HELP!!! NEWBIE ALERT!!!

[es355lucille]

+1 on this advice. Take your time to read some of the documents by a few around here. Let your system take hold once you get your live rock placed in the tank. Depending which way you are going: Reef (takes longer) Fish Only (not as long).......but be careful and read about everything you add to your tank. Fish are something to research...once you get a couple...then you need to ensure you are adding compatable for your community. Have fun and look at the live rock closely when you start. Get a flashlight and watch the natural things found in live rock grow......you are at a very exciting time....don't let that hurry things too much. This is how people get into trouble. Ask any of us....PM if you like. This can help you very much. If you have any questions give someone on here a shout. Brad

Originally Posted by Twinn

The biggest piece of advise I can give you is to plan ahead. What do you want for coral SPS, LPS, Softies and mixed reef. Do you want lots of fish or just a few. This will help you to decide lighting, skimmer ect.

[DOMINATOR]

for my 2 90 gallons, what start off lighting do you recommend? Tanks are 48 long...dont really want to upgrade often neither

[bauder1986]

Originally Posted by DOMINATOR

for my 2 90 gallons, what start off lighting do you recommend? Tanks are 48 long...dont really want to upgrade often neither

Well, I would look into a 48" T5HO fixture, 6 bulb or 8 bulb or if you have around $3500 get a 48" LED fixture.

Now most new guys start with softies and LPS and zoos just because if you crash your tank most softies and LPS and zoos can survive through a crash if you are quick enough to stabalize your tank.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by DOMINATOR

for my 2 90 gallons, what start off lighting do you recommend? Tanks are 48 long...dont really want to upgrade often neither

This all depends on what you're going to have in the tank. That is absolutely the first thing you need to decide.

[chopperman]

I am also a newbie to salt and one thing that I have read is that it is good to follow the 12 month rule. You shouldnt add corals until the tank has been running for at least 12 months. Is this a general rule of thumb?

[gobytron]

welcome to the board.
once you have done a bit of research into the hobby (by trial or fire) you will realize how general the questions you are asking are.

Many people here would love to help, but you need to so some basic research into this hobby and establish some expectations first...otherwise we can only offer advicebased on what our expectations are.

[abcha0s]

Originally Posted by gobytron

welcome to the board.
once you have done a bit of research into the hobby (by trial or fire) you will realize how general the questions you are asking are.

Many people here would love to help, but you need to so some basic research into this hobby and establish some expectations first...otherwise we can only offer advicebased on what our expectations are.

+1

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by chopperman

. You shouldnt add corals until the tank has been running for at least 12 months. Is this a general rule of thumb?

Well, yes and no. I wouldn't suggest adding a $100 frag of acro, but certainly wouldn't shy away from some easier things. Assorted polyps, zoos, leathers, etc appear to be a bit more tolerant of mistakes. Even some of the LPS are reasonably tough. Once you have an idea of what you're doing, this time frame can be reduced drastically. My current tank was running for a couple of days before I fully stocked it with SPS, but I've killed enough of these in the past to have a good idea what to do and what to watch for. Certainly not something I'd recommend, but once your tank has been stable for a couple of months, you could start adding some easier corals. Again, this assumes your system is setup properly to support them (lighting, flow, skimming, etc)

[chris121277]

Do you plan on running the 2 90's linked in one system? or are you planning something different for each tank?

[whatcaneyedo]

Three pages of reply's and no one has said 'book'? Quite often when you ask a question online you'll get a lot of wildly differing opinions from people that might know less than you do. Books offer well researched advice with references to back up their claims.

Building a Proper Marine Aquarium Library
by Pro, Steven
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2008-01/tips/index.php

Remember to use the search engine too. I can almost guarantee that any question you have has already been asked and you'll find the answer by checking the older posts.