newbie seeks refs and links

Hello all!

I've been keeping freshwater tanks (fish only and combo fish/planted)
for several years with good success. Lately I've specialized in
reproducing malawi bioscaped tanks. I'm currently running two 55g tanks
and two 75g.

Frankly, I'm feeling the pull of "the dark side" (as the owner of my LFS
puts it) and would like to step into marine reef tanks. I've started by
buying several books (both hobbiest/amateur and text) from Amazon and am
going through those and taking notes.

I'd like to start by asking for help with two things...

1. Can anyone suggest books, magazines, forums, and/or websites
that will help in the education process?

2. Next, I'd like help picking out my equipment. Due to space
considerations I'd prefer to stay with a rectangular tank. While
a 125g is certainly do-able, for some reason I'm being drawn to
a 220g - which *might* be too deep at 30"??? So, if I go with the
125g what equipment would you suggest as a starting setup for
cycling the LR/LS over the first several weeks?

Thanks,

mark h

Mark Henry wrote:

I'd like to start by asking for help with two things...

1. Can anyone suggest books, magazines, forums, and/or websites
that will help in the education process?

2. Next, I'd like help picking out my equipment. Due to space
considerations I'd prefer to stay with a rectangular tank. While
a 125g is certainly do-able, for some reason I'm being drawn to
a 220g - which *might* be too deep at 30"???

Hi Mark,

Here are a couple of E-zines that are very much worth your while. Both
seem to be up-to-date and quite impartial (IOW: neither seems to be a
shill for its advertisers!). Both of them also make it pretty easy to
either search or browse their back issues.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/

http://www.reefkeeping.com/index.htm

As far as books go, I highly recommend "Dynamic Aquaria" by Walter
Adey. Even if, like most reefers, you aren't interested in Adey's Algal
Turf Scrubber concept for filtration the book still contains tons of
info about water chemistry, food webs, the nitrogen cycle, energy
utilization, primary production, etc.

What is your concern about depth? If it's light penetration then the
extra depth can be used to your advantage by arranging your stock
according to how much light is needed - Light lovers near the surface
and low light species near the bottom. If your concern has to do with
maintenance, I'd suggest that you go with a deep sand substrate and
LOTS of scavengers/detrivores. You clean the viewing panes and let
nature take care of the rest.

BTW: These are not the recommendations of a veteran reefkeeper! I just
noticed that there hadn't been any responses to your post so I thought
this might get the ball rolling.


Inexpertly yours,

Alex

Having a tank that you can't reach the bottom has it's
down-sides. For smaller tanks, it's best not to get a tall
tank that you can't reach the bottom. As you go to larger
tanks, eventualy you get to the size where it's
impractical to have the tank so shallow. 220 is getting at
that point.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Mark Henry wrote on 12/6/2005 6:19 PM:
Hello all!

I've been keeping freshwater tanks (fish only and combo fish/planted)
for several years with good success. Lately I've specialized in
reproducing malawi bioscaped tanks. I'm currently running two 55g tanks
and two 75g.

Frankly, I'm feeling the pull of "the dark side" (as the owner of my LFS
puts it) and would like to step into marine reef tanks. I've started by
buying several books (both hobbiest/amateur and text) from Amazon and am
going through those and taking notes.

I'd like to start by asking for help with two things...

1. Can anyone suggest books, magazines, forums, and/or websites
that will help in the education process?

2. Next, I'd like help picking out my equipment. Due to space
considerations I'd prefer to stay with a rectangular tank. While
a 125g is certainly do-able, for some reason I'm being drawn to
a 220g - which *might* be too deep at 30"??? So, if I go with the
125g what equipment would you suggest as a starting setup for
cycling the LR/LS over the first several weeks?

Thanks,

mark h

I agree with Wayne. Make sure the tank isn't to deep or it will be quite a
pain to maintain trying to get to the bottom of it. I have a 80 gallon
freshwater that is difficult for me to maintence the gravel and lower glass
area.

Good-Luck,
Susan
"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
...
Having a tank that you can't reach the bottom has it's down-sides. For
smaller tanks, it's best not to get a tall tank that you can't reach the
bottom. As you go to larger tanks, eventualy you get to the size where
it's impractical to have the tank so shallow. 220 is getting at that
point.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Mark Henry wrote on 12/6/2005 6:19 PM:
Hello all!

I've been keeping freshwater tanks (fish only and combo fish/planted) for
several years with good success. Lately I've specialized in reproducing
malawi bioscaped tanks. I'm currently running two 55g tanks and two 75g.

Frankly, I'm feeling the pull of "the dark side" (as the owner of my LFS
puts it) and would like to step into marine reef tanks. I've started by
buying several books (both hobbiest/amateur and text) from Amazon and am
going through those and taking notes.

I'd like to start by asking for help with two things...

1. Can anyone suggest books, magazines, forums, and/or websites
that will help in the education process?

2. Next, I'd like help picking out my equipment. Due to space
considerations I'd prefer to stay with a rectangular tank. While
a 125g is certainly do-able, for some reason I'm being drawn to
a 220g - which *might* be too deep at 30"??? So, if I go with the
125g what equipment would you suggest as a starting setup for
cycling the LR/LS over the first several weeks?

Thanks,

mark h

Susan wrote:
I agree with Wayne. Make sure the tank isn't to deep or it will be
quite a pain to maintain trying to get to the bottom of it. I have a
80 gallon freshwater that is difficult for me to maintence the gravel
and lower glass area.

Good-Luck,
Susan
"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
...
Having a tank that you can't reach the bottom has it's down-sides.
For smaller tanks, it's best not to get a tall tank that you can't
reach the bottom. As you go to larger tanks, eventualy you get to
the size where it's impractical to have the tank so shallow. 220 is
getting at that point.

I had a 5x2x2' 150 gal. (?) set up as marine with an UG filter years ago.
I'm 5' tall and the 2' reach to the bottom was very difficult, and I
couldn't get to the back without a stepladder and leaning down into the
tank. I was always dipping my boobs and my hair.
Once it was set up, it wasn't much of a problem, just used a gravel vacuum
to clean the substrate occasionally. I would assume it would be much the
same with a reef. Once you get your rocks set up, you don't really want to
move them much. And I got some of those long-reach plastic tongs.

Cindy

Yea it's just not as practical to have a extra tall tank,
but as you go up in tank size, it gets to the point where
it's not practical to make it overly shallow for it's size.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Susan wrote on 12/8/2005 12:17 PM:
I agree with Wayne. Make sure the tank isn't to deep or it will be quite a
pain to maintain trying to get to the bottom of it. I have a 80 gallon
freshwater that is difficult for me to maintence the gravel and lower glass
area.

Good-Luck,
Susan
"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
...

Having a tank that you can't reach the bottom has it's down-sides. For
smaller tanks, it's best not to get a tall tank that you can't reach the
bottom. As you go to larger tanks, eventualy you get to the size where
it's impractical to have the tank so shallow. 220 is getting at that
point.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Mark Henry wrote on 12/6/2005 6:19 PM:

Hello all!

I've been keeping freshwater tanks (fish only and combo fish/planted) for
several years with good success. Lately I've specialized in reproducing
malawi bioscaped tanks. I'm currently running two 55g tanks and two 75g.

Frankly, I'm feeling the pull of "the dark side" (as the owner of my LFS
puts it) and would like to step into marine reef tanks. I've started by
buying several books (both hobbiest/amateur and text) from Amazon and am
going through those and taking notes.

I'd like to start by asking for help with two things...

1. Can anyone suggest books, magazines, forums, and/or websites
that will help in the education process?

2. Next, I'd like help picking out my equipment. Due to space
considerations I'd prefer to stay with a rectangular tank. While
a 125g is certainly do-able, for some reason I'm being drawn to
a 220g - which *might* be too deep at 30"??? So, if I go with the
125g what equipment would you suggest as a starting setup for
cycling the LR/LS over the first several weeks?

Thanks,

mark h

Another problem is if you plan on keeping corals the taller the tank the
less light that will hit the corals on the bottom.

Susan
"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
...
Yea it's just not as practical to have a extra tall tank, but as you go up
in tank size, it gets to the point where it's not practical to make it
overly shallow for it's size.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Susan wrote on 12/8/2005 12:17 PM:
I agree with Wayne. Make sure the tank isn't to deep or it will be quite
a pain to maintain trying to get to the bottom of it. I have a 80 gallon
freshwater that is difficult for me to maintence the gravel and lower
glass area.

Good-Luck,
Susan
"Wayne Sallee" wrote in message
...

Having a tank that you can't reach the bottom has it's down-sides. For
smaller tanks, it's best not to get a tall tank that you can't reach the
bottom. As you go to larger tanks, eventualy you get to the size where
it's impractical to have the tank so shallow. 220 is getting at that
point.

Wayne Sallee
Wayne's Pets



Mark Henry wrote on 12/6/2005 6:19 PM:

Hello all!

I've been keeping freshwater tanks (fish only and combo fish/planted)
for several years with good success. Lately I've specialized in
reproducing malawi bioscaped tanks. I'm currently running two 55g tanks
and two 75g.

Frankly, I'm feeling the pull of "the dark side" (as the owner of my LFS
puts it) and would like to step into marine reef tanks. I've started by
buying several books (both hobbiest/amateur and text) from Amazon and am
going through those and taking notes.

I'd like to start by asking for help with two things...

1. Can anyone suggest books, magazines, forums, and/or websites
that will help in the education process?

2. Next, I'd like help picking out my equipment. Due to space
considerations I'd prefer to stay with a rectangular tank. While
a 125g is certainly do-able, for some reason I'm being drawn to
a 220g - which *might* be too deep at 30"??? So, if I go with the
125g what equipment would you suggest as a starting setup for
cycling the LR/LS over the first several weeks?

Thanks,

mark h