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+1Welcome to the hobby! I hope you wallet is ready, lol.
Sumps are not necessary, but they do provide you a lot of expansion options. I personally think sumps are more important on larger tanks and anything under 40g can be achieved with an all in one tank. You might not be able to get a good protein skimmer, which cleans the water, but you can achieve the same results without one too on a smaller system.
Just for clarification. Most people consider anything 30-40 gallons or smaller to be small tanks in this hobby.
Some advice:
1) don't take 1 person's advice on this site, lol, because they may not have the best advice. I usually look at personal experiences and compare it to the hobby consensus, which takes time and research to get familiar with. Research and this hobby go hand and hand. There are some users that have the ReefSquad badge, which are usually more seasoned hobbyists that you can trust.
2) @Bulk Reef Supply has amazing videos on their site for new comers and advanced hobbyists alike. Take some time to look at those!
3) Go on the member's tank forum and look at people's tanks and how they run their system. It may give you a good idea on what you can achieve given the equipment they have. Most users give a lot of detail on the equipment and methods they use!
4) Plan long term. Most new comers end up getting a bigger and better tank with in months to a year of starting because they realize how tank size can affect a lot of options. Bigger is easier in this hobby as keeping things stable and being able to house more types of fish.
5) Ask lots of questions. There are always people on here willing to help!
OMG you must have been heartbroken to have to tear-down that gorgeous tank/Welcome to the hobby! I hope you wallet is ready, lol.
Sumps are not necessary, but they do provide you a lot of expansion options. I personally think sumps are more important on larger tanks and anything under 40g can be achieved with an all in one tank. You might not be able to get a good protein skimmer, which cleans the water, but you can achieve the same results without one too on a smaller system.
Just for clarification. Most people consider anything 30-40 gallons or smaller to be small tanks in this hobby.
Some advice:
1) don't take 1 person's advice on this site, lol, because they may not have the best advice. I usually look at personal experiences and compare it to the hobby consensus, which takes time and research to get familiar with. Research and this hobby go hand and hand. There are some users that have the ReefSquad badge, which are usually more seasoned hobbyists that you can trust.
2) @Bulk Reef Supply has amazing videos on their site for new comers and advanced hobbyists alike. Take some time to look at those!
3) Go on the member's tank forum and look at people's tanks and how they run their system. It may give you a good idea on what you can achieve given the equipment they have. Most users give a lot of detail on the equipment and methods they use!
4) Plan long term. Most new comers end up getting a bigger and better tank with in months to a year of starting because they realize how tank size can affect a lot of options. Bigger is easier in this hobby as keeping things stable and being able to house more types of fish.
5) Ask lots of questions. There are always people on here willing to help!
Hi Lisa I’m Paulie and Welcome aboard r2r, best advice I can give u is ask as many questions as you can on this website, no matter how simple question might be( no such thing as a stupid question) The awesome members here are always willing and able to answer questions and give advice any time day or night. I can say you did the best thing for a first step in joining this website. I can’t tell you how much they have helped me. I’m extremely new myself and with the outpouring of advice and explanation from r2r I now have a live tank up n running. 55gal with 20 gal sump. Stil little cloudy but will clear in timeHi Everyone, I've just decided to take the plunge and get into the hobby.
I am a little overwhelmed by all the equipment and stuff and would love to get your advise.
I'm a little put off by a Petco visit as they were a little intense.
How should I get the ball rolling!!!!!
Thanks,
Lisa.
All in one or AIO are great because everything can be hidden in the back. It’s like a sump but you’re micro sizing everything. For a beginner tank, it’s not a bad idea. Depends on your budget and size.Wow, Hong Kong. I've been there!
SO I look ed up BRS, Bulk Reef Supply, I'm pretty sure I ordered from them once for a hang on back for a Betta setup.
So I really figured I could google all this but just really happy to build up this as a real hobby and share with like minded people and enjoy the journey.
If I want to just have a 40 gallon or so tank, does it mean I must have a sump? What about the All in one systems? I'm not sure why a sump would help me?
Well, yes and no. I miss the big tank, and this 20g long is depressing in comparison, but I know I will set it back up once I we buy a place in DC. So long term, it will be better than before! I am keeping everything so it will be the same equipment with more fancy corals.OMG you must have been heartbroken to have to tear-down that gorgeous tank/