New to hobby. Need advise on new 30g reef setup

[findingnemo]

mnat...thank you for welcoming and your advise. It helps my research.

like you wrote, there are a lot of options and variables....And everyone has different option. You guys will help me make a decision.

 

[JRWOHLER]

Hey welcome aboard.
I am going to say some things that may be opposite of what you are suggesting.
I started with a 24G Aquapod an AIO tank.
I wish I had gone with a non all in one tank either a 45G cube(mnat suggested) or a 30G ...that was reef ready.
http://www.marineland.com/uploadedFiles/Marineland/Products/SAST Cube and Column Aquariums.pdf
I have a 120G now and having a sump is maybe the greatest feature besides size that it has.
Having a sump is sooooo much nicer IMHO then not.
Benefits: Ability to have good refugium (place for macro algae, little critters, live rock, sand, mircle mud etc. )
"Real Skimmer"
Added water volume(assume 1 inch of fish per 5G of water but on a exponential scale..consider bigger fish = oscars)
Able to hide equipment.
OK what else.
T5 is fine for all corals and anemones. I have two clams on the sand and a RBTA(rose bubble tip anemone) under T5. Clams are on the sandbed and doing well so T5s work.
That said LEDs are probably the way to go these days. I will eventually switch over.
Red Sand sells some very reasonable LEDs. That would go nicely over a cube.

In a small tank an anemone is going to be tricky, for sure you will want to wait 6 months to a year to establish your tank and schedule. You want them to be very stable. Add fish slowly and QT them unless you buy from someone who QTs in advance. Check out Frag Swap details coming at exactly the right time for you. BTW usually nice raffles with tanks at swap.

A covered all in one tank can and likely will get hot during the summer months unless LED.

PC lighting that is stock in most AIO tanks stinks.

A good skimmer in very important, key word good. Cheap skimmers are exactly that cheap and worthless. Not saying you have to spend a fortune but try to read a lot of reviews before you buy one.

All of this is my opinion only and take it for what it is worth, that plus a buck will get you a cup of coffee.

Just don't waste money on cheap solution (tried and failed solution) when looking at equipment. Ask about whatever you are going to buy, trust me you will get opinions.

Hope it helps and good luck!!!!!!!!

 

[trivan]

Just don't waste money on cheap solution (tried and failed solution) when looking at equipment. Ask about whatever you are going to buy, trust me you will get opinions.

+1 on this. I did an AIO as my first tank then upgraded to a 45 cube, which is really the largest I could fit in my home, i should have went with the 45 first. With the help of the "senior" members here, I did my build. I went with the best I could afford and when I didn't it cost me 2x as much in the end.

I buy only QT fish as setting up a QT and or treating fish is not something I want to do, and took the advise of take it sloooow. Speed kills in saltwater. There are alway people leaving the hobby or upgrading so hang out here long enough and you get get some great 2nd hand gear at great prices. Group buys also help with the discounts we get.

 

[JRWOHLER]

Group buys also help with the discounts we get.

Shhhhh don't tell him our secrets...next he will want to know the secret handshake.(Time for Paul to jump in)

 

[TanksNStuff]

First off, welcome to the club and good thing you decided to ask questions before diving into the saltwater world (well, since you are a scuba diver, technically you already dove in... but you know what I mean.) This first decision is the one thing that will save you a lot of money and headache later on... assuming you listen to the advice, do futher research, and make informed decisions rather than an impulse decision.

Most of the usual good advice has already been given here, so I don't have to go into too many details. One thing that can't be stressed enough though is TAKING YOUR TIME. Rushing anything in this hobby is a bad idea, period. Everyone would love to have a complete looking reef right off the bat. But you need to realize that creating a healthy ecosystem for you fish and corals takes time to develop. Along with any mechanical filters you add (skimmers, reactors, etc.) ...beneficial bacteria needs to form and grow that will help keep your water free of harmful chemicals. Not only do these take time to develop, but they also happen in cycles; where several microscopic organisms get created and depend on others to survive. Each one is crucial to the next, so rushing to the endpoint doesn't allow your tank to contain a thriving community of bacteria.

Also, you need to understand that even when your tank is "cycled" there is a balance of the bacteria cycles that you need to achieve. When you add too many fish or too many corals at once, this adds too much waste nutrients that your bacteria can't handle all at once. When that happens, the harmful chemicals in the water can't get processed by the bacteria and this will cause your fish and corals to suffer and likely die. So, what you want to do when you stock is add one or at most a few things at a time to give your "cycle" a chance to catch up with the added nutrients.

OK, enough of the technical stuff! I'll add some advice that you don't mind hearing.

1. If you really want "lots" of fish in a smaller tank, stay with the smaller "nano" fish Like These.
2. Assuming you listen to #1, you may also want to make sure you have a lid on the top. A lot of those smaller fishes tend to be jumpers and it's never fun finding a carpet surfer.
3. LED's seems to be the rave now, and in the long run they are worth the cost (especially on smaller tanks). T-5's do just fine for just about any coral though. It's more about the bulb combos you use with them.
4. When dealing with nano tanks, it wouldn't hurt for you to check out this website... [URL]http://www.nanotuners.com/[/URL]. They have some really nice DIY LED kits and pre-made kits as well. Plus, they carry replacement parts for most popular AIO models.

Well, good luck and hope to hear more about your project once it starts getting underway.

 

[Sunny]

Welcome! As everyone stated, do your research. I started the same way and got a lot of useful advice from everyone here.

Good luck.

 

[qwik]

The 45 cube Mnat suggested would be a perfect setup. I have the 60 version of it,just a little taller. It comes reef ready if you decide to go that way ,highly suggested. I think me and Mnat run just about the same cubes,Eshopps sump,SWC skimmer . I run t5 &mh combo due to the depth of my cube (24"). If you run this system with let's say an AI led you would not need an upgrade due to equipment,only size in the future. It is also a nice starting point,not to big or small and easy to maintain. I would check out Will at A O .that's were my system came from and I am really pleased.
Just remember to go slow like your doing . It will make the experience a lot less frustrating . Enjoy

 

[findingnemo]

Thank you again guys. You guys help me out a great deal. There is just a few info to digest. Inexpensive simple to start or do it right from day 1...........

We went to Absolute Fish On Rt 46 on Sat. It was amazing. Check out a few nano set up as well. Great collection of fishes and corals. We saw a 10G full of corals and 2 clowns with t5, skimmer, filter and no sump. It looked good.....

 

[MadReefer]

Roland,
You're killing me with the triple posts...LOL. One rule here is you must take pics of initial setup all the way through to completion. Post it in Tale of the Tank forum.
Mark

 

[findingnemo]

Ok Mark. I will do when I have the set up.

 

[GluttonousSolarWrasse]

Pardon me if this has already been said (I did not read the whole thread). But are you set on a 30g, or a smaller tank in general? It has always been my suggestion-fresh water or salt water that bigger is definitely better. Trust me, you're going to want a larger tank in the future anyway.

I have a 120g, and while I love it, I really wish I had gone bigger. Water parameters stay more stable, and you can put more fish in, which you are going to want to do anyway. The problem is of course cost. However almost everyone in the hobby is wishing they went with a bigger tank. The stores you mentioned visiting are definitely good places, I frequent all three of those.

I think you are doing well to start out with softies, they are significantly easier to care for. Also there is a way to put several fish/inverts in a 30g tank, you just have to choose the right ones, and they have to be pretty small, but there are many genera to select from which will all do perfectly well in a 30g.

 

[howze01]

Pardon me if this has already been said (I did not read the whole thread). But are you set on a 30g, or a smaller tank in general? It has always been my suggestion-fresh water or salt water that bigger is definitely better. Trust me, you're going to want a larger tank in the future anyway.

I have a 120g, and while I love it, I really wish I had gone bigger. Water parameters stay more stable, and you can put more fish in, which you are going to want to do anyway. The problem is of course cost. However almost everyone in the hobby is wishing they went with a bigger tank. The stores you mentioned visiting are definitely good places, I frequent all three of those.

I think you are doing well to start out with softies, they are significantly easier to care for. Also there is a way to put several fish/inverts in a 30g tank, you just have to choose the right ones, and they have to be pretty small, but there are many genera to select from which will all do perfectly well in a 30g.

Get back to work!!!

 

[GluttonousSolarWrasse]

get back to work!!!

booooo!