New to reef tanks

[PalmTree]

Lauren all you have to do to set up a tank is buy some pizza, and some beer and post a setup party here and MR members will come out of the woodwork to help you. (We like Beer and Pizza here :biggrin

Yes that is true!!

 

[LaurenBabe]

pizza party

pizza sounds awesome but i dont even have a tank yet lol everyones telling me just to get a regular tank and drill the holes in it but i could never do that my self i dont think i even know what a drill looks like lol

also i looked in barnes and nobles for books i found picture books lol i will check online now anyway thank you for the help feel free to give me suggestions
lauren

 

[jhale]

Lauren, don't be in a rush to buy a tank so quick.

I suggest you go to a store and check out the sizes, don't buy, just look

There's one store in the city, new world aquarium, on 38th street between 2nd and 1st ave's. in the front of the store they have a good selection of tank sizes you can check out. Their selection of livestock is pretty good also. take a look and see what kind of coral / fish that you like.

 

[Deanos]

in the front of the store they have a good selection of tank sizes you can check out. Their selection of livestock is pretty good also. take a look and see what kind of coral / fish that you like.

And they have books! :idea:

 

[jhale]

check out this thread also,
http://www.manhattanreefs.com/forum/reefs-beginners/12520-advice-welcome.html
it's one of the better beginner threads we have for advice when setting up a new tank. you might not understand it all right now, but it will give you a good idea of what a full reef set up entails.

 

[LaurenBabe]

thanks

i would just like to thank all the people who do support me. but for the ones writing me nasty messages, who dont believe that i am girl, or that I want to do this, for the ones telling me to get a boyfriend instead of a fish tank i wish you would just leave me alone. do not ask me for my sn to harress me

the reason i am here is because of a photographer told me that reef tanks arent for women. i dont want a nano cube! please stop offering me them or telling me that i should get one. I dont want free stuff I can pay for it myself! i just want some good advice on what to get and how to get started... are there any other women on here... ??? that i can meet and talk to... im sorry im just venting just have gotten some harressing messages on my myspace and aim mayb i should not talk to people off this sight but i just thought i could trust everyone, i thought this was a good and friendly sight.

 

[ming]

Sorry that you've gotten on a bad start on the harassing here on MR. Keep in mind that this is a male dominated hobby, and boys will be boys, especially when they can hide behind a computer screen. This is a bad representation of how the majority of the members really are and is definately not how we act at the frag swaps. And yes, there are some female members on this site, you can ask LeslieS or KathyC if you want a female's advice

 

[JHOV2324]

we iz cool...most of us...there are a couple of females on the site...but definetly get a book and read first before getting a tank....i started with this book....The New Marine Aquarium: Step-By-Step Setup & Stocking Guide.. it will help you set-up and choose what kind of tank is best for you...after reading this and setting up my tank i found this site and they helped me through the rest...dont know if anyone told you but this hobby is addictive, time consuming and kinda expensive..and patience is a great virtue..just a heads up...but the outcome is well worth it...welcome to MR..Goodluck...:biggrin:

 

[Quang]

i would just like to thank all the people who do support me. but for the ones writing me nasty messages, who dont believe that i am girl, or that I want to do this, for the ones telling me to get a boyfriend instead of a fish tank i wish you would just leave me alone. do not ask me for my sn to harress me

the reason i am here is because of a photographer told me that reef tanks arent for women. i dont want a nano cube! please stop offering me them or telling me that i should get one. I dont want free stuff I can pay for it myself! i just want some good advice on what to get and how to get started... are there any other women on here... ??? that i can meet and talk to... im sorry im just venting just have gotten some harressing messages on my myspace and aim mayb i should not talk to people off this sight but i just thought i could trust everyone, i thought this was a good and friendly sight.

Like Ming said...sorry you feel this way. We all pick and choose who we want to deal with, in real life, on the web. I'm sure you get 20x the comments and whistle when you walk down the street. Heck, I get whistled at sometimes :irked: . This is a friendly site and there are a lot of good people here so don't cast a cloud over us all because of a few immature folks.

 

[DevIouS]

Not for nothing but, alot of your contact information should have been kept of your posts.
Keep in mind that many people frequent this forum & are not official members. .....just people browsing the site.
The majority of members here are extremely cool, a bit nerdy & harmless..
Don't let BS messages that could have possibly been made by non-members or immature members, discourage you from the getting you into the hobby or being a part of this great site.

 

[LaurenBabe]

hey

thank you devious im sorry for venting i just was anoyed when some guy who was messaging me about a tank started insulting me because I didnt want to buy it... for like an hour i was just in shock i did get an offer for a good tank that is reasonable so i am happy about that but he didnt even take it down yet and i dunno if i can wait a month but i prob should read more i guess because i was asking the guy questions and he called me a stupid little girl and told me that i should just get a life and forget about fish tanks i dunno n e way

sorry for venting he just was really rude ...

i was seaching for books and i order the ones you all told me about but has anyone order the salt water aquarium for dummies book??
or these
<LI id=sims.purchase.1890087009>Natural Reef Aquariums: Simplified Approaches to Creating Living Saltwater Microcosms by John H. Tullock <LI id=sims.purchase.1890087475>Aquarium Corals : Selection, Husbandry, and Natural History by Eric H. Borneman

what do you think??

 

[digitalreefer]

Natural Reef Aquariums is a good book, but I wouldn't advise starting out with it. It's a good follow up book to The Conscientious Marine Aquarist, but the detail in it may be a bit confusing at first.

Aquarium Corals is an ok book, but I would suggest getting less specific books at first and then looking into books on corals and fish. You'll have plenty of time while your tank in going through its cycle to read up on the fish and corals.

 

[prattreef]

Those are 2 good book choices. I would start with the Tullock book as it will lay out the foundational information in a clear and concise way. The Borneman book is more up to date and will make more sense once you have a base of knowledge to work from.

Eric, I always thought Tullock was quite clear and appropriate for beginners.

 

[JHOV2324]

Wow

he called me a stupid little girl and told me that i should just get a life and forget about fish tanks i dunno n e way


:fight2:

 

[jhale]

sent a pm...

I agree with Prattreef, the Tullock book and the Fenner book you ordered will give you a great start to understanding the hobby.

 

[deelucky]

welcome to mr,a pretty good site and very informative.this site has helped me advance alot and there are some good guys here with alot of knowledge.i was at barnes and nobles a couple of months ago and picked up "Complete Encyclopedia of the SALTWATER AQUARIUM" by:Nick Dakin.i honestly believe that this a very good book and one which can lead you in the right direction plus giving you a bit of the trade history.i like books with lots of pics and this is the one for me.it covers alot from starting an aquarium to picking fish and what to look for.anyway enjoy your stay and ask away.

 

[SuRFeR BoY]

have you ever checked out new world aquariums? its in the city on 38th between second and third ave. there stuff is decent, the only thing is some of there prices are a bit high. you should check it out once your tank is established. i think you would like.

 

[Irisservice]

All i can say is make a killer tank, post pics to throw in there face...
Enjoy the forum for its good people and information...
Good, luck and take your time..

 

[LeslieS]

Heck, I get whistled at sometimes :irked: . This is a friendly site and there are a lot of good people here so don't cast a cloud over us all because of a few immature folks.

I whistle at Froggie all the time. He tells me to stop and tries to slap my face, but he is too slow and cannot catch me :flirt:

Lauren,

Sorry it took me a while to post. I try to let new female members know that the rest of us are here!

Definitely get at least two of the books. It takes a couple of reads for things to start sinking in. If one author doesn't explain it in a way that makes sense to you, another one might.

Be aware that livestock (corals, fish, etc...) is the cheapest part of the hobby. Equipment, salt, test kits, live rock, and other things are all VERY expensive. Also, the bigger the tank, the more you will spend. There is a thread here where people post what they spend on their tanks. It is pretty funny, but you should definitely check it out as most of it is true. I am only calling this out because of your post about your finances. Be prepared! I now spend all my shoe, hair, and makeup money on salt:biggrin:

The second most important thing is patience which I am learning very painfully. The best thing that happened to me was that my tank was caught in customs and couldn't be delivered for 2 months. It gave me plenty of time for research. If I hadn't had that time, I know for sure that I would have dropped out of the hobby by now.

As far as posting online goes, the best thing you can do is to always try to research a question before you ask it. This will show that you are serious about the hobby and will allow you to ask more meaningful and focused questions. If someone gives you the google icon, you know you need to to more researching before asking ;-)

I don't remember who said it, but be aware that this is a public forum. Any info you post is available to everyone who logs on. Sometimes people will give mean advice, and some people may have wacky avatars (you know who you are ) You have to be cautious, chill, and flexible all at the same time. If you are over 16 and anyone calls you a little girl again, give them the :fight2: icon with a big WHATEVER!

It's kinda wierd, but the last girl who posted a picture of her butt was also accused of being a guy!!!

 

[QUESTIONMARC]

the reason i am here is because of a photographer told me that reef tanks arent for women.

I never said women couldn't do it.. I only said it is a tedious hobby and very time consuming.. and for someone who is always on the go like yourself.. it would not be the best idea.. lol.. that is all I said.. my goodness.. what have I started.. :banghead: