I'M Soooo excited!

[Lil_Mushroom]

Hello everyone... My name is Joann, and i am new to the whole concept of having my own lil ocean that i can take care of and call my own..I'M SOOOO EXCITED... But i know that if i want it done right the first time, i have to study and collect information, so here i am... A newbee....

I have a pond out in my garden that i take pride in... Love my fish and have even named my frogs... I am very creative and enjoy having something that everyone can OOOh and AAAHHH over.

Please feel free to send me any tips, or links that would be helpful in my journey to discovery the world of reefs.

I look forward to becoming a regular here at the Reef Santuary.

Sincerely..

Joann

[Warnberg]

Welcome.... some very good info can be found here
http://www.reefsanctuary.com/knowled...links.php?c=46 Reefkeeping101

You will also find a wealth of info locked away in the folks right here at Reef Sanctuary, so feel free to ask all the questions you have

Reefkeeping101

[blue_eyes53813]

Hello Joan, welcome to RS.. What size tank are ya thinkin about?

[Woodstock]

Welcome to Reef Sanctuary Joann! Your enthusiasm is very refreshing!! A few pointers that I can think of for beginners are:

• Get the largest tank you can afford
• Include a sump if possible
• Get the strongest lighting you can afford
• Use ro/di filtered water
• Do not overstock!
• Research/ask about an addition before adding it
• Use a quarantine tank!

[Dragon Wrasse]

Welcome, I have a pond with some large Koi but by far my reef tanks get the most OOOOh's and AAAAh's....welcome aboard.

[lcstorc]

Welcome to RS and good luck on your new journey.
Most important thing is don't be afraid to ask questions. People here are really friendly and will answer as best they can.
Peace
Lynn

[Gina]

Welcome to RS Joann!
Research what type of tank you want to have and we'll help you with everything you need to know.

[Rougiem]

to the Sanctuary! Keep the enthusiastic vibes coming!

Cheers!

[Lil_Mushroom]

Thanks everyone for such a WARM WELCOMING!!!!! So far, i have purchased a few books.... been re- searching on the net. I think my best bet is to start with a 50-75 gal tank. OHhh believe me, i want to go big, but i can always, after successfully keeping my tank friends alive, may want to upgrade to the almighty larger tank....

I am learning each part of the set-up of the tank, (biofilter,pumps,protien skimmer, etc.)
Where can i see a drawing or a picture of what the set-up look like??? where does the protien skimmer go, before or after the biofilter???

Is there such a drawing, or doesn't it matter where you place your equipment????
Thanks everyone

[billyr98]

Welcome to RS!! Ask and ask and ask questions... Books are good, but make sure they are not an old style of marine aquariums.. Things keep changing!!

[boozeman]

Welcome to RS !!
you will find it a great place for up to date information from genuinely nice people
My advice is learn all you can before you start... (I've been comming here for a couple of months now.. and just when I think I've learned enough to begin my own project, I discover something new!!)

[Dragon Wrasse]

I recommend having the largest water column that you have room for, this will give you slower temp. changes and slower perameter changes which will make it easier to handle, especially while you are learning. my two cents......

[Woodstock]

The skimmer can go anywhere. A sump is nice to have to hide such equipment as well as heaters, chemical media, etc. The BIO FILTER will be the rocks (1 - 1.5 lbs per gal water) and sand (if you choose to have any...some like a bare bottom ). A biological filter is simply a structure that has a large surface area for the 'good' bacteria to colonize which will reduce ammonia to nitrites, then to nitrAtes.... The great thing about using rocks/sand for a biofilter is that its deep pores/depth can allow the anaerobic (oxygen free) bacteria to multiply which will then take the cycle a step further and reduce the nitrAtes to harmless gas!

Using bioballs, biowheels, or any other media for biological aid will successfully colonize bacteria for the first steps (ammon -> nitrItes-->nitrAtes) BUT will produce large amounts of nitrAtes (bad thing).

[jumpincactus]

first off Welcome.

It is refreshing to see a newbie actually ask questions before starting/ You are in the right place for help. Here are a couple of links that you can access online. http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...totm/index.php

And http://www.advancedaquarist.com/ Both sites are excellent sources for reef keeping from filtration to water parameters and so on. Books that are good reading are Reef Aquariums By Charles Delbeek & Julian Sprung Vol 1 - 3. Eric Boreman is also a good read . All these authors have been in the hobby for years. Any reading you can find from Ronald Shimek is really good too.

Not to take away from the valuable and helpful assistance you will find here there are two more sites in forum style that have many seasoned reef keepers they are www.reefcentral.com and www.reefs.org

I think the best advice any veteran can give a noobie is this. " Nothing good absolutely nothing happens in a reef tank quickly. Only bad things happen quickly".
Take your time and practice patience and you will be rewarded with a beautiful tank. So many noobies I have seen rush into it and then when it all goes south they get discouraged and leave the hobby with a bad taste in thier mouths.

The last peice of advice I would give is this...... Many things can be DIYed in this hobby do what you are comfortable with as it will help you to ease the financial pain. But never skimp on your equipment the reason I say this is plan ahead of time what size system you will be happy with for the first few years. Buy equipment that is usually rated for a more gallons than you actually have. Why skimp when you will have literally hundreds maybe thousands invested in your tank. And know this......... Once you are reef bitten there will be nooooooo turning back. You have been forewarned this is a very addictive hobby enter at your own risk. Fight the urge to go really big until you get a year or two under your belt and then when you are comfortable and able to keep good water quality consistantly you can then upgrade if you have the resources to do so.

Research all your little friends. Do your homework. Part of the reason the reefs of the world are in danger is from pollution and other human factors but a lot we need to take credit for is due to many of us and I used to be one of them we dont do the footwork and attempt to keep species that are very difficult for our experience levels cause they look pretty. So many rush out and buy corals and inverts and do not have a clue that the critters they are adding arent compatible with the critters already in their tank. Then they die from lack of proper care.

Fight the urge to always buy wild caught species from your local fish place. Get into a few of the frag clubs available and trade and sell captive grown corals, this helps with the wild harvesting that is part and parsel to the decline in the worlds reef systems. Yea I guess you figured by now I am an enviromentalist type and believe we are all responsible for doing our part. Well I am off the soap box. I really do hope that you enjoy the ride, I know that I have