Out of curiosity when starting your first SW tank

[lilkiwi930]

Hello,
I was wondering if I could get everybody's opinion on people who plan on starting there very own first saltwater fish tank. What are some things they should know? Including is getting a bigger tank better when you start? Or is it better to start off a smaller tank until you are ready to upgrade to a bigger tank? Including what are some of the must have's for a beginner to buys to start there first tanks that you believe a lot of people are not aware they might need?

Just wondering. I have been doing this for 1.5 years now and after joining this site, Ive come to the realization that I have made some mistakes. Thankfully nothing turned out as a disaster for me. I guess you can say it was luck since Ive had heard some bad stories.

So please put your input that you would like to tell a first timer on what they should be getting for there tank, including is it better to go bigger on the tank size on your first SW fish tank.

Thanks a bunches

 

[PicassoClown04]

Hey! Started not long ago, so all this stuff is still pretty fresh.

I feel like AIOs are definitely the easiest for a beginner since they don’t have to worry about trying to plumb a sump, plumbing my first sump made me wish it was an AIO so bad and I feel like AIOs are typically quieter as well. I keep my 20 gallon peninsula AIO in my bedroom with no issues. I feel like a 20 gallon is very hood for beginners, big enough to handle getting a little too much of something, you don’t feel like you need to upgrade size right away, and you have a lot of space to just buy corals and figure out how to care for them properly. I feel like it’s very easy to predict flow in a tank this small so you can place corals more accurately. Your fish list is also a little less limited than say a 10 or 15 gallon, I keep three fish plus a large fire shrimp and a couple sexy shrimp and I don’t think they look cramped at all.

As for supplies, LOTS of fish towels are required!! I like 3 towels at all times, one to protect the floor, one over my table to protect it when I put wet tools on it, and one on a hook on my stand or over my shoulder for easy access to wipe my hands on so I’m not dripping everywhere.
Aquarium tongs/tweezers are also invaluable IMO, an absolute must have. Feeding scolies at night, placing frags in the perfect location, flipping snails, holding a frag for a picture, so many uses.
Speaking of pictures, I think everybody should have an orange lens of some sort so they can actually take good pictures. Really helps with IDs, build thread pics, bragging pics for your friends, photo contests.... I use the ice cap lens, it was like $30.
Any beginners reading this, please get an ATO. Best investment I’ve ever made, I now have a 5 gallon jug of RODI chilling under my stand and I never have to worry about evaporation! I just refill it every week during my water change. Also very helpful when going away on vacation, you won’t have to worry about evap.
You’re probably going to want superglue GEL and some coral epoxy. After I discovered these two things, my available coral real estate tripled. Perfect for mounting a coral EXACTLY where you like it

That’s it for me! To all the people just starting out their reefing addiction, good luck! May your cycles be quick, ugly phases short, and corals be happy!!

 

[lilkiwi930]

Hey! Started not long ago, so all this stuff is still pretty fresh.

I feel like AIOs are definitely the easiest for a beginner since they don’t have to worry about trying to plumb a sump, plumbing my first sump made me wish it was an AIO so bad and I feel like AIOs are typically quieter as well. I keep my 20 gallon peninsula AIO in my bedroom with no issues. I feel like a 20 gallon is very hood for beginners, big enough to handle getting a little too much of something, you don’t feel like you need to upgrade size right away, and you have a lot of space to just buy corals and figure out how to care for them properly. I feel like it’s very easy to predict flow in a tank this small so you can place corals more accurately. Your fish list is also a little less limited than say a 10 or 15 gallon, I keep three fish plus a large fire shrimp and a couple sexy shrimp and I don’t think they look cramped at all.

As for supplies, LOTS of fish towels are required!! I like 3 towels at all times, one to protect the floor, one over my table to protect it when I put wet tools on it, and one on a hook on my stand or over my shoulder for easy access to wipe my hands on so I’m not dripping everywhere.
Aquarium tongs/tweezers are also invaluable IMO, an absolute must have. Feeding scolies at night, placing frags in the perfect location, flipping snails, holding a frag for a picture, so many uses.
Speaking of pictures, I think everybody should have an orange lens of some sort so they can actually take good pictures. Really helps with IDs, build thread pics, bragging pics for your friends, photo contests.... I use the ice cap lens, it was like $30.
Any beginners reading this, please get an ATO. Best investment I’ve ever made, I now have a 5 gallon jug of RODI chilling under my stand and I never have to worry about evaporation! I just refill it every week during my water change. Also very helpful when going away on vacation, you won’t have to worry about evap.
You’re probably going to want superglue GEL and some coral epoxy. After I discovered these two things, my available coral real estate tripled. Perfect for mounting a coral EXACTLY where you like it

That’s it for me! To all the people just starting out their reefing addiction, good luck! May your cycles be quick, ugly phases short, and corals be happy!!

A lot of good tips. Things I did not even know. Plus I need to look into getting a ATO since I have problems with evaporation a lot. Thank you.

 

[ShepherdReefer]

Hello,
I was wondering if I could get everybody's opinion on people who plan on starting there very own first saltwater fish tank. What are some things they should know? Including is getting a bigger tank better when you start? Or is it better to start off a smaller tank until you are ready to upgrade to a bigger tank? Including what are some of the must have's for a beginner to buys to start there first tanks that you believe a lot of people are not aware they might need?

Just wondering. I have been doing this for 1.5 years now and after joining this site, Ive come to the realization that I have made some mistakes. Thankfully nothing turned out as a disaster for me. I guess you can say it was luck since Ive had heard some bad stories.

So please put your input that you would like to tell a first timer on what they should be getting for there tank, including is it better to go bigger on the tank size on your first SW fish tank.

Thanks a bunches

This is an excellent question which, in some cases will be hard to answer. If someone wanted to start a saltwater tank, that will depend on what kind of fish, going to house corals and more. When I started some 30-years ago, we started with a 45-gallon tank. We use the basics such as live rock, crushed coral, heater, powerheads, and basic light. The filtration was a hang-on filter with carbon and later added hang-on protein skimmer. I agree the ATO is very important. With the bi-weekly water changes and routine maintenance, was very successful with a fish only tank.

 

[WIReefer]

I believe someone wrote and article not to long ago about being new to the hobby and tank size.

 

[New&no clue]

Hey! Started not long ago, so all this stuff is still pretty fresh.

I feel like AIOs are definitely the easiest for a beginner since they don’t have to worry about trying to plumb a sump, plumbing my first sump made me wish it was an AIO so bad and I feel like AIOs are typically quieter as well. I keep my 20 gallon peninsula AIO in my bedroom with no issues. I feel like a 20 gallon is very hood for beginners, big enough to handle getting a little too much of something, you don’t feel like you need to upgrade size right away, and you have a lot of space to just buy corals and figure out how to care for them properly. I feel like it’s very easy to predict flow in a tank this small so you can place corals more accurately. Your fish list is also a little less limited than say a 10 or 15 gallon, I keep three fish plus a large fire shrimp and a couple sexy shrimp and I don’t think they look cramped at all.

As for supplies, LOTS of fish towels are required!! I like 3 towels at all times, one to protect the floor, one over my table to protect it when I put wet tools on it, and one on a hook on my stand or over my shoulder for easy access to wipe my hands on so I’m not dripping everywhere.
Aquarium tongs/tweezers are also invaluable IMO, an absolute must have. Feeding scolies at night, placing frags in the perfect location, flipping snails, holding a frag for a picture, so many uses.
Speaking of pictures, I think everybody should have an orange lens of some sort so they can actually take good pictures. Really helps with IDs, build thread pics, bragging pics for your friends, photo contests.... I use the ice cap lens, it was like $30.
Any beginners reading this, please get an ATO. Best investment I’ve ever made, I now have a 5 gallon jug of RODI chilling under my stand and I never have to worry about evaporation! I just refill it every week during my water change. Also very helpful when going away on vacation, you won’t have to worry about evap.
You’re probably going to want superglue GEL and some coral epoxy. After I discovered these two things, my available coral real estate tripled. Perfect for mounting a coral EXACTLY where you like it

That’s it for me! To all the people just starting out their reefing addiction, good luck! May your cycles be quick, ugly phases short, and corals be happy!!

YES! I agree with all of these things. AIO is such a good starter tank, it's not how I started but I have one now and love it. eliminates the hassle of plumbing, but lets you have a "sump" compartment to add on additional things.

Also bigger is not always better. For a new person starting out, yes bigger will help with parameter swings. But it also means higher cost and maintenance time. Starting small means you can spend less and you can get your feet wet with maintenance. Big tanks are a lot of work.

 

[FreakPrism]

Hello, I just recently started as well after some time building my stand. Here are my thoughts:

1. Getting the biggest tank you can afford and fit in your space. Yes it will be more expensive and cost more in terms of salt water, but large tanks are awesome. Plus, with more water gives you more room to learn and make mistakes compared to smaller tank. I got the biggest tank I could fit in my space.

2. Towels, towels, towels. And more towels My tank is on tile and no matter how careful I am things drip and splash. Makes cleanup so much easier. And since this is salt water, who knows what additional damage it does if left.

3. Start with one wavemaker and add as you go. It will depend on your structure but don't buy more than 1 to start unless you are able to return them.

4. Think through where your mixing and water change station will be. Account for your initial load of salt water into your tank as it may take a few days to fill the tank (i.e. make RODI, mix salt water, etc.)

5. I started my tank with Turbo 900 and added 4 fish. After a week I added a beginner coral pack. No regrets at all as everything is doing well and I find it is more enjoying than looking at an empty tank while it cycles. No SPS though, although maybe a beginner one may work.

6. Get a sump. The bigger the better. Not only can you hide things in there, you can test and do so much without disturbing your display tank.

7. I did not get an ATO but quickly see it's importance. Without an ATO it forces me to check in on the tank while I topoff water. My tank seems to lose about 3L a day. I marked a line in the sump and use that to topoff. Early on I think don't use an ATO to force yourself to monitor your tank.

8. Make sure you watch your reef tank at night when it is dark. Some corals come alive and others retreat and go to sleep. My Anemone closes up line an onion. Pretty cool to see.

9. Buy some Coralife Aqua Gloves. My tank is 24" high and these gloves are awesome.

10. Dip your corals before putting in the tank. The corals I got had lots of things in them that ReVive killed off.

11. Enjoy it as a hobby. Life finds a way to survive so small changes are forgivable.

 

[lilkiwi930]

Hello, I just recently started as well after some time building my stand. Here are my thoughts:

1. Getting the biggest tank you can afford and fit in your space. Yes it will be more expensive and cost more in terms of salt water, but large tanks are awesome. Plus, with more water gives you more room to learn and make mistakes compared to smaller tank. I got the biggest tank I could fit in my space.

2. Towels, towels, towels. And more towels My tank is on tile and no matter how careful I am things drip and splash. Makes cleanup so much easier. And since this is salt water, who knows what additional damage it does if left.

3. Start with one wavemaker and add as you go. It will depend on your structure but don't buy more than 1 to start unless you are able to return them.

4. Think through where your mixing and water change station will be. Account for your initial load of salt water into your tank as it may take a few days to fill the tank (i.e. make RODI, mix salt water, etc.)

5. I started my tank with Turbo 900 and added 4 fish. After a week I added a beginner coral pack. No regrets at all as everything is doing well and I find it is more enjoying than looking at an empty tank while it cycles. No SPS though, although maybe a beginner one may work.

6. Get a sump. The bigger the better. Not only can you hide things in there, you can test and do so much without disturbing your display tank.

7. I did not get an ATO but quickly see it's importance. Without an ATO it forces me to check in on the tank while I topoff water. My tank seems to lose about 3L a day. I marked a line in the sump and use that to topoff. Early on I think don't use an ATO to force yourself to monitor your tank.

8. Make sure you watch your reef tank at night when it is dark. Some corals come alive and others retreat and go to sleep. My Anemone closes up line an onion. Pretty cool to see.

9. Buy some Coralife Aqua Gloves. My tank is 24" high and these gloves are awesome.

10. Dip your corals before putting in the tank. The corals I got had lots of things in them that ReVive killed off.

11. Enjoy it as a hobby. Life finds a way to survive so small changes are forgivable.

Thank you. One of my biggest mistakes when I started was not dipping my corals when I started. So trying to rid all pest currently.

 

[FreakPrism]

Thank you. One of my biggest mistakes when I started was not dipping my corals in I started. So trying to rid all pest currently.

Yes that is good. I got my frags from a coral store that had a very clean, clear water frag tank. Yet when I got home my dip bowl found worms and small bugs. Maybe these were the beneficial kind, but regardless, did not want any hitchhikers. I also used a turkey baster to gently blast the frags while in the bowl with ReVive. I think it also helped remove anything.

 

[lilkiwi930]

Yes that is good. I got my frags from a coral store that had a very clean, clear water frag tank. Yet when I got home my dip bowl found worms and small bugs. Maybe these were the beneficial kind, but regardless, did not want any hitchhikers. I also used a turkey baster to gently blast the frags while in the bowl with ReVive. I think it also helped remove anything.

I did see a youtube video about dipping corals and recommended using a turkey baster. Im a little upset with myself for not knowing this and having to deal with aiptasia. Plus I said a brown worm in my rock this morning while the lights were off and have no clue what it is. Hard to even take a picture of.

 

[rwreef]

Must have imo
1. Larger the better..aka easier to balance
2. GFCI protection
3. ATO
4. Heaters with controllers
5. Lots of surface area for beneficial bacteria
6. Lights/skimmer/pumps. Etc.. flow is important.

 

[Vette67]

I think one of the biggest mistakes in starting a new aquarium is not starting with real ocean live rock. People are too afraid of pests that are easy to control. I believe the macro and micro fauna of real live rock is the foundation to a functioning and diverse reef ecosystem. There is nothing in a bottle that even comes close. It doesn't have to be all of the rock, but at least some decent percentage to seed the pods, worms, feather dusters, starfish, bacteria, tunicates, sponges, and snails that are important to a diverse reef ecosystem. The ocean is not sterile, so we should not seek a sterile beginning for our reef tanks.

 

[Tiger Brown]

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean...

www.reef2reef.com

In no way am I trying to usurp this thread or discourage answers, I think new and different experiences are important on this topic. Just pointing out that the stickies on this forum, New to Saltwater & Reef Aquariums, have hundreds of posts on beginner topics.

 

[lilkiwi930]

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium

The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean...

www.reef2reef.com

In no way am I trying to usurp this thread or discourage answers, I think new and different experiences are important on this topic. Just pointing out that the stickies on this forum, New to Saltwater & Reef Aquariums, have hundreds of posts on beginner topics.

I know but the link you sent me is from 2013. I know some have been posted recently, but over time things change and people opinions may have changed as well. So seeing what new opinions have people formed over time and such. But thank you.

 

[|Tom the Bomb|]

@lilkiwi930
basically I think that the best tank size for a newbie beginner is somewhere between 20-40 gallons personally I would choose from a 20 gallon cube AIO or a 40 gal breeder
g
for a first tank avoid sump setuos unless ur buying those .red Sea. or .water box. reef tanks that already done with all the plumbing all ready cut and no glue needed etc.
just get a 20 gallon cube or tank from IM nuvo AIO series or WB cube or marine AIO series of tanks or a red Sea reefer 170 or nano or a E170 or max nano either of these tanks are great

 

[sp1187]

I started with 2 29g tanks stacked, on one of those black metal stands, back in the early 80's.
was living in an apartment and that's all the space I had available.

first home purchase in the early 90's and I had 4' of available space. upgraded to a 110 Tall.
divorce and moving out of said house in '97 forced me out of the hobby.

bought a home in 2017 and it was time to start planning.
2018 installed the current tank, a 150 Tall in wall, as I didn't think hard enough.
I was thinking I only had 4' to work with because of a door in that same wall.
I should have removed the door and rebuilt the wall and put an 8' tank in. there's a 2nd door access to the room on the other side of the stairs.

for me the only thing that determines how small/big of a tank is space and financing.
big tanks cost more, not just the glass box, but additional pumps, lighting, maintenance, livestock to fill it....

you can learn/make mistakes along the way regardless of what size tank.

side note:
if that's Grand Rapids, MI cya at the next frag show.

 

[ErehwoN]

The things that I was lacking when I started six months ago:

1. Direction/End Goal: I just started putting together a tank with rudimentary knowledge. As I progressed, I quickly learned the answers to questions I should have asked beforehand, such as the basic "Are you going for corals, and if so, what kinds?" "Fish?" Without a clear picture of where you are going the path will be winding and full of pitfalls. In my experience, I was lost and made every mistake along the way until I determined "My tank is going to be a mixed reef tank" which was a far cry from "let me see if I can get this used tank up and running." Once that destination was set, the path was easily plotted, if not necessarily easy to follow.

2. Time and money. You will need a lot of both, especially at the startup. Money is self explanatory. Include research/learning time. Also realize this is a slow hobby and everything takes time, especially growth. Patience is an absolute necessity. One of the guys on BRS said it best, "Only bad things happen fast." Adopt that mantra, as difficult as it may be in this era of instant gratification, and you will be successful!

3. In terms of things you must have:

• A source of good quality water, whether that's RODI or some other solution.
• Surge protectors coupled with GFCI. Water and electricity do not mix well.
• Plastic measuring spoons and cups.
• Test kit/instrument(s) you can trust, with all the basic parms (SG, pH, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and Alk at very least).
• A journal/app to track parameters and activities (I use AquariumNote).
• Buckets. Seems you can never have too many.
• Algae scraper/pads for the glass. Related: place your scape/corals far enough away from the glass you won't bump them with the scraper.

4. Nice to have but are not on the required list:

• Backup heater and return pumps are a must in my opinion, especially as you get more livestock.
• UPS or other backup power source, especially if you are in an area with power instabilities.
• ATO & AWC.
• All the other cool pieces of hardware that go with this hobby ;Woot

And I think that's about it other than things that have already been mentioned above. If a person has items 1 & 2, then they might be prepared to be a reefer!

FWIW, YMMV

Jim

 

[snowhite]

IMHO...
- Something in 30+ gallon range gives lots of leeway for learning.

- Until educated... just start with Live Rock. Learn to deal with critters, aptaisia, etc as they come.

- Going the dry rock route and not knowing what to expect will be p a i n f u l in a few months when the tank starts going through ugly stages and you're wondering "what did I do wrong". You'll still get ugly stages with your first Live Rock tank, but it will be "better".

- AIO tanks are great, but many have mediocre lights(at best) in their hoods that can cause algae growth if not careful with lighting schedule.

- If not AIO, and want to have corals, prepare for the pricey lighting if you want options and not just on-off.

 

[KStatefan]

On thing that I believe that every setup should have that is missed until it is to late a lot is a loss of power plan

An automatic system that will at least be a short term solution.

A longterm solution when/if the automatic solution is no longer viable.

 

[Fred2482]

I agree that "bigger is better".

For those who have never been in the hobby or have taken extremely long breaks from the hobby, it may be worth starting smaller. Spending a lot less to ensure they actually like it enough to further invest both time and money. If they know they want a large tank and can spare the expense, I still think starting with a temporary tank (smaller or used) would have lots of benefits. Like buying a cheap used car for your first time driving. Get better before making a larger more long term investment. There's always a learning curve, and things you wish you would have done different. I would personally not get an AIO as a practice run if a large tank is the ultimate goal. The "trial run" should be as close to the end goal as possible to get the most out of the experience, IMO. They are great aquariums especially for beginners.

In my case I purchased a smaller (80 gallon) setup and ran for a year. I knew it was going to be replaced if I decided I liked it, however I was able to trial and error to better understand how I needed to setup/maintain/dose my future DT.
After a year, I regretted more than I didn't, even the placement.. Now I have a 180 and 200 that have all the lessons learned applied to them. That 80 gallon required 10 times the amount of work both of my new tanks combined require!