What up boyz? Total Aquarium Rookie researching a New Hobby

[Nautalis-II]

First let me say that I came here from r/reeftanks, and I'm so impressed with what's been done here. What a great community. A little about me from my profile:

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What up fellas.

Why I chose my username: My favorite part of many classics are the fictional ships that are a big part of the story. Let this one be a metaphor for my ambitious journey into uncharted waters.

I'm new to aquariums and slowly became captivated by saltwater reefs after only a few days of diving head-first into aquarium research. Initially, I had my sights set on a killer freshwater tank...but the more I read about reefs the more I want to know. As of now, I'm not in a position to start a tank for about 2 years, so I'm looking to build as much knowledge in that time as possible. If you know of really great reefing-science books or deals on equipment for me to start accumulating, please let me know.

The science, hard work, and skill behind forging a unique piece of living art is frankly incredible. I love water. I love drinking it, tasting it, listening to it, watching, and being in it. It drives so many of my hobbies, and I'm excited to add one more that might be the best yet.

My goal for my first reef tank is to minimize cost on a highly effective and sophisticated setup. I want to do this by balancing 2 things:

1. Purchasing as close to my dream saltwater system the first time.
2. Acknowledging that rookie mistakes are inevitable and my first aquarium should take this into account.

I know starting out with an ambitious reef won't be easy, but here's to trying!

 

[dbl]

Welcome to R2R and your new reefing family and welcome to the hobby. You're off to a good start by doing your research.

 

[Billldg]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[Redfoxtang]

Welcome to R2R!!! You came to the right place for the knowledge of reef fish and corals!!!

 

[Lazydayz]

Welcome to R2R! You will definitely get lots of information on this site it has been the best resource for me since I just started as well. Plus they give away some pretty awesome stuff so there are lots of perks!!

 

[Peace River]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[Peepers]

Welcome.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Welcome to R2R!

 

[tupes]

Welcome to R2R!! Definitely doingbthe right thing by learning as much as you can. As there are many good books out there, R2R has a wealth of knowledge that most books can not compare. So being active and seeing other trouble and success stories will be extremely helpful to you.

So with that said, kick off your fins and stay a while.

 

[hdsoftail1065]

Welcome to R2R!!!

 

[Nautalis-II]

Welcome to R2R and your new reefing family and welcome to the hobby. You're off to a good start by doing your research.

Hello reef squad sir. As a jack-of-all-trades myself (albeit a young one), I think I'm gonna enjoy how there's room for woodworking, plumbing, and electrical in this hobby.

My research so far:

1. Annotated printouts of almost the entire r/aquarium wiki
2. downloaded and began the 52 Weeks of Reefing series (with updates)

I also have a book list of old faithfuls to really deepen my understanding of the subject:

• Ecology of the Planted Aquarium by Diana Walstad (2013 3rd Ed.)
• Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies (2011)
• Aquarium Corals: Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History by Eric Borneman (2001)
• The Reef Aquarium: A Comprehensive Guide to the Identification and Care of Tropical Marine Invertebrates, Vols. 1-3 by Charles Delbeek, Julian Sprung (1994-2005)
• The Modern Coral Reef Aquarium, Vols. 1-4 by Nilsen, Alf Jacob,Fossa, Svein A. (1996-2002)
• The Marine Aquarium Reference: Systems and Invertebrates by Martin Moe (1993)
• The Marine Aquarium Handbook: Beginner to Breeder by Martin Moe (2009)
• The New Marine Aquarium by Michael Paletta (2002)
• The Modern Reef Aquarium by C.W. Emmens (2004)

 

[Blutspitze]

Welcome to the forums! I must say that I love the formatting of your post here . Very awesome and looking forward to hearing that you start up a tank relatively soon, but do definitely get as much knowledge as you can ahead of time.

 

[Nautalis-II]

Welcome to R2R! You will definitely get lots of information on this site it has been the best resource for me since I just started as well. Plus they give away some pretty awesome stuff so there are lots of perks!!

Really, like what and how?

 

[Nautalis-II]

Welcome to the forums! I must say that I love the formatting of your post here . Very awesome and looking forward to hearing that you start up a tank relatively soon, but do definitely get as much knowledge as you can ahead of time.

Lol, 2 years is relatively soon?

 

[Peace River]

Really, like what and how?

One place to look is the R2R Giveaway and Contest sub-forum. Good luck!

 

[Lazydayz]

Really, like what and how?

If you go into forums and find the "R2R giveaway and contest forum" you will find all the different ones that are going on. Each has different ways to enter.

 

[Retro Reefer]

 

[BeejReef]

Welcome

You've got a good plan AND you're apparently very patient!

Both very good signs.

Need a little context on what kind of a budget you're looking to accomplish. If you're two years out, I wouldn't be focused on the high tech doodads yet. In two years, there will be all new ones. I'd start collecting and aging rock, be on the lookout for deals on tanks and stands... That sort of thing.

If you can get a system up and cycled, a great way of getting livestock and lots of little things you didn't know you needed is to watch for tank breakdowns in your local area. Then it's work, until you can afford the automation and are ready to make that leap.

welcome

 

[Nautalis-II]

Welcome to R2R!! Definitely doingbthe right thing by learning as much as you can. As there are many good books out there, R2R has a wealth of knowledge that most books can not compare. So being active and seeing other trouble and success stories will be extremely helpful to you.

There are a lot of good forums I've seen. The experience you guys have will be my most valuable resource.

 

[Nautalis-II]

You've got a good plan AND you're apparently very patient!

Both very good signs.

Need a little context on what kind of a budget you're looking to accomplish. If you're two years out, I wouldn't be focused on the high tech doodads yet. In two years, there will be all new ones. I'd start collecting and aging rock, be on the lookout for deals on tanks and stands... That sort of thing.

If you can get a system up and cycled, a great way of getting livestock and lots of little things you didn't know you needed is to watch for tank breakdowns in your local area. Then it's work, until you can afford the automation and are ready to make that leap.

Really helpful, thanks. HAHA, normally I'm used to taking action as soon as I've reached a decision, but in this case taking action means being patient.

How do I age rock...in a cycled tank that has properly purified and treated saltwater? I have zero equipment, and while I may be able to buy now (if it is very cheap), I'm really not in a place where I can actually set anything up yet. Sad, I know! But maybe I can make it work.