new marine tank

[John]

Hi
I've had my freshwater tank for about a year now, and have been fairly
sucessfull with it,
and want to get a marine tank going...

1. Is it best to start small first? I wanted to do something like 110 or 150
gal? In that range.
2. Is there any differnce in starting with fish only then go to a reef style
tank or just go right into
the reef?
3. Can anyone rec. a book etc that explanes everything? I've read a lot of
the posts here and everything sound
so foreign, skimmers, live rock etc

thanks
JOhn

[J.S.]

that range is good. In fact it seems a little big. But they say the bigger
the better. My first was a 10gal :)

Anyways, I recommend surfing around this site: http://www.reefcentral.com
Check out the articles and definitely go through the forums. I bet almost
any question you have can be found there. Good luck!



"John" > wrote in message
...
> Hi
> I've had my freshwater tank for about a year now, and have been fairly
> sucessfull with it,
> and want to get a marine tank going...
>
> 1. Is it best to start small first? I wanted to do something like 110 or
> 150
> gal? In that range.
> 2. Is there any differnce in starting with fish only then go to a reef
> style
> tank or just go right into
> the reef?
> 3. Can anyone rec. a book etc that explanes everything? I've read a lot of
> the posts here and everything sound
> so foreign, skimmers, live rock etc
>
> thanks
> JOhn
>
>
>

[Chris Gentry]

Well it all depends on how much money you have available to spend. With a
tank over 100gal. you are talking some SERIOUS money for equipment, live
rock, sand, and everything else you will need. I'm in the process of
setting up my first tank now, and it is expensive. For just a 10gal nano
reef I'm figuring about $400 for initial setup. For the 29gal reef tank I
decided to go with, I can easily get $1000 dollars into it. The lights
alone are around $400. But if you want fish only it is much cheaper. Since
I've just begun my journey into this great hobby, I might not be the best
person to talk to on cost, but I'm sure most will agree that costs are very
high. So my best advice is to go with the biggest tank you can afford, just
make sure you allow for the extra cost of equipment and LR. :0) -Chris


"John" > wrote in message
...
> Hi
> I've had my freshwater tank for about a year now, and have been fairly
> sucessfull with it,
> and want to get a marine tank going...
>
> 1. Is it best to start small first? I wanted to do something like 110 or
150
> gal? In that range.
> 2. Is there any differnce in starting with fish only then go to a reef
style
> tank or just go right into
> the reef?
> 3. Can anyone rec. a book etc that explanes everything? I've read a lot of
> the posts here and everything sound
> so foreign, skimmers, live rock etc
>
> thanks
> JOhn
>
>
>

[Toni]

"John" > wrote in message
...
> Hi
> I've had my freshwater tank for about a year now, and have been fairly
> sucessfull with it,
> and want to get a marine tank going...
>
> 1. Is it best to start small first? I wanted to do something like 110 or
150
> gal? In that range.


I would hardly consider that small <g>
Just keep in mind that you will spend something on the order of $40-50 *per
gallon* to equip this baby. You might want to start a bit smaller until you
know for sure that you can deal with the daily care and expense.
Of course some costs can be trimmed some if you are a handy
do-it-yourself'er, and other costs inflated if you must have every gadget
known to man- and there are a lot of gadgets in this hobby.
Don't kid yourself- it's expensive.


> 2. Is there any differnce in starting with fish only then go to a reef
style
> tank or just go right into
> the reef?


As I mentioned above- cost is a factor, so you do not want to find yourself
having to buy something twice because you got the wrong thing the first
time. The major difference between fish only and reef is lighting- which is
also the most costly item you will be buying. It would be really, really
wise to wait until you have a firm grasp on what you intend to keep before
you buy anything. I read for 9 months before I bought anything.
Corals are fascinating creatures- and even if you decide you do want them,
there are still categories within that call for different lighting and fish
choices. I would advise browsing around Reef Centreal to get a feel for all
the creatures- at some point you will see a "must have" fish or coral that
will begin to narrow down your eventual plan.

That said- many folks who intend to stay fish only do get bitten by the
coral bug. So if you even think you might want to get into corals at some
point your lighting and previous fish choices will definitely be a factor.


> 3. Can anyone rec. a book etc that explanes everything? I've read a lot of
> the posts here and everything sound
> so foreign, skimmers, live rock etc


The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Bob Fenner is a good one. Also Your
First Marine Aquarium by John Tullock.
Browse http://www.reefcentral.com/books/ for a good selection of reading.

Browsing and searching Reef Central is the best way to get acquainted with
marine tanks- there is no question that hasn't been asked and answered
before. The more you read and understand before you spend that first dime
will be the biggest help to you.
The learning curve can feel fairly steep at first- just hang in there and
keep reading.

If it was easy everyone would have one!


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/reef.htm

[J.S.]

Yeah no kidding! After about 1 year of having my 10gal nano up and running
I would say I easily put over $1000 into it. Though I will say a lot of
that could have been avoided if I did better research.



"Chris Gentry" > wrote in message
. com...
> Well it all depends on how much money you have available to spend. With a
> tank over 100gal. you are talking some SERIOUS money for equipment, live
> rock, sand, and everything else you will need. I'm in the process of
> setting up my first tank now, and it is expensive. For just a 10gal nano
> reef I'm figuring about $400 for initial setup. For the 29gal reef tank I
> decided to go with, I can easily get $1000 dollars into it. The lights
> alone are around $400. But if you want fish only it is much cheaper.
> Since
> I've just begun my journey into this great hobby, I might not be the best
> person to talk to on cost, but I'm sure most will agree that costs are
> very
> high. So my best advice is to go with the biggest tank you can afford,
> just
> make sure you allow for the extra cost of equipment and LR. :0) -Chris
>
>
> "John" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Hi
>> I've had my freshwater tank for about a year now, and have been fairly
>> sucessfull with it,
>> and want to get a marine tank going...
>>
>> 1. Is it best to start small first? I wanted to do something like 110 or
> 150
>> gal? In that range.
>> 2. Is there any differnce in starting with fish only then go to a reef
> style
>> tank or just go right into
>> the reef?
>> 3. Can anyone rec. a book etc that explanes everything? I've read a lot
>> of
>> the posts here and everything sound
>> so foreign, skimmers, live rock etc
>>
>> thanks
>> JOhn
>>
>>
>>
>
>

[John]

"Toni" > wrote in message
.. .
>
> "John" > wrote in message
> ...
> > Hi
> > I've had my freshwater tank for about a year now, and have been fairly
> > sucessfull with it,
> > and want to get a marine tank going...
> >
> > 1. Is it best to start small first? I wanted to do something like 110 or
> 150
> > gal? In that range.
>
>
> I would hardly consider that small <g>
> Just keep in mind that you will spend something on the order of $40-50
*per
> gallon* to equip this baby. You might want to start a bit smaller until
you
> know for sure that you can deal with the daily care and expense.
> Of course some costs can be trimmed some if you are a handy
> do-it-yourself'er, and other costs inflated if you must have every gadget
> known to man- and there are a lot of gadgets in this hobby.
> Don't kid yourself- it's expensive.
>
>
> > 2. Is there any differnce in starting with fish only then go to a reef
> style
> > tank or just go right into
> > the reef?
>
>
> As I mentioned above- cost is a factor, so you do not want to find
yourself
> having to buy something twice because you got the wrong thing the first
> time. The major difference between fish only and reef is lighting- which
is
> also the most costly item you will be buying. It would be really, really
> wise to wait until you have a firm grasp on what you intend to keep before
> you buy anything. I read for 9 months before I bought anything.
> Corals are fascinating creatures- and even if you decide you do want them,
> there are still categories within that call for different lighting and
fish
> choices. I would advise browsing around Reef Centreal to get a feel for
all
> the creatures- at some point you will see a "must have" fish or coral that
> will begin to narrow down your eventual plan.
>
> That said- many folks who intend to stay fish only do get bitten by the
> coral bug. So if you even think you might want to get into corals at some
> point your lighting and previous fish choices will definitely be a factor.
>
>
> > 3. Can anyone rec. a book etc that explanes everything? I've read a lot
of
> > the posts here and everything sound
> > so foreign, skimmers, live rock etc
>
>
> The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Bob Fenner is a good one. Also Your
> First Marine Aquarium by John Tullock.
> Browse http://www.reefcentral.com/books/ for a good selection of reading.
>
> Browsing and searching Reef Central is the best way to get acquainted with
> marine tanks- there is no question that hasn't been asked and answered
> before. The more you read and understand before you spend that first dime
> will be the biggest help to you.
> The learning curve can feel fairly steep at first- just hang in there and
> keep reading.
>
> If it was easy everyone would have one!


Thats good advise, I will do my reading,
then perhaps scale down to may be around 50-70 gal
start out fish only, then I can always, as I get the hang of things, add
corals...
or perhaps I might try a big planted freshwater setup. hmmm so hard to
decide

[Toni]

"John" > wrote in message
...
> Thats good advise, I will do my reading,
> then perhaps scale down to may be around 50-70 gal
> start out fish only, then I can always, as I get the hang of things, add
> corals...
> or perhaps I might try a big planted freshwater setup. hmmm so hard to
> decide
>
>


I have a large planted freshwater w/Discus tank also. Others in *this* group
will disagree but it is easily the most beautiful tank I have, and is also
the easiest to maintain- mere minutes each week.

But my reef wins hands down for the "wonder" quotient, is consistently
challenging, and has expanded my knowledge base in ways I thought I would
never explore. Chemistry- for one. I know I could have taken several cruises
for the money I have invested in it, but it is an environment unlike any
other and I am ever so glad I embarked on the journey. I'll be learning
about it for the rest of my life.


--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/reef.htm
http://www.cearbhaill.com/discus.htm

[PaulB]

Personally, I think there is no reason to start small. A 150 will hold
anything that a 55 will hold. Just don't start out with 150 lbs of rock or
250 watt metal halides.

I think the key is to stock slowly. If you want to add more fish or move
into corals, then you can do that. If you want fish only then you can do
that. Buying a small tank and then deciding you want a big one is going to
cost you more than just buying a big one to start with. Also there are
plenty of ways to economize. Buy sand from Home Depot, use a mix of base
rock and live rock rather than all live rock, not buying every single
gadget, DIY, etc. Skip the high end lighting until or unless you decide to
go with a reef tank.

If you think you might want to go fish only, then do that, but everything
you buy should either be inexpensive or suitable for reef use. Maybe you
could buy a good skimmer, a cheap hood and lights. If you want to go reef,
then add more sand, live rock, lights and there you are. You can also add a
refugium, water top off, cooling and such to an existing tank.

If you are sure you want corals, go with a reef tank from the start. I am
not so sure of he value of a training tank, provided you do plenty of
research.. Just start off with easier to keep inverts such as
corallimorpharians and zooanthids and expand slowly.

The key to success is plenty of research. Here is a good source
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/index.html






"John" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Toni" > wrote in message
> .. .
>>
>> "John" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> > Hi
>> > I've had my freshwater tank for about a year now, and have been fairly
>> > sucessfull with it,
>> > and want to get a marine tank going...
>> >
>> > 1. Is it best to start small first? I wanted to do something like 110
>> > or
>> 150
>> > gal? In that range.
>>
>>
>> I would hardly consider that small <g>
>> Just keep in mind that you will spend something on the order of $40-50
> *per
>> gallon* to equip this baby. You might want to start a bit smaller until
> you
>> know for sure that you can deal with the daily care and expense.
>> Of course some costs can be trimmed some if you are a handy
>> do-it-yourself'er, and other costs inflated if you must have every gadget
>> known to man- and there are a lot of gadgets in this hobby.
>> Don't kid yourself- it's expensive.
>>
>>
>> > 2. Is there any differnce in starting with fish only then go to a reef
>> style
>> > tank or just go right into
>> > the reef?
>>
>>
>> As I mentioned above- cost is a factor, so you do not want to find
> yourself
>> having to buy something twice because you got the wrong thing the first
>> time. The major difference between fish only and reef is lighting- which
> is
>> also the most costly item you will be buying. It would be really, really
>> wise to wait until you have a firm grasp on what you intend to keep
>> before
>> you buy anything. I read for 9 months before I bought anything.
>> Corals are fascinating creatures- and even if you decide you do want
>> them,
>> there are still categories within that call for different lighting and
> fish
>> choices. I would advise browsing around Reef Centreal to get a feel for
> all
>> the creatures- at some point you will see a "must have" fish or coral
>> that
>> will begin to narrow down your eventual plan.
>>
>> That said- many folks who intend to stay fish only do get bitten by the
>> coral bug. So if you even think you might want to get into corals at some
>> point your lighting and previous fish choices will definitely be a
>> factor.
>>
>>
>> > 3. Can anyone rec. a book etc that explanes everything? I've read a lot
> of
>> > the posts here and everything sound
>> > so foreign, skimmers, live rock etc
>>
>>
>> The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Bob Fenner is a good one. Also Your
>> First Marine Aquarium by John Tullock.
>> Browse http://www.reefcentral.com/books/ for a good selection of reading.
>>
>> Browsing and searching Reef Central is the best way to get acquainted
>> with
>> marine tanks- there is no question that hasn't been asked and answered
>> before. The more you read and understand before you spend that first dime
>> will be the biggest help to you.
>> The learning curve can feel fairly steep at first- just hang in there and
>> keep reading.
>>
>> If it was easy everyone would have one!
>
>
> Thats good advise, I will do my reading,
> then perhaps scale down to may be around 50-70 gal
> start out fish only, then I can always, as I get the hang of things, add
> corals...
> or perhaps I might try a big planted freshwater setup. hmmm so hard to
> decide
>
>

[Toni]

"John" > wrote in message
...
> Hi
> I've had my freshwater tank for about a year now, and have been fairly
> sucessfull with it,
> and want to get a marine tank going...
>


This may be helpful for you John
http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1




--
Toni
http://www.cearbhaill.com/reef.htm