New Reefer, Looking for local support and knowledge

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tshives26

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Hi all! Super excited to get my reef tank running :)

I have had multiple fresh water tanks before, but this will be my first saltwater. I'm trying to purchase a 55 gallon on craigslist currently. It comes with all the necessary equipment for a reasonable price. I really love the look of Tangs but from everything I have read, 55g is a little to small to comfortably fit a Tang or two. What are your thoughts on this subject?

If you know of anyone selling a reef setup with tank/stand/equiptment and its 55+ gallons, please pass the word to me! I would really enjoy something around a 90ish gallon.

Next matter, once my tank gets cycled for a month or two and all of the levels balance out, does the club have any form of sharing corals? Maybe offer frags of different corals? I would be really interested in joining the club once I get everything started up. I just feel like with my small amount of knowledge at the current moment, it would be extremely helpful if some local veteran reefers were able to donate some good coral snippets to help a new member get started.

Just a couple thoughts, looking forward to hearing back from you all and posting progress pics as my tank gets up and running! Take care :)
 
1st off welcome to ARC I am really new aswell and people that post after me will have very detailed information I am going to sub so I can read anything I haven't found out yet and best of luck! And I know your looking for a setup but petco has dollar a gallon sale. 55 gallong.

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Hey! Thanks for reaching back out :) By the quick replies already, this seems like a very active community! I'm very excited to get to know some of you, learn/setup my reef, and eventually start joining meetings! Let me know if you have any info about used tanks/setups for sale or if there are coral sharing communities around Atlanta.
 
Welcome! I work in Marietta, so if you ever need any help, let me know. Check out the trading/selling section. there's always some good finds on there.
 
Your very first purchase should be..... $30 to become a paid member. It is worth every penny trust me. The club is extremely active and full of great people who will go out of there way to help a fellow club member in need. If that isn't enough, you get a 10% discount at sponsor stores if you are a paid member. With all that you will be purchasing the membership will pay for itself in no time at all. Good luck and welcome. :-)


I know you all think I have no heart but now I have an ultrasound to prove it. :-)
 
+1 I agree... I wasted alot of money by not being a member. You will save the 30.00 on your 1st few trips
 
rdnelson99;947851 wrote: Your very first purchase should be..... $30 to become a paid member. It is worth every penny trust me. The club is extremely active and full of great people who will go out of there way to help a fellow club member in need. If that isn't enough, you get a 10% discount at sponsor stores if you are a paid member. With all that you will be purchasing the membership will pay for itself in no time at all. Good luck and welcome. :-)


I know you all think I have no heart but now I have an ultrasound to prove it. :-)
Click to expand...


Thanks for the info :) Is that a one time $30 or reoccurring? Also is there a list of fish stores that honor the discount?
 
Haha I was gonna say!! $30 bucks a year isn't bad at all! I will definitely be joining here within the next week. I think I am going to stick with the 55g. I know I will want to upgrade eventually, but it will be a good start on learning how to maintain this finicky ecosystem. So JDW, let's get it done! (I'm buying his tank) :)

I know it's going to take a while before I get a full tank and cycle setup, but I will be sure to post pictures along the way. I have asked multiple people, and everyone has different responses on this topic. Which is first, the fish or the coral? From what I have understood, the biggest shock to your system is adding a fish. So I feel as if it would be best to let the water cycle and maintain the right levels, then add fish and let it level out again, then work on the coral. What are your takes on the matter?
 
My advice, go slow no matter which you pick. Once cycled, start with a pair of clowns. It isn't a SW tank without a pair of clowns. They are hardy and will help you learn. They will also add some bio load causing the beneficial bacteria to thrive. You can also start with a couple easy CHEAP corals. Cheap so you don't loose an expensive one while learning. Before buying any coral, ask around to be sure it isn't a pest. Some things are pretty cool looking but will take over your tank.


I know you all think I have no heart but now I have an ultrasound to prove it. :-)
 
^

Exactly what I wanted to do! I'm glad that someone else more experienced recommended the same thing.

Would you recommend the same color clowns? Or does that not matter with this type.
 
Don't get damsel fish, those things can be aggressive and hard to catch once your rock is in place
 
Some clowns will mix well and others won't. For me, I would go with a matched pair. In time, they will breed which is cool. While the tank cycles, use that time to read all you can. It will help the time go by faster and you will learn how much you don't know. :-) don't be afraid to ask lots of questions. You will get lots of opinions. It will take a bit to weed out the good advice from the bad but as time goes by you will learn who to trust.


I know you all think I have no heart but now I have an ultrasound to prove it. :-)
 
One thing I am still uncertain about is the RO/DI. Does that have to be hooked up to some water source in the house? If so, will the tank be ok without it?
 
I learned this one first hand me personally I would advise you buy water from lfs at least if you don't use rodi water otherwise red algae will build up. Correct me if I'm wrong anyone. Thanks

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RO/DI is almost a must. You can buy it but that gets expensive. I use a garden hose Y fitting on the cold water line for the wash machine and have the waste line dumping into the washer drain. It feeds a float valve mounted in a plastic tote and has an automatic shut off. That way I always have water available. After tearing down my 125 gal all I have is a 3 gal Pico and it is still worth having my own RO/DI.


I know you all think I have no heart but now I have an ultrasound to prove it. :-)
 
You will be getting an RoDi unit, you may want to go to bulkreefsupply.com and pick
up new filters
 
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