Newcomer with no tank yet

Rodger64

Rodger64

Premium member
I'm new to the site but love the discussions so I'm posting my own. I'm considering starting up a tank. I'm thinking a 90g reef tank. I'd start with live rock, eventually get a CUC going, then the fish, and then maybe try some corals.

There are just so many decisions to make..

For fish, I'm thinking firefish, couple of clowns, blenny--not sure which one, maybe a flame angel--but I've read it's not always reef safe, others???

glass or acrylic?
type of lights--fluorescent, metal halide, LED?
type of mechanical filtering?

Any advice would be appreciated on the basics of these.

Thanks in advance.
 
Welcome to the site. Best thing is to truly plan out what you really want to do so you don't have to buy stuff twice. Lights are one of the more expensive things to consider. If you plan to ever add coral, then what type of coral will help decide. LED is the wave of the future. Low heat and high efficiency. With the fish, fire fish are known jumpers so a top is a must.
I would say read through a few build threads so you get an idea of different types of setups. Have fun and ask all the questions you have.

Sent from my SGH-T999 using Tapatalk 2
 
1 glass in nice acryllic is a little clearer .... unless you get starfire glass but it scratches easier

2 test at major aquariums say mh is better color...and growth but with them you gain heat and expensive bulb replacements led are better because you never have to change them and they run cooler me and jay run leds

3 the filtration depends on you and what you intend to do with your setup .. it can be as easy as live rock and bacteria ..or as complicated as kalk reactors...and dosers... when your ready hit me up for a free starter frag
 
Rodger64 said:
I'm new to the site but love the discussions so I'm posting my own. I'm considering starting up a tank. I'm thinking a 90g reef tank. I'd start with live rock, eventually get a CUC going, then the fish, and then maybe try some corals.

There are just so many decisions to make..

For fish, I'm thinking firefish, couple of clowns, blenny--not sure which one, maybe a flame angel--but I've read it's not always reef safe, others???

glass or acrylic?
type of lights--fluorescent, metal halide, LED?
type of mechanical filtering?

Any advice would be appreciated on the basics of these.

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

You are correct about dwarf angels they are hit or miss on reef safeness. Perhaps instead one of the smaller bristletooth tangs like a tomini or kole.

I prefer glass because they are more scratch resistant however acrylic is lighter and more clear than glass.

As others have stated metal halide is tried and true but led is more efficient and gives of less heat thus no need for a chiller. Furthermore led doesn't require the costly bulb replacement that mh does. As with anything the are economical led options out there as well as extremely expensive ones. It all depends on how many bells and whistles you want to have.

The most basic filtration system is live rock to house the bacteria and a quality protein skimmer to remove organics. Reef octopus, skimz, or even the ebay sca skimmers are good options depending on your budget. The rest of the filtration is optional but here are some examples. Using granular ferric oxide (gfo) and/or carbon in media reactors or filter bags. Reactors are better. Filter socks or filter floss. Most people don't use either or only use them from time to time. Any mechanical filtration needs to be maintained properly otherwise they turn into nitrate factories reducing your overall water quality.

Please keep asking any questions you have. We are all glad to help out.

Sent from my SPH-L710 using Tapatalk 2
 
Welcome to the reef.
I like glass because I am clumsy and scratch acrylic.
A cherub angel is a slightly less hit or miss alternative to the flame, but I'm not insuring that :). I have one that has been fine and many others do as well, but I guess the internet says they're hit or miss.
I like LED lights because I don't want to change bulbs.
Skimmer, live rock and a carbon/gfo reactor for filtration. I don't do any filter media like socks, pads or floss because I'm too lazy to change it and it will end up doing more harm than good as the poop decomposes.

You definitely need to do your research, but I'm not sure you can ever really read enough to learn what you can by doing. Definitely read and get used to vocab and the basic concepts of the nitrogen cycle and stuff, but then get a tank and some live rock going and start testing and observing. Ask for answers to your questions instead of trying to learn from the answers IMHO that's always going to be better. But definitely read a bunch too. The goal here is not killing our pets. LOL. Good luck.
 
Welcome to CR. It's nice to see someone doing all the research first. You'll get loads of info here, so just keep reading and asking questions.
 
welcome!

unfortunately for the questions you asked you can ask 10 reefers and get 20 different answers, most of them come down to personal preference and people have successful tanks with any of them
 
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