New to the Forum HELP??

T

tbaity1401

Member
Hey guys im Tyler and live in NC and im new to the forum and basically new to aquariums in general. I have wanted a salt water aquarium for years but just bought my own place so now I finally have the chance to own one. I had a couple questions before I begin to start my aquarium. I plan on doing a ton of research and taking my time as I dont want to jump into anything and cost myself money and the fish their lives.

I originally wanted a Coral aquarium but I feel like that I might be getting in over my head if i start off with corals. Should I start with a FOWLR first or if planned right, should I be able to succeed with a Corals in the beginning.

As of right now all I have is a 46 gallon Bow Front Aquarium from aqueon. Probably wouldnt have been my first choice but my girlfriend bought it for me so I feel like I have to keep it. As far as Protein Skimmers, Pumps, Filters, etc... what would be some good ones for this aquarium. Like I said im starting from scratch and am a complete novice about the subject. Links of recommended products would be awesome

Also I have been reading a lot about a sumps and refugiums. Will I be cutting myself short if I do not have one of these or is it possible to have a successful aquarium without one of these? Keep in mind I will ultimately want corals. If i need one could someone provide some very detailed links on how to make one and how they work.

I have been doing a lot of browsing and researching around the forums but just wanted specific answers to my own questions. My first choice I need to make is whether i should start with coral or not and to get all my equipment. Thanks guys for all your help and I look foward to talking to some of you guys in the future!
 
chipmunkofdoom2

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
Hello, and welcome!

You really should plan ahead. Let me tell you, you will not be happy with just fish after you start up your tank. When you think about corals, you are probably thinking about hard corals (SPS, etc) that need excellent water quality to thrive. There are many soft corals, however (mushrooms, zoas, ricordea, a few LPS) that can survive in pretty pathetic water quality. You would be able to keep these corals with very minimal light and a beginner's skill set.

Sumps/refugiums are not necessary, but they are a plus. If your tank is drilled, this would be the best scenario for a sump/fuge. If it is not drilled, then you can still have one, but it is more work.

I would advise you buy ahead and plan for a reef because you will be there eventually, but start slow. Start with just a fish or two, then when you have the basics down, add a few easy corals. As you get more experience, you can slowly piece things on and add livestock, but it will be much easier if you.
 
chipmunkofdoom2

chipmunkofdoom2

Well-Known Member
Well to have an sump without a drilled tank you need an overflow box. Then from there, you run the plumbing to the sump (which bear in mind can be any container that can hold water), then you simply use a return pump of some sort to bring the water back to the tank.

If you want more info about how overflow boxes work on aquariums, I suggest you search Youtube. There are many videos in which aquarium owners show their overflow boxes, what they do, and how they work.

If your tank is not drilled and you are a complete beginner, I would say leave a sump out of your plans for now. Since your tank is undrilled (I'm guessing) you can just set up an aquarium with more conventional filtration methods and add a sump or fuge later. Just work on the basics and you can add a sump later on :)
 
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