Not new to aquariums but new to saltwater

[213chrisp]

After my 2 year aniversary with my wife, we just got back from flordia and i am extremly impressed with what i have seen in the wild of the saltwater, and have alwayse admired saltwater in the aquarium stores just expensive to convert one of my larger tanks to saltwater...... I use to own a 55 with chiclids, and a few other fresh water , and 2 29's.... but none are currently working right now, but i am looking into a smaller nano tank, and found what seems to be a decent 12 gallon nano tank i was thinking about making into a saltwater reef tank.... i just HAVE NO CLUE where to start with this, and i want to do alot of research with this before i purchase the tank.....

Any suggestions or baisc guidelines and tips would be greatly appreciate as i am new to this.

[213chrisp]

here is what i was looking at possiably doing...

http://dayton.craigslist.org/hsh/1943952460.html

i know i cannot have alot of fish in this tank as the size is small, but i would think 2 or 3 small ones would be enough...

[213chrisp]

and i do plan to be going to florida keys this spring, so i will have access to bring back wild fish, coarl, or any other wildlife i can find, we setup a saltwater tank in our moble home and bring back fish for other family relitives for there larger tanks they have setup already for the last multiple years and keep there tank stocked up way and cost ALOT less then what it would from the LFS...

[Viggen]

Where do you go in the Key's?  I spent 1 week or so down there in August at mile marker 14....   

Anyways, the bigger you go the easier it is to take care of so go as big as you can.  Plus you are really limited to what fish you can keep when going with a nano.

Do you want a reef tank or a fish only tank?  I go the fish only route but the majority on this site are reefers.   I enjoy fish & the majority of the fish I like do not work in reef tanks. 

Depending on which direction you go will determine the filtration you need & all that stuff.  If you can I would try to get something bigger then a 12g nano.  Try to find a 75/90g to start with, you can put a lot more stuff in there.   

[Blown76mav]

and i do plan to be going to florida keys this spring, so i will have access to bring back wild fish, coarl, or any other wildlife i can find, we setup a saltwater tank in our moble home and bring back fish for other family relitives for there larger tanks they have setup already for the last multiple years and keep there tank stocked up way and cost ALOT less then what it would from the LFS...

Until you get caught.  It is illegal to remove coral from the keys, I'm not sure I would want to risk it but to each their own.

http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/regs/welcome.html

[harleyrider]

Thats what i was going to say, its a lot cheaper till you have to hire a attorney and pay bale to get out of jail...

[TechGuy]

And your destroying protected parts of the reef.

[Sunny]

And your destroying protected parts of the reef.

 

[213chrisp]

then they probably dont bring back the coral, but i do know they do bring back fish ... ill have to ask my father in law once i am over there again and find out.  we stay all over down there, just where every they decide to stay for the 10 days, and rent a 30 fishing boat and go out sea fishing and snorkaling every day. quiet a blast....

Anyway, i still have my 29L but the issues is cost, i cant afford all the sand and live rocks to make it looked "filled" and the space is also a issue, which is why i was tending to the smaller nano's and yes i am aware the larger they are, the more stable they remain...

i do like the look of a "full" tank so i was thinking lots of live rock and a fish or two, and some snails crabs etc..... just not sure exactly what yet... which is what i was thiking a reef setup.

[213chrisp]

and knowing my family well enough, they would never do something of such nature to break laws, so i would assume they do not touch corals, but i will make sure i do read up on that article before i go on this trip, its a group of about 8-10 men drive down a large motor home and make a full fishing trip out of it... but like i said, ill read up on all that so i know we dont do something that is protected..

[Reefinmike]

there arent any pretty corals down in florida anyways... except for ricordea.

[213chrisp]

went on my lunch break to jacks here in middletown, since i was down here for work... and was talking to them about nano's and got some info, saying the tank setup should be enough for a small dwarf or a clown... and said , about 1 bag of sand would work which was around 30 dollars, the only question is how much live rock and filtration should it have? from what i was reading it seems alot of people just put in crused live rocks in the media area of the filter for filtration instead of buying replacements for the factory units in these nano's.... and she also suggested crabs, snails to keep everything clean in the tank as well, which is what she said most people do with nano's..

[Viggen]

Do you or one of the guys in your group lay carpet?  Two years ago my wife (of 2 months) had carpet put down in her basement.  He said he went down to the Key's in a RV & they rented a house.... We almost rented a boat when we were down there but it was to windy (10-25mph winds) & since I get sea sick so easy I didn't want to risk it.  If you ever go down & want to stay at a camping area Bluekey RV resort is a awesome place, private dock & all.

Anyways, those are the reasons I do not have a reef tank.  I can afford a much bigger FO tank vs a reef tank since I do not have to load it up with all the LR, snails, crabs etc. 

If you are doing a reef tank get the tank whenever you can & just keep watching the classifieds here.  Seems like every month people sell LR & you can get it a lot cheaper then at Jack's. 

Not sure on Nano's but most reefers do a refugium to hold the filtering stuff. 

[213chrisp]

Do you or one of the guys in your group lay carpet?  Two years ago my wife (of 2 months) had carpet put down in her basement.  He said he went down to the Key's in a RV & they rented a house.... We almost rented a boat when we were down there but it was to windy (10-25mph winds) & since I get sea sick so easy I didn't want to risk it.  If you ever go down & want to stay at a camping area Bluekey RV resort is a awesome place, private dock & all.

Anyways, those are the reasons I do not have a reef tank.  I can afford a much bigger FO tank vs a reef tank since I do not have to load it up with all the LR, snails, crabs etc. 

If you are doing a reef tank get the tank whenever you can & just keep watching the classifieds here.  Seems like every month people sell LR & you can get it a lot cheaper then at Jack's. 

Not sure on Nano's but most reefers do a refugium to hold the filtering stuff.

yep that would be him, he does flooring all over the place.... and he has a 55 gallon salt in his office full of everything he caught down there, about 2 years ago it crashed on him and lost most of it cause the heater died which i know the feeling far to well with freshwater as i am use to chichlids and they usualy are hardy fish, but seems heaters dont like me too much ~

and being i am new, exactly what is LR??? im such a newbie to all this saltwater stuff.

[213chrisp]

sadly there last spring trip they blew the 460 ford motor in it, and 2nd time it has been replaced too... because they use it THAT much..

[213chrisp]

and any suggestions on LFS for knowledge and to chat with? besides just jacks, because i have not had best of service with them with fresh water but didnt have many options in this area...

[HUNGER]

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[213chrisp]

i may stop in at the troy office once i work up north again... as its not a horriable drive for myself. its all i75 for me....

and i seen they have a few 12 nano's on sale there (or at least they did during xmas LOL)

[lazylivin]

The deal you linked to on Craigs List may be a good buy, ask them what kind of lighting and for a picture and post it up here if you can.

[213chrisp]

will do, dont think they will have a picture, im going to see if i can get for around 50 dollars. but ill let you know about the lighting.

[Kenn]

I can recommend Coral Ranch in New Lebanon ( one of our sponsors ). Rich can get almost anything it seems and always has great prices.

Marine Solutions is in the Waynesville area (also a sponsor). I mostly use Jeff for the power buys he offers.

[213chrisp]

ok called, and they still have the tank, i will get getting pictures tonight or tomorrow at latest, and she is getting out of hobby because she keep killing fish , had a blue damsey which i can understand why LOL, its about 4 years old and completely factory. so im going to try to do research to find out what kind of lighting is in it currenty from the factory.  has been apart and dried for about a year..

[213chrisp]

UL-Listed 12 gallon Nano Cube Deluxe doubles the light output with two 24-watt 50/50 compact fluorescent lamps to meet the needs of the serious reef enthusiast. Both 12 gallon Nano Cubes measure 13-3/4" x 15-3/4" x 14-3/4" high. 106-gph pump included.


here is what the reseach i found says about the lighting and size of the unit.

[lazylivin]

It is likely that the bulbs will need replaced so factor that into the cost. You could probably keep lower light coral in the tank, such as leathers, zoanthids and various other soft corals and a couple small fish.

[213chrisp]

yep 30 dollars to replaec, which is why i was hoping i can talk her down to 50.00 as for that exact reason, if i bought it for 80, and put 30 in for new lights, might as well just buy it new for 129.99 and not worry aboutANYTHING at that point.