The New Guy

#1
Hey everybody, My name is A.J., i live in Lakewood and was just recently given a very small 1 gallon tank from a friend that said "if you can take care of this then a bigger tank will be easy for you" haha. anyways, It was cycled when he gave it to me but he put a bit more sand (from a tank he bought used) in right before i took it home. so I've already battled some spikes and i guess re-cycling, but i think its mellowing out now. I've been doing a ton of research and reading and hope to dive into something bigger soon. I've got a beat up old 10g acrylic AIO cube that i might get going but my real goal is to get into like a 32g cube or something similar, i just really like that rimless look. Anyways, thats about the extent of my journey thus far (i came from freshwater) hope to get some solid advice/guidance from some of you seasoned guys and gals in here in the future.
 

MuralReef

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#2
Welcome and as the questions come up post em up someone is sure to have an opinion.
 
#3
thanks! ok well i guess i will start my introduction with these questions. i have been refurbing that acrylic tank (buffing and polishing) to try and get rid of some of the scratches it had. after i finish with that, what should i clean the tank out with to make sure no harmful residue is left over from the plastic polish? and I've read the rule of thumb for stocking a tank is about 3" of fish for every square foot, is there some sort of rule of thumb for corals? i have a duncan and a hammer as of now but don't want to make any stupid moves and overstock my system.
 

MuralReef

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#4
As far as rinsing the polish out just use a lot of water and if you really want to use something else I would use some vinegar. After that just a lot more water.
 
#5
thanks! ok well i guess i will start my introduction with these questions. i have been refurbing that acrylic tank (buffing and polishing) to try and get rid of some of the scratches it had. after i finish with that, what should i clean the tank out with to make sure no harmful residue is left over from the plastic polish? and I've read the rule of thumb for stocking a tank is about 3" of fish for every square foot, is there some sort of rule of thumb for corals? i have a duncan (1head)and a hammer (2head) frag as of now but don't want to make any stupid moves and overstock my system.
 

MuralReef

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#8
I wouldn't say there is a rule of thumb for stocking. If you currently have a 1 g I don't know that I would have any fish or if you do maybe a tiny one. For a 10 g maybe 2-3 small fish but it depends on how often and how much water you plan to change and your filtration. There are a lot of variables to consider.
 

FishTV

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#9
MuralReef;333668 said:
I wouldn't say there is a rule of thumb for stocking. If you currently have a 1 g I don't know that I would have any fish or if you do maybe a tiny one. For a 10 g maybe 2-3 small fish but it depends on how often and how much water you plan to change and your filtration. There are a lot of variables to consider.
+1 Even when you get into the 30+ gallon range, you should limit your stock to fish, and coral that will thrive, and live comfortably in that system. Try not to buy fish that will grow to your next system, life too often gets in the way, and before you know it, you have livestock suffering. Take it slow, and try to plan your tank as best you can... Get fish that are suited to the space, and other stock that you plan to have, Live Aquaria is a good source of info http://www.liveaquaria.com. Try to avoid impulse buying, spend a little time to ask questions, and do research. It can be a little overwhelming at first, just try to have patience, it will save you money, and headaches.
 
#10
well as of now, my friend who gave me the tank had a baby clownfish in it, a small hermit and some snails, i realize that its a pretty small home for that fish once it starts growing which is why I'm trying to get that 10 gallon up soon to transfer it to while i save up for that 32g. actually robert.talarico has one for sale I'm trying to get my hands on, still waiting to hear back. maybe then i can skip the 10 gallon build altogether. do corals have a big bio-load like an anemone? or since photosynthesis is their main means of growth is there a not limit other than space and light?
 

SynDen

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#11
:welcome: Your friend gave you quite a challenge, and a new addiction, and in many ways he is correct in that if you can be successful with that small of a tank then you will be able to handle the bigger tanks no prob. I would recommend that you do skip the 10g and go straight for the biggest tank you can afford, It will cost you far less in the end if you do
 
#13
Thanks for the warm welcome everyone. Tomorrow I pick up Robert.Talarico's 34g AIO tank. cant wait. looks like I get to skip the 10g. once my posts are up I guess i'll throw it in the classifieds section
 

SkyShark

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#17
OceanTidesAudio;333815 said:
HAHA ohhhh multi tank syndrome, sorry my salt water lingo is really bad since im such a noob. ill get there fella's haha
Haha I didn't even know what he meant by mts. That is a great tank Robert had listed. Good luck!
 
#18
Yeah I'm really excited. It looks great. I am picking it up Sunday now instead I guess. This will help me get into "patience mode" since I hear this hobby requires so much. that's something I'll have to work on :)
 
#20
What are your suggestions on Heaters and RODI filters? looks like roberts tank won't have one, and i don't feel like hauling 7 buckets back and fourth from the LFS to get it going. looking around i found mixed opinions on the EBAY filters and a few people suggesting these refurbished ones. http://spectrapure.com/Refurbished-90-GPD-RODI-System and for a heater i was looking into one of those cobalt neo-therm ones but if there are good ones for cheaper please fill me in. thanks.
 
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