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NRA223

NRA223

Advanced Reefer
Location
Rockaway Beach, NY
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
I had registered a few days ago and was unable to get a post in till now. HELLO! Anywho, I'm starting to gather equipment to start my first reef. Just picked up an Oceanic 58G reef ready tank, sump and stand. I have been reading A LOT for the past few months and still find myself thoroughly confused:scratchch :lol2:. J/K, there is definitely lot's to learn!
 
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Henrye

Henrye

Junior Member
Location
NYC
Rating - 100%
2   0   0
Hi! Welcome to MR. You're going to find a lot of help here, and folks who can and will answer lots of questions to help you out. As far as feeling confused after all your reading, don't worry, you're not alone. People here will help clear up some confusions for you, but even if it seems exasperating, keep reading. You'll develop a pretty good eye on what advice and methods really work, and remember, there are usually more than solution to any issue in keeping a reef tank, and conflicting opinions do not necessarily make one way wrong or one way right.

henry
 
NRA223

NRA223

Advanced Reefer
Location
Rockaway Beach, NY
Rating - 100%
13   0   0
Henrye said:
Hi! Welcome to MR. You're going to find a lot of help here, and folks who can and will answer lots of questions to help you out. As far as feeling confused after all your reading, don't worry, you're not alone. People here will help clear up some confusions for you, but even if it seems exasperating, keep reading. You'll develop a pretty good eye on what advice and methods really work, and remember, there are usually more than solution to any issue in keeping a reef tank, and conflicting opinions do not necessarily make one way wrong or one way right.

henry
Click to expand...



Great:) !
 
M

masterswimmer

Old School Reefer
Vendor
Manhattan Reefs
Location
NY
Rating - 99.6%
450   2   0
NRA, welcome to our little part of the reef. Kudos to you for spending your fledgling hours reading and researching. It will surely lead to success.

As Henry so aptly stated, there is more than one way to do things right in this hobby. Without those 'frontiersmen' our hobby would never progress. We'd still be back in the days of plenums, undergravel filters, colored gravel and bleached coral heads as decorations.

Ask lots of questions, and read. When you're done reading, read some more.......and never stop ;)

We have lots of very accomplished aquarists who are willing to share their knowledge. Tap those resources and you'll surely be up and running before you know it. Just remember, patience is the key to success in reefkeeping. The reefs in nature took millions of years to get to where they are now. Don't expect to accomplish the same thing in three months.

Good luck, nice to have you aboard,
Russ
 
LeslieS

LeslieS

Advanced Reefer
Location
Manhattan
Rating - 100%
9   0   0
When I first started everyone told me not to listen to Wingo because he is a great but unconventional reefer and newbies need to learn the rules before they can break them. I think we may have to add PaulB to the list :)

Remeber to go very slowly when setting up your tank. Give your tank a VERY generous amount of time after it cycles before you start adding things. I have made a ton of mistakes, but this is one of the biggest things that I did right. I have tons of pods and a very established sand bed because the micro critters had time to grow. The worst thing to see on the site is someone with dead fish in a 2 month old tank. I think I was still adding snails at that point :)

Anyway, I was really posting to give you this list of books. Hope it's helpful. I actually take the pocket expert guides with me to the LFS just in case I start feeling impulsive. After looking something up, I usually don't buy it, and I never have to say, "but the LFS told me it was OK for a beginner!"

Aquarium Keeping and Rescue
the essential saltwater handbook and log
by Carl DelFavero
ISBN 1-890087-49-1

this book is for super beginner but I love it because it has a very easy to follow trouble shooting guide in the back and all the reef chemistry is very basic and easy to find.

The Conscientious Marine Aquarist
a commonsense handbook for successful saltwater hobbyists
by Robert M. Fenner
ISBN 1-890087-03-3

I love this book. In addition to setup, lighting, rock, substrate, and diseases, it has a great section on fish and invertibrates.

A Complete Encyclopedia of the Saltwater Aquarium
A definitive reference to more than 300 marine fish and invertebrate species
By Nick Dakin with Foreword by Julian Sprung

Another of my favorite books. It has a good basic section on tank set up with the section on light being very informative and easy to follow. The section on fish and invertebrates is really excellent.

OK, the following books are good for ID and deciding what you want in your tank.

Corals
a quick reference guide
by Julian Sprung
ISBN 1-883693-09-8

Marine Fishes
A Pocket Exper Guide
500+ essential-to-know aquarium species
ISBN 1-890087-38-6

Marine Invertebrates
A Pocket Expert Guide
500+essential to know aquarium species
ISBN1-890087-66-1
 
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