Getting started inSalt water hobby

[Biglex]

like it says in the title if you were to redo the hobby by getting in how different would you do it??
I started with small tank and have slowly been upgrading bigger and bigger.
If I were to redo it I think I’d go bigger from the start
Y’all thought on starting over?

 

[JumboShrimp]

Had I known about R2R from Day 1, I would have been much better off!! For one, I would have known to quarantine (and HOW to do it properly), and right now I’d not be treating 9 fish simultaneously (pulled from my DT due to Marine Velvet).

 

[Oscaror]

like it says in the title if you were to redo the hobby by getting in how different would you do it??
I started with small tank and have slowly been upgrading bigger and bigger.
If I were to redo it I think I’d go bigger from the start
Y’all thought on starting over?

Well since I'm almost at this stage (starting new job soon gonna get a nano to kill some time and collect some rare corals before I'm ready for my next major build):

-ruinning a refugium
-good lighting from day one
-good rock
-not buying lame corals that end up being a burden
-running a proper sump
-quality pumps
-not overdoing it on rockwork
-ATO
-auto dosing
-going BIG (I know I said I'm getting a nano but for non-nano tanks I really think that you should just get a tank you won't want to upgrade because you'll keep looking at what it could be and not what it is)
-not getting fish that significantly limit future compatibility (that darn 6 line ;Rage)
-RODI system
-quarantine
-no canister filter
-research all equipment

This is all the stuff I DIDN'T do with my last build, no surprise it ended up crashing ;Hilarious If only I knew about this site when I first started out

 

[James M]

like jumbo shrimp said I wish I found this site since day 1.. would have saved me tons of money .

 

[JumboShrimp]

Very philosophical, @Oscaror, and very well said: “... just get a tank you won’t want to upgrade because you’ll keep looking at what it could be and not what it is.”

 

[SPR1968]

It’s a bit difficult really because if you don’t know what your doing, you don’t necessarily know what’s what in the hobby, if that makes sense! Lol

When I started I didn’t go to a large tank in case I didn’t like the hobby, but then of course very quickly upgraded

So now, and with a little knowledge, I would go as big as I could fit in from the start as I personally feel larger systems are easier to maintain and keep water parameters stable. And you can have more fish!lol

 

[Biglex]

Yup good info guys and Yea I’m in process up a upgrade to A Red Sea 450 maybe start next month still getting equipment together but would been nice just start big and not so much with the smaller tanks alto nano tanks are nice

 

[don_chuwish]

The trouble with the OP premise is that when you're first starting you have several limitations that experience eliminates.
1) you don't know how serious you'll get, might just bail out after few months
2) don't even know what something like a refugium is or why a sump is better than a canister
3) simply don't want to spend much money

BUT. If I were to coach a newbie through starting up a system and they were willing to spend the money, I'd probably start them with:
FOWLR
Aqueon 125G for the length - lots of fish options
Screen tops
Basic black box LEDs for when they inevitably want coral
Dry 'Reef Saver' rock
Reefflakes sand
40B DIY sump with rock rubble
Exotic Marine overflow
Reef Octo skimmer - used if possible
Sicce Syncra AC return pump - used if possible
Hydor Koralia powerheads at each end
DIY stand oversized for the future upgrade and space underneath.