Getting Started Inquiry

[mandarins]

Hi everyone! I'm new to reefs but I have extensive experience with freshwater and moon jellyfish. I have a few questions I haven't been able to answer with prior research so far.

I'm primarily interested in corals and a few reef-safe invertebrates and fish.

- Best brand of tanks? Are the back compartment filters sufficient for 10-30 gallon tanks or are external canister filters and skimmers needed in addition?
- If I were to use a regular 10 gal tank just for corals and a goby what filtration would be sufficient? Would it be worth it to start small with cheaper corals before my end goal of a 30-50+ gallon reef tank? (I move frequently at the moment so also considering a smaller setup for now).
- Would a sump tank be worth it for a 10-30 gallon to keep water chemistry more stable?
- Is it possible to nearly break even by propagating and selling valuable coral frags? (just to help offset/justify the startup and maintenance costs)

Thank you everyone! Let me know if you have any other advice for people starting out!

 

[EgotisticObeseChihuahua]

The bigger the tank the more "Beginner friendly" it is. Usually with marine aquariums people opt out for sumps because they offer a higher water volume and many benefits like skimmer's, refugiums, and an area that can hide all your equipment like heaters. I would recommend you start with a bigger tank preferably 75 gallon+, but if you must go for a smaller tank many people would recommend an AIO- All in one tank. It is basically a tank that has a built in sump. It depends on the coral species that you want to propagate, but yes certain corals are easy to grow and sell. Assuming you have the basic knowledge.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

You will get a lot of different opinions about best brand of tanks, some will say Red Sea, Waterbox, innovative marine, Fiji cubes or custom tanks just to name a few. A lot to choose from if you ask me haha

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Personally my opinion is different than most, I think smaller tanks are easier, and less costly, especially for beginner if not known if you will stay in the hobby or not. I think that 15-20-25 gallon tanks are the easiest to maintain with a hands off approach, but also big enough to experiment with different filtration methods.

My best advise is just do research, and understand that freshwater and saltwater tanks are not at all similar. This hobby is much harder than FW.