Ok so I did it... I officially ordered my first marine aquarium...

[carolynthefairyprincess]

Im sorry but I would strongly disagree with not needing to get a RO/DI right off the bat if you have means to hook one up at home Then that unit should be budgeted in to your set up cost, For the plumbing part of it , That's a 10 min job to hook and plumb one up. Heck you can hook one up to your water spigot and drain it in your yard or on you plants. You can get a nice RO/DI unit for about 150 to 200 bucks. Trust me it is a pain in the *** to have to worry about going to the store everytime you want to do a water change and pray to god the store you get it from changes out there filters like they should. Besides it never hurys to have fresh water on hand in case of a emergence.

Just my 2 cents

I live in an apt. I always keep spare water on hand, but plumbing it in, no matter how easy, isn't an option. Also, Not all hobbyists will stay with it, and if you are on a tight budget, it's not strictly necessary. Just my two cents.

 

[CFQTPye]

Fishroomlady, Do you have a recommendation of a shrimp that I should start with? I have, Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp, Peppermint Shrimp, Tiger Snapping Shrimp (with Goby), and Sexy Shrimp on my possibility wish list. It's my understanding that shrimp can be finicky and be troublesome with differences in salinity so it'll take time to acclimate them, which of course i'm willing to put in.

Oh wait... you meant a table shrimp. Nevermind. I can be so dense sometimes.

 

[rarelyseriousb]

Look at chromis (sp) if you would like a smaller fish that schools. Also on RODI there is an adapter that will screw on the end of you fixture if you can not plumb it yourself.

Don't be afraid of questions on here. This is one of the best boards out there with plenty of nice people. If people did not want to help they would not peruse the beginner boards.

You can also cycle your tank using pure ammonia. I have done it before. But the shrimp trick works equally well. Make sure it is uncooked. Some people also just use fish food. Add the same pinch every day until your numbers level out.

 

[CFQTPye]

My plan is to keep a "Nano" tank but in the 55 gallons. Meaning keep fishes under 3" in length so I can offer them a larger environment. I have no interest in the larger fishes just want to keep a small peaceful eco-system. Does anyone have favorites for this type of tank? Invertebrates, crustaceans, fishes alike?

Also I read that when I get my tank (today hopefully, keeping all crossables crossed) that I should run the tank with freshwater from the tap to check that all parts are working and the tank doesn't leak for about 24 hours. At which point completely drain the tank and start adding me RO water and salt.

Do you recommend this process? Don't the silicates and chlorine from normal tap water affect the rest of the filtration components or is the amount negligible and not to be concerned of?

Thanks
Corinne

 

[rarelyseriousb]

Yes I recommend it. I posted that earlier. The chlorine is neutralized after being exposed to air for 24 hours. (As I understood it)

 

[SantaMonicaHelp]

Congratulations and welcome to R2R!
You'll find many words of wisdom here, from the simplest questions to frustratingly complex :]

And to answer your question...

Everything I've read says to wait. Does anyone have words of wisdom?

That just about sums it up! Patience, patience, patience is the key to succeeding in keeping a happy, healthy tank.

As for substrate, there's a few key things (off the top of my head) to help you choose: appearance, cycling, and the kind of livestock you plan to keep.
You might prefer a certain kind of sand or crushed coral, and there are lots of beautiful ones to choose from. Or you might just like a clean bare bottom, so up to you.
But substrate is handy because a little live sand can help your aquarium cycle quicker and will seed your tank with beneficial bacteria (just be careful not to get substrate from an untrustworthy source because you could get parasites or hitchhiker worms)
And of course, some corals or fish require a sandy bed, like sand sifters or burrowers; or certain corals that are most comfortable on the sand floor than attached to a reef rock.

Happy tanking! Hope this helps

 

[Bluelobstor]

Welcome everyone here is friendly so hesitate to ask questions. I personally cycle with live rock and live sand and just feed occasionally. I add LR first and then LS that way the bottom of the rock structure is stable. I would also run a sump with a protein skimmer and a fuge. Imho I would either make the sand bed less than 1" or greater than 4" depending on what you are keeping livestock wise. +1 on the refractometer and a ph monitor would be a plus and also I would invest in titration test kits where applicable. Like everyone says patience is key

 

[Bluelobstor]

Lol don't hesitate sorry

 

[fishroomlady]

I know you had the shrimp question figured out but I would suggest a goby/pistol shrimp combination when it comes to stocking options. Sexy shrimp are the coolest things ever but they are very, very tiny. Many fish can make a meal out of them. IME, shrimp are pretty hardy creatures.

I would suggest a medium grain aragonite sand with 1-2 inches - this gives you some more options for livestock and I think is a more natural look. I'm excited for you! endless possibilities just take the advice you hear and research, then ultimately make your best decision based on as much research as you can do. oh, and patience as mentioned is the key to success in this hobby.

Community fish that I really like are: flame hawkfish, midas blenny, starry blenny, yellow watchman goby/pistol pair, clowns (always ), and smallish wrasses (you need to have a cover although a cover is really needed period because most fish can be potential jumpers). In terms of clowns, if I had to get some now, I love some of the designer clowns especially wyoming whites. I saw a couple people post their frostbites (totally awesome looking). One thing to keep in mind, you should look at adding clowns last if possible because they can become territorial and aggressive toward new tank mates if added first. HTH

 

[KillerKlownFish]

Check out: http://www.vividaquariums.com/c-747-beginner-coral.aspx

The videos will help answer a few questions.

Fish I have in a 34 gallon tank

Royal Gramma
Flame tail blenny
Scooter blenny... If you like color get a red or scarlet one.
Goby watchman/with pistol shrimp
Cleaner shrimp
2 clowns I got an anemone a few months later and they won't host him...yet. I have hope. So listen to those here who say add the clowns last.

Since you are new I would stay away from expensive fish for now. Some tend to vanish (aka get whacked) and the shrimp and crabs hide the evidence (dump the body) it's like a mini Sopranos environment. Other times they jump out of the tank. Or maybe they get tossed out!

 

[Bluelobstor]

Goby shrimp pairs are neat. You should def get one. I'm holding out for a pair of yasha gobies with shrimp for my 20g