Hey not a problem at all mate!! I know how confusing it can get with so much information out there. But you're doing the right thing by asking questions first and not going out and buying all the stuff, only to realize that half of it is either not fit for your tank, or that your livestock won't get along with each other. I'd do all your research and ground work first and then start slowly ... not only will that save you lots of money (since all the stuff for SW is WAY more expensive than FW stuff).
Regarding your questions:
As far as buying livestock goes, personally, I much rather get them at the LFS as opposed to buying online. It eliminates the stress from shipping, and you can actually observe the critters before buying them, to make sure they look healthy, eat well etc etc. You mentioned that you have a newly opened LFS in your area. What kind of livestock do they have? As far as costs go, usually, the online places are a little cheaper on prices, BUT, you also have to factor in the shipping charges, which can be really high, since your package obviously needs to be shipped overnight. So, when you add the price of the livestock and shipping charges, you're going to be pretty close to the higher livestock prices at your LFS, if that makes sense
The site I gave you was more for information purposes. I'll list some more below that you can look at. The "package deals" that most sites offer for cleanup crews mostly start with 30 gal tanks. So, I'm afraid that going with one of those will leave you with one too many of each critter. Also, the packages might contain certain critters that you want to stay away from given your tank plans (for example a package might contain turbo snails or margarita snails). It really might be more economical to simply pick each individual critter and make your own crew from your LFS. If the LFS is not an option, here are a couple more sites you can take a look at:
Petsolutions
Saltwaterfish
Compare the livestock they have in their packaged deals, and also factor in the shipping costs to see what works better for you. If online works for you, as you said, you can simply pick and choose each individual spiecies and make your own "pack"
Regarding your corals question, I wouldn't think about that right now. Give your tank to get established a little bit as far as water quailty etc. A lot of the corals might be a little sensitive to sudden water quality changes (which can be expected in a new tank). Also, since you're new to the SW world, it might take you some time to get used to the care and maintenance required to keep the tank stable before you want to dive into corals. The LR (with all the critters that might come with it) and fish will keep you fairly occupied and entertained for a while.
Let me know if you have any more questions ... I'm more than happy to give you all the help you need!
Cheers!
Yash
EDIT: yes - it is the serpent star ... that was a typo on my part
Regarding your questions:
As far as buying livestock goes, personally, I much rather get them at the LFS as opposed to buying online. It eliminates the stress from shipping, and you can actually observe the critters before buying them, to make sure they look healthy, eat well etc etc. You mentioned that you have a newly opened LFS in your area. What kind of livestock do they have? As far as costs go, usually, the online places are a little cheaper on prices, BUT, you also have to factor in the shipping charges, which can be really high, since your package obviously needs to be shipped overnight. So, when you add the price of the livestock and shipping charges, you're going to be pretty close to the higher livestock prices at your LFS, if that makes sense
The site I gave you was more for information purposes. I'll list some more below that you can look at. The "package deals" that most sites offer for cleanup crews mostly start with 30 gal tanks. So, I'm afraid that going with one of those will leave you with one too many of each critter. Also, the packages might contain certain critters that you want to stay away from given your tank plans (for example a package might contain turbo snails or margarita snails). It really might be more economical to simply pick each individual critter and make your own crew from your LFS. If the LFS is not an option, here are a couple more sites you can take a look at:
Petsolutions
Saltwaterfish
Compare the livestock they have in their packaged deals, and also factor in the shipping costs to see what works better for you. If online works for you, as you said, you can simply pick and choose each individual spiecies and make your own "pack"
Regarding your corals question, I wouldn't think about that right now. Give your tank to get established a little bit as far as water quailty etc. A lot of the corals might be a little sensitive to sudden water quality changes (which can be expected in a new tank). Also, since you're new to the SW world, it might take you some time to get used to the care and maintenance required to keep the tank stable before you want to dive into corals. The LR (with all the critters that might come with it) and fish will keep you fairly occupied and entertained for a while.
Let me know if you have any more questions ... I'm more than happy to give you all the help you need!
Cheers!
Yash
EDIT: yes - it is the serpent star ... that was a typo on my part
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