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skimace7 
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 Topic: Why didn't anyone tell me that?
Posted: December 03 2007 at 10:03pm |
I'm jumping into the Salt Water head first on December 15th. I will be picking up a 100 gallon tank saturday morning. It is a well established tank with lots of corals, a few fish, and years of growth. 
I have never done S.W. before so I was hoping I could get some pointers from you'll....  Here's my question....If you could go back to when you first were getting started, what advice do you wish someone would have given you!?
thanks,
Mason
Edited by skimace7 - December 03 2007 at 10:05pm
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Debbles
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Posted: December 03 2007 at 10:15pm |
Welcome Mason, to the board and to the hobby. !! Honestly...The advice I wish we would've gotten is join the WMAS! We had no idea what we were doing and made so many mistakes. I wish I knew who it was that was in Marine World shopping one day that gave us the WMAS info. I owe that person a HUGE thank you. Please don't be afraid to ask questions, there is always someone that will jump in and help. Read up on the hobby as much as you can. There is alot of info here on the board. One other thing that I wish we would've been told sooner was the water parameters. We found out the hard way.
Deb
Edited by frednwilma1999 - December 03 2007 at 10:17pm
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Yes Mikey...I still have fins!!!
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pa_reptileman_4
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Posted: December 03 2007 at 10:18pm |
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me too my biggest problem is that i didn't know about wmas when i first started but i soon found out after a month or so into the hobby...and i too owe a big thanks to some people for helping me get where i am in the hobby today if it wasn't for them my 90 gal prolly would have turned into a snake tank lol....
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pitiful guppy tank.
shane
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cl2ysta1
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Posted: December 03 2007 at 10:27pm |
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plumb it right the first time, b.c if you dont it will give you a headache forever!
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I <3 Boxers
Achilles tang lover
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CrimsRayne
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Posted: December 03 2007 at 10:27pm |
When you pick up the tank get their maintenance schedule. Especially if there are corals in the tank. Find out what they add and how often. It will save you weeks of guess work. Find out how old the bulbs are for the lighting system and if they know what brand and wattage.
Basicly any info you can. (you may want to write it down for reference) There are times you will think back and try to remember what they said.
Join the WMAS (you're already half way here). We have a meeting tomorrow. Come join us! There are LOTS of people that have been through the ups and downs (me included) of saltwater tanks. You will notice that we do tend to talk a lot... we are proud of our hobby and full of knowledge. Ask away. If one of us doesn't know we will know someone else that should know.
Welcome to the hobby. Hope you enjoy the ride.  |
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"What we know from this hobby is too hard to share with the people who just want to look and not get wet." -Rioreefer
"The Puffer Girl"
Zoo freak :)
West Jordan
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Shane H
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Posted: December 03 2007 at 10:42pm |
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If the tank is not drilled for overflows - then do that first thing. You won't be sorry.
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Lyscer
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Posted: December 03 2007 at 10:42pm |
Remember that a TON of stuff is based on opinion. Mainly because it will work in one tank and not another. Like everyone else has stated. If you do some research you will find there can be more than 1 way to do something. Find what you think is the best method and run with it. Don't be afraid to ask. As for the tank move, I have found it it super convenient to get a large water tank (100+ gallons) from someone on the board and a lot of hose. Put a pump in the tank and pump the water from the tank into the container that is sitting in the back of a truck. It will save your back, and a lot of time. You said that the tank has been setup for quite some time that you are acquiring. If you disturb the sand and notice something that smells like 'rotten eggs', I would rinse the sand before putting it all back together as it could cause some real headaches. Rinsing will kill off most of the life in the sand though. That is my opinion 
Edited by Lyscer - December 03 2007 at 10:43pm
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meterman
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Posted: December 03 2007 at 10:47pm |
Join the WMAS - I need to again.
- Check your water parameters every few days, or atleast weekly untill you get a feel for how your new system functions.
- Read about the requirements (diet, compatabilty, size) of your inhabitants.
- Don't believe everything you read. There are many opinions about all topics. Do your research then do what makes sense to you.
- Ask questions, just like your doing, here on the board.
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Alex
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skimace7
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Posted: December 03 2007 at 10:55pm |
thanks for all the advice so far... Please keep it coming! It sounds like I should join the WMAS!? 
So if the sand stinks I should rinse it huh?! I was thinking that could kill all of my good bacteria...?Is there anything I shouldn't clean when I move it? How important is it to keep the water temp. with my live rock and sand? what about all of the coreline (purple stuff growing on the back of the glass) Is there away to save them from dieing on the move? What is the best way to transport the fish and corals? sorry for so many questions!?  thanks again for your help!
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jonafriendj
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Posted: December 03 2007 at 11:03pm |
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You might want to see if there is a "Reefers Annonymous"! Just kidding, kindof. If it was me, I would have told myself to plan on spending a lot more money than I was planning on. And maybe plan your tank out ahead of time. That would be pretty tricky though because I find something new everytime I go to the store. WMAS is a great place to ask questions and learn new things. Welcome to the forum!
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Pleasant Grove
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Lyscer
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Posted: December 03 2007 at 11:11pm |
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I put my fish in buckets with a small powerhead and a small heater WITH a lid.
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Mike Savage
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Posted: December 03 2007 at 11:20pm |
WELCOME!
Take it slow and ask lots of questions. Don't feel they are stupid questions. You will find we are patient and friendly here as well as being helpful.
Mike
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msemanuel
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Posted: December 04 2007 at 8:31am |
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When we picked up our tank we put the corals in buckets then added water to cover them, and did the same with all the rock, and of course the fish. That way we kept most of the water. Of course it took alot of buckets. When we got home we put them all in a large tote with a heater and powerhead until we were ready to set up the tank. That worked well for us, but of course we did not have far to go, so we did not worry too much about the temp dropping.
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29 gallon reef
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Shane H
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Posted: December 04 2007 at 9:56am |
Another great way to transport fish and corals is to use insulated coolers. The coolers that have wheels work especially well. They are a bit more cumbersome than buckets, but they are also larger and can hold multiple fish / corals. Be sure to only fill them about half full of water, otherwise they will be too heavy to lift.
You can clean them up nicely with a bit of bleach water following the move. My wife is always worried about me getting "fish" on everything. |
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Shane H
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Posted: December 04 2007 at 9:58am |
BTW, the DI is a great place to shop for old coolers - especially this time of year.
Also, the coralline on the back glass is history. But don't worry it comes back fairly quickly.
One other thing, make sure you aerate the water in the cooler / buckets if the fish/corals are going to be in there very long. Otherwise, you'll open the lid to a nasty surprise.
Good luck!
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griffith
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Posted: December 04 2007 at 11:15am |
Welcome! 
Ask lots and lots of questions - go see other people's tanks.
Read, read, read.
Understand that it is a fun hobby that takes time.
Remember that things will die - lights will burn out and it all takes $$$
But with all that said - I love the hobby
Come to meetings and make a lot of new friends.
Linn
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dkle
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Posted: December 04 2007 at 7:33pm |
 Lyscer wrote:
Remember that a TON of stuff is based on opinion. Mainly because it will work in one tank and not another. Like everyone else has stated. If you do some research you will find there can be more than 1 way to do something. Find what you think is the best method and run with it. Don't be afraid to ask.
As for the tank move, I have found it it super convenient to get a large water tank (100+ gallons) from someone on the board and a lot of hose. Put a pump in the tank and pump the water from the tank into the container that is sitting in the back of a truck. It will save your back, and a lot of time. You said that the tank has been setup for quite some time that you are acquiring. If you disturb the sand and notice something that smells like 'rotten eggs', I would rinse the sand before putting it all back together as it could cause some real headaches. Rinsing will kill off most of the life in the sand though. That is my opinion
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Very well-said, Dale. I agree completely.
On the internet, anyone can be an expert in any field they want to be. Be wary of taking advice from anybody who cannot show you the fruits of their labor. That is an advantage of having this club as opposed to Reefcentral. It is a small and close community. It is sorta hard to lie or fib consistently on the board.
I love reefcentral though!!!!
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If you can't bedazzle them with your brilliance, baffle them with your bs!
Dinhkim Le - Procrastinator extra-ordinare
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ReefBones
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Posted: December 04 2007 at 7:51pm |
skimace7 wrote:
Here's my question....If you could go back to when you first were getting started, what advice do you wish someone would have given you!?
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welcome Mason! the WMAS is a great place to get all sorts of information .. and congrats on your new tank!!! .. Everyone here has given you great information ..
To answer your question: I wish someone would have told me I needed a second job....
jonafriendj wrote:
You might want to see if there is a "Reefers Annonymous"! Just kidding, kindof. |
Edited by thebutler4 - December 04 2007 at 7:56pm
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140 gallon Reef
65 gallon Reef
55 gallon Aggressive
www.thesalttank.com
801-865-6074
"encourage other divers and sea enthusiasts to take nothing but pictures and leave nothing but bubbles"
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tamortman
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Posted: December 04 2007 at 8:24pm |
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i have a 55 gallon water barrel you can use if you want to. you want to keep all the water from the tank that you can. good luck your in for the shock of your life! (don't worry it is a good shock)
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210/75g inwall reef
1500-2000g pond
Herriman
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jpiotrowski
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Posted: December 05 2007 at 8:57am |
I agree with joining the wmas. My wife took me on the reef tour for our anniversery! And I met Mark Peterson of all people! Soon after my tank was looking wonderful!
Remember bad things happen quickly and good things are slow. Corals and fish don't like big changes to their environment. This move is going to be a big deal and put a lot of stress on them. My advice would be to get someone who has moved a tank like this and get pointers on how they were able to successfully move their tank. Several people have chipped in in that regard. Use that info and plan out as best you can.
Good luck and welcome!
John
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