Brand new and more than a little confused.

[naesco]

Originally Posted by Seth72

LoL....thats funny,im new to this whole saltwater thing too.I am picking my tank up on sunday used and slowly going to put together a whole system out of used parts.

I dont mind the cost of tank,but i refuse to spend 700 bucks on live rock or 800 on a nice light fixture so i will be keeping my eyes open for good used stuff.

I do have one question though,people say to buy your live rock cured and mine will be for sure because it will be used, but isnt half the fun of it in seeing what kind of little hitchhikers you get with it.

In my experience the best time in the hobby is the beginning. Watching fresh live rock with weird tiny inverts, encrusting coral, tunicates, algae worms and other surprising critters.
Every day the tank changes and you can spend hours with your nose pressed against the glass.
I have never understood why some reefers cook or cure live rock. To each their own and I respect that.

Best is to buy cheap dead rock and make sure you leave room for those choice pieces.
They are worth the price.

[Joseph Elliott]

Was just watching the tank (nose pressed against it lol) looking for signs of life when i noticed a little pink anenome thingy lol. about a cm tall and i can see through it, bulb shaped.. fat on the bottom thinner on top with tentacles waving around. first sign of life in my tank... any idea what it might be? I'll try to take a picture but my camera isnt that great.

[reefwars]

It's aiptasia most people see it as a pest I'd personally kill it, it will spread very rapidly and sting corals. It's very hard to kill and there are many methods
I'm sure someone here can send you a thread fir getting rid of it. Try turning out all the lights in gbe room and when it gets pitch dark is when most of the life really comes alive use a flashlight to spot shine in holes and cracks.

Kill that aiptasia now while you can after it spreads it could pop up anywhere cheers:$

[Joseph Elliott]

I ran it under fresh water for about 30 seconds then wiped it off with a qtip.. very easy must not have been well attached yet.

[Sunee]

This is a great time, setting up a new tank!! You get alot of help and advice here, the members are really helpful.

Watching what grows on and comes out of the live rock is fascinating. One piece of advice I can give is read everything you can. The library was my best friend in the year before I set up my first tank and after 2 1/2 years with my nano I still read alot.

Good luck and enjoy!!

[Aquattro]

This is the fun part for sure. For one, I wouldn't personally stuff 75 pounds of rock in a 50g, I'd go max 50 pounds or your fish won't have anywhere to swim. Also, the cannister should go, sell it and put the money towards something useful (they can contribute to high nitrates).
Buying used rock can be fine, but I would watch for old rock (over 3 or 4 years) and rock that looks freshly scrubbed (someone may have just scrubbed off lots of hair algae to sell it). I'd buy a box of fiji rock from one of our vendors here, it's about 50 pounds at less than 300 bucks. I always go uncured, but I'm a sucker for punishment. I like to give the remaining life the best chance it has, which I think I can do better than the LFS.

Go slow, and everything will fall into place.

[Seth72]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

I would watch for old rock (over 3 or 4 years) and rock that looks freshly scrubbed (someone may have just scrubbed off lots of hair algae to sell it).

Go slow, and everything will fall into place.

would it then come back real fast..and if that were to happen how could i get rid of it?

[Aquattro]

Ya, it would probably grow back in a week or two. Nutrient reduction would get rid of it, but that can be a tough balancing act in the first 6 months. And you don't want to deal with a green lawn for a reef when starting out. I'd always go new if possible until you get enough experience to tell what used rock is like.

[Skimmerking]

Originally Posted by Aquattro

Also, the cannister should go, sell it and put the money towards something useful (they can contribute to high nitrates).
Go slow, and everything will fall into place.

Brad I would have to disagree with you on the filter. there is nothing wrong with running one of those with just carbon, or for just water movement. I knowwhat you are saying thou the floss and the other crap that you get in the filter will cause the NITRATES to form.

[Aquattro]

Mike, he can sell the cannister for a lot more than a small media reactor is worth, should he feel carbon in a bag isn't enough. I would suggest a phosban reactor for carbon over a full size cannister. Of course selling might be a hassle, them hey, use what you've got, but ideally, I'd sell, buy what I needed, and spend the extra on beer.