Reef newby

[smitas5]

Hi there, I'm very new to Canada and new to reef, so visited LFS here in Regina and got recommended JBJ 45G tank to start with. Not much out there about it, so if anyone heard or have one, please comments are welcome.
I kept freshwater for a while, discus, tropheus etc. so know some about chemistry, but not much about salt :)
Any info please.. Where to go in SK to get good advice, where to buy tank, where to go for lighting, live rock etc.. I have another 2-3 months before I will purchase anything, so gathering the info now

Appreciate all the help
Marius

[jordsyke]

Most people on here use sumps over canister filters. So get a sump :P

[smitas5]

Thanks but aquarium I'm asking about has built in sump type filter at the back. it kind of has sectioned part to it for media. Not too sure if it is adequate.

[WarDog]

Welcome to Canreef! If you are looking for some good information I would suggest going into the forum section and start reading everyone's tank journals. You will learn a lot about the different hardware people use and some terminology. Plus, you may see something you really like (like a custon tank from Concepts) that could steer you in a different direction. I use websites like bulkreefsupply.com and j&laquatics.com when researching hardware. There are also some great vendors on here, check out their sites too. Everything you need is at your fingertips. As for that jbj tank I have no opinion, I decided to steer clear of the 'all in one' tanks and go with a sump below to allow extra room for more gear.

[jordsyke]

another great pioece of advice when buying hardware is to go for something rated for a larger tank. This way you can have a bigger bioload and also will have something to gett you going f you ever decide to upgrade. 45 Gallons doesnt go too far in this hobby and if you like it you will want to upgrade quickly

[smitas5]

I get it and I like big tanks too, but for now I need something to get me started (I mean my wife hehe). married fishkeepers will understand.
All-in-one is not the right description of JBJ 45 since you are only getting the tank and sump attached at the back with pumps. so essentially tank and filter. the rest of the equipment like skimmer, heater, light, top-up system is something that will have to be bought separately and hopefully I can get better stuff than I need for this tank, but at least by having tank with water, live rock and start the cycle going.

[tlhood]

I started my first saltwater tank with the RedSea Max 130D. It's one of those plug and play ones with the filter compartments in the back (5g) and a 29g display. I've seen some people use the Biocube as well, which is similar. Comes with the RSM skimmer and filter media (mech, chem, and bio). Lights are in the hood, hols 55W 10K actinic T5 compacts.

Basically everything plugs into the power bar hidden on the side of the system, and then one plug goes into the outlet.