kj23502
lazy dayz
This is my first attempt ever to venture into saltwater!! Some of you may have noticed I've been asking a ton of questions 
And there is a LOT to learn. 
I agree that every beginner should begin with research and asking questions. When somewhat prepared we are better able to deal with any issues that may arise in our tank in the future.
Just to let you know, I won't have everything up and running right away. In fact I'm still looking for a 75 gallon tank that I can move I African cichlids too. I love their beauty as well and don't want to give them up. The reason I'm moving them is because one of my must have fish, a regal tang, can get pretty big so my current large tank is my best option, in my opinion. I'll update this from time to time as I'll try to collect used equipment, as that's much cheaper and doesn't hurt the bank account as badly. I'll post when I find something and try to put an ample suply of pictures up as well
First, I'm reading some books. I went to TFF's Realm of Knowledge as recommended to me by SkiFletch and looked over possible books. I'm not going to buy a book if I'm not sure if it's really what I want so when I decided on what I was going to get, I went down to the local library. They didn't have any in stock at all, but thankfully they can do something called an interlibrary loan. They can borrow a book from any library around. The first book came from a library in Wisconsin, the second and third books are from Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, SD. (Just thought I'd share...I find that stuff interesting.)
The first one I checked out was Reef Fishes: Volume 1 by Scott W. Michael.
It talked a little bit about conservation and history in the beginning pages and then went on to taxonomy of fish. The main species I remember from this book (as I skimmed over it and didn't thoroughly read this one) are many many Eel species, Frogfishes, Seahorses, Sea Moth, Lionfish. There are lot more in there as well. I didn't thoroughly read it because I wasn't quite ready for a book that tells minimum care requirements for specific fish (although that should be kept in mind when planning your setup if you absolutely have to have certain fish.) I would love to have a Echidna Nebulosa, commonly called a Snowflake Eel, and a Lionfish, but the downside is that I want a CUC (Clean up Crew) and I don't want to have to constantly replace snails, shrimps and such because they are always eating them. That would get expensive really fast, not to mention would be a waste of animal resources
Btw, the fish I absolutley have to have are:
1)black and white clownfish-probably Amphiprion ocellaris
2)green mandarin-Pterosynchiropus splendidus
3)dory-Blue Tang is also known as the Regal Tang, Blue Surgeonfish, and Indo-Pacific Blue Tang-Paracanthurus hepatus
Right now I'm reading: The New Marine Aquarium Step by Step Setup and Stocking Guide by Michael S. Paletta.
I've had this book for a few days and I'm on page 41. I think I'm going to go ahead and buy myself a copy of this book. It's really good for beginners and touches on all sorts of topics ranging from where to place the tank, how to pick a good stand, what size tank is best, skimmers,hoods and lighting, live rock, filtration options, heaters and powerheads, hydrometers, powerstrips and GFI (*GFI can help prevent electrocution...look into it), timers for lights/powerheads, a tid-bit on salt, substrate and much much more. An excellent read so far and I believe I shall enjoy the rest of it.
I'll come back when I have more to post. Feel free to comment, of course
And there is a LOT to learn. I agree that every beginner should begin with research and asking questions. When somewhat prepared we are better able to deal with any issues that may arise in our tank in the future.Just to let you know, I won't have everything up and running right away. In fact I'm still looking for a 75 gallon tank that I can move I African cichlids too. I love their beauty as well and don't want to give them up. The reason I'm moving them is because one of my must have fish, a regal tang, can get pretty big so my current large tank is my best option, in my opinion. I'll update this from time to time as I'll try to collect used equipment, as that's much cheaper and doesn't hurt the bank account as badly. I'll post when I find something and try to put an ample suply of pictures up as well
First, I'm reading some books. I went to TFF's Realm of Knowledge as recommended to me by SkiFletch and looked over possible books. I'm not going to buy a book if I'm not sure if it's really what I want so when I decided on what I was going to get, I went down to the local library. They didn't have any in stock at all, but thankfully they can do something called an interlibrary loan. They can borrow a book from any library around. The first book came from a library in Wisconsin, the second and third books are from Ellsworth Air Force Base in Rapid City, SD. (Just thought I'd share...I find that stuff interesting.)
The first one I checked out was Reef Fishes: Volume 1 by Scott W. Michael.
It talked a little bit about conservation and history in the beginning pages and then went on to taxonomy of fish. The main species I remember from this book (as I skimmed over it and didn't thoroughly read this one) are many many Eel species, Frogfishes, Seahorses, Sea Moth, Lionfish. There are lot more in there as well. I didn't thoroughly read it because I wasn't quite ready for a book that tells minimum care requirements for specific fish (although that should be kept in mind when planning your setup if you absolutely have to have certain fish.) I would love to have a Echidna Nebulosa, commonly called a Snowflake Eel, and a Lionfish, but the downside is that I want a CUC (Clean up Crew) and I don't want to have to constantly replace snails, shrimps and such because they are always eating them. That would get expensive really fast, not to mention would be a waste of animal resources
Btw, the fish I absolutley have to have are:
1)black and white clownfish-probably Amphiprion ocellaris
2)green mandarin-Pterosynchiropus splendidus
3)dory-Blue Tang is also known as the Regal Tang, Blue Surgeonfish, and Indo-Pacific Blue Tang-Paracanthurus hepatus
Right now I'm reading: The New Marine Aquarium Step by Step Setup and Stocking Guide by Michael S. Paletta.
I've had this book for a few days and I'm on page 41. I think I'm going to go ahead and buy myself a copy of this book. It's really good for beginners and touches on all sorts of topics ranging from where to place the tank, how to pick a good stand, what size tank is best, skimmers,hoods and lighting, live rock, filtration options, heaters and powerheads, hydrometers, powerstrips and GFI (*GFI can help prevent electrocution...look into it), timers for lights/powerheads, a tid-bit on salt, substrate and much much more. An excellent read so far and I believe I shall enjoy the rest of it.
I'll come back when I have more to post. Feel free to comment, of course
. They're often touted as a safety/cureall for electrical problems and shorts. However in reality they can often fail and lead to problems for you and your tank, especially if employed improperly.
them to, and don't want to give or sell them away. I'm going to sell my old 125 gallon/stand.
/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...mp;pcatid=12077
I'll be checking them out, though!
