new start on 30 gallon tank

[bald57]

Hi all,
After months of research and reading and talking to people, my tank is now started. Got everything I needed for christmas. Spent 2 days cleaning the old tank, getting the water ready, sand rinsed and in the tank, pumps and filters running, and added the rock two days ago. Water has cleared up and now seeing tiny things popping out of some of the rocks. Now I have to wait and watch and read some more. Did all tests this morning and recorded everything. Going to start with FOWLR. After getting everything in, running and water cleared up, now my wife is taking an interest and she wants to see coral, plants, and who knows what. I now have to tell her like I have been told, move slowly, very slowly and in time, and with some good advice, things will start to happen. We saw a tank today that was FO but they had fake plants in it and it looks so nice. I thought you couldn't put those fake plants in with salt water fish. Any comments on that? Been alot of work getting everything running and rocks arranged but now we see why it takes so much work and we now can look forward to having some stock in it. I hope by the end of Feb, we can maybe add a fish or two.
Thanks everyone for your advice.
Bill

 

[200 gallon reef]

Pics! Lol

 

[begginersluck]

Definately pics! lol

Not too sure about fake plants! You'll get fed up with them eventually once you delve deeper in to corals. Start as you mean to go on. Bare in mind Corals need slightly more work than Fish Only. However a Reef Aquarium is the ultimate!

What lights you got?

 

[200 gallon reef]

Beginnersluck - you are exactly right, live reef is by far the highest reward.

 

[bald57]

I have tried to upload a photo of the tank but can't figure out how to do it on this site. as for lighting, right now it is the lights that came with the hood. I plan on upgrading those in the near future as well.

I was told that you couldn't put fake plants in an tank that had salt water fish. Not sure why. Our first fish will probably be the clown fish cause the grand kids saw the movie finding nemo.

 

[Beengirl]

I have tried to upload a photo of the tank but can't figure out how to do it on this site. as for lighting, right now it is the lights that came with the hood. I plan on upgrading those in the near future as well.

I was told that you couldn't put fake plants in an tank that had salt water fish. Not sure why. Our first fish will probably be the clown fish cause the grand kids saw the movie finding nemo.

It's not that you "can't" put fake plants in SW tanks. It's just not usually done. Most people prefer to go with a natural looking setting, but if you prefer the fake plants, it can and has been done. And if at some point you decide to get rid of the fake ones and get coral instead, its easy enough to remove the fake ones.