How did YOU get started?

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dandynifer

AC Members
Sep 3, 2007
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Having already had my 55 gallon freshwater for some time and now looking into setting up a saltwater tank I am dumbfounded at all that is involved!? My question is: how did YOU get started? Did you walk into a supply store and say, "What do I need?" or did someone you know help you?
Those of you who have figured this thing out and are enjoying your reef or fish only tanks....let me in on how you got from the "Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies Guide" to actually keeping it alive and thriving! Thanks!
 
Start out with a fish only saltwater tank and go from there. The only thing you need in addition to what you already have for freshwater would be:

marine salt of choice (I recommend Instant Ocean for fish only tanks)
hydrometer (the aquarium systems square one is cool and what I use)
marine substrate (coral sand of your choice)

Everything else is the same.

After you're successful with fish only, upgrade your lighting and move to fish only with live rock. Add a skimmer too.

When you're successful with this, add a sump and refugium and add some mushrooms, polyps, and some nicer rock for the start of your reef.

From there you can add corals.

Try to choose fish from the start that are reef friendly, so you don't have to worry about what to do with them later.

That's pretty much what I've done.
 
Just read as much as you can.

Join a local club.

Ask questions on the forum.

Don't be afraid to try something.

That's how I got to where I am...and although there isn't space enough in the library for what i don't know, I'm pretty comfortable with where I currently reside. ;)
 
I have learned almost everything I know from right here at AC. There are a few starters guides written on the site. Other than that I just asked a lot of questions. I had been keeping fw for several years prior to trying a sw, so I had a lot of the basic concepts already.
 
I did stupid crap i should have asked questions about and cost myself an *** load of money. I dont recommend that method. my one good piece of advice would be this: get the biggest and best u can possibly afford as far as equipment, especially the protein skimmer. If u ever intend on doing corals of any type, go ahead and get MH lighting, if u dont, u will wish u had later. And the only stupid question is the one u dont ask.
 
I got started on my reef tank by researching on the internet, pre-selecting supplies on drsfosterandsmith.com (always splurge on quality brands, or go DIY)

I also asked a few questions around on reefcentral, but those were not much help.......
 
Never ever ever ever walk into a store and ask, "what do I need". I have only found 2 LFS's out of about 20 that I have been to that give quality information. Like most here, I have learned most of what I know from tons of reading on this site and RC.

I started out with my current system and slowly pieced it together after reading the pros and cons of every piece and idea. Going with a sump and drilling my 75 was the first thing I researched and then there was the size of the sump and the placement of the dividers and bubble wall. Basically, I built my stand around the largest sump I could build a stand around and keep it looking like a conventional stand. I used a standard AGA 55 tank for the sump and copied the design from Melev's site.

Basically, don't do anything that one person or LFS says without checking multiple sources to confirm.
 
My nano started as an experiment. I had to choose between leaving it as an experiment or switching over to a maintained tank when I got an aiptasia infection. I chose to maintain the tank. :) Then I started adding stuff, and now I have a nearly stocked tank.
 
My dad had a huge sw reef/fish tank most of my life. Probably 7 feet long or more but I don't know for sure...I was a kid and disinterested in specs. I spent hours and hours peering in and enjoying all the creatures. Fish were always just bonus. I could spend equal time staring at the brittle stars! Since I moved out of my family home, I have been able to put off getting my own tank because it didn't make sense with all of the my moves (I was in school forever). This year I finally settled into a permanent job. This year my father also bought a new nano tank which he showed me over the holidays. Now I'm obsessed. All those years of tank-repression have led to a volcano sized eruption of reef-need. I'll purchase my 10 g this week and start the process of creating my own little mini-reef tank. I'm super excited. All that I know I've learned in here, on the net, and a ridiculous amount of emails to my father. I have a ton left to learn.
 
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