tank startup advice

[nycdominicanreef]

want to start a 65-75gal reef with some fish

pair of true percs or tomatos
100lbs live rock
3inch sandbed

bicolor or flame angel (leaning towards bi-color)
yellow and hippo tang
Can anyone tell me if the copperband butterfly is reefsafe, every website says something diff.
I want shrooms,lps, zoas and easy sps. (mainly sps)
Can anyone recommend equipment?
If anyone has any hand me downs or reasonably priced equipment, plz respond, besides that
ALL OPINIONS WANTED

 

[Keith P]

Too many questions = You need to do more reading

Not to be rude, but as you read more your questions will get more refined.

How wide of a tank can you fit? 4ft?

That may be a lot of fish for a 3ft long tank.

 

[danager]

Just go slow... make sure all your equipment is in order. establish a budget and spend $50 bucks more to get something a little better.... Theres a ton of people on here that are more than willing to help you out... do a search on here to find some of your answers too! (for example, i went looking for brown alea answers yesterday and found a post from 2 years ago from someone with the exact same issues... now I know all about brown algea and why I have it.... from 10 minutes worth of searching).


But otherwise... we're all here to help... im new here but the people I have met from here are awesome resources.... just pay it foward and you'll be rewarded greatly! Good luck.... if ya need anything PM me.

-Dan

 

[seascape]

GO SLOW!!!!! and +1 on the reading

 

[albano]

pair of true percs or tomatos
bicolor or flame angel (leaning towards bi-color)
Can anyone tell me if the copperband butterfly is reefsafe, every website says something diff......and easy sps. (mainly sps)

tomatoes get too aggressive, go with percs (but occellaris would probably be better to start)
forget bi-color, odds are against you
copperband is very difficult to keep, (will eat any feather dusters in reef)
you should wait a while before trying the 'easy sps'

 

[18oreefer]

The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by: Robert M. Fenner http://www.amazon.com/dp/1890087025/?tag=reefs04-20 The best 5 bucks you will ever spend for a wealth of information to get you started in the rite direction.

 

[2004turbo]

agree with all the above, also your tank is a little small for a tang let alone 2. Try buying used equipment to help with the budget. I've saved hundreds this way.

 

[aznt1217]

I feel the eagerness via my PC. I was just like you (and still am impulsive)... take it from a guy who has had 7 tanks in a matter of a year.

Like everybody said... take your time, but hey time is money so... Here's my 2 cents! ONE STEP AT A TIME.

1. First off decide what gallons/dimension tank you want. 65 Tall? 60 Cube? 75 Gallon std? 72 bow front? make up your mind! lol. Are you going with a sump or sumpless? Reef or Fish only?

2. Go with True Percs, IMO they are cuter.

3. Pounds of LiveRock, really depends on what type or rock/pieces you got. I see you are going with more or less 1 lb per gallon, that's fine. But figure out what kind of aquascape and environment you want for your fish.

4. Same deal with the sandbed. Different fish, different requirements (ie. Jawfish needs a Deep Sand Bed. Sandbeds are very good filtration so 3 inches could work out well for you.

5. Pick which angel you want it's your preference. Don't add it though for at least 4-6 months so you can let your tanks pods do their reproductive thing. Also make sure you get one that eats... I spent an hour training my flame angel to eat specific brand pellets/flakes because he is picky (I bought him from a great vendor, but sometimes fish have a tude).

6. If you buy a tang, make sure you have a good skimmer. ASM G3/Reef Octopus MSX 160 is fair game.

7. Copperband butterflys will pick on invertebrates, but keep in mind every fish has a different personality. Some people have had some eat zoanthids and other corals... it's hit or miss. They aren't dumb blocks. Also note they are very hard to feed (depending on where/who you get it from).

8. Coral selection is really up to you and how your maintenance schedule/lighting. SPS you need good lighting for your tank and pristine water quality for good growth and coloration depending on your species.

Please start out with some easy corals like mushrooms or softies and see how you do/like them. Generally speaking my LPS and Softies do FANTASTICALLY in my tank with high nutrients... sps... not so much lol. You said you like SPS so stay on top of those water changes and have a good refugium set up.

9. Equipment list... this is another decision you have to make. Do you want the more natural way of doing things (which I prefer) with supplemental assistance? I have a refugium with Chaeto, Purigen, and ChemiPure Elite. I don't believe in all those reactors and flux capacitors people use on their tanks. lol. but hey, that's just me.

Absolute MUSTS (for me at least because I LOVEEEE fish) though: Skimmer, appropriate lighting, excellent water movement (especially for tangs-- they need their workout.. think of it as a treadmill).

10. Check the forums for good prices. Marine Depot has lowest price guarantee as well. Try Craigslist after you made up your mind also.

 

[SIReefer]

+1 What Albano said on the fish & corals.

 

[2slo4me]

+1 with Aznt1217 also keep in mind there are lots of opinions in this hobby... so any advice you get you take it in and make an educated decision based on what you have heard/ learned. I started out blind folded and got more bad advice then good. then i decided to learn the hard way trial and error.... some pl have told me that 18-20 fish is way too many for a 75 gallon ive had my 75 gallon for 2 yrs now and have the same 20 fish in there. yea from time to time the fish will fight but they tend to stop and if they dont then ill catch em and either resell or give em away..

Good Luck!!!

 

[knockout]

Oye Dominicano!
slow is the name of the game, this is a great hobbie that you can learn to hate pretty quickly if you dont take your time, as the others have said read the threads in this and other forums, then read a little more and then some more again...

have you kept any aquariums at all in the past even freshwater?


buy this book http://www.amazon.com/dp/1890087998/?tag=reefs04-20

the first decision is what tank, where will it go in the house? keep it away from any direct sunlight! first thing that comes to mind...

have you decided on your lighing, I preffer T5's, MH is another good option, combo fixtures are readily availble!

more reading! yep your going to hear this a lot

if there is a tank that you like a litter more but you dont want to expend the extra $100, spend the extra $100 and buy it, trust me you will be saving a lot more

fish: no fish until the tank is cycled (dont ask what that is you'll get bombarded, just search... lol), some people add a damsel in there but I am not down with that!

No Angels if you are keeping corals, of the two you posted your chances are 50/50 at best that they will not at some point beging to eat your precious corals

No Copperband, I would consider this fish an expert only, the fish requires training as it will not eat prepared foods

start with the Perculas if you like them over the cheaper Ocellaries, both are pretty hardy and make a great addition to any tank.

corals: shrooms, zoas and LPS are good startup corals, SPS will likely turn totally brown or die in an brand new system

read and take it slow and you'll love this hobbie and become obsessed like the res of us!

Kelvin, another dominican reefer!

 

[Awibrandy]

All GREAT advice!

First thing is you really should decide is where exactly in your home you want, and can place a tank!!!!
Then once you have the right spot, measure it. This will tell you how much room you have to work with, and once that is done check this site out for what gallon tank you can place in the spot you have chosen going by the dimension of the spot vs the dimension of the tanks.
Click here: Fish Aquarium and Tank Sizes and Characteristics, starting an aquarium, buying equipment, choosing tanks
Once you have decided on the tank, and even better gotten it we can continue this discussion.
BTW, another decision you need to make is what kind of stand you want. I would advice against any of the AGA stands especially the ones made with MDF board.
If your handy you may want to build your stand....

 

[nycdominicanreef]

this is not my first tank

I have a 45 which i am not happy with, and im not happy bcause i want a bigger one (70 regular or 72 bowfront), its like (i drive an accord but if i had an escalade i'd be happier)
And my 45 was an impulse kinda thing, i've been pretty good, keepin my fish and corals. only 1 fish has died in the last 8months and it was a bicolor angel (bastard wouldnt eat).

 

[18oreefer]

To save yourself money in the long run, ask yourself if that is as big as you want to go. If its not, then see what the largest size tank your living space and wallet will accommodate. Once you have all that in mind go big. It will save you all the in between sizes that you will spend gobs of money on. Just my opinion, I'm at 180 rite now but my fish are packing there bags to move to 300 this weekend... I should have just started with 300. Good luck in your upcoming build.

 

[albano]

11-02-09

want to start a 65-75gal reef with...
Bicolor or flame angel (leaning towards bi-color)

11-05-09

only 1 fish has died in the last 8months and it was a bicolor angel (bastard wouldnt eat).

I rest my case!

 

[ocholoco]

hey

Get the biggest tank u can get, get lights, rock, sand, skimmer. Cycle the tank. As u cycle the tank gather as much info as posible.