my area a couple of days ago. I know I can get something off of craiglist's or via the club's forums, but I'm a bit concerned that some of the setups and plumbing and buying something used will be a bit difficult. The prospect of an easy to setup all in one is more appealing, but as I continue to watch videos and read perhaps that will change.
scott11106
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Welcome aboard..
As stated I just got into the hobby and took months before i bought the tank, having said that go with the largest you can fit in the area that you are placing, there are multiple reasons for this but the main ones are that a larger tank is more stable or should i say easier to keep stable. the second and most important is that if you do not get the largest that your space allows you will kick yourself as soon as you get your first fish going. I love a good Nano system but i really like my bigger system. It really is not like other hobbies that you should start small and grow into it, this one is more like "go big or go home" ...lol
all kidding aside, go bigger if possible and you dont have to fill it with livestock ((yet)) and get good gear, can be used but research and get good gear.
Last thing is think about a controller, some have them and some dont but trust me when i say it helps tremendously with knowing what is going on with your tank. This can be added later if you want but i added one from the start and would not do it any other way (personal opinion)
good luck, it is awesome and everyone here is reasdy to help day or nite...
As stated I just got into the hobby and took months before i bought the tank, having said that go with the largest you can fit in the area that you are placing, there are multiple reasons for this but the main ones are that a larger tank is more stable or should i say easier to keep stable. the second and most important is that if you do not get the largest that your space allows you will kick yourself as soon as you get your first fish going. I love a good Nano system but i really like my bigger system. It really is not like other hobbies that you should start small and grow into it, this one is more like "go big or go home" ...lol
all kidding aside, go bigger if possible and you dont have to fill it with livestock ((yet)) and get good gear, can be used but research and get good gear.
Last thing is think about a controller, some have them and some dont but trust me when i say it helps tremendously with knowing what is going on with your tank. This can be added later if you want but i added one from the start and would not do it any other way (personal opinion)
good luck, it is awesome and everyone here is reasdy to help day or nite...
Will Milberger
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Howdy! You're doing good, asking questions first. What you should do, is get some marbles and put them in your mouth. When you have a question, enter it here and spit out a marble and put $100 in a jar. When you have lost all your marbles, and you have a jar full of money, you are ready to start a reef.
I agree that this is a great place for info. You will soon discover, if you haven't already, there a MANY different opinions on reefing. And that's what they are- opinions. What works for one person, doesn't always seem to work for the next person.
I frankly, don't buy cheap equipment. (I learned the hard way) It seems you often get what you pay for.
As previously mentioned- PATIENCE. Monitor your levels.
Not all fish or inverts are reef compatible. Not all vendors icluding LFS are reputable. Check out their reviews
Perhaps check out as many systems as you can locally. When you see a system you like, see how long the setup has been going, ask if they would mentor you.
While there are so many other things to consider, this is just my OPINION!
I frankly, don't buy cheap equipment. (I learned the hard way) It seems you often get what you pay for.
As previously mentioned- PATIENCE. Monitor your levels.
Not all fish or inverts are reef compatible. Not all vendors icluding LFS are reputable. Check out their reviews
Perhaps check out as many systems as you can locally. When you see a system you like, see how long the setup has been going, ask if they would mentor you.
While there are so many other things to consider, this is just my OPINION!
Susan Edwards
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lots of good info already. Research and figure out what you want ultimately and what you can afford to start. Maybe consider an all in one (aio) tank. I went with an all in one (used Red Sea 66 gal) as researching all the equipment was overwhelming. It helped to have a plug and play system for a first reef tank. When I went bigger this year, it wasn't so overwhelming as I had the basics down.
If you are an amazon prime member, sign up for kindle unlimited. You can check out up to 10 books at a time. I did this and poured though tons of books on saltwater tanks and fish. You can always cancel later but at 9.99 a month, and all those books I didn't not have to purchase, it was well worth it.
As said, the brs videos are also great.
Work out a budget, figure out size, and go as large as you can afford--more stability and more forgiving of beginner errors. Take your time, read through the different forums here, google questions, and just absorb and ask questions.
And welcome to a forum where members are very generous with their time, and have tons of patience for us newbies.
If you are an amazon prime member, sign up for kindle unlimited. You can check out up to 10 books at a time. I did this and poured though tons of books on saltwater tanks and fish. You can always cancel later but at 9.99 a month, and all those books I didn't not have to purchase, it was well worth it.
As said, the brs videos are also great.
Work out a budget, figure out size, and go as large as you can afford--more stability and more forgiving of beginner errors. Take your time, read through the different forums here, google questions, and just absorb and ask questions.
And welcome to a forum where members are very generous with their time, and have tons of patience for us newbies.
Susan Edwards
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Oh, check out the signature lines of the people in this thread and go check out their build threads. You can see what different folk come up with, read their journeys and you'll learn tons just from that.
