Brand spanking newbie. Have some questions.

very good point on planning ahead... especially with your lights, one of your biggest investments if your gonna be holding corals inside that tank.

Ive made that mistake on not planning ahead. Ever since ive started i always looked at the step i was taking. I should have been looking at that one and the next two. Ive done my fair share of unnecessary spending

throw some pics up here though. lets see what you have your hands on iheaps

 

thats a good reference and if you want less rock in the display you can add to the sump. is it will have the same purpose down there also

 

I am a quick learner so hopefully I pick up on all your wisdom.
For a FOWLR what is the big difference between it and a reef that makes it easier for beginners?
I was under the impression that the larger the volume of water, the easier it is to control. I also thought that a refugium makes it easier to control a reef system. So I figured that I'd just jump into it.

.....impression, thought, and figured make it sound like I started this last week.

 

Now here's something I hadn't thought of. Because I made my own rock it's in odd shapes (my brother helped) and it's also lighter than actual rock. Should I be more concerned with the weight or the surface area of the rock?

 

It is not so muchh as more water the eaiser. It is more along the lines of the more water the more forgiving your tank is to mistakes. nothing really is different from fowler to reef other then corals. and types of fish you add. but all has to deal with equipment if you have the proper lighting I would look into t5's and or M/h now you can do a combo there is alot of lighting options. you will have the best rule I go by in this hobby is buy cheap not pay twice later. so in other words buy what you can afford and don't skimp on lighting skimmer and water ie rodi unit. and forgot flow you will need power heads in there to move water around!

 

less variables... need to learn about what types of corals there are. what the requirements are for certain corals. there are three different types of coral in a reef tank. soft coral (beginner), lps (midlevel), sps (advanced).

Not only do you have coral to think about but a wide variety or inverts you can stock. Plus you can only house reef safe fish.

Karma for being a brave soldier. Remember the bigger your system the more $$$. equipment, water changes, and energy consumed(electric bill)

 

FOWLR is more forgiving. You can have a pretty high level of nitrates in a FOWLR setup. The fish won't mind a bit, and you'll have enough hair algae to sell it by the pound and become a rich man.

Not the case in a reef tank. Copious growth of algae can destroy a reef in a matter of days. Once the tissue of a photosynthetic coral is covered by light-blocking (and food blocking) algae, it's game over.

The crossover from to reef from FOWLR involves more intense, higher quality light, and more flow. The flow part is easy and won't put you in the bread line. A few powerheads and you're set. The light part can bite, though. If you have any inclination to go the coral route, you might consider buying the lights now. It'll be more of an upfront cost, but it will insure you won't buy stuff twice. Many of us have gone that route.

Another pricey piece of equipment is the protein skimmer. What type do you have now?

There's lots to talk about. Just keep the questions coming and you'll eventually sort everything out. Not to sound like a parent, but if I were in your scenario at this moment--I wouldn't buy a single piece of equipment until I asked the same question 5 times and got at least 100 different answers. Over time you'll learn as you read--the reefkeeping hobby has come a long way, and with its growth is an abundance of people who are willing to share their experience with you, and unlike the guy at the LFS--you're nearly guaranteed the answers you get on internet forums come with no ulterior motives. (Nothing against any folks here who work at LFS's and take pride in their work, such as Curt, a moderator here.) Much as I hate to admit it, I'm not a very trusting person in general, and I generally make decisions only after I've received an abundance of replies to my questions.

 

The idea that having a larger volume of water the easier it is to control is true but that does not mean it is easy. Especially a new aquarist starting a reef aquarium. I started with a 300 gallon FO system with my family and it took a good 3 years to get everything straightened out (3 mass extinctions later ). Now in its 8th year we haven't had a fish death in 2 years and have some fish who are 6 years old!

Don't get discouraged that your making "mistakes" because that is the best way to learn. Make them now, don't make them when your system is finished 5 years down the road .

I have never owned a FOWLR system because I jumped straight into a 24 gallon reef 5 years after learning from the FO, but my best bet would get everything setup as a FOWLR, learn how to take care of an aquarium, get some invertebrates (Shrimp, feather dusters, sponges) because they are the harder to take care of between fish and inverts and like 2-3 years later when your an aquarium expert ;D and you are able to keep care of these inverts, buy a coral frag and get started reefing!!

 

After reading all this great information I think I realized that I was going for a FOWLR the whole time but just didn't know it. I do need to learn in steps but I know I didn't want to start with FO. The coral can come later.

ReefSparky, you asked what kind of skimmer I have. I bought my whole set up for $150 from a guy who's power went out on a 4 day vacation. Everything died. So he didn't want to start over again. In it he included a smaller Remora skimmer and a larger skimmer he built himself. I don't like his design and I don't understand how he got it to work. I've been looking around the net to find a good quality skimmer. What kind would you recommend?

I just checked my lighting and what I have are: 3 Super Actinic FR40T12/VHO (50/50) and 2 Aquasun FR40T12/VHO (10,000K). Both types are from a company called UV Lighting Company.

 

One other question, what's this karma thing on everyone's profile? I belong to a couple other forums (jeeps, etc.) but we don't have anything like that.