prepare yourselves..ultimate newbie in the house!

[FL.keysSpearfisher]

hey guys, this is my first post.
I have been reading through the forums and looking all over online the past 5 or so days ever since my buddy got a new SW aquarium(only like 10 or 15 gallons) but i got totally hooked after checking his out for a few hours.
My buddy works for a guy collecting tropicals and inverts and corals and what not down here in the FL keys, and i want to get some info from him but hes out of town for a few days and i need to get some info right away!
so i want to start an aquarium, i think i want a reef aquarium, something with corals and anemones and crabs and fish and what not.
i def want to do something 30g or more...
here come the neb questions.
-how long does it tank for a tank to sit before its ready for fish.?
-how do you arange LR in a tank, do you just prop it and balance it where it looks good?
-how do you fix corals to LR, do you just place it on the LR and it grows into it?
-what kind of corals/anemones/fish/inverts would be ideal for a beginner, but would still be a challenge to keep and would also look pretty?
-i am a little confused on cycling and changing the water. could you use water from the ocean, like on the reef??
-when they say a fish is not reef safe than that means that it cannot be in a tank with corals, anemones or reef fish??
i think thats it for now but i might have more questions later.

cal.

 

[melosu58]

Welcome aboard to AA.

1. Until it is cycled and you parameters have stabilized. Read our article section on cycling your tank.

2. Some folks prop it up and try to make sure it is stable. Some folks use an epoxy to hold them together. Some folks use small pieces of PVC on the bottom to stabilize the LR.

3.Some folks use an epoxy. I use super glue gel. Some can be set where they need to be and will be OK.

4. You can look at my images. Most of my corals are soft or LPS corals and are easy to keep.

5. The water makes no difference on cycling. The nitrification process on your LR, LS and other surfaces are what you are looking for.

6. If a fish is not reef safe than it will most likely eat or nip at the corals causing their demise.

 

[Ziggy953]

Welcome to AA!

Check out the article section of the site. (linking signature line)

The key to success is to take it slowly. Research everything before you buy!

I would not use water from the ocean, you can't control what kinds of pollutants are out there. An RO/DI unit is a great thing to have. Mix your own salt water up. You can better control the parameters of your system by doing it.

As far as still being a challenge...a SW tank is a challenge. Most all SW fish are beautiful and will look great in your tank. Make sure to look at the adult size of any fish you decide on. If you go with a 55g tank you will have more options and room to work with. Smaller then that and you will limit your choices. Do some reading about sumps and refugiums, if you are wanting to go with a full reef then a sump and refugium are good choices to add to your system. Lighting will also play a role in your setup, a reef requires more lighting where as a Fish Only or Fish Only With Live Rock (FO, FOWLR) do not need as much light. As an example I have a 120g Reef tank I have 790watts of lighting on my tank. I keep a lot of hard corals and they need good light.

 

[FL.keysSpearfisher]

thanks for the advice so far guys
what is an RO/DI unit?
if i buy a juv fish say 1 or 2 inches and put it in a 55 gal tank, will it get to big eventually to stay in that tank?...

 

[FL.keysSpearfisher]

also what is a refugium?

can you grow certain algeas in there to actually feed tangs and angels or does the stuff sit in the refuge and just chill there for tank health.

also, i live in the keys and do alot of diving and was wondering about collecting tropical fish on my own and collecting corals...how do i go about introducing wild stuff into a tank?

 

[melosu58]

Reverse Osmosis Aquarium Water Quality: Maxxima RO/DI Units

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/articles/21/1/Refugiumsfuges-or-refuge/Page1.html

 

[roka64]

Yes you can grow your own macro algae and feed it to tangs. I'm not the resident expert on tangs, but I can't think of one that will be happy in a 55. Most of them require 70 Gallons or more. They do need a lot of swimming room.
You may want to check into what, how much you can or can not take from the ocean.
I would recommend a QT for all new fish going into the tank.

 

[FL.keysSpearfisher]

so if i were to collect my own fish than keeping them in a seperate tank would be necessary? for how long, what kind of set up would that tank need?

also i am confused about corals and polyps and what not...
what is the diff between LPS and SPS? is one harder to care for
are certain corals not suitable for a 55-75 gallon tank( they need more room)
do corals and polyps and mushrooms and what not come on like a small piece of live rock and you then glue that to any peice of existing live rock in the tank?

and what does frag mean?

 

[want2findnemo]

Hi and Welcome to AA!!!!

Some of the more commonly used acronyms:

----
SW - SaltWater
FW - FreshWater
FO - Fish Only
FOWLR - Fish Only With Live Rock
LR - Live Rock
RO - Reverse Osmosis (filters)
DI (De Ionisation (filters)
W/gal - Watts per Gallon
NO - Normal Output ((fluorescent lights)
PC - Power Compact (fluorescent lamps)
VHO - Very High Output (fluorescent lamps)
MH - Metal Halide (lamps)
P/I - Photosynthesis/Irradiance
LPS - Large polyped Scleractinian (stoney coral)
SPS - Small polyped Scleractinian (stoney coral)
LFS - Local Fish Store
PM - Private Message (Seen in the buy/sell forums)
UV - Ultra Violet (you should know this already)
DSB - Deep Sand Bed
RDSB - Remote Deep Sand Bed
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
AC Activated carbon, chemical filtration media / alternating current
AFM Aquarium Fish Monthly, magazine
AGA All-Glass Aquarium, Aquarium manufacturer
AL Aqualink, aquarium bulletin board
ATS Algae turf scrubber, reef setup technique
BOD Biological oxygen demand
CC Counter current, type of protein skimmer
CSL Custom Sea Life, lighting manufacturer
CTA Cellulose triacetate, type of RO membrane
CUC - Clean Up Crew
Cyano Cyanobacteria
DC Direct current
DD Downdraft, type of protein skimmer
DI Deionisation, type of water purification
DIY Do it yourself
DKH D[SIZE=-1]egrees of carbonate hardness[/SIZE]
DSB Deep Sand Bed
FAMA Freshwater and Marine Aquaria, magazine
FFE Flying Fish Express, Mail Order Company
FO Fish only
FOWLR Fish only with live rock
FW Freshwater
GBR Great Barrier Reef
GPH Gallons per hour
GSP- Green star polyps
HO High output fluorescent light
HQI Mercury (Hg) Quartz Iodide, a type of metal halide lamp
IA Inland Aquatics, mail order company
IMHO In My Humble Opinion
IMO In My Opinion
IO Instant Ocean, brand of aquarium salt
IR Infrared
Kalk Kalkwasser, German for calcium hydroxide solution or limewater
LFS Local fish store
LHS Local hardware store
LPS Large polyped Scleractinian (stoney) coral
LR Live rock
LS Live sand
MACNA Marine Aquaria Conference of North America, held annually
MASNA Marine Aquarium Societies of North America
MD Marine Depot, mail order company
MH Metal halide light
MJ Maxijet, powerhead manufacturer
MM Miracle Mud, method of aquarium filtration
MO Mail order
MTS Multiple tank syndrome
NO Normal output fluorescent light
NSW Natural seawater
PA Premium Aquatics, mail order company
PC Power compact fluorescent light
PH Powerhead, water pump
PVC Poly vinyl chloride, used for piping / plumbing
RC Reef Crystals, brand of aquarium salt
RDO Reefs.org ("reefs-dot-org"), aquarium bulletin board
RK Reef Keeping, on-line aquarium magazine
RO Reverse osmosis, type of water purification
RO/DI Reverse osmosis, followed by deionisation, type of water purification
RR Reef ready, aquaria with pre-drilled holes and overflows
RTN Rapid tissue necrosis, protozoal infection of corals; can be rapidly fatal if not treated
SG Specific gravity
SPS Small polyped Scleractinian (stoney) coral
SW Saltwater / seawater
TBS Tampa Bay Saltwater, Mail Order Company
TFC Thin film composite, type of RO membrane
TRT The Reef Tank, aquarium bulletin board
TWP Tap Water Purifier from Aquatic Pharmaceuticals
UGF Undergravel filter
UV Ultra violet light
VHO Very high output fluorescent light
W/D Wet-dry (a method of aquarium filtration)
WD Wet-dry (a method of aquarium filtration)
---

Source: Saltwater Acronyms:

What do you need?

Saltwater Aquarium and Saltwater Fish Beginner's Guide - Aquarium Guide

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f14/stock-list-tips-maintaining-your-sw-tank-73477.html


What does your fish need?

Marine Fish Species

What kind of fish are ok with what other kinds of fish?

Compatibility Chart for Marine Fish

Where can I go to find good information?

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/articles/categories/Saltwater/Articles/

so if i were to collect my own fish than keeping them in a seperate tank would be necessary? for how long, what kind of set up would that tank need?

How To Set Up a Fish Quarantine Tank

How do I calculate what I need?

Reef Central Online Community



Wanted to add to take it slow. Read read and read some more. Saltwater fish are not as hardy as freshwater fish and take a bit more understanding and patience, but is worth it!

HTH

And welcome to AA once agian!!!

 

[FL.keysSpearfisher]

thanks man

 

[FL.keysSpearfisher]

can some one explain to me what a ro/di is good for and what benefits it has

 

[a97cobra]

can some one explain to me what a ro/di is good for and what benefits it has

RO/DI stands for reverse osmosis / deionized. It is a filter that you run your tap water thru that removes all contaminants and such leaving you with pure clean water.

Here is a link if you wan't to read up on reverse osmosis.
Reverse osmosis - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[want2findnemo]

can some one explain to me what a ro/di is good for and what benefits it has

Fl.keysSpearfisher....

Please make use of the links I gave you. I didnt pull that post out of a template. I took the time to type it and search my favorites for the links.

My post tells you that

RO/DI = Reverse osmosis, followed by deionisation, type of water purification

My post has a link called

Saltwater Aquarium and Saltwater Fish Beginner's Guide - Aquarium Guide

Click on that link, and since you now know what RO/DI means you scroll down to

"
Reverse Osmosis and Deionization
What is a Reverse Osmosis Water Filter System? Reverse Osmosis is a process whereby water is purified as the water gets pushed through some sort of membrane. The membrane traps the impurities and they can remove 90% - 99% of the impurities from the water. The type of membrane you use determines the amount of impurities that the RO unit will remove. Read more. "

Click on the link that says Reverse Osmosis and Deionization and read...


I kinda feel like you didnt even read my post...



HTH

 

[FL.keysSpearfisher]

im sorry man, i did read it i just never clicked on the link, i clicked on some of the other ones and never made it to that one a forgot.
i have been all over the net like a mad man all day, i forget sometimes what i am doing and what i mean to do.

 

[want2findnemo]

Ya i totally understand how you feel.

I started doing research months before i bought anything. And when I did buy somthing, it was to buy books. Its been months and I havent had my tank started yet because there is SOO much to learn and research. And imo you want to start off doing as much of it as you can correctly.

This was my first post. If you have the time maybe you can read it.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/forums/f14/new-into-hobby-103185.html


But I know your all excited about getting this thing going. I really recommend you doing your hw.

The guys here and ( girls ) are good people. They will help you out

 

[Ziggy953]

so if i were to collect my own fish than keeping them in a seperate tank would be necessary? for how long, what kind of set up would that tank need?

also i am confused about corals and polyps and what not...
what is the diff between LPS and SPS? is one harder to care for
are certain corals not suitable for a 55-75 gallon tank( they need more room)
do corals and polyps and mushrooms and what not come on like a small piece of live rock and you then glue that to any peice of existing live rock in the tank?

and what does frag mean?

As far as collecting your own fish...you better check with the Florida Fish and Game before you attempt to take a fish from a reef. Most of the fish we keep in our tanks you can't just get them yourself. You have to be licensed to do so. Also many of the fish we keep are bread/raised in captivity so we aren't depleting the natural resource. Taking an animal from the ocean gives you a much higher chance of bringing home unwanted pests then getting your animals from a LFS.

LPS = Large Polyp Stoney
SPS = Small Polyp Stoney

LPS corals - Frogspawn, Torch Coral, Brain Coral, Trumpet coral and many others

SPS Corals - Acropora, Digitata, Montipora Capricornis

Most corals you buy will be mounted on a plug (an over-sized golf tee) or a disk. SPS corals tend to be mounted on a plug and polyps (Zoanthids or palythoas mushrooms) mounted on disks. That is not always the cause but tends to be. LPS corals are usually unmounted.