Well above my depth

[Gary King]

Hi everyone, i've had Tropical fish tanks on and off most of my life. But ive decided to branch into Marine, and have to admit it's very confusing as there's so much conflicting advice. I will not be starting till end of June so i've plenty of time to read up. Sumps, pumps, protein skimmers, my heads a spin lol. So hopefuly I will be able to get as much advice as I need from all you lovely people.The journey starts NOW I will keep you informed

 

[Caseyoidae]

Good luck! R2r is a great resource!

 

[Jimbo662]

Welcome to a new addiction! I would also suggest finding someone local, maybe in a reef club that could mentor you. The key with this hobby is patience. Can't wait to see what you have planned.

 

[Chrisfish]

Welcome , I started out with freshwater as well and finally took the plunge last June. It's a wonderful but sometimes scary expierence but there are very helpful, expierenced people here that are more than happy to help you, I know I have really benifited from all the forums here. :)

 

[twilliard]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/skimmers-explained.227824/

This is one of the pieces of the puzzle that can cost a lot of time and money if not well understood.

 

[pondman]

Welcome to your new addiction that's for sure.as most here we all start in freshwater I did 44 years ago or so.there are a lot of good people with a lot of good information all free for the asking.Good luck in your build and remember the only dumb question is one not asked.Best advise I can give is do your research and overall have fun doing it all and you will be fine.

 

[Anthony Wood]

Welcome to the most gratifying and irritating hobby out there haha Your never going to get straight answer that's because what works for one persons tank may not for another. So both people in the end might be right.

I'll keep it short and to the point. Do NOT over think it but do plan ahead like your doing. Of your going to buy something ask yourself what am I trying to achieve by buying this and will it do what I want it to. You don't have to run a sump if you don't want. The point of a sump is to hide all your ugly equipment out of the display and add water volume. I wouldn't run a marine tank without one personally. Then your tank get whatever size makes you happy just make sure it's drilled with an overflow if you want to run a sump. Obviously the more water volume the better because it'll be easier to maintain and keep levels from fluctuating drastically and quickly. Plus you have more options with fish with bigger tanks. But you can have your dream tank in whatever size you want it's just going to be the amount of work involved.

Bulkreefsupply has videos on everything you'll ever need to know go give them a look. Get the essentials and work from there. Whatever you do do not go the cheap route like a majority of us did you'll kick yourself in the butt for that later. Point blank you get what you pay for something is cheap for a reason. I'm not saying go get the most expensive stuff I'm saying don't buy new stuff at a dirt price because Your getting junk. Nothing wrong with used though. Hope that gets you started!

 

[1fishjones]

I came in on the same boat with nothing but fresh water tanks all of my life. Always considered dabbling into saltwater it just seamed too expensive and time consuming. Then it happened, we were invited over to a new friends home who just happens to have one of the most beautiful reef tanks imaginable, I was hooked! There are a few things I can highly recommend & would never start another tank without. One is Tropic Eden Reef Flakes for substrate, in my opinion nothing comes close. Caribsea's Life Rock is another. You don't have to worry about any bad hitchhikers, it's already seeded with good bacteria, & it looks great. Next would be a good protein skimmer, wouldn't be without one. Lastly and what I consider to be the biggest reason for my success is Marine Pure. This stuff is amazing with so much more surface area than anything else in the industry it is in my opinion unbeatable.

Good luck!

 

[dbrewsky]

My advise is research, research, research! Forums such as reef2reef are a great resource, however, it can be difficult to weed through your findings and determine the proper information for your needs. My recommendation is to follow to advice of people whose aquariums match what your are trying to achieve. Just because this method work great for so-and-so, doesn't mean it will give you the same outcomes. Most of the time the simple, more logical methods have greater rates of success. Let the more tenured or adventurous reefers experiment with the obscure or highly advanced methods and if they work over time and are well understood/documented on a scientific level than go for it.

As mentioned above Bulk Reef Supply's youtube channel is a great resource for quality information based on science and a great jumping off point for information especially related to equipment.

Even with tons of research a lot of this hobby involves learning by doing and you will figure out the best methods to reach your end goals by melding together findings from other people and your own experiences.

 

[reefwiser]

The conflicting advice part is due to everyone having different experiences. Not everyone has the same tank and what works in one person's tank might not work in yours. The chemistry and corals can be wild cards and it takes time to find out what will work in your Reef tank. Every tank I start is a little different from the last one and it can become and interesting challenge to give things to the point where all your corals are happy. Be patient and read and learn from the post in the forums and do not be afraid to ask questions.:)

 

[Gary King]

Thanks for all your kind posts and advise. I have been watching videos and researching and starting to understand what each bit of equipment does in the cycle of things. I think my main concern is going to be the overall plumbing of the sump and filter etc as I am to DIY what Mike Tyson is to ballet dancing.

 

[helen ann]

Welcome to a new addiction! I would also suggest finding someone local, maybe in a reef club that could mentor you. The key with this hobby is patience. Can't wait to see what you have planned.

Have to agree on finding someone local to mentor you.;)

I did that after my 1st round with my biocube went badly and I can't say enough about my mentor! He is fantastic ... but I bet if you were to ask him, he would say I am a PITA!!!!:rolleyes: (@ReeferEric)

 

[Salty1962]

Welcome to R2R! Ask any questions you want, there are many experts here.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

Welcome,
You are about to discover that there are many chefs with differing recipies in the reef hobby. I would pick a chef and a recipie that makes sense to you and follow it to the end. Mixing recipies without being a chef can lead to a poor result. As your successes increse you can take control of the recipie and make it your own. Make changes one at a time a slowly as nothing good happens in a hurry in a reef tank. You may have experianced the same thing in freshwater if you were into planted aquariums. If not think about a fish only reef tank first and then work up to easier to care for inverts next. Progress with the hobby as your skills and budget dictate. Most of all read widely and ask questions.
I wish you well on your journey it is a great hobby!