opinions for newbies please!

[Silver_Wolf]

I'm doing some research for a composistion paper, and for the aquarium that I would like to start up in the next year...
I've got some questions that I'd like as many people to answer as they want...
1)Do you think it is possible for a beginner to do research and be okay going straight to a reef tank, or should a begginner start with a fish only tank?
2)What is the best lighting system for a reef tank? (so far I've read a combination of halide and flourescent (maybe actinic blue) works really well)
3) Do any of you have a device that recreates the tidal action (changes water level vertically)? Is something like this important?
4) what's the best combination for all 3 types of filtration?

Thanks, any help is appreciated! Silver_Wolf

 

[toptank]

To answer some of your questions.

1. Yes I think a beginner can go right to a reef tank if the research is done and that person has lot of patients.

2. As far as lighting, it would depend what that person wants to keep in his tank. I believe this person should start with easy coral at first such as mushrooms, some softies and that can be done with PC or VHOs.

3. Water movement can be done with surge devises and powerheads.

4. There are different filtration systems but I have always used the Berlin system.

Hope this helps a little.

Barry

 

[Anonymous]

Silver-
1. Yep, there's no reason why you can't have a reef tank first. The more you know up front, the easier it will be.

2. If you want (or will want) SPS or a clam, then an MH based setup is best. PC and VHO work fine for softies and LPS.

3. There's essentially zero tide at Pearl Harbor. If you setup a tide in your reef tank, it'd be bad (IMO, very much bad). It'd smell god aweful and you'd have all kinds of salt deposits in your "tidal zone" where the glass is dry for part of the day. There are different surge devices to create a variation in currents which are popular.

4. I would recommend 1-2lbs of LR per gallon, plus the best skimmer you can afford and a deep sand bed (DSB). A sump with a refugium is definitely extremely beneficial as well.

[ October 31, 2001: Message edited by: tyoberg ]</p>

 

[Anonymous]

I just had this mental image of "Low Tide in the Livingroom." Hahaha! My wife would strangle me!

Ty