Hi, Im new

[11:11]

Hey guys. I just finished building A stand for my 40 gallon Aquarium. I didn't want to spend a lot of money on the stand so I went to home depot, purchased cinder blocks, put them at four corners and placed a peice of wood over it, then a black cloth over that. Now I have the 40 gallon tank on top of it and it looks decent for only spending 26 dollars. As opposed to some fancy stand that cost 200-300 dollars. I just finished putting tap water into the Aquarium. I know I didn''t want to use tap water either especially living in texas, but I am going to cure this water before I place fish in. It will be sitting for a while, and I will place conditioner and bacteria in the water. Right now all I have is the Aquarium with water in it, and two Powerheads that I am working on putting on the tank. Next I am going to buy live rock, then live sand. Then a mechanical filter. One step at a time for me, this is really PRICY starting off, and Im certainly not rich.. Im having to find nice economical ways of getting around expense, such as working at petco, I can get a 20 percent discount off live sand...as well as fish.

I would appreciate ALL the advice I can get from you Saltwater gurus. I'd like to hear your experiences, what tank you own, what fish you have, and what fish you suggest. All input is valuable right now. Although I am an Aquatics Specialist at Petco and I value giving my customers correct information, I have never done a saltwater tank before. I am well researched on it, but I am sure the learning experience for this hobby is infinite.

[2Addicted]

[welcome]


What are you planning on keeping in the tank?

[Snowangel2214]

The concerns I know about tap water is whether or not it contains phosphate or silica, and chlorine of course. Some species such as inverts are really sensitive to phosphates, and silica creates a issue with diatoms (which can be a pain!). Just get some test kits to check for that stuff and you should be fine.

I agree, lr & sand is ridiculous expensive. Two week ago when I bought a rock for $42, I was thinking "Really? I'm spending this on one rock?" Lol, it's a fun hobby though.

[Frogmanx82]

You are aware I hope that a reef tank is a money pit. If you don't have the money for it, you could set up a nice freshwater tank for a lot less.

If I were going into this hobby on the cheap, the best advice I have is to scout craigs list and see if you can find someone getting out of the hobby. It's stunning to see what people practically give away.

When it comes to fish I suggest clowns, blennies, and gobies. They are the hardiest and generally have good personality.

[Angel*Fish]

This is a good place to start:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074

[iwishtofish]

...I am sure the learning experience for this hobby is infinite.

Welcome to RC, and to saltwater - and you are absolutely right with your above statement. Many of the top Gurus are still learning new things all the time, and still making mistakes, too!

Time is on your side, and nothing should be rushed in this hobby, so I'd suggest you keep reading thread after thread here and you'll be amazed how many questions get answered! I'm taking FOREVER to get my 2d saltwater tank up and running, but my consolation is that (hopefully) I'll do a lot of things right the first time. After all, some mistakes in this hobby are really hard to correct once they are made.

What do you know about your tap water? Is it city water, or from a well? City water would have to be treated to negate the effects of chlorine or chlouramine - both chemicals would pretty much do in your tank. Not to mention the other additives or pollutants that can be found in city water. Well water can contain nasties too - mine has very high levels of silica at the very least. Some water contains copper from piping or other sources (deadly to reef inverts), and some contains arsenic. Your water quality will be crucial in a saltwater aquarium. I know it's expensive, but you really, really might want to look for a bargain on a RO/DI filter, or, at the very least, buy distilled water from a reputable source.

So, I think you need a master plan. Decide on what you want to keep by examining other people's tank threads, then begin your research on every step of your build. As you plan, figure what it will reasonably cost. Then start saving. You can save a lot of money by being smart, but, as Frogmanx82 said, it is an expensive hobby by its very nature. Usually it is hard to cut corners and still be successful.

Most of all, have fun! :)