Really, really super-basic noob questions

[dreamsr]

It really depends what livestock you are talking about.

There's nothing wrong with a properly stocked coffee cup. :)

If you don't have any specific critters in mind, then don't worry (yet) about tank size and all that.

If you rule out nano tanks, then arguably you'll want a tank with a minimum of 18" of front-to-back space. Everything else is still fungible, depending on the critters you want.

I'm definitely generalizing, but most people spend all their research time on equipment at the beginning, when all they should be reading about is critters and husbandry. Spend ALL THE TIME YOU CAN thinking about critters. Find out what you really want to keep.

By the time you know that for sure, the question of equipment will virtually be answered for you.



Yes. Arguably Germany is/was the world capital of reefing. The method (basically live rock + skimmer) evolved there, so the legend goes. :)

You're right that I don't know exactly what I want yet, but I thought most people around here would know if there is anything that requires more than just enough water to cover it. It would be lousy to build a tank, set it up, and find out through the course of experimentation that it really should be 2" deeper or whatever.
But thanks for the point about width!
When people say "live rock", does it mean coral, and what is a skimmer? I was not exaggerating when I named this thread!

 

[mcarroll]

When people say "live rock", does it mean coral, and what is a skimmer? I was not exaggerating when I named this thread!

You're in the right place for it so keep em coming! :)

"live rock" = "dead coral"
The skeletons are amazingly porous in most cases and host an array of micro-life, including the ever-popular denitrifying bacteria that can reduce nitrate to nitrogen, which effectively removes it from the tank.

What Is A Skimmer
Bubbles are useful in pretty much all aquariums.

Elementally, a skimmer is just a very convenient container for bubbles in a saltwater tank.

Bubbles in saltwater naturally attract sludge and create salt creep.

Both are annoying.

So back in the 1960's some hobbyists in Germany decided to address the annoying parts and came up with "skimmers" where the nastiest bubbles are "skimmed" from the top of a column of foam, into a cup for convenient cleaning. I think it was supposed to have been in 1963 or '68 that Tunze claimed they made the first skimmer manufactured for the hobby. (They used to have a blog with pictures....can't find it anymore.)

This is my current skimmer, the Tunze 9410:

 

[redfishbluefish]

Live Rock is coral that died hundreds if not thousands of years ago. What is good about it is that it is porous and allows good bacteria to grow within. It is called live rock because it supports the live bacteria.

A skimmer is a device that is typically tubular shaped with a pump that draws in air to form bubbles. The bubbles carry away proteins and other nasty stuff. Think of it as your fish toilet. There are three general types: 1. Hang on back models that are typically for small tanks and/or tanks without a sump. 2. In sump models that sit in your sump. 3. Stand alone that do not have to be located in water, but are fed water via a pump.

Hope this helps.