SE PDX Reefer Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 Hello Everyone! I have been doing months of research on aquariums and have decided that a saltwater reef tank is the right fit for me. Looking for any advice on beginner tank size, budget considerations, what to expect starting out , livestock recommendations, etc. Any knowledge or wisdom is much appreciated! Thanks and happy Reefing! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gumby Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 It will easier to give advise with more specific plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 Yeah it’s pretty hard to say, people are limited by a lot of things like space, money, ongoing cost/maintenance, etc. My advice would be find a good sized used setup for reasonable. That way you don’t have a ton of money invested if you find out after 6 months it’s not the hobby for you. some would argue on tank size but I always favored a 90 gal tank. Has a great mix of space for fish and corals, larger water volume for more stability and margin for error, and generally they sell for pretty reasonable. Similarly sized would be a 75 gal, pretty close overall. I think the number one thing to expect is you have to be PATIENT! People want to setup a tank one weekend and have a full reef the next. If you rush, your gonna have a bad time. I’ve seen it a million times. Also initially you will need to test a lot to track things so prepare to be invested in the primary test kits and ready to use them often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SE PDX Reefer Posted December 2, 2020 Author Share Posted December 2, 2020 38 minutes ago, Blue Z Reef said: I think the number one thing to expect is you have to be PATIENT! People want to setup a tank one weekend and have a full reef the next. If you rush, your gonna have a bad time. I’ve seen it a million times. Also initially you will need to test a lot to track things so prepare to be invested in the primary test kits and ready to use them often. Thank you for the input! I’m very excited to get started. Time to find my tank setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 Wait... it takes longer than a week to set up a pimp reef tank? 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaywood Posted December 2, 2020 Share Posted December 2, 2020 (edited) * tank size- start as large as you can afford. You'll want a bigger tank later * budget considerations - double your budget * what to expect starting out - it can be frustrating at times. Be patient and go slow. * livestock - look for inexpensive fish a that can stay in your tank and will get along with future tank mates. * Coral - go slow and don't buy any expensive coral in the beginning because they will likely die. Be careful to avoid corals that will be problematic later (ie. Invasive or sting others) 😀 Edited December 2, 2020 by shaywood 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
half-astronaut Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 1 hour ago, pdxmonkeyboy said: Wait... it takes longer than a week to set up a pimp reef tank? Nah... I saw dudes on TV set huge tanks up in an hour! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 45 minutes ago, shaywood said: * tank size- start as large as you can afford. You'll want a bigger tank later * budget considerations - double your budget * what to expect starting out - it can be frustrating at times. Be patient and go slow. * livestock - look for inexpensive fish a that can stay in your tank and will get along with future tank mates. * Coral - go slow and don't buy any expensive coral in the beginning because they will likely die. Be careful to avoid corals that will be problematic later (ie. Invasive or sting others) That is great advice. Once you get the hang of things you can start to do what the experienced folks do.. * buy an expensive coral online and then be disappointed when it shows up. * chime in with advice, not really knowing what is wrong, and then just suggesting a water change. * have a healthy tank and then not QT a fish and have velvet beak out. * buy storage bins to store old aquarium stuff you don't use anymore (never sell anything) * put frags of corals everyone already has and price them like you work at WWC. * Bump those sale posts ^ * convince yourself you didn't like the wall behind your aquarium or the floor underneath it so you don't care that they are now ruined. * Be super proud and excited about a colony and then just have it die one day. Am I missing anything? 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Z Reef Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 47 minutes ago, pdxmonkeyboy said: Am I missing anything? Yes.... 🤣 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
titus'reef Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 Nothing to say here anymore. It’s all been said! Good luck! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Higher Thinking Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 5 hours ago, SE PDX Reefer said: Hello Everyone! I have been doing months of research on aquariums and have decided that a saltwater reef tank is the right fit for me. Looking for any advice on beginner tank size, budget considerations, what to expect starting out , livestock recommendations, etc. Any knowledge or wisdom is much appreciated! Thanks and happy Reefing! 5 hours ago, Blue Z Reef said: Yeah it’s pretty hard to say, people are limited by a lot of things like space, money, ongoing cost/maintenance, etc. My advice would be find a good sized used setup for reasonable. That way you don’t have a ton of money invested if you find out after 6 months it’s not the hobby for you. some would argue on tank size but I always favored a 90 gal tank. Has a great mix of space for fish and corals, larger water volume for more stability and margin for error, and generally they sell for pretty reasonable. Similarly sized would be a 75 gal, pretty close overall. I think the number one thing to expect is you have to be PATIENT! People want to setup a tank one weekend and have a full reef the next. If you rush, your gonna have a bad time. I’ve seen it a million times. Also initially you will need to test a lot to track things so prepare to be invested in the primary test kits and ready to use them often. 2 hours ago, shaywood said: * tank size- start as large as you can afford. You'll want a bigger tank later * budget considerations - double your budget * what to expect starting out - it can be frustrating at times. Be patient and go slow. * livestock - look for inexpensive fish a that can stay in your tank and will get along with future tank mates. * Coral - go slow and don't buy any expensive coral in the beginning because they will likely die. Be careful to avoid corals that will be problematic later (ie. Invasive or sting others) 😀 Some pretty good advice here. I agree wholeheartedly with the patience factor. First thing I would research (if you're not familiar) is the nitrogen cycle. Learning to actually cycle your tank is the most critical aspect of setting up a new aquarium. Getting a tank going is a months long project, not something done overnight. The other element I would recommend is getting plugged in to a reliable local fish shop. There are several in the area and depending on where you live, you'll likely spend a good amount of time at one over the others. Be a good customer, a nice person, and ask questions...you'll find your way in no time. For what it's worth, Cuttlefish and Coral is located in SW Portland. I think I've gotten dang near every fish I own from them (including the tank and a lot of the equipment). That's my recommendation if you're anywhere in that area (and even if you're not 😉😉). Check out our sponsors page and see what local shops are around, they're all great! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 And don't feel shy about asking questions. Monkeys may steal your lunch or scractch your face but deep down, they are trustworthy animals. Michael Jackson had lots of monkeys as pets so you know that, well, MJ was pretty weird so yeah, if you have questions just ask. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manny Tavan Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 Buy three tanks right now. Cause that’s what you’ll want in the end anyway 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMeyer Posted December 3, 2020 Share Posted December 3, 2020 advice for new reefers? go ahead and get the live rock now instead of trying for 2-3 years to get a sterile box of rocks and glass to turn into an ecosystem. more beneficial than any silly expensive piece of equipment you'll be sold, and speeds up your tanks development better than anything else. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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