New and Overwhelmed

Tim McLellan · Oct 10, 2021

I jumped in with a 55 gallon, enjoyed just getting it filled with live sand, rock and saltwater at first. Did some research to get the nitrogen cycle going and just let it cook for a few months while enjoying the BRS videos as well as plenty of others. So many "Top 10 new reefer "mistakes to avoid, things to do, best fish to get", etc." It was all fascinating. Eventually started acquiring invertebrates and fish and it's gone quite well. On the verge of my first coral, so really excited for that. Took stock of the repeated advice of doing regular water changes which I think has served me well.

TastesLikeChicken · Oct 10, 2021

I’ll tell you how I started and maybe it will help you.

I started with what I think is the best book out there. It’s called the “conscious marine aquarist”. It will teach you all the basics and, more importantly, give you a respect for the ethical side of this hobby.

This a magnificent hobby. But please remember that most of the fish are wild caught from the ocean and by the time they get to the store, the mortality rate is very high (I’ve heard up to 90 percent). There are some captive bred species now and a lot of aquaculture corals (what you referred to as plants). This is good news and a step forward for the hobby. Plus now there is a ton of info on the web.

Your doing the correct thing by researching first. Knowledge, patience, experience. Those will be your keys to success. Good luck and enjoy.

Kobadinsky · Oct 10, 2021

Cap’n Bork said:
Hello all! Newly joined here on R2R and to aquariums in general. Having said that, I’m really excited to learn all about setting up and maintaining my first FOWLR tank and I was directed here for advice from seasoned pros. I’ll be honest, I know next to nothing about being an aquarist and after watching videos and reading up on it, it’s very overwhelming and intimidating. Growing up my dad always kept a 55 gallon fresh water tank and had always wanted to do salt water, but said it was just too expensive. Not to mention this was before one could Google any question you had or find a detailed walkthrough on YouTube. I do know this isn’t a cheap hobby by any means to get into, and I’m in no rush, but any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance, and I look forward to learning all I can.

Welcome! I joined R2R not too long ago myself! My boyfriend and I started the hobby about 6 months ago and started with a 32 gallon biocube. Now we have a 120 gallon FOWLR tank and a 100 gallon reef tank… we’ve gone a bit overboard to say the least, but the one thing that makes this hobby a bit more affordable is buying some things used! As much as a lot of us love the hobby and expand, there are plenty of people who are looking to get out of the hobby and have great deals! Be patient and don’t be afraid to wait for great deals whether they are new or used! Good luck!

TailStrike · Oct 10, 2021

Cap’n Bork said:
Hello all! Newly joined here on R2R and to aquariums in general. Having said that, I’m really excited to learn all about setting up and maintaining my first FOWLR tank and I was directed here for advice from seasoned pros. I’ll be honest, I know next to nothing about being an aquarist and after watching videos and reading up on it, it’s very overwhelming and intimidating. Growing up my dad always kept a 55 gallon fresh water tank and had always wanted to do salt water, but said it was just too expensive. Not to mention this was before one could Google any question you had or find a detailed walkthrough on YouTube. I do know this isn’t a cheap hobby by any means to get into, and I’m in no rush, but any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance, and I look forward to learning all I can.

Buy all the books you can find on marine aquarists. Read them all several times. Learn as much as you can. It's not a cheap hobby but the fewer mistakes you make lowers your cost.

Kiwi reefer · Oct 10, 2021

Welcome to R2R!

SPR1968 · Oct 10, 2021

Hi and welcome to Reef2Reef!

Ghost Reefer · Oct 10, 2021

Welcome!

MmeAssoc · Oct 10, 2021

Welcome to the hobby and to reef2reef!

I'm just setting up a tank, and I've found this forum to be an incredible resource, you'll get a lot of help here.

Kennya · Oct 10, 2021

Welcome to R2R, you've come to the right place to get as much help as you need..

Patience and research are your friends in this hobby.

Jimbhoy13 · Oct 10, 2021

Welcome to R2R. As already said - take things slowly. Lots of knowledgeable and helpful people here who will support and advise you when needed.

fachatga · Oct 10, 2021

Welcome! It is true that bigger tanks are easier with mistakes and such diluting more and make less of a difference but if you’re going Fowlr it won’t really matter. Makes a difference with corals. Your fish will be fine. My advice will be to see what fish you really want before you pick your tank size. I started out with a 32 and was able to manage corals just fine even with having zero experience so if 70+ seems like more than you are comfortable with you’ll really be fine with a smaller tank. Just remember that this is fun and you’ll be fine. It’s an amazing hobby. Good luck.

Dom · Oct 10, 2021

Cap’n Bork said:
Hello all! Newly joined here on R2R and to aquariums in general. Having said that, I’m really excited to learn all about setting up and maintaining my first FOWLR tank and I was directed here for advice from seasoned pros. I’ll be honest, I know next to nothing about being an aquarist and after watching videos and reading up on it, it’s very overwhelming and intimidating. Growing up my dad always kept a 55 gallon fresh water tank and had always wanted to do salt water, but said it was just too expensive. Not to mention this was before one could Google any question you had or find a detailed walkthrough on YouTube. I do know this isn’t a cheap hobby by any means to get into, and I’m in no rush, but any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance, and I look forward to learning all I can.

Yes, you are correct, this hobby can get expensive. But there are ways to save money. Also, design your system around the fish you'd like to have in your tank.

Be patient - things often get expensive because people are in a rush. They look for bottled solutions to problems instead of identifying and eliminating the cause.
Do It Yourself - There are many things that you can build in this hobby with modest skills and save big dollars in doing so.
Improvise - As an example, people like to install roller mat systems for water polishing. It is a great way to automate water polishing. Personally, I buy white 12"x12" felt squares and place them in my mechanical filtration tray during weekly husbandry to accomplish the same thing. I get a package of 100 squares for $19. A roller mat system can cost between $200 and $400.

Lots of smart people here with good advice. ASK QUESTIONS and don't be in a rush to have that big, beautiful tank. It takes time and is worth the wait.

Dom

kittenbritches · Oct 10, 2021

Welcome!!

You'll love it here, and congrats on taking baby steps into a new, exciting hobby!

Grumblez · Oct 10, 2021

TastesLikeChicken said:
I’ll tell you how I started and maybe it will help you.

I started with what I think is the best book out there. It’s called the “conscious marine aquarist”. It will teach you all the basics and, more importantly, give you a respect for the ethical side of this hobby.

This a magnificent hobby. But please remember that most of the fish are wild caught from the ocean and by the time they get to the store, the mortality rate is very high (I’ve heard up to 90 percent). There are some captive bred species now and a lot of aquaculture corals (what you referred to as plants). This is good news and a step forward for the hobby. Plus now there is a ton of info on the web.

Your doing the correct thing by researching first. Knowledge, patience, experience. Those will be your keys to success. Good luck and enjoy.

90% is crazy high, maybe back in the 70s.