Getting Started the Right Way!

[virtual reality]

Welcome to R2R. Glad you could join us.

 

[Rhoads238]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[LiveWire]

Welcome to the REEF!!

 

[MERKEY]

Hello and welcome to R2R!

 

[G Santana]

Welcome aboard

 

[maceto]

Welcome!

 

[Rubberfrog]

I'd like one of what you're drinking in that pic.

 

[Jeffcb]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[Ippyroy]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[MrsBugmaster]

 

[Salty Rambler]

Welcome to R2R! Good luck with your new tank -- looking forward to hearing more about your build as it progresses.

 

[kaylajoy]

Welcome! In my humble opinion not killing your poor animals is the most important part of any hobby like this, so sounds like you're off to a great start regardless

 

[emilyferguson]

Hello and welcome to the forum.

A 32 gallon tank is a good place to start. In this hobby, stability is our friend. And the bigger the tank, the smaller the fluctuations in salinity and other elements.

The best approach is to decide what you'd like to keep and then select your tank and equipment around your planned inhabitants.

So in your original post, you said: "I can't wait for this tank to be what I was hoping for when I jumped in blind with my 10 gallon".

Tell us; what do you hope for this tank to be?

Dom

I have done so much thinking on this! Coral wise I will be sticking mainly to LPS. In my 10 gallon that will soon be no more, I have mostly LPS that will be transferred over and be placed in a better position for them to thrive once the 32 gallon is cycled. I am also am pretty set on having a zoa garden/island.
I have a plate coral that is struggling a bit that I am still researching weather I can provide what it needs or if I should rehome it before it is a goner. They are very eye catching but I feel a little on the harder side to keep for a beginner like myself.
Fish wise my wish list includes clowns (I already have these), chalk bass, watchman goby, blue/green chromis, and possibly a purple dottyback if everything goes smoothly and I feel like it’s stable enough for simi aggressive. I also am still researching sea stars and anemones. I’d love to have my clowns host an anemone. I’m currently leaning towards a bubble tip but know sometimes clowns don’t want to host them.

 

[KevPool]

Welcome to R2R Emily

 

[emilyferguson]

Welcome, whats the name of the drink in your profile picture?

I am no longer sure of the name. I believe this picture was at Joe’s Crab Shack for a friends birthday. Not the best food and not a memorable drink unfortunately it did look pretty.

 

[Dom]

I have done so much thinking on this! Coral wise I will be sticking mainly to LPS. In my 10 gallon that will soon be no more, I have mostly LPS that will be transferred over and be placed in a better position for them to thrive once the 32 gallon is cycled. I am also am pretty set on having a zoa garden/island.
I have a plate coral that is struggling a bit that I am still researching weather I can provide what it needs or if I should rehome it before it is a goner. They are very eye catching but I feel a little on the harder side to keep for a beginner like myself.
Fish wise my wish list includes clowns (I already have these), chalk bass, watchman goby, blue/green chromis, and possibly a purple dottyback if everything goes smoothly and I feel like it’s stable enough for simi aggressive. I also am still researching sea stars and anemones. I’d love to have my clowns host an anemone. I’m currently leaning towards a bubble tip but know sometimes clowns don’t want to host them.

Pay close attention to the space requirements for your intended fish. Just because they seem to fit physically in the tank, you have to consider the amount of space they require for swimming around.

Also consider the territorial habits. Even if there is enough room for your inhabitants to swim, encroaching on territory established by other fish could result in aggression toward each other causing injury and death.

You should keep your 10 gallon up and running so that you can quarantine new inhabitants before adding them to your 32 gallon. Resist the urge to place new purchases right into the display. Can you imaging all of your hard work and months of time being wiped out because you didn't quarantine and placed a fish with Velvet in your display. Your tank would be wiped out in a week.

What kind of lights are you using? Than may be the reason your plate coral is struggling.

 

[Manny’s Reef]

Hello and welcome to R2R.

 

[emilyferguson]

Pay close attention to the space requirements for your intended fish. Just because they seem to fit physically in the tank, you have to consider the amount of space they require for swimming around.

Also consider the territorial habits. Even if there is enough room for your inhabitants to swim, encroaching on territory established by other fish could result in aggression toward each other causing injury and death.

You should keep your 10 gallon up and running so that you can quarantine new inhabitants before adding them to your 32 gallon. Resist the urge to place new purchases right into the display. Can you imaging all of your hard work and months of time being wiped out because you didn't quarantine and placed a fish with Velvet in your display. Your tank would be wiped out in a week.

What kind of lights are you using? Than may be the reason your plate coral is struggling.

Thank you for all of these tips!

That is exactly the plan for the 10 gallon. I currently have a 5 gallon quarantine tank that will go away and kept for if everything crashes and needs a quick place to rest to a day or so.

The light could very well the the issue with the plate coral! It is a cheap light (about $80) from Amazon that my lfs suggested. It’ll be one of the first things I move over in a few weeks after the cycle happens.

 

[JumboShrimp]

You can have a lot of fun with a 32-gallon BioCube!

 

[zukihara]

Good to see another Nashville person!