Hi guys I'm new

[007]

hey every one,
well i'm new to the marine world, :oops: I have a 30g tank thats
empty and a 37g empty and I would like to start up marine tanks I
use to have freshwater, :oops: now I've been reading up and I want
to switch to salt, can any one help me out, like what are some of the
first steps I'll have to do. :-D


Thanks,
Dan

[Henry]

Hey 007,
The best advice I have for you is to read as much material as possible and to take your time. Only mistakes happen quickly in this hobby. Be sure to plan ahead. Decide what you want to keep(fish, inverts, corals), this will help determine what type of equipment you will need. There are some pretty knowledgeable people on this site that can help you out. Ask as many question as possible. Keep us up to date.


Henry

[Tim Marvin]

Come to the meetings, you can talk for hours about it! This will also allow you to see other peoples results... Besides they are great fun!

[captexas]

Welcome to MAAST :D

I also switched from freshwater to saltwater about 8 months ago. Best advice for you is to take your time and find a book or two that covers the basics and the different types of setups. Make sure it has been published within the last 5 or 10 years as some of the ones you will find have old information/technology. Books will give you a basic understanding of what is required to get started and what it takes to maintain a saltwater tank. Then you can understand a little better what people are talking about and what things you have questions on. This is a great site to hang out on and ask questions as members are knowledgeable on many different areas and will be glad to help. Also as Tim said, come to a meeting sometime and you can get lots of input!

Good luck, Chris

[MikeP]

As everyone else mentioned , read, read , read and then read some more. Nothing that you can get done right in this hobby happens fast. Read up on the basics of live rock, cycling a tank/water chemistry , filtration, and critters and you should have a good foundation. I'd suggest reading up on the basics now and maybe get the tank started with some salt water and a few chunks of rock and some sand and let it sit for a few weeks and you will be that much closer to your goal when it's done cycling.

Books I'd reccomend to start with - 'The Natural Reef Aquarium' By John Tullock put out by TFH press - you should be able to get it at many large chain bookstores or amazon.

'The Marine Aquarium Handbook Beginner to Breeder' by Martin Moe.

Both are good introductory books and are pretty easy to read. Also since you obviously have Internet access take advantage of the wealth of information available on reef tanks. Both reefs.org and reefcentral.com have some good information along with the usual collection of opinions and crackpots.

And most importantly, have fun!

[minimasterflash]

Another couple tips, when you think you know enough... post your intended setup here on the forums and let some the the uber-reefers here critique it and give you some advice. They all are super cool and smart here.

Use the search button for searching forums, if you repost a general or basic question, you most likely won't get any good responses. Browse the beginner forums, it's humbling but a great start.

Here's some good info links i used starting out.

www.wetwebmedia.com
www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/july2002/rb102.htm
www.garf.com
www.nano-reef.com
www.reefcentral.com

[djdubdub]

Read, read, read... And like Mini says about asking before you buy, great idea.... Come back here and ask what the group thinks... They have all been great... I started my first SW setup on Dec 24, 2002... I have been here everynight since... I've met some great people in the last month... One live right down my street...

Good luck... Let me know if any of it gets too overwhelming... I've had so many people explain different aspects in an easy to understand way, that I'd be an a** not to pass it on...

DJ...

[007]

Thanks for the advice :flamer: I'll try to make it to the meeting in March :-D