I'm freakin'! My wife just told me she wants a reef tank!

[gpaaib]

:eek: HELP!

I have been spending time working out the details on putting together a fresh water cichlid tank, but now all of a sudden my wife says, "Why don't we put together a reef tank?"

Needless to say I AM FREAKING OUT!

Where would I even start? Is it going to be a hard job compared to a cichlid tank? How does a salt talk even go together compared to a fresh?

HELP ME PEOPLE!

Gary :)

[Reefscape]

No need to freak out. We have plenty of experienced reef aquarists here.

First thing is first, you need to sit down with the good lady and discuss what you would like to have in the reef tank as the inhabitants do kind of dictate what equiptment could be required..Read the stickies and threads in the marine newbie section and reefkeepers as there is a wealth of information available to you.

DONT BE SCARED...Its fun, enjoy it.

Ask many many questions, because, well, we just love questions here on AC..

Niko

[Squawkbert]

When you have this discussion, know how much $ some of this will cost... you don't want her to freak half way through...


Common line from another forum that seems appropriate here, somehow (it's a joke...)
"She'll dump you once she gets you to convert."

[vorlx]

Saltwater is a very fun adventure. However the start up cost is heftier than Fresh/Cichlid. If you have the budget for it then you are in for a fun time.

[Sploke]

Agreed with all of the above. Just do lots of research. I spent 3-4 months reading about setting up my tank before I made any purchases, and I've still made mistakes along the way. Just be very willing to ask questions and take advice. There are some good articles on the site as well regarding setting up your first reef tank.

[trippkid]

Agree with all here. Do you have any idea on what you want(tank size, fish, corals, etc.)? Sitting down and discussing would be a good place to start. I will say a good SW book also will go along way in your new adventure. One last thing for now, cutting corners is usually a recipe for disaster lurking in the shadows, get the best equipment you can afford, and for things like lighting and skimmers, don't skimp on these(you may have to save a little, these can be huge expenses), IMO.
Good luck, we are all here to help if we can.
Matt

p.s. READ,READ, AND READ SOME MORE, KNOWLEDGE IS A GOOD THING IN THIS HOBBY. Usually more than one way to accomplish what you want.

[Grins]

Agreee with all the above. First thing to do is get an idea of what your vision is for the tank, what you want to keep in it, etc. Then we'll be able to help with whether you have compatibility issues, what size tank is needed, etc. Expect for system to cost more than you expect and expect to become addicted to the hobby. Oh...and please keep asking questions and be wary of getting advice from a local store until you have some knowledge under your belt to judge if they are giving you good advice.