Well, the other day i happened to walk into a new LFS, having no real desire to get a tank set up (in fact, i was actually looking for dog supplies, lol) But, after i left, i decided that i want to get a real tank set up. I talked to my brother, who has a 20g set up ( not sure of exact specs or crew he has) and he said he was going to hook me up with his old 18g. Now, i am thinking about really becoming serious about reefing, so i was wondering if you had any usefull suggestions, setups, fish recommendations, etc... for me. Please keep in mind that i am a total beginner. So far, my bro suggested zoanthids, musroom corals, and maybe even a clam if i get the lighting set up right. For the fish, he said to limit it to 3, two inch fish at the most. One fish that he has that i found really cool was a scooter blenny, so was wondering which fish are compatible with him, or if he's not a good idea in an 18g. As i said earlier, i am open to all types of suggestions. I would really appreciate your feedback though, so even if it's just one or two sentences, it would be nice. I actually might try to get a job at my LFS, or at least talk to the manager there to get some advice from him. Thanks!!
Total beginner, need help.
- Thread starter wakedude
- Start date
:welcome to Nanotank!
Well it looks like your brother has given some pretty good advice for you. The only think I can this of would be to reconsider on the clam (unless you plan on getting MH lighting).
The Scooter blenny will get along with most other fish, you just want to make sure that you only get one, as they will fight if you pair them up.
Do you know what lighting is currently on the 18g that he is giving you?
Well it looks like your brother has given some pretty good advice for you. The only think I can this of would be to reconsider on the clam (unless you plan on getting MH lighting).
The Scooter blenny will get along with most other fish, you just want to make sure that you only get one, as they will fight if you pair them up.
Do you know what lighting is currently on the 18g that he is giving you?
Yeah, I wasn't too sure about the clam. As for the lighting, i'm not sure, as I said, I am totally new to mostly everything to do with reefing. I think he said it was just the stock lighting that came with the tank, but he also said that I might be able to take it to my LFS and someone could possible be able to switch out the lights for better ones for me. I will ask him tomorrow. In your opinion, what kind of lights should I be looking for?
On a side note, I am really looking forward to becoming a contributing member on Nanotank. It seems like there are a lot of cool, knowledgeable people here (like yourself).
On a side note, I am really looking forward to becoming a contributing member on Nanotank. It seems like there are a lot of cool, knowledgeable people here (like yourself).
If it is just stock lighting, then he was right to recommend the basic beginner corals such as mushrooms, zoanthids, etc.
With all-in-one tanks you'll find many mods to lighting/filtration/etc. Depending on how you want to adjust it your needs down the road.
We look forward to having you as a contributing member here at Nanotank!
:mrgreen:
With all-in-one tanks you'll find many mods to lighting/filtration/etc. Depending on how you want to adjust it your needs down the road.
We look forward to having you as a contributing member here at Nanotank!
:mrgreen:
:welcome to nanotank.com! I think jennie has covered things pretty well. What kind of lighting does the tank currently have, if any? It should have what are called compact fluorescent or power compact lamps.... probably two 32 watt lamps. it will say somewhere on the base of the lamps. You could probably stick with those, go with zoanthids, mushrooms, and other low to moderate light stuff. Set up something like that, l;et it run 6 months or so and see where your interest lies after that. So far it sounds like your brother is a pretty reliable source of info... maybe you should get him to sign up here ;-) ;-) .
I agree that you should skip the clam not only for lighting reasons but also because they require an established system.
BTW, where are you located if you dont mind me asking? One thing to ALWAYS remember is NEVER take anything a local fish store says as truth. Always take what they say and go and research it and get other people's opinions. 9 times out of 10 fish stores are a source of bad or misleading info.
Jesse
I agree that you should skip the clam not only for lighting reasons but also because they require an established system.
BTW, where are you located if you dont mind me asking? One thing to ALWAYS remember is NEVER take anything a local fish store says as truth. Always take what they say and go and research it and get other people's opinions. 9 times out of 10 fish stores are a source of bad or misleading info.
Jesse
I understand that LFS's are probably wrong alot, that is why i asked my bro first ( he is an avid scuba diver and does research dives alot). I also figured it would be better to ask people who are actually interested in the hobby ( the Nanotank community). I was planning on telling him about Nanotank, but i just found it last night and haven't talked to him since. He only has one nano running right now, but he is pretty into reefing. I felt bad, because when i was just up visiting him, we moved that tank from his old house to his new one, and unfortunately, he had a lot of unexpected die off. I will make sure to ask him about the lighting specs as soon as i talk to him. I am located in so cal.
:welcome to the board. Since you said the tank was 18 gallons I almost suspect it is a ViaAqua tank that should have power compact lighting (I have my fingers crossed for you). As soon as you can find out more specs about the lights and equipment you have let us know and we'll see if we can get you initiated into the world of nanoreefing.
OK, well i gave my LFS another visit today, just to check out some of the things they had. I am planning on getting LR and LS from them. After the tank has cycled, I might add just a few corals like zoanthids and mushrooms if they didn't hitch hike on the rock. After that, I will most likely take Jesse's advice and just let everything chill and see what i need to change. There were a few fish i saw today that i liked. The first one, as i said earlier, was a scooter blenny. Then, probably a clown ( not sure of all the different types), and finally, i saw a cowfish that i really liked today. Would all of the stuff i have mentioned so far work well together? And, what should i get for my cleanup crew after i have all the LR and LS situated?
I'd nix the cowfish due to their level care and caution, here is some basic info to read up on
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... tid=65&N=0
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... tid=68&N=0
HTH
:mrgreen:
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... tid=65&N=0
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod ... tid=68&N=0
HTH
:mrgreen:
Thanks alot Jennie. I had no idea they were toxic, and that they would eat organisms from the live rock. I'll have to think of something else. What kind of fish would you suggest that looks pretty cool, but is also reletively hardy, and good for beginners?
As for the lighting in the tank, it is an eclipse 1 hood with standard flourescent (sp?) lights. He told me that i should get a SmartPaq Retrofit Kit, for which i have provided a link for below.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/P ... 2004&Nty=1
As for the lighting in the tank, it is an eclipse 1 hood with standard flourescent (sp?) lights. He told me that i should get a SmartPaq Retrofit Kit, for which i have provided a link for below.
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/P ... 2004&Nty=1
There are alot of beginner fish to choose from: clowns, gobys, damsels, etc.
Surf the net and if something catches your fancy, research the particular fish and see if it is within your tank range, that is the best way to do it. The last thing you want to do is to get a fish while it is small with the mindframe that it will always be that size, research everything! The more you know about your inhibitants, the farther in this hobby you'll go!
:mrgreen:
Surf the net and if something catches your fancy, research the particular fish and see if it is within your tank range, that is the best way to do it. The last thing you want to do is to get a fish while it is small with the mindframe that it will always be that size, research everything! The more you know about your inhibitants, the farther in this hobby you'll go!
:mrgreen: