sw noob.

[Reefie]

Originally Posted by nanomano

Thanks Myka, I'm trying! I'm still pretty oblivious to alot of salt waters mysteries, but I do know the over all basics of the aquarist hobby!! :P fresh water 10 years and running, now its time to apply some of my knowledge towards a new hobby, and learn in the process.

- Take it from me, I bought a 20, and got off to a rocky start, ask just about anyone on here lol I've become the "what not to do" guy of the month haha. But now I have made a few pals on here, that have pointed me in the right direction, Myka is one of them (Super smart) 29 is a great size, I'm eventually going to make my 20 into a sump, and move up to a 40g. maybe this summer, even with my gass lid I lose alot to evaporation and am topping off about 1 liter per day so in retrospec I wouldve gone larger haha

I might suggest getting an ATO or switching to LEDs if you have that much evap on a 20G, or possibly a shorter photo period on your lights to keep heat down.

[Reefie]

+1 on the BioCube 29

It's a great all-in-one, I would recommend reefcentral for some good reading on BioCubes. Lots of great info and a few easy minor mods to make your life easier.

I've taken my BC29 way too far for a nano-tank, ATO, Chiller, LEDs, Skimmer, Phosphate Reactor, and pretty much all the mods/upgrades RC has recommended.



[quote=Myka;654071]Personally, I think anything less than about 20 gallons can get a bit tricky. The biggest issue being evaporation...fluctuating salinity means fluctuating parameters. Evaporation affects a lot when you stop to think about it. Stability is key in maintaining reef aquaria. FOWLR (fish only with live rock) tanks aren't as fussy. There are a lot of really easy beginner corals out there since reef keeping has made it leaps and bounds especially in the last 10 years makes it so much easier. Reef keeping isn't as difficult as a lot of people think!

I would suggest trying to find the largest biocube...29 gallons I think? It would be easier for you in the long run. You may be disappointed in the stocking limits going from freshwater to saltwater, and I think you may be shocked at how few fish you can keep in a 14 gallon tank.

First things first, are you wanting a pair of clownfish? This seems to be "everyone's" want, so if a pair of clownfish are a must have, then be aware that would be all you could put in a 14 gallon biocube...maybe a small goby, but that would be pushing it. 14 gallons is too small for ornamental shrimp too which are fun to watch. Stepping up to the 29 really opens up a lot more doors. Keeping an eye out for a 20-40 gallon setup used is also a good idea. People are often selling a whole system with tank, sump, etc. Sumps makes maintenance easier, and generally you will be more successful in keeping a healthy tank (because of better filtering options).