Hello new to the hobby

[nikko33]

Hello everyone i am new to the hobby of saltwater aquarium i have only had freshwater aquarium i just got a redsea 350 aquarium to start my saltwater hobby i will be circulating the tank with 85 pounds AQUARIUM DRY LIVE ROCK if you guys can help me out if any valuable insight i would really appreciated it thank you

[scattered]

Hi.

Please read the stickies and take your time.

Get full length gloves now. You’ll have your hands in the tank often at first. Most people cannot help themselves early on :).

Start with high quality water.

Do not try and save money cutting corners or on cheap equipment. You will end up spending more in the long run.

Keep a log book of test results.

Read the stickies, make certain you understand the full saltwater cycle. It takes several months sometimes to get past some of the ‘ugly’ stages where higher order algaes balance nutrient export with anaerobic bacteria.

Take your time.

Enjoy your new addiction...err hobby.


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[nikko33]

Thank you for the insight so far ihave been putting these items together Salinity Refractometer for Seawater Refractometer Calibration Solution API Master Test Kits & redsea rsk skimmer rated at mixed reef 320 gallons 60 pounds AQUARIUM DRY LIVE ROCK Should i mix my own water with sea salt mix or buy it already made for the start up thank you

[outssider]

Thank you for the insight so far ihave been putting these items together Salinity Refractometer for Seawater Refractometer Calibration Solution API Master Test Kits & redsea rsk skimmer rated at mixed reef 320 gallons 60 pounds AQUARIUM DRY LIVE ROCK Should i mix my own water with sea salt mix or buy it already made for the start up thank you

Get yourself a RO/DI unit, add salt and make your own water. It's cheaper in the long run and you don't have to worry about the quality of some fish stores water.....you'll need to add fresh water because of evaporation too so the ro/di unit will come in very handy.....

[scattered]

Get yourself a RO/DI unit, add salt and make your own water. It's cheaper in the long run and you don't have to worry about the quality of some fish stores water.....you'll need to add fresh water because of evaporation too so the ro/di unit will come in very handy.....



RO/DI should be a must. Right after tank.

Auto top off is another thing that will go long way towards creating a stable water column.

This is a very rewarding hobby when done right and very expensive and frustrating when done wrong.

I made almost every mistake with my first reef. You don’t have to, many others also have and that’s what the stickies are for. (Only read a a few pages of critter ID - it is almost all the same critters after page 10 or so).

The most important things are stability and patience. Oh and light, good light still makes a big difference lol


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[nikko33]

Thank you so much for the help should i be cycling the DT and REEF SAVER AQUARIUM DRY LIVE ROCK from BRS also how many times a month on water change i will be getting a RO/DI unit any recommendations on one and on salt mix and led lighting so many to chose from american & chinese manufactures thank you in advanced

[Orsamax]

To echo what many have said, but to clarify, cutting corners is bad. However, buying top of the line equipment that you don't understand is equally as bad. I'd encourage you to start simple and then to begin to add complex/expensive equipment as you are educated enough to realize that you need it (reactors, more fancy filters, etc). Some of the best tanks are very simple and some don't even run a skimmer, they just go off of water changes. I'm NOT saying that you don't need a skimmer, your bio-load etc. will dictate that. But what I'm saying is that if you just go off of what you see others doing and the equipment that experienced people have, you might feel that you need to get it all right away. Consider dosing. Don't dose until you have tested often and ACCURATELY enough to KNOW that there are things that you have to dose. I didn't have to start dosing 2 part until I added a clam (that thing sucks alk and calcium like no tomorrow). Established live rock, adequate circulation, consistent heat (not all temperature probes work, don't go cheap on one or just use an old-school mercury thermometer), and REGULAR water changes get you most of the way there, especially when your tank isn't overstocked and you don't have large colonies of stony corals/a clam to suck out nutrients. Once you get your "feet wet" you can begin to make informed decisions on the things that you NEED and then you can make purchases of quality additives/equipment once you actually know what is going on with your tank. Getting on a forum early and doing research show that you are looking to do this the right way.

One more thing, early on it is very tempting to try to fix each problem right away and quickly. As they say, nothing good in this hobby happens fast. Obviously an ammonia spike once you have livestock is something you should remedy. But for other issues, resist the temptation to use chemicals or drastic measures to immediately fix problems because it often only makes other problems worse. If you cycle your rock and do regular water changes, even many of the initial challenges will work themselves out gradually (read with more stability) and will be better in the long run. When I first started adding corals etc, I fell victim to moving them too often because I was worried that they didn't like their placement (which meant I put my hands in the tank a lot and the organisms could not adjust adequately). It was only when I calmed down and stopped trying to fix everything immediately that my livestock was able to properly adjust to the conditions in my tank and eventually acclimate properly to their surroundings. "Life finds a way" just make the conditions as close to ideal as possible and don't lose your mind when something gets out of whack over a little bit of time. Slowly adjust your feeding, keep doing water changes, and keep the darn tank stable and you'll be almost all the way there.

[nikko33]

Hello everyone & thank you all for the great insight & advice