Newbie alert!!!!!!

[z28cam]

Ok just joined and would like to say HELLO :)

I've been keepin freshwater fish now for little less then a year, and find myself bored with FW setups. Shoulda never listened to the guy at the LFS :)

Anywho I plan on either buying a 125gal or switching my 55 over and starting a marine reef tank.

Now what i need from you peeps is a little(ok alot) of help. What books should i get, What are some good beginner websites that give advice on sump setups and stuff like that. I want my first reef tank to be a good experience. So give me all your info, even if i didn't ask a specific question feel free to give me any input.

I've been looking at some pictures of your peoples tanks and cant help but to drool. Cant wait to get started. It will probably be a couple months before that happens but at least I will be able to do alot of research in the mean time.

Ok ill stop there, im starting to confuse myself :hmm3:

[bensenvill]

my first advice, is start saving your pennies now. You will blow through undescribable amounts of money. This hobby is not for the timmied of the pocket book.

[z28cam]

Yeah I've already prepared myself for that one :) I will just be sure to throw away the reciepts so I wont shoot myself when I see the running total :D

[Steve Richardson]

Check out the 'books' section and look at the ones for beginners. The ones there (Shimek, Tullock, Fenner) are all good. I would suggest getting at least 2 of them.

There are a lot of 'bad' books at your local LFS. The ones listed here meet the approval of the committee. :D

[Skipper]

Hey z28.

[welcome]

Check out this thread. (http://archive.reefcentral.com/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=46719) There is alot of information in the links provided there.....including books. Glad to have you aboard.

[z28cam]

one step ahead of ya skipper, read it last night :rollface:

[naesco]

Definitely buy and read one of either Fenner's or Tullocks books.
It will save you a lot of grief.
Ask here before you buy. It will save you a lot of money.
Unlike fresh, with salt go sloooooooow.

[JAR]

Hey z28 cam,
I've had my 125 set up for exactly one month now and my best advice to you is to be PATIENT and before you do something that you're not to sure about, check here first. Everyone at RC is a great help and has kept me in check.
Oh, and one more thing I've learned so far is to Keep It Simple.

[Tommyc]

As naesco said, take it slow. Give everything twice as long as people suggest. Read the articles in the database here on deep sand beds. Do a
search here for local reef clubs and get in touch with them....they can hook you up with all sorts of stuff...live sand, frags, used eqpt, advice, etc. Take everything the local fish store says with a grain of salt. Double check it here. Buy dry goods on line. There was a thread posted a week ago where someone asked..."If you had to do it over again, what would you do differently?" Some good ideas in there. Plan your system with a sump (and a refugium if you can). Use Instant Ocean salt. Icecap ballasts are great. Don't start with a red sea berlin skimmer like i did (unless you immediately got the kent venturi mod, then it works fine). I think I'll go with a euroreef skimmer on my next tank. Use good test kits (Salifert and Lamotte seem to be the most recommended and I'm happy with salifert) Bookwise - I'd recommend "the reef aquarium - vol I" by Sprung and Delbeek. A great reference I pick up often. It's a little pricey, but check it out at the library first. Seek counseling...we're warning you you're going to become an addict and you're still going to do it.....

[z28cam]

What exactly is a refigium, what is its purpose. And what are frags. And I do plan on using a sump it just seems like the smart thing to do.

[DgenR8]

A quick definition of "refugium" is a sump with slow water flow that has a Deep Sand Bed (DSB) and macroalgae growing.
The purpose of it is to export Nitrate. Do a search on "refugium" and sit back and read. There are LOTS of threads here telling you how to set it up, why it's a great thing to have etc. etc. etc....

[Skipper]

A frag is a slang term for a fragment. If you break/cut a piece of a coral off, you have a frag. Here is an excellent page on refugiums. (http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Valley/3389/reeftank/refugium.html)

[z28cam]

ok thanks, i feel smarter already :D