First SW Tank ever - Where do I start?

[starbaby999]

Hi there,

I have a 150 gal. tank, that I would like to set up as SW. I am extremely 'green' at SW, and know very little about anything. I'm hoping to get some help as I start to fumble along setting up my tank.

I would like to know where I start? What kind of filter and heater would I need to have for a tank this size? Lights? Any suggestions?

Any feedback and information would be helpful at this point, as I am a newbie here.

Olena

[Lance]

Hi there,

I have a 150 gal. tank, that I would like to set up as SW. I am extremely 'green' at SW, and know very little about anything. I'm hoping to get some help as I start to fumble along setting up my tank.

I would like to know where I start? What kind of filter and heater would I need to have for a tank this size? Lights? Any suggestions?

Any feedback and information would be helpful at this point, as I am a newbie here.

Olena

Welcome, and the first thing you need to do is start researching. It is difficult to answer your questions until we know what it is you want to keep: IE fish only, FOWLR, softies, SPS, etc. There is a lot of information on this site and others like it. Lots of good books also. With a little more info we'll be glad to help.:biggrin:

[Lance]

Oh, I just noticed you are from Errington. I have family there.

[Trigger Man]

To start you need to decide what you want to keep in the tank. Is it going to be coral? and if coral is it going to be soft coral (less flow) or SPS (more flow and brighter lights). Do you just want to keep fish? Any specific fish, many fish do not get along with eachother.
Back to lights I have been a big fan of T5's as they produce less heat use less watts and can grow anything, but others like Mh as they are more powerful and some swear that they get better growth.
Another thing to think about is are you going to go with a sump or sumpless? I would recommend going with a sump, so much more options.
Then there are skimmers, this is one item where you really get what you pay for, trust me, spend the extra money and get a good skimmer to begin with.
So that is a little bit of info, hope it helps.

[Lance]

Me again. If you go to the forums and scroll down towards the bottom of the page there is a "Just Starting Out" forum. Have a look and then you may be able to decide what kind of tank you want to keep. Good Luck.

[skabooya]

Your getting good advise so far. The best thing you can do now, because you are just starting out is research which means read read read and ask lots of questions anytime anything seems weird or confusing. The people here are great. 150gal would be a lovely tank but very expensive lol.
Take a look at some pictures of fish and coral and see if you like any of those. Make a list of things you think look cool then research those things and see if they are good to keep with eachother and narrow down your list.
then When you have an idea of what you want research to see what will keep them alive and happy. Lighting, foods, flow, additives, etc
Do you want to keep things simple or high tech and automated? That in itself is a whole other experience of reefkeeping.
Do you just want fish FO, fish with live rock FOWLR or a reef, etc. Again look at some pics and think about YOUR LIFESTYLE and what you can reasonably take care of. If you have a hectic life then you probably want everything automated OR go low tech and hardy and understock. If you have lots of time on your hands then maybe something a little more challenging is for you.
Take things really really slow. I mean slow. Bad things happen very quickly in this hobby and good things take time.
It took me 2 years of research and just looking around before i decided to go salty. So far I have the tank and its been nearly a year lol. I have yet to buy things for myself because money goes towards other things LMAO. But yea Take it slow.

read read read
happy reading :) and hopefully soon happy reefing ;)

[mark]

Look through some of the links here (http://216.187.96.54/vbulletin/forumdisplay.php?f=51), (in Lance's post) visit other reefers to get a first hand look and remember though there are many good Local Fish Stores (LFS) and they can be a great resource, it's their business to sell you stuff.

[Myka]

My best advice, read everything you can!! Spend all of your spare time in the next 2-3 weeks soaking up as much information as possible. Try to get as much information as you can before you start buying equipment. Oh, and one last bit of advice, most of the people in the fish stores have no clue what they're talking about or are just out to sell you something you don't need, so take their advice with a grain of salt. There are a lot of much more knowledgable on these forums than you will find in the fish stores. That is for sure! ;)

Check out the links in this thread: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=22067

[PoonTang]

Read and reasearch. There are a few great books available that will help you out and tons of info on the internet. Spend about 3 months doing your reasearch and go from there.

[tredford8]

the key word is most of the people at LFS don't know what they're talking about. There are some very helpful people as long as you have some idea about what you are looking for. Lots of them don't make commission so it is not necessarily beneficial for them to sell you useless stuff. Some are bad. though. Internet is good for lots of info but can sometimes be confusing when starting out. definitely read lots and try to pick out what would be most reasonable for what you want to keep.

[fishytime]

Oh, and one last bit of advice, most of the people in the fish stores have no clue what they're talking about or are just out to sell you something you don't need, so take their advice with a grain of salt. There are a lot of much more knowledgable on these forums than you will find in the fish stores. That is for sure! ;)


This comment offends me.:neutral: .....Anyway lots of good advice and articles here. Also feel free to ask lots of questions. Welcome to the dark side:twised:

[Aquatic Addictions]

My best advice, read everything you can!! Spend all of your spare time in the next 2-3 weeks soaking up as much information as possible. Try to get as much information as you can before you start buying equipment. Oh, and one last bit of advice, most of the people in the fish stores have no clue what they're talking about or are just out to sell you something you don't need, so take their advice with a grain of salt. There are a lot of much more knowledgable on these forums than you will find in the fish stores. That is for sure! ;)

Check out the links in this thread: http://www.canreef.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=22067

Well I must say Myka..For someone who once worked in one fish store I know of, this comment comes off very offensive. Maybe the store you worked in or some you have been to operate this way however not all stores do this or are uneducated. I am sorry you feel this way due to your own experience.

As for the question at hand you have several available options open to you and I am happy that most others chose the correct response of RESEARCH whether by reading, asking questions, or visiting a reputable store to attain your education into this wonderful and addictive hobby. The people here are extremely helpful and kind.
You of course are always welcome to call with any questions AT NO CHARGE :lol: Good luck with your endeavor into a fun and exciting hobby.

Dan

[Doug]

Hi there,

I have a 150 gal. tank, that I would like to set up as SW. I am extremely 'green' at SW, and know very little about anything. I'm hoping to get some help as I start to fumble along setting up my tank.

I would like to know where I start? What kind of filter and heater would I need to have for a tank this size? Lights? Any suggestions?

Any feedback and information would be helpful at this point, as I am a newbie here.

Olena

Moving to the reef forum for you.
Welcome
to
Canreef
:mrgreen:

[new but handy]

Hey I can't believe nobody told em to open a new bank account and put about 25% of their income straight into it:mrgreen:

[Myka]

Well I must say Myka..For someone who once worked in one fish store I know of, this comment comes off very offensive. Maybe the store you worked in or some you have been to operate this way however not all stores do this or are uneducated. I am sorry you feel this way due to your own experience.

I misworded my statement, as is obvious. I meant to say that there are a larger number of knowledgable people on these types of forums (and articles on various websites) then you will find in LFSs. I have worked a combined total of about 5+ years in retail aquatic sales, and I can honestly say at least 75% of the people I worked with had no clue. There are some stores out there where the staff is very knowledgable. I won't name them because I will miss a few I'm sure, but almost all of the stores represented in CanReef's Vendor Forums seem to be quite knowledgable.