I'm new to this, i had a freshwater tank, but want to turn it into a salt water reef tank , it's 55gal, but first off, i don't know nothing about this, i see all the cool pictures on here and i would like to get somthing looking like those, so if anyone can give me some advice on how to get this started on the right foot please give me what ever advice u can on sand, filters, lights, live rocks, and first of on how to get all those sweet looking reef plants growing in there, how do u do that, well any and all help will be greatly appreciated!!
start with a good book on salt set ups - make wise educated slow choices always
decide what kind of tank - FO = fish only, FOWLR = fish only with live rock and REEF - these are listed in order of difficulty as well, I would strongly suggest a FOWLR tank to start with {I'm relatively new to this as well and have made a lot of costly mistakes - after you choose a system, filtration [2-3 times the tank capacity, test equipment, quality supplies {there are no short cuts in the unforgiveing world of salt water} then I'd start buying live sand {crushed coral is a messy, hard to maintian substrate that will bite you in the tail down the road} and live rock 1-2 lbs total per gallon {I.E. 30 lbs rock and 30 lbs sand is a little more than 1 lb per gallon in a 55} then start a cycle - -this is the most excrusiating {sp} part take your time, practice tank maint. do water changes {10% weekly} read everything you can - - id start with every post made in here and after a long solid cycle you will have a stable tank to start adding fish to.........these are my opinions and mostly the fixes to the mistakes I've made - -you have plenty of time to ask questions before you get close to fish - - -this is an incredable hobby and I srand by my quote "if it were easy, everybody would be doing it" WELCOME !!!!!
actually,it is really not that difficult,if u have patience and get the basics right.
IMO,off hand, i wud say,most ppl either jumped into it with no knowledge whatsoever,too impatient to wait for the tank's cycling period to be over b4 adding in livestocks etc.
when the fishes or corals start to die off,some will take the trouble to read and search for info on the livestocks care and requirements and come back stronger. others leave the hobby and say marine tanks are very difficult to maintain.
Guilty as charged {see "anytankers" post} I would hate to see anyone make the same mistakes I made - - -lol your going to make enough of your own - -if I came off scary I am sorry - -this is by far the best hobby I have had - -and used to restore Porsches ...lol
I have a little 20 gallon tank right now {upgrading soon to a 65} and everything that happens good and bad is at my hands - - VERY rewarding - - - - but I stand by my costly learned lesson of READ FIRST, act second - - good luck !!!!!
