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Salt Water Noob here... (1 Viewer)

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timschauer

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Hi Y'all, great to visit with several of you at the reef conference this weekend. I have just recently jumped with both feet over from freshwater tanks to saltwater. Read several books and reviewed way too many videos on reefing. We bought a 155 gallon tank and now that we are empty nesters, actually have time for this hobby. I have been reviewing lots of the threads here and many are helpful but some extremely dated.

Quick question: how many of you go to Galveston to get livestock, sand, rocks, or anything else for your tanks. Everything I have read says it is extremely risky but then there are lots of contradictory statements here about that and in other forums. Please share with me your experience in collecting anything from the Texas coast.

Thanks,
Tim
 
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Welcome to Marsh!!
Your at the place everyone here is extremely helpful. What are you wanting to keep in your tank ? Fish only with live rock? Mix reef?
How about what do you have for equipment?

As for collecting from Galveston to place I'm to a tank I would heavily quarantine before allowing anything from Galveston in my tank .


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chris85

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:welcome:

Lets get some specs. before I make any recommendations.
1)filtration (biological and mechanical)
2)livestock
3)flow
4)lights
5)equipment

I am going to say no for the rocks most of the rocks down here are granite or sandstone which don't make biological filtration.

Go check out this thread http://www.marsh-reef.org/marine-and-reef-general-discussion/50028-almost-time-year.html the guy is a little of his rocker but it has some good info!!

Whats going on john it has been awhile?
 
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timschauer

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Right, data first:
155 gallon tank.
Fluval canister closed loop and a refugium/sump under the tank, so both bio and mechanical.
Hope to eventually have a mixed tank with thriving reef, but will wait several months before we start adding that. To start, am going with fish and reef friendly rock, purchased about 80lbs of the reef friendly rock from FL.
Plenty of flow with four units that will rotate the current (read lots about flow and will try to keep things moving, but shifting in 4 hour blocks)
LED lights in the tank, with an older full spectrum florescent over the fuge.
Chaeto and bio balls in the fuge at this point but ordered pods and some mangrove plants.

Will review the other link on the thread you shared.

Thanks for the quick response.
Tim
 

chris85

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Ok sounds like it is going to be awesome just keep an eye on the canister filter and make sure it stays clean or fill it up with biomedia. For the sand down here it sounds like you are going to have to much flow in the tank but for the fuge it will be great. You can collect pods and black mangroves pods down here. You can get varies macros down here when the water is under 75degrees. There are also all types of fish and critters down here I just dont want to recommend anything until you know what fish and corals you are going to get. I hope this helps let me know if you have any more questions.
 

wilmil

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There's a thread on here called "almost that time of year". It's very long. Go to near the end and you'll get an idea of who goes and what they get.
 
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Right, data first:
155 gallon tank.
Fluval canister closed loop and a refugium/sump under the tank, so both bio and mechanical.
Hope to eventually have a mixed tank with thriving reef, but will wait several months before we start adding that. To start, am going with fish and reef friendly rock, purchased about 80lbs of the reef friendly rock from FL.
Plenty of flow with four units that will rotate the current (read lots about flow and will try to keep things moving, but shifting in 4 hour blocks)
LED lights in the tank, with an older full spectrum florescent over the fuge.
Chaeto and bio balls in the fuge at this point but ordered pods and some mangrove plants.

Will review the other link on the thread you shared.

Thanks for the quick response.
Tim

As for all your Galveston collecting Chris is your guy!! I've collected a few mangroves that did well in my previous tank.

Which LED fixture do you have ? If your wanting to go budget friendly these are proven lights . David (Reeftopia)

I'm not to familiar with canister but would recommend a protein skimmer . A good skimmer would be more beneficial.


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timschauer

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Sorry, forgot to mention the skimmer, I have a big one in the sump. We are set with that. Got the tank setup this week and cycling before the first round of fish to be added later in the week. Everything I have read says to be extremely patient with the tank for several months before adding coral. What would y'all recommend for the time to wait before adding corals?
 
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timschauer

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We keep our house cool throughout the summer like everybody else in Houston, but do I need to add a chiller to the tank?
 

Bigfishy

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We keep our house cool throughout the summer like everybody else in Houston, but do I need to add a chiller to the tank?

Depends on many things. Does the tank get sunlight. Is it on interior or exterior wall. Do you have internal or exterior pumps. What kind of lighting is on the tank. Is the tank open or closed in.

My tank sits on exterior wall and get some sunlight. I have internal pumps. I run radions and have the tank enclosed with Canopy We keep the house around 76 degrees and I have to run a chiller to keep the tank at 78. Without the chiller the heat climbs as high as 84.


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mittens

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Depends on many things. Does the tank get sunlight. Is it on interior or exterior wall. Do you have internal or exterior pumps. What kind of lighting is on the tank. Is the tank open or closed in.

My tank sits on exterior wall and get some sunlight. I have internal pumps. I run radions and have the tank enclosed with Canopy We keep the house around 76 degrees and I have to run a chiller to keep the tank at 78. Without the chiller the heat climbs as high as 84.


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Never ever ever ever put your tank right in front of a big window. I learned that this past winter.


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oneasianguy

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I will say take it slow. Don't rush to get anything or there is a potential that you can lose that. Make sure the tank is cycled before you start to add life to it.
 
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