Soon-to-be new reefer from MN

[MonsterTaco]

Fish only, no coral. I stopped in about a year ago and there was a poor clown in a display tank laying on its side struggling and I asked the clerk about it and he said it's been like that for weeks and there was nothing he can do about it. They had some designer clowns in a tank beating each other up too. It was all a bit depressing so I never went back.

World of Fish is another local option, but the saltwater area is a complete dump, ripped up gross carpet etc...which I could live with except I could barely see inside any of the tanks they were so dirty.

These examples are why I'm such a strong supporter of New Wave Aquaria. It's a beautiful, well maintained store with a large selection of coral, plus they QT their fish. Marc Levenson (Melevs Reef) visited the store a couple years ago, you can find the video on YouTube.

Thanks for the info, that's sad to hear. Their web site doesn't have much to it, so I thought I'd just stop by. I think I remember WoF from way back in the day and I wasn't impressed then either. I've heard nothing but good about New Wave - looking forward to visiting. I'll check out the video too.

 

[MonsterTaco]

Good plan. Personally I reccommend keeping a 20-30 gallon tank first..its good practice and you can decide if you want to risk for a bigger tank without going all in.

The pros of a smaller tank is that its more sensitive, builds good habits, and is cheaper, with less livestock at risk. You can also keep it as second or seed tank for your big one in a few years. If it goes south, you can rinse it out in your garage by yourself. Yeah, its a PITA and more time but it really builds confidence. Also, you get more chances to aquascape before going big.

You can definitely start with a big one though. They are more stable which is nice, just when things go wrong, there is more to deal with. So dont let the stability make you lazy. A 50% water change 2-3 days in a row is easy with 20 gallons. Not with 150 gallons. Restarting is a multi weekend project.

I only offer this advice because I have seen people buy a big tank, and either skimp or buy too many toys, have it go sideways, then be permanently discouraged at all the money/time they lost for "nothing" Its better to learn on a baby tank IMO. But, if you have the time, skill, resource and friends, you can start big.

If you are going to start with the big tank, I definitely recommend finding a mentor who won't mind helping/teaching. There for sure is one in your area. I also recommend keeping it really simple...start off a solid cycle, good lights and soft corals. Then move on up to LPS. If you want to go more, get SPS. If in doubt,do without; its better to under stock your tank with fish than overstock. You can always add more.

It also depends on how much cash, time, and heartbreak you are willing to risk I guess. Also your knowledge level.

Great advice, thank you. I really did want to start smaller, for many of the reasons you mention. The fact that it is more sensitive, forcing good habits and building confidence being the biggest ones. The only real issue I have with that is that I don't really have a good place for a smaller tank where I would enjoy it. Sure, I could put it in a spare bedroom or whatever, but I'm not hanging out in there. I don't really want to put it in the spot where the big one would go because I know that means planning to move it and the livestock in it and again, I don't know where I'd move it to. But maybe I'm thinking about the wrong things there.

I've researched and learned a lot and feel confident that I can put together a good, slow plan to get to where I want starting with a big tank. I really don't expect to have much more than a couple of clowns and a CUC in the first 6 months after getting through the initial cycle. I know I don't need to buy every skimmer, algae scrubber, reactor, etc. etc. right off the bat and I'm patient and willing to take it slow. Finding a local mentor is a great idea.

But the good news is that I don't have a tank on order yet, it's not sitting in my garage or filling with water. I've still got time to think about it and make my decisions - it's still possible that I do start smaller. And I do really appreciate the advice - that's why I'm here. I've already seen enough people whose 1st post is in the "Tank Emergency" forum because they got started on the wrong foot. Thanks again!

 

[MonsterTaco]

BRS is in your backyard. If you havent heard of it, it's one of the most popular online reef stores. Local pickup 2 hrs after ordering.

They are a big reason I'm even here! I've watched Randy and Ryan so much, they're bigger celebrities to me than Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt!

 

[Mical]

They are a big reason I'm even here! I've watched Randy and Ryan so much, they're bigger celebrities to me than Tom Cruise or Brad Pitt!

And if you stop by BRS, they're usually willing to give you a tour of the offices. Each employee has at least one tank in their office. (One of the perks - as is, take your dog to work day - everyday)

 

[reef lover]

Welcome to r2r!

 

[MonsterTaco]

Welcome... wow, waiting for Black Friday sales!!! A lot more patience than me!

Well, I don't know that I'll be waiting until then to buy the basics, like the tank, but as I've already learned, there's always something to buy!

 

[Reefnman2]

Welcome to R2R James!

 

[AllSignsPointToFish]

Welcome to the lagoon, James!

 

[RoryReefs]

Welcome! I'm a soon-to-be new reefer in the area too! I'm still cycling my nano (living in a small apartment with limited space), but excited to start as well! I've checked out a few places nearby and New Wave Aquaria in Plymouth probably impressed me the most! Didn't know BRS was so close to us though!

Hi everyone, I've been lurking here for a while and finally signed up for an account a few weeks ago, so I thought it was time to introduce myself. My name is James and I live in the Minneapolis suburbs. Married to my wife for 10 years. No kids, but 3 nieces that we adore (and spoil!). I work in IT as my full-time job and am also a paid on-call firefighter in my city. Back in my high school days (20+ years ago), I kept some FW tanks, but have always dreamed of salt water. My favorite vacation activity is snorkeling reefs and the thought of recreating a small piece of that in my home is so exciting!

I never really had the space for a tank - at least not where I'd be able to enjoy it - but moved into a new (to me) house about 3 1/2 years ago and started considering it again. With many new house projects to keep me busy, I never got too serious about it. Then about 2 years ago, I stumbled across a job opening in IT at Bulk Reef Supply, which isn't very far from my home. I'd been subscribed to their YouTube channel for a long time, so I was excited about the potential to work with and learn from some guys I'd been watching for years. Although the job didn't work out, it completely reignited my desire for a SW tank. Since then, I've spent a ton of time reading, watching videos and learning about the hobby and getting more and more excited about creating a reef of my own!

I've got some (relatively) minor remodeling to do in my finished basement before I start my reefing adventure, but I hope to be in position to take advantage of some Black Friday sales this year. I'm still somewhat limited on tank placement due to the layout of my house, so the best option for me is going to be a 72" peninsula - most likely the Waterbox 7225. I thought I'd start a bit smaller, but this just works out better. Besides, go big or go home, right?!?!

Well, that's quite a long introduction! I've already learned a ton of information from many of you, so thank you all for that! It's great to have such a community that's willing to help each other out - especially the newbies like me. When the time comes, I'll certainly start my own build thread, but in the meantime I look forward to learning more and asking my share of (sometimes dumb) questions!

 

[Fires Fish]