New reefer, freshwater convert

[StrombusEyes]

Hi all,
I’m new to the hobby after being a freshwater addict for 10 years. Have set up a 100L tank two months ago and am loving it. Some interesting differences I’ve noticed between fresh and saltwater so far:

1) clean up crew actually cleans up!! In freshwater the plecos, snails and shrimp don’t actually eat algae they eat the microbes on top of algae and just make more waste. Imagine my surprise when I bought 2 trochus snails thinking it would be the same deal, next morning all my hair algae was gone!
2) the amount of life in the tank- I’m forever discovering new critters that I didn’t put in there or have no idea what they are that came in on live rock. I love researching these once they show up- most recently found a brittle star and a scud

Main downside
- in freshwater if something goes wrong, 90% of the time a big water change fixes it. In saltwater there are many other possibilities and biochem markers that may need addressing
- the cost! Have to buy RO water for every water change

 

[revhtree Verified Admin]

Welcome to your new home for saltwater reef aquarium resources and fun! Welcome to the family! :D

 

[edsbeaker]

Hello and welcome!

 

[NyteRyder1]

 

[EnterName]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

If you find stuff in your rock you cannot identify I can recommend the hitchhiker guide on R2R: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/guide-to-common-hitchhikers-in-reef-tanks.861/

And if you like to get to know the even smaller critters in your tank as well, I will use this opportunity shamelessly promote my microscopy thread : https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/microscopy-thread.1138845/


RO/DI water can be quite expensive. You might want to invest in your own RO/DI system. It might pay for it self quite fast, especially if you perform regular water changes. I personally change the RO membrane every year and the other filters every 6 months, so it's not much work. The deionization resin is changed based on conductivity measurements of the water a bit more frequently, but it's done in like 5 minutes.

 

[StrombusEyes]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

If you find stuff in your rock you cannot identify I can recommend the hitchhiker guide on R2R: https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/guide-to-common-hitchhikers-in-reef-tanks.861/

And if you like to get to know the even smaller critters in your tank as well, I will use this opportunity shamelessly promote my microscopy thread : https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/microscopy-thread.1138845/


RO/DI water can be quite expensive. You might want to invest in your own RO/DI system. It might pay for it self quite fast, especially if you perform regular water changes. I personally change the RO membrane every year and the other filters every 6 months, so it's not much work. The deionization resin is changed based on conductivity measurements of the water a bit more frequently, but it's done in like 5 minutes.

Thank you! That microscopy thread is so cool. I’m always zooming in on things in my tank on my
Phone, I should probably invest in a proper microscope one day.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

 

[fishface NJ]

Welcome

 

[Peace River]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!!!

 

[Evil1]

 

[FrugalReeferJon]

 

[kevgib67]

Welcome, glad you are here!

 

[CoralB]

Welcome !!

 

[Fish Fan]

Welcome to Reef2Reef!

 

[Ruben's Reef]

Welcome to R2R !!!

 

[Ocean_Queenie]

Hello & Welcome to R2R!

 

[Fish Think Pink]

Hi all,
I’m new to the hobby after being a freshwater addict for 10 years. Have set up a 100L tank two months ago and am loving it. Some interesting differences I’ve noticed between fresh and saltwater so far:

1) clean up crew actually cleans up!! In freshwater the plecos, snails and shrimp don’t actually eat algae they eat the microbes on top of algae and just make more waste. Imagine my surprise when I bought 2 trochus snails thinking it would be the same deal, next morning all my hair algae was gone!
2) the amount of life in the tank- I’m forever discovering new critters that I didn’t put in there or have no idea what they are that came in on live rock. I love researching these once they show up- most recently found a brittle star and a scud

Main downside
- in freshwater if something goes wrong, 90% of the time a big water change fixes it. In saltwater there are many other possibilities and biochem markers that may need addressing
- the cost! Have to buy RO water for every water change

Hello and Welcome! Long ago I also came from the freshwater side of the hobby, but once I got salty, I have stayed saltwater (except for a daughter's betta little aquarium).

As others likely have mentioned to you, you can make RO at home and it is so much more convenient. I have mine setup in my laundry room, getting water from the washing machine water line (in the wall, not in the machine lol), and the RO/DI water then goes into a 60 gallon elevated water holding tank... so when I need RO water, I just turn a spout handle on the holding tank and voila... there is the cost of the RO/DI equipment itself, and depending how often you make water, there are filters that need changed at an interval. When you factor all of that in, the setup cost for having RO creation at home does make the RO water purchases at store seem cheap, but in the long term, the price of convenience is PRICELESS to me... I'd never get a water change or top off done if I had to run out to the store to get water!

 

[BryanM]

Hi all,
I’m new to the hobby after being a freshwater addict for 10 years. Have set up a 100L tank two months ago and am loving it. Some interesting differences I’ve noticed between fresh and saltwater so far:

1) clean up crew actually cleans up!! In freshwater the plecos, snails and shrimp don’t actually eat algae they eat the microbes on top of algae and just make more waste. Imagine my surprise when I bought 2 trochus snails thinking it would be the same deal, next morning all my hair algae was gone!
2) the amount of life in the tank- I’m forever discovering new critters that I didn’t put in there or have no idea what they are that came in on live rock. I love researching these once they show up- most recently found a brittle star and a scud

Main downside
- in freshwater if something goes wrong, 90% of the time a big water change fixes it. In saltwater there are many other possibilities and biochem markers that may need addressing
- the cost! Have to buy RO water for every water change

Welcome to R2R!

 

[BonnieB]

Welcome to our R2R family!