A little overwhelmed

DewDropPony · 11-28-2006, 05:58 PM

I haven't started my first saltwater tank yet. I've been doing freshwater heavily for 6 years now. I started with livebearers, than goldfish, than catfish, than gobies, than cichlids.

I feel as if I have a great footing in freshwater. I feel very comfortable with my understanding of their needs and care. I thought this would better prepare me for keeping saltwater when it came time. I have been reading TFH, including their saltwater for over 2 years now. I also have some books with saltwater info them.

Than, out of the blue, a former saltwater hobbyist gave me his old tank, stand, and equipment. I was soo excited and I still am. I immediately dug out my old issues of TFH and re-read all the saltwater columns. Than I went and re-read my books. Than I out online and joined a bunch of saltwater forums and started researching about corals, fish, inverts, equipment, live rock, etc...After all of that I've come to realize how little about saltwater I really knew. I thought reading TFH for 2 years would at least give me an advantage but after doing more online research I realized those 2 years were just the tip of the ice burg. I feel like my knowledge of freshwater is not helping much at all for saltwater. This has come to make me feel some what overwhelmed this the experience of starting my first saltwater tank. I'm so worried that I'll do something wrong and end up with a tank of dead fish. I'm
tempted to just keep one small damsel in my 55gal and nothing else.

Have any of you felt this way when you were new to the hobby?

mistermikev · 11-28-2006, 06:24 PM

WOW someone taking it slow... hold me I might faint. good for you. sounds like you are going in the right direction. I would go one step further. start out with no fish and just water and live rock for about two months IMO
test the water once a week. I would throw a crapload of food in once in a while to "supercycle" the bio filter. ps get a bio filter going. if you don't know what I mean ask one of the many fantastic resources this site has to ofter - lee

tylfly · 11-28-2006, 07:03 PM

I know how you feel. I've been completely freshwater and have started doing the research needed to get a SW tank going. I was a little overwhelmed until I found the right material to read. I recommened "The New Marine Aquarium (step by step setup and stocking guide)" by Micheal S. Paletta and after you feel a little more confident I would also read "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert M. Fenner. They are $16.98 and $28.54 (Canadian) respectivly. "The new marine aquarium" is an excellent book for beginners and "the conscientious marine aquarist" is more indepth and detailed. It goes into detail on all the fish, invertibrates and corals and tells you which species are good and which ones are alot more trouble. "The new marine aquarium was better at showing you haw to set up cycle and mantain your tank in my opinion.

Hope This helps you out. It's nice to see i'm not the only one how has been overwhelmed by saltwater.

dabossinokc · 11-28-2006, 11:12 PM

I was a bit overwhelmed when I began Salt tanks but now that I have read so much information both on the web and in print. I have realized something. There are a lot of different opinions out there and you will go mad trying to absorb them all and make the right decision based on "all of the findings". So I just take bits and pieces of everything I read and continue to do what I am doing if it is working for me long term. There are times that I read things that make perfect sense and I apply them based on my knowledge of biology and science in general. This hobby isn't for the mentally challenged

This is how I have had continued success in my koi ponds and in my salt tanks. So far so good. Good luck!~

DewDropPony · 11-28-2006, 11:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dabossinokc

This hobby isn't for the mentally challenged

Than its a good thing I'm not mentally challenged, just very sensitive a cautious.

***Reefland*** · 11-29-2006, 12:38 PM

Hi DewDropPony,

It can be a bit overwhelming in the beginning and your right, no skills can really be tranferred from fresh to saltwater....except for water changes.

Anyhow, tell us a bit about your system and maybe we can offer some advice.

DewDropPony · 11-29-2006, 01:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefland

Anyhow, tell us a bit about your system and maybe we can offer some advice.

I have a UV sterilizer, A R/O unit (someone told me to add a DI chamber to it), a trickle filter (someone told me to remove the bio-balls and put in LR rubble in its place), two 200 watt heaters, a canister filter (which I may or may not use on this tank), 10 power heads, I have bulbs for no lighting fixure. The bulbs are coralife trichromatic super day light with magnifying 180 degree reflector. It also says 6500 kelvin full spectrum lamp with rare earth phosphors. I have 4 of those. I plan to make a DIY fixure out of a gutter with end caps, using one or two of these bulbs. I plan to do DIY LR and protein skimmer (my trickle filter has a protien skimmer inside of it but it's out dated).

I want a fish-only tank with live rock. I want to keep a lionfish.

Here's my stuff

mistermikev · 11-29-2006, 03:37 PM

wow some nice stuff - you'll have a good start. 6500k lights are great... for growing algae.
I know I'm gonna get hammered for this but... I don't like big powerfull powerheads (your eheim). My prob with them is even with prefilters I have seen blennies, wrasses, snails, shrimp, just about everything - get stuck to them and die. IMO many smaller powerheads are better and will actually create better water movement. some would argue that an overflow and closed loop would be the best - I would suspect that that is true for the most part... less heat, less noise, easier to hide, etc. Barring a closed loop or sump I would use several small powerheads. I would take the eheim and keep it beside my bed in case anyone ever breaks into my apt.

***Reefland*** · 11-29-2006, 03:49 PM

Actually, 6500k metal halides are reported to be the best for growth and coloration (500k Iwasaki's); they just don't look good to us.

mistermikev · 11-29-2006, 04:03 PM

6500k good for growth but not good for color... unless you are partial to yellow(hehe). Correct me if I'm wrong but don't people lean towards 10000k because it will grow coral good but not grow algae as good?
I still can't get past wanting to write 6.5k or 10k every time. k is kelvin not resistence... get it through my head!

DewDropPony · 11-29-2006, 06:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Reefland

Actually, 6500k metal halides are reported to be the best for growth and coloration (500k Iwasaki's); they just don't look good to us.

The former reefer that gave all of this to me was a very in-order meticulous person who bought only the top of the line products in the years he was still in the hobby. He probably cared more about what the lights would do for his corals than how they looked for viewing purposes.

Now I'm begining to wonder how much it will cost to replace these bulbs when I run out of them.

What type of corals could grow best under just one of these bulbs?

***Reefland*** · 11-29-2006, 08:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mistermikev

6500k good for growth but not good for color... unless you are partial to yellow(hehe). Correct me if I'm wrong but don't people lean towards 10000k because it will grow coral good but not grow algae as good?
I still can't get past wanting to write 6.5k or 10k every time. k is kelvin not resistence... get it through my head!

The 6500k is good for growth and coral coloration, not necessarily visual coloration for the aquarist. 10k bulbs, with the right combination of ballast and bulb, provide good results.

Quote:

Originally Posted by DewDropPony

The former reefer that gave all of this to me was a very in-order meticulous person who bought only the top of the line products in the years he was still in the hobby. He probably cared more about what the lights would do for his corals than how they looked for viewing purposes.

Now I'm begining to wonder how much it will cost to replace these bulbs when I run out of them.

What type of corals could grow best under just one of these bulbs?

You might be able to keep a mushroom or some zoanthids. I would however upgrade to a nice VHO/T-5/PC setup to keep more corals, or metal halide to keep anything.

mistermikev · 11-30-2006, 10:41 AM

forgive my insullance but don't you mean 10000 k. 10k, that would be redicuously white, right? ( i know you know ) or do you mean 10 kk. ie 10 kilo kelvin?
afa meticulous and only the best... wheres the metal halide? better yet where's the beaf? (I'm not sure what I mean by that either)
I once went to a 14000k bulb on my mh and hated it. I guess my mh is just for color. my vhos are 10000k and they look great with a few act03 to offset them. AFA "cares about growth and not color" I don't believe we use actinic simply for the color... yeah the color is great but I have read several times over that there are benefits for both the coral and fish with actinic mixed in. I find it hard to believe that the sole purpose of blue light is color. Yeah you don't get fast growth, but is fast growth = healthy? Please scott, tell me I'm right on this one? Besides my color was never good until I had the right combo of white light and actinic. You need white lite to get good color.

11-28-2006, 05:58 PM	#1
DewDropPony Just Moved In Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: MI, Wixom Posts: 6	A little overwhelmed I haven't started my first saltwater tank yet. I've been doing freshwater heavily for 6 years now. I started with livebearers, than goldfish, than catfish, than gobies, than cichlids. I feel as if I have a great footing in freshwater. I feel very comfortable with my understanding of their needs and care. I thought this would better prepare me for keeping saltwater when it came time. I have been reading TFH, including their saltwater for over 2 years now. I also have some books with saltwater info them. Than, out of the blue, a former saltwater hobbyist gave me his old tank, stand, and equipment. I was soo excited and I still am. I immediately dug out my old issues of TFH and re-read all the saltwater columns. Than I went and re-read my books. Than I out online and joined a bunch of saltwater forums and started researching about corals, fish, inverts, equipment, live rock, etc...After all of that I've come to realize how little about saltwater I really knew. I thought reading TFH for 2 years would at least give me an advantage but after doing more online research I realized those 2 years were just the tip of the ice burg. I feel like my knowledge of freshwater is not helping much at all for saltwater. This has come to make me feel some what overwhelmed this the experience of starting my first saltwater tank. I'm so worried that I'll do something wrong and end up with a tank of dead fish. I'm tempted to just keep one small damsel in my 55gal and nothing else. Have any of you felt this way when you were new to the hobby?

11-29-2006, 12:38 PM	#6
*Reefland* Owner Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Bardstown, KY Posts: 13,175	Hi DewDropPony, It can be a bit overwhelming in the beginning and your right, no skills can really be tranferred from fresh to saltwater....except for water changes. Anyhow, tell us a bit about your system and maybe we can offer some advice. __________________ Scott Z. 75 Gallon Reef Log Powered by Reefland's Personal Online Aquarium Log

11-29-2006, 03:49 PM	#9
*Reefland* Owner Join Date: Feb 2000 Location: Bardstown, KY Posts: 13,175	Actually, 6500k metal halides are reported to be the best for growth and coloration (500k Iwasaki's); they just don't look good to us. __________________ Scott Z. 75 Gallon Reef Log Powered by Reefland's Personal Online Aquarium Log

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11-28-2006, 06:24 PM	#2
mistermikev Citizen Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: wi Posts: 207	WOW someone taking it slow... hold me I might faint. good for you. sounds like you are going in the right direction. I would go one step further. start out with no fish and just water and live rock for about two months IMO test the water once a week. I would throw a crapload of food in once in a while to "supercycle" the bio filter. ps get a bio filter going. if you don't know what I mean ask one of the many fantastic resources this site has to ofter - lee

11-28-2006, 07:03 PM	#3
tylfly New in Town Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Assiniboia, Saskatchewan Posts: 2	I know how you feel. I've been completely freshwater and have started doing the research needed to get a SW tank going. I was a little overwhelmed until I found the right material to read. I recommened "The New Marine Aquarium (step by step setup and stocking guide)" by Micheal S. Paletta and after you feel a little more confident I would also read "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert M. Fenner. They are $16.98 and $28.54 (Canadian) respectivly. "The new marine aquarium" is an excellent book for beginners and "the conscientious marine aquarist" is more indepth and detailed. It goes into detail on all the fish, invertibrates and corals and tells you which species are good and which ones are alot more trouble. "The new marine aquarium was better at showing you haw to set up cycle and mantain your tank in my opinion. Hope This helps you out. It's nice to see i'm not the only one how has been overwhelmed by saltwater.

11-28-2006, 11:12 PM	#4
dabossinokc Just Moved In Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Oklahoma City, OK USA Posts: 48	I was a bit overwhelmed when I began Salt tanks but now that I have read so much information both on the web and in print. I have realized something. There are a lot of different opinions out there and you will go mad trying to absorb them all and make the right decision based on "all of the findings". So I just take bits and pieces of everything I read and continue to do what I am doing if it is working for me long term. There are times that I read things that make perfect sense and I apply them based on my knowledge of biology and science in general. This hobby isn't for the mentally challenged This is how I have had continued success in my koi ponds and in my salt tanks. So far so good. Good luck!~

11-29-2006, 03:37 PM	#8
mistermikev Citizen Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: wi Posts: 207	wow some nice stuff - you'll have a good start. 6500k lights are great... for growing algae. I know I'm gonna get hammered for this but... I don't like big powerfull powerheads (your eheim). My prob with them is even with prefilters I have seen blennies, wrasses, snails, shrimp, just about everything - get stuck to them and die. IMO many smaller powerheads are better and will actually create better water movement. some would argue that an overflow and closed loop would be the best - I would suspect that that is true for the most part... less heat, less noise, easier to hide, etc. Barring a closed loop or sump I would use several small powerheads. I would take the eheim and keep it beside my bed in case anyone ever breaks into my apt.

11-29-2006, 04:03 PM	#10
mistermikev Citizen Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: wi Posts: 207	6500k good for growth but not good for color... unless you are partial to yellow(hehe). Correct me if I'm wrong but don't people lean towards 10000k because it will grow coral good but not grow algae as good? I still can't get past wanting to write 6.5k or 10k every time. k is kelvin not resistence... get it through my head!

11-30-2006, 10:41 AM	#13
mistermikev Citizen Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: wi Posts: 207	forgive my insullance but don't you mean 10000 k. 10k, that would be redicuously white, right? ( i know you know ) or do you mean 10 kk. ie 10 kilo kelvin? afa meticulous and only the best... wheres the metal halide? better yet where's the beaf? (I'm not sure what I mean by that either) I once went to a 14000k bulb on my mh and hated it. I guess my mh is just for color. my vhos are 10000k and they look great with a few act03 to offset them. AFA "cares about growth and not color" I don't believe we use actinic simply for the color... yeah the color is great but I have read several times over that there are benefits for both the coral and fish with actinic mixed in. I find it hard to believe that the sole purpose of blue light is color. Yeah you don't get fast growth, but is fast growth = healthy? Please scott, tell me I'm right on this one? Besides my color was never good until I had the right combo of white light and actinic. You need white lite to get good color.

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