As green as they come, with milk still on the tongue....lol

[JesikaLeigh]

Well I have an announcement........my boyfriend and I are having a baby!!!

I never thought when I got to utter those words I'd be referring to a 125 gallon salt water tank. However I find myself as nervous and anxious about this endeavor as I would be for a newborn on it's way.

My boyfriend has had this 125 gallon tank for almost 6 or so years. It was set up previously and he had several fish in there, who unfortunately ended up being eaten when his ex wife decided to add a shark into the tank. Since then the ex wife and shark have both exited the picture.

We have decided to get it back up and running. After having the water tested at the local PetSmart we were told all that was off was the nitrites were really high. We then set out to cleaning the tank. A good water change, a good scrubbing and filter change, added the carbon to the filter, and vacuumed the live (? maybe dead now) sand. We also did a DIY project of making "live" rock which is still in the fresh water tubs for at least 3 more weeks.

Now we are standing on a ledge and I'm not sure which steps to make to insure that our eventual reef tank is happy and healthy. I have read online a lot of different things in regards to lighting, sumps, and other components to get started, but it is all so confusing and overloads me quickly.

So if someone has enough time to take me through baby steps or give me some good sound advice where to go from here, without cracking jokes on my inexperience and all the while making it so I can thoroughly impress my boyfriend with my new found knowledge (lol), I'd be very appreciative.

So to review, I have a 125 gallon saltwater tank with possibly live sand at the bottom with a few live rocks in it with a bucket full of DIY "live" rock under the carport. I need lighting, more info on this whole sump issue......whether I should just start completely over......

Thanks a ton!!!

[BIG_KAHUNA]

http://www.amazon.com/Conscientious-Marine-Aquarist-Commonsense-Successful/dp/1890087025

and go slow! step by step!

[Sugar Magnolia]

<img src="/images/welcome.gif" width="500" height="62"><br><b><i><big><big>To Reef Central</b></i></big></big>

The first place to start is by reading through all of the stickies at the top of this forum. The book Scott suggersted is a good one. Head to your local library to see if they have it, or purchase it. It's an excellent reference guide.

As far as lighting goes, there are many options. To decide what kind you will need, you'll have to let us know whether you are planning a fish only tank or a full blown reef. Fish only just needs basic lighting. A reef tank, depending upon what corals you'd like to keep can require different types of lighting. Soft corals can get away with lower light. SPS, clams and anemones require very strong lighting.

For a sump, you'll want to go with the largest tank that will fit under your stand. More water volume means more wiggle room with your water parameters.

You'll need to purchase an RO/DI unit for the best water quality. Tap water has many impurities that will inevitably lead to nuisance algae problems in your tank.