Need some sugestion for my first reef tank

[Lauraann]

Hi and thanks in advance for your advice...I have read some books, I have a 55 gal fish only doing great now I want to set up a new 90 reef tank...slowly but surely I have been reading and now I am am almost ready to start. But in order to do that I have to find out what type of corals and other Inverts I want so here are my questions:

Any real good books on how to select, care for, husbandry, lighting requirements....ect?

How much live rock will I need..I want to do this right even if I have to save $ for a while?

How do I set up a stocking guide...what to put in first and how long to wait in between?

Can I use my q-tank I already have for a invert/coral q-tank? Do I leave them in that tank for 2-4 weeks also?

I really don't want to set this up untill I feel that I kinda know what I am doing. So right now I am just buying the hardware that I know I will need.I did get 2 250 watt metal halide light system and lots of other goodies Am I on the right track. Again thank you for your help

 

[Len]

Laura,

I'll move this post over to the New Reefkeepers forum. The "Reefkeeping Basics" forum is an www.advancedaquarist.com magazine forum which accounts for the lack of replies. You should get the help you want in the New Reefkeepers forum. I'll try to chime in my two cents when I have the time

 

[Arch01]

I really don't want to set this up untill I feel that I kinda know what I am doing.

Hehe, good luck with this one but at least it sounds like you're off to a good start. You are certainly asking the right questions at least.

Have you checked out thisthread yet? I think that will give you some good ideas on books. I picked up Calfo and Fenner's Reef Invertebrates recently and can't wait for the others to come out. I'll let someone else answer your other questions since I'm just setting up my reef too. Good luck.

Alex
_________________
Mercedes Benz W201

 

[PeeJ]

Good tip...do it right the first time. I think everyone here has made purchases they regret. Spend a little extra money up front, and youll save money in the long run!! good luck!

 

[Anonymous]

Youre doing the smart thing by researching and planning it out in your head ahead of time...this will keep you from making mistakes that i did....i wish i had learned of this site prior to me making decisions..But my tank is good now... a rule of thumb for LR is 1-2lbs per gallon depending on type of LR ie where it came from...cycling time i would give anywhere from 4-6 weeks and as for stocking the tank depends on what you want...Lionfish and damsels?? well you wont have damsels...LPS corals or polyps that will determine your lighting...and whatever 2cents Len and the other more experienced aquarists may add...

 

[ChrisRD]

Hi Laura and welcome to Reefs.Org!

Any real good books on how to select, care for, husbandry, lighting requirements....ect?

Check the link in my sig - you may find some good books in there you haven't read yet. The Borneman book is great for coral info. Scott Michael's books are really helpful with fish info.

How much live rock will I need..I want to do this right even if I have to save $ for a while?

Tough question to answer. What type of rock are you thinking about using? What sortof look are you after (ie. lots of open space, reef wall, etc.)?

How do I set up a stocking guide...what to put in first and how long to wait in between?

Take some time to research what corals and fish you want to keep and make a list. We can help advise you on what's compatible and what order is best to stock-up.

Can I use my q-tank I already have for a invert/coral q-tank? Do I leave them in that tank for 2-4 weeks also?

Probably. It's best to keep the q-tank simple - just a bare tank with a few large pieces of PVC pipe for fish to hide in, and basic heat/circulation/filtration/lighting.

I really don't want to set this up untill I feel that I kinda know what I am doing. So right now I am just buying the hardware that I know I will need.I did get 2 250 watt metal halide light system and lots of other goodies Am I on the right track. Again thank you for your help

It's good that you're planning ahead - it will save you a lot of time/money/frustation down the road. BTW, the 250s are a good choice - you'll have lots of options - you can pretty much keep anything under those.

HTH

 

[MelanieF]

Not sure if you've learned this yet or not...

If you're using an existing q-tank for new corals make sure that it's one you've never used copper in or you might lose your corals. I bought a dip solution for dipping corals. That way I can put the corals right in the tank and save my q-tank for new fish so copper can be used if a dire need exists.

 

[PeeJ]

Good tip. How does the dip work out for you?? I'm going to get my first coral tommorow so any help would be good.

 

[MelanieF]

As far as I can tell it works great. My corals haven't been harmed from it and I haven't seen any negative impact on my tank at all. (Knock on wood :wink: )

There may be some corals that you can't use it with but I haven't gotten that far yet. I've just used it on soft corals.

 

[hdtran]

Let me make a more precise recommendation on ChrisRD's links: Be sure to buy a copy of 1 of the following books:

John Tullock's "Your First Saltwater Aquarium"
John Tullock's "Natural Reef Aquariums"
Bob Fenner's "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist"

You need not purchase all 3, or even 2/3. They are all good for novices; the first one for extreme novices, either of the other for less extreme novices.

 

[Wiggler]

Hi Laura,

With regards to your stocking guide.

You may want to take a look at:

http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/comp ... _chart.cfm

I came across this myself when setting up my tank and you may also find it useful.

Pamela