# Reef newb (I blame it on black friday)



## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

First off, huge thank you to Mark at The Coral Reef Shop in burlington for being so patient and helping me get what i need to get going in the reef hobby!

Ive been into fresh water for a little over a year now keeping high tech planted tanks and have had the itch to go salty way before then... With the insane deals at the coral reef shop, it just made sense to jump in.

I ended up going with the 18 gallon cadlights mini. I know a tank that size for a newb is questionable but i am confident i can make it work with my planted tank experience and provided i stay on top if it.

Anyways, this is kind of a rambling post but i figured id just take a second to introduce myself as you'll probably be hearing a lot of dumb questions from me soon


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## Bullet (Apr 19, 2014)

Welcome and glad that Coral Reef Shop took good care of you 
18 g is a great size tank to start and learn on
My first setup was a 20 g and it has been my fave set up to date 
Good luck and this is the best forum to offer help !


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## tom g (Jul 8, 2009)

*congrats*

congrats and welcome to the dark side look forward to seeing pics of your set up 
cheers 
tom


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## fesso clown (Nov 15, 2011)

Welcome to the salty side. It may be small but that's a nice tank. Here's thread that might be useful to you:
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2116202


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

Thanks guys!









This is as far as i got last night. As any cadlight owners might already know, putting together their cabinetry without any instructions is a test of patience lol thankfully it was the second one i had to assemble so it wasn't too bad.

I think this rock layout should work, or so i was told. but i have a few more pieces i want to play around with.

Ill be rinsing my sand when i get home and hopefully starting the cycle tomorrow when i get some water.


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

Oh, and question:

As you can see in the picture I didn't get the right light There were no blue lights in it. I emailed Mark today and he was kind enough to replace it for either the correct cadlight clip on or a par 38 bulb.

If you were me, would you take the par 38 or the cadlight clip on?


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## PaulF757 (Dec 9, 2013)

Welcome to the Salt world. You will find this forum very helpful and all the folks on here have been very handy when it comes to helping out and free advice.

I try to do my part by helping out with BRS stuff, so if you need anything from there let me know and i'll help you out.

You will love Salt water, its addictive. The only question now is when's the larger tank coming?

Lets start a friendly poll:

I give it 8mths.


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## explor3r (Mar 14, 2010)

Congrats and welcome to the salty side Im sure you will find all the help and advice you need in this forum which is full of amazing people willing to help.
It will help a lot if you do some reading and research, take baby steps in this hobby nothing happen from night to day...Buena suerte


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

PaulF757 said:


> Welcome to the Salt world. You will find this forum very helpful and all the folks on here have been very handy when it comes to helping out and free advice.
> 
> I try to do my part by helping out with BRS stuff, so if you need anything from there let me know and i'll help you out.
> 
> ...


Thanks so much! And don't even tell me that haha I just moved into my first home... I've got a 50 gallon high tech planted in the dry start phase, a 20 gallon axolotl tank and now this. I don't know how I'm going to afford it and I'm already skating on thin ice with my girlfriend haha


explor3r said:


> Congrats and welcome to the salty side Im sure you will find all the help and advice you need in this forum which is full of amazing people willing to help.
> It will help a lot if you do some reading and research, take baby steps in this hobby nothing happen from night to day...Buena suerte


Thanks  I've actually been passively researching from when I got into freshwater. Now that I think of it in have more reef related youtube subscriptions than I do planted!

I made a lot of mistakes starting out in the hobby so the most important thing I learned was patience. I will most certainly be taking my time with this (probably because I'll be needing to save more money)


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

So I just filled it up, is this scape okay?

Also, the 2 chambers in the sump - intake with sponge and teeth grate, and the right side with the pump - look like they are at the same level, but I'm not hearing any trickle or seeing any movement in the back.

Is that normal? The pump is pushing water in the display so it must be doing something...

Edit.. Nvm I think I'm dumb and didn't add enough water


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

Meet Tig and Venus! (there is a sons of anarchy reference in there. Hint:hermaphrodite... )

My first reef feesh are in the tank, and after lots of stressing out by their oddball behaviour, i'm excited that this tank is starting to have life in it!

i think ill be adding some zoanthids to the tank in a few weeks, or maybe some other easy to keep soft coral that the clowns might host? (its a long shot, but worth a try)


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

congrats on getting a nano up and running! Now is where the addiction really begins 
Once you start thinking corals then it's a slippery slope all the way to the bottom. 
Soon you'll be taking road trips with strangers and meeting in parking lots to trade or purchase questionable frags from shady people.

As for corals, try starting with something worthwhile. Zoa's are fun and nice but tend to spread fast and you'll have your arms in the tank more than often to frag them. How about something like a torch or hammer? They're slower growers and clowns have been known to host them. ACtually clowns have been known to host anything including heaters and powerheads so it really doesn't matter what you get them


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

altcharacter said:


> congrats on getting a nano up and running! Now is where the addiction really begins
> Once you start thinking corals then it's a slippery slope all the way to the bottom.
> Soon you'll be taking road trips with strangers and meeting in parking lots to trade or purchase questionable frags from shady people.
> 
> As for corals, try starting with something worthwhile. Zoa's are fun and nice but tend to spread fast and you'll have your arms in the tank more than often to frag them. How about something like a torch or hammer? They're slower growers and clowns have been known to host them. ACtually clowns have been known to host anything including heaters and powerheads so it really doesn't matter what you get them


I don't doubt you one bit. I already have more friend from the planted side of the hobby than I have in my personal life haha.

And, I've noticed they are very partial to my heater lol

Now I'm wondering how they will take to hosting a coral as I've heard that tank bred clowns take a bit of coaxing to host (or maybe it's just nems)

How long do you think until they successfully pair off? They are already inseparable, but I think it's way too soon, and they are really young.


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

They might not pair off at all. It really depends on them and their environment. As for hosting, just stick anything wavy inside the tank and they'll go crazy.

Things a clown as hosted (that i've seen)
Green star polyp
heaters
powerheads
rocks
torch
hammer
anems (of course)
elegance coral
bubble coral
zoas
my paly's (my clowns are a bit dumb)


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

arturo;809314
Ive been into fresh water for a little over a year now keeping high tech planted tanks and have had the itch to go salty way before then... With the insane deals at the coral reef shop said:


> you lost one year of your life  welcome
> 
> *100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3*


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

sig said:


> you lost one year of your life  welcome


lol not a fan of planted tanks? Or are you trying to say the stress i'm going to endure keeping a reef will take a year off my life?


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## sig (Dec 13, 2010)

Just saying then excitement will not comparable to planted tank.

*100% free webcam site! | Awesome chicks and it is absolutely free! | Watch free live sex cam - easy as 1-2-3*


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

First coral in the tank! The feeling of it going in the tank and opening up is what I imagine heroin junkies feel after the first hit. This is going to get addictive.

Trying to stop myself from buying more corals this week, but I'll probably be back to the shop on Saturday


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## silent1mezzo (Jun 24, 2014)

Woohoo! Welcome to the salt hobby! I started off in August with a 10g tank (still my only saltwater tank). As long as you stay on top of the parameters and water changes you're fine. Good luck not spending all of your money on coral.


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

Thank you! And Yes, it's been difficult not spending money. Already have a small second addition. It's tough trying not to stop at the coral reef shop every day after work.










Hopefully I find time this weekend to make it to Canada corals. I want to try something a little more challenging for the next purchase.


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

Try heading to big show out in Hamilton if you want something really interesting!


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

altcharacter said:


> Try heading to big show out in Hamilton if you want something really interesting!


Any idea when that might be?


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## silent1mezzo (Jun 24, 2014)

arturo said:


> Any idea when that might be?


I believe he's talking about Big Show Frags.

http://www.bigshowfrags.com/


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## BIGSHOW (Sep 10, 2011)

Yup, I am an online based business with tonnes of corals and frags in stock. I am currently upgrading to a 1500g system but you are welcome to come over and take a look as long as you can stand the mess. Website only has a fraction of what I have to offer.

Thanks for the recommendation Dave.


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

BIGSHOW said:


> Yup, I am an online based business with tonnes of corals and frags in stock. I am currently upgrading to a 1500g system but you are welcome to come over and take a look as long as you can stand the mess. Website only has a fraction of what I have to offer.
> 
> Thanks for the recommendation Dave.


That's excellent, where abouts are you located? You can never have enough drug dealers! I mean, frag dealers.


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## BIGSHOW (Sep 10, 2011)

arturo said:


> That's excellent, where abouts are you located? You can never have enough drug dealers! I mean, frag dealers.


LOL. I am located in the Barton/Woodward area. I will send you a PM with my address.


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## davebradley (Mar 16, 2014)

BIGSHOW said:


> LOL. I am located in the Barton/Woodward area. I will send you a PM with my address.


This is probably my favourite place to visit. Beware of cats tho. They demand all your attention.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

[email protected] said:


> This is probably my favourite place to visit. Beware of cats tho. They demand all your attention.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I'm so allergic to cats! Better take my business elsewhere  haha


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## davebradley (Mar 16, 2014)

Take some Benilyn. You don't want to miss out due to stupid allergies. 
Besides. His cats are quite clean. If they weren't trying to entice you to play you'd never know they were there. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## BIGSHOW (Sep 10, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> This is probably my favourite place to visit. Beware of cats tho. They demand all your attention.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


LOL. They do like people . I hope you still come down Dave despite not having a saltwater tank. Always have cold beers for you.


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## BIGSHOW (Sep 10, 2011)

arturo said:


> I'm so allergic to cats! Better take my business elsewhere  haha


So am I, but they just so cute and fury I cant resist them.

I can keep them upstairs to help out. That way they wont bother you for constant pets and attention.


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

[email protected] said:


> Take some Benilyn. You don't want to miss out due to stupid allergies.
> Besides. His cats are quite clean. If they weren't trying to entice you to play you'd never know they were there.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I was just kidding lol I have no problem suffering for coral


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## davebradley (Mar 16, 2014)

BIGSHOW said:


> LOL. They do like people . I hope you still come down Dave despite not having a saltwater tank. Always have cold beers for you.


Hey Dave. I will definitely be coming to see you soon. I'm actually on the hunt for a couple nice pieces of rock for a nano tank. 
I have that 4 gallon cadlights tank that I've never used that I have been eyeballing for a couple months now.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## BIGSHOW (Sep 10, 2011)

[email protected] said:


> Hey Dave. I will definitely be coming to see you soon. I'm actually on the hunt for a couple nice pieces of rock for a nano tank.
> I have that 4 gallon cadlights tank that I've never used that I have been eyeballing for a couple months now.
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


I got lots you can pick up for free. Help pay for you drive down.


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## BIGSHOW (Sep 10, 2011)

arturo said:


> I was just kidding lol I have no problem suffering for coral


Thats the spirit....... The suffering will only be temporary the beautiful corals will be permanent


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

BIGSHOW said:


> Thats the spirit....... The suffering will only be temporary the beautiful corals will be permanent


Permanent? I'm a newbie remember haha


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## altcharacter (Jan 10, 2011)

Just make your way over there already! What are you waiting for?

Also just a suggestion to a newbie, when picking corals try to pick ones that will sustain your mistakes but also pick one out of your comfort range so you know if you're doing a good job taking care of your tank.

Nothing feels better than knowing a small frag has grown into a huge centerpiece


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## BIGSHOW (Sep 10, 2011)

altcharacter said:


> Just make your way over there already! What are you waiting for?
> 
> Also just a suggestion to a newbie, when picking corals try to pick ones that will sustain your mistakes but also pick one out of your comfort range so you know if you're doing a good job taking care of your tank.
> 
> Nothing feels better than knowing a small frag has grown into a huge centerpiece


100%

When you come over we will discuss your system, your parameters/lighting and we will find you corals that you like, but that also suit your requirements.


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

BIGSHOW said:


> 100%
> 
> When you come over we will discuss your system, your parameters/lighting and we will find you corals that you like, but that also suit your requirements.


Excellent! Can't wait to meet you and see your selection. I'm looking forward to giving you a lot of business haha


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## arturo (Jun 29, 2014)

Here is where I'm at with the tank right now! Picked up an acan and hammer this week at CRS - big shout out to Red btw, most patient and helpful person I've dealt with at a retail level in this hobby!

One thing I overlooked so far is a clean up crew so those will be my next additions. And I gotta stop buying large colonies and stick to frags! That leather is probably going to go soon.




























This pic of the zoa was the day I got it. It's been a few weeks since and I have noticed 2 new polyps growing!


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