I started my first Saltwater tank... And I know nothing...

[KJ]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[Captain Quint]

Welcome aboard Jon Snow

I've not had a 29BC in many years. You have me wanting one again.

I respect you going good and slow and your future critters will appreciate it as well.

Keep the pics coming, good sir.

 

[Jon Snow]

Welcome aboard Jon Snow

I've not had a 29BC in many years. You have me wanting one again.

I respect you going good and slow and your future critters will appreciate it as well.

Keep the pics coming, good sir.

Do it! Most of them I found used were about $250 and that included stands and pumps and a lot of extras. Normally from someone upgrading or getting out.

I just got my jbj nano cube fuge light in.
Sadly I discovered to use the intank baskets I want to get are going to require me to get the paint off that section of glass so I can put the magnet in the return pump channel.

Haven’t figured out how I’m going to do that with the tank filled up and about an inch off the wall.

Maybe a razor blade glass cleaning tool?

 

[Jerzyray]

Buckle your seat belt my friend, Your about to start a great hobby, welcome

 

[Dsnakes]

Welcome to R2R Thanks for joining us!

 

[Bj’s Reef]

Welcome to R2R. You can do it we can help. Just remember nothing good happens fast in this hobby.

 

[dbl]

Welcome to R2R and thanks for signing up.

 

[Jon Snow]

Well that was fun. I just had someone at a store basically tell me that I was doing everything wrong. Tank was too small, wasted money on live sand, I should have at least drilled the biocube and put the sump on it but I'd be better off selling everything and buying a bigger tank and starting over. Oh and I should stop having other stores test my water because they are probably not doing it right or not giving me good info.
That was just kinda a bummer.
I figure if I couldn't keep a couple clowns and some snails in this biocube someone else would have told me by now.

 

[ScooterV]

Sounds like they want to sell you a bigger tank

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[Katrina71]

Nice rock

 

[Fudsey]

I hate store like that. If it was an employee, I'd reem out the owner, if it was the owner, I'd reem him out online. Google reviews are good place to start.

Anyone that does that to a customer needs to walk away from retail. I'd never shop there again and would make sure anyone I knew didn't either.

 

[Jon Snow]

I hate store like that. If it was an employee, I'd reem out the owner, if it was the owner, I'd reem him out online. Google reviews are good place to start.

Anyone that does that to a customer needs to walk away from retail. I'd never shop there again and would make sure anyone I knew didn't either.

Well I'm going to assume the guy was really just trying to give his honest opinion and call himself being helpful even if it made me like I was just wasting my time and was being a real idiot.

If I ever go back I will mention it to the owner but I really don't see any reason to go back at this point.

I wouldn't mind someone giving me some advice about how I could make what I had work.
I honestly wouldn't mind drilling the tank and reinstalling the sump but I'd like to find a way to do it that didn't require me to have the tank six inches off the wall.

P.S. If anyone has tips on drilling and plumbing a Biocube I'm all ears. Right now its scrap the paint off the glass and order the Intank media and fuge baskets or order a new order a new overflow later and drill it at some point in the future.

 

[Reefinmike]

The salt I got with my first set up is Red Sea pro something or another. I don’t even really how or when I’m going to start mixing my own saltwater. Not counting the first time.

I’m still trying to figure out why my tanks temp is hanging out around 78F when I have one heater set to 76.5F and the other set to 75F on my RKL and both have been off for a couple of hours. Lol. Will investigate more tomorrow.

Red sea makes good salt. I'm cheap and I buy instant ocean and just add cal, alk and magnesium to make up for what they leave out. A lesson I recently learned was that you should mix each new bucket very well and test a sample of the saltwater you make with it. I made the mistake of starting my 110g system back up with a new bucket testing to 560 calcium(~200 more than usual), good alk at 10.5dkh but sky high magnesium at 1900(should be ~1300).

And screw that fish store employee man. Yes it is a small tank but perfectly acceptable for a couple clownfish, snails, eventually corals and great to get someone new into the hobby with one simple package. Sure a 100 gallon tank is better in the sense of being easier to maintain(not less maintenance!) and being more stable but why stop there? why not get a 300 gallon? a 300g isnt enough for fish used to a vast ocean, scratch that get a 1,000 gallon tank. no, open a public aquarium.

 

[Jon Snow]

Red sea makes good salt. I'm cheap and I buy instant ocean and just add cal, alk and magnesium to make up for what they leave out. A lesson I recently learned was that you should mix each new bucket very well and test a sample of the saltwater you make with it. I made the mistake of starting my 110g system back up with a new bucket testing to 560 calcium(~200 more than usual), good alk at 10.5dkh but sky high magnesium at 1900(should be ~1300).

And screw that fish store employee man. Yes it is a small tank but perfectly acceptable for a couple clownfish, snails, eventually corals and great to get someone new into the hobby with one simple package. Sure a 100 gallon tank is better in the sense of being easier to maintain(not less maintenance!) and being more stable but why stop there? why not get a 300 gallon? a 300g isnt enough for fish used to a vast ocean, scratch that get a 1,000 gallon tank. no, open a public aquarium.

I know it's probably a dirty word in some circles but I'm starting this hobby on a budget. I'm sure I could spend a couple thousand dollars on a big set up that will probably crash eventually anyways because I'm new and am bound to make mistakes. But I'm trying to get started not spend all of my savings on stuff that has a good chance of dying.

Would I love to get a new Apex system where I can view my tank from my phone? Absolutely but I got a free Reefkeeper Lite Plus for free so dang it I'm going to count myself blessed and use it lol.

 

[Davisma]

good luck with your tank

 

[Flippers4pups]

Well I'm going to assume the guy was really just trying to give his honest opinion and call himself being helpful even if it made me like I was just wasting my time and was being a real idiot.

If I ever go back I will mention it to the owner but I really don't see any reason to go back at this point.

I wouldn't mind someone giving me some advice about how I could make what I had work.
I honestly wouldn't mind drilling the tank and reinstalling the sump but I'd like to find a way to do it that didn't require me to have the tank six inches off the wall.

P.S. If anyone has tips on drilling and plumbing a Biocube I'm all ears. Right now its scrap the paint off the glass and order the Intank media and fuge baskets or order a new order a new overflow later and drill it at some point in the future.

Welcome to reef2reef, Jon!

I'm not sure you could drill that tank, it may be tempered glass. I can ask the #reefsquad if they know of anyone that has.

I wouldn't let that bum you out if you can't. There are uncountless Nano's that are more beautiful than any tank I've owned. You can do quite a bit with them!

Hang in there and take your time with it. Research and ask questions here, we are more than willing to help!

Once again, welcome!

 

[Jon Snow]

Welcome to reef2reef, Jon!

I'm not sure you could drill that tank, it may be tempered glass. I can ask the #reefsquad if they know of anyone that has.

I wouldn't let that bum you out if you can't. There are uncountless Nano's that are more beautiful than any tank I've owned. You can do quite a bit with them!

Hang in there and take your time with it. Research and ask questions here, we are more than willing to help!

Once again, welcome!

Thanks for the warm welcome.
I know the back is untempered glass and can be drilled only because I have the first tank I got for free from the guy who had his drilled but broke it in the disassembly.

If I do it I might try to see what the most low profile overflow box is I can find. The one I have had an 1.5 in 90 that hooks right to the back so it has to sit way off any wall and I’d love to have it plumed a little more low profile if I go that route.

 

[Big G]

Welcome to the group! Lots of very kind people here. Enjoy the build. Each one is an adventure. Some clownfish can get pretty big-ish, so ask lots of questions and do research so your new fish buddies will be happy and healthy.

 

[Captain Quint]

.............
Maybe a razor blade glass cleaning tool?

Yes, sir. The razor blade is one of my best friends at a 45-degree angle for stubborn stuff.

 

[Jon Snow]

Welcome to the group! Lots of very kind people here. Enjoy the build. Each one is an adventure. Some clownfish can get pretty big-ish, so ask lots of questions and do research so your new fish buddies will be happy and healthy.

Will do I keep getting recommend the Ocellaris because according to my LFS they are one of the smaller breeds and are pretty hardy. Plus being so common if I have a big fail I'm not out $100 a fish.

Yes, sir. The razor blade is one of my best friends at a 45-degree angle for stubborn stuff.

Sounds like a plan. The tank is only 2 inches off the wall so I might have to do a pretty heavy water change so I can move the tank and stand off the wall enough to scrape the paint off.
I'm still really fighting between the ideas of drilling it and installing the sump or getting the Intank systems and keeping it AIO.