Any Reef Keepers?

[ninny]

I would love to get into reefs. but the cost of salt can and will kill me. So my fancy goldfish are safe for now.

 

[AHappychick]

Quote:
I was about to say the same thing WOW is right so beautiful reminds me of when I would go snorkling

 

[key west chick]

I miss my reef!! Before we moved, we had a 55g reef. I found the metal halides a nightmare. Could be because DH made the canopy and nothing ever seemed right. We had tons of live rock, anemones, several kinds of soft coral, a flame angel, a school of blue chromis, a cleaner shrimp, some snails, crabs, well, you get the picture! DH was a small owner in a pet shop so we got everything at cost. Rock and corals can kill the wallet! Had to get rid of it when we moved. I'll probably never get it back up and running.

 

[SilverM0on]

love fish... i never tried salt water but im planning on setting a big tank
i need to leave usa for 5 or 6 month but when i am back i will star one
we have a huge store specialized in coral and salt water fish in front of the house i coudn't resist
they have thousand specimen how can you not fall in love whit this

 

[Henrietta23]

Wow!!!

 

[al6517]

Quote:
Try and give us an idea of where you get your specimens, cost, care management, and what would cause losses. I am interested to hear about this amazing hobby.

AL

 

[key west chick]

Wow, it's been years since we had our tank. Like I said, we were part owners in a pet store so we got our stuff wholesale. We would actually go hand pick our stuff for our tank from a place in Atlanta. I guess if we had to start over and pay retail it would cost us around $1500.00. But we still have the tank and stand. DH figures around $1000 to stock the tank. That would be sand, live rock, some inexpensive corals, a few inexpensive fish (fish can be a few dollars to hundreds) and some crabs and snails. Remember, not all fish are compatable with a reef system. Many fish will eat corals and live rock. Lighting is crucial to a reef system. We had a metal halide. Water flow is also very important, some things like more current than others, plus you don't want to create stagnant spots. A larger tank is usually more forgiving than a smaller one. If you have the money, get the biggest you can afford. We used a trickle system for filtration. It was popular years ago but I'm not sure now. We had a problem with hair algae, an indication our phosphates were high. We ended up adding a larger protein skimmer. If your serious about a reef tank, do your homework. If you want a tank with lots of fish, it might not be the best for you. Find somewhere in your area that deals with salt systems. Talk to them and see what they recommend. Once established, other than routine mantenience, they are relatively easy to care for.

 

[al6517]

Thanks for info Key west, Lots of good stuff to digest.

 

[key west chick]

And be sure your floor can support all the weight. A gallon of salt water weighs about 8#s. A good rule of thumb is a # of live rock per gallon of tank. Plus the tank and stand. It is very heavy! Great, now I want mine running again! They can be very beautiful!

 

[plreef]

Lots have changed in reef keeping over the years. The trickle filter/ bio ball system are being fazed out. Due to them being more of nitrate factories more than any thing. Lots of folks are going with efficient protein skimmers, deep sand beds or Bare bottom method, quality salts, live rock, and regular water changes.

I don't believe that you need 1 pound of LR per gallon. I have messed around over the years with that formula. I'm running a 30g tank with less than 15 pounds of LR. The Japanese have been doing it for years. Less is more.

Lighting is a very debated subject. I used to be very big on Metal Halides, Mogul and HQI. The biggest problem I found is power consumption. I used to run 250 HQI then switched to 400's. My electric bill was threw the roof! 2 years ago I started using T5HO lights on individual parabolic reflectors. They have the same if not better PAR rating than MH. Even in 24" deep tanks. Plus they use half the power as MH.

Reef keeping is very much like raising chickens we all have our opinions on what should and shouldn't be done. But that's what makes for good discussion.

Jas