So you are new to the hobby and want to set up your first tank, what to do?

skinz78

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The first thing you will need to do is get a second or maybe even third job:tongue: J/K:tongue:

But really you need to decide on what size tank you want to go with. Plan ahead for the future because quite often people buy tanks and then find they want to upgrade them soon there after. For example, my first tank was a 45 gallon and now I am up to a 120 gallon.

Also another thing to consider is what type of tank, acrylic or glass. Then if you choose glass and want to get really fancy you might consider Starfire glass as well. I personally go with just plain glass, acrylic scratches when I just look at it...

After you decide on your tank selection you will need to decide on what you wish to put in it. For example, SPS, LPS, softy's, clams or a mix of everything. This decision will make your choice of lighting, fish, and other hardware a little more easy.

For instance if you want to keep SPS or clams you will need to have a higher output light and some other filtration to keep up with these animals demands. If you want to keep LPS or softy's you will need a middle of the line light setup as they don't need a huge amount to keep them happy.

Also SPS demand a crazy amount of flow so if you wish to keep SPS you will need more powerheads.

Next you will need to decide if you wish to have a sump or refugium on your system. I highly recommend these but some times it just isn't possible to have them.

Here is a little more info on sumps and refugiums.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/general-reef-discussions/48592-sump-refugium-what-they.html

If you do get a sump or refugium I recommend getting a in tank protein skimmer. Get one that will handle at least 2x your tank volume. Here is a thread on them as well.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/li...what-protien-skimmer-what-types-commonly.html

You will also need to decide on if you want a sandy bottom or bare bottom, there are many types of sand on the market so I recommend getting which ever looks good to you. As for rock many say you need one pound of rock per gallon of water but lately there is a lot of tanks going with minimal rockwork so just do what you think looks good.

Here is a thread with many rock scaping ideas.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/ge...6205-aquascaping-pictures-ideas-sketches.html

Next you will need to get some salt mix, I recommend getting some good stuff like Reef Crystals to start out, cheap salts can come back to bite ya.

As for a heater just get what is recommended for the size of tank you selected.

Lighting.... This is where it gets complicated.

I personally like T5 lighting and a lot of other really nice tanks are lit by Metal Halide or LED setups. I personally wouldn't get anything less than these 3 types of lights. If so you will be upgrading it soon as many of us on here have done so painfully in the past. If you are unsure of what to get post up a thread asking for help, there is a huge variety of lights out there and it can get confusing when selecting one.

Many of us in this hobby have a mini science lab going on with our test kits and eventually you will need to buy some for yourself too. I recommend ether API or Salifert, if you have a LFS you can take a water sample to them and more often than not they will check for you.

Water, I highly recommend using RO/DI water and if you don't have a filter you can usually get RO/DI from your LFS or grocery store.

This is just a basic start to what you need to do to get your first aquarium up and running. If you have any questions please feel free to post up a thread and ask them, there are no stupid questions.

Also please read this thread and learn from other hobby'sts mistakes:

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/new-hobby-sw-beginner-forum/54995-lets-give-some-noob-advice.html
 

Anthony Calfo

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great post!

I'd like to add a reminder too that its important to aerate and/or buffer your Ro/Di water before you use it for evap top off or salting. Otherwise, the weak demineralized water will be a burden on alkalinity and contribute to (common) long term problems with flat pH and/or low Alkalinity. The impact of the aforementioned is a huge underestimated problem with slow coral growth, problem algae growth and much more.
 

dougers31

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And don't forget to TAKE YOUR TIME!!!!!! Let things stablize, and don't over stock.

Can't emphasize that point enough, its really easy to go way to fast when adding new fish or corals. I would also recommend adding a controller... not a cheap item but can save ya trouble down the road.
 

bbandu

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Lets not forget about one of the most important things, a QT set up. Always QT your fish before you add them to your tank. It is also a good idea dip all coral before adding to your
tank.
 

GR808

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I think the first tip is the best of all. "The first thing you will need to do is get a second or maybe even third job J/K"
I couldn't agree more. The hobby can get very expensive and also take a lot of your time but it is most gratifying to sit in front of your tank and enjoy the beauty you've created.
 

porky

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Great thread, thank you for posting! I am new to the hobby and this information will come in very handy.
 

dougers31

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great post!

I'd like to add a reminder too that its important to aerate and/or buffer your Ro/Di water before you use it for evap top off or salting. Otherwise, the weak demineralized water will be a burden on alkalinity and contribute to (common) long term problems with flat pH and/or low Alkalinity. The impact of the aforementioned is a huge underestimated problem with slow coral growth, problem algae growth and much more.

So how would one go about doing this? I have issues keeping my ph above 8 and never thought about buffering the top off water. Would adding a small amout of kalk do the job?
 

Alattner

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nice thread really easy nice read to great read for before you start up your first tank i know i wish i would of read something like this before i jumped into this hobby
 

MimicOcto8

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wow great post i dont know why it's taking me so long to see this. i'm forwarding it to a friend who is getting started into the hobby
 

Lenny

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I would recommend having some battery powered Air Pumps. They are super cheap about $4.99 and run on 2 D batteries for many hours. They work great and they saved my fish from certain death during power outages.
 

Reef Breeders

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Can't emphasize that point enough, its really easy to go way to fast when adding new fish or corals. I would also recommend adding a controller... not a cheap item but can save ya trouble down the road.

+ 1 on a controller, my pH was 8.1 for a while until I got my rkl, I saw the problem and added more kalk ( I test weekly, but I guess that is not enough.) now it is around 8.5 8.2, not a big difference but 8.1 seems real low. The probe also lets me see what the low point at night is, usually 7.9.
 

larangcon

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This is a great post, not sure how I missed it, I too, have a friend that wants to start a new tank - will forward this info.
Thanks
 

Gravityreefing

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Ok am in process of wanting g to setup a oceanic 30 gallon cube. I was trying to find a skimmer for it or do I really need it if I do water changes every 2 or 3 weeks
20151127_160946.jpg
 

Gravityreefing

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Next to the 30 gallon is my 180 gallon tank all diy and wrapped up. And if you could recommend a skimmer that would be great as well. I've been looking at the cpr bak pak.. I talked to a rep at bulkreef supply and he said I could use the reefoctopus bh90? That's rated for a bigger tank and I think that would be over kill for the 30 gallon what do u guys think please voice your opinions please need the help. Thank you.
 

Gravityreefing

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Oh and the 30 gallon stand is a DIY stand just completed. The 30 was going to be a quarantine tank lol but decided to make into a softy community with sexy shrimp cardinals and a dwarf angel..
 
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