Curelessjr Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 Hi all, I've been lurking on the forum for a bit, but decided to finally jump in. I'm a total newbie to salt. I've had freshwater in the past. But between being in school and in an apartment for years, having any kind of tank wasn't feasible. We are finally in a house and I want to get into this. The big question, where should I even start? I was looking at a 15 to 25 gallon waterbox with a few fish, but, I believe smaller tanks are more difficult to maintain parameters. At the same time I don't want to drop the cash for a huge setup to only mess things up or become frustrated. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandVib3s Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 1 hour ago, Curelessjr said: Hi all, I've been lurking on the forum for a bit, but decided to finally jump in. I'm a total newbie to salt. I've had freshwater in the past. But between being in school and in an apartment for years, having any kind of tank wasn't feasible. We are finally in a house and I want to get into this. The big question, where should I even start? I was looking at a 15 to 25 gallon waterbox with a few fish, but, I believe smaller tanks are more difficult to maintain parameters. At the same time I don't want to drop the cash for a huge setup to only mess things up or become frustrated. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated. Yes ,smaller tanks leave smaller water delusion for mistakes. I did start with a 29ga but 40b I would highly recommend. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curelessjr Posted December 25, 2021 Author Share Posted December 25, 2021 1 hour ago, islandVib3s said: Yes ,smaller tanks leave smaller water delusion for mistakes. I did start with a 29ga but 40b I would highly recommend. Would you go the AIO route? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Emerald525 Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 4 hours ago, Curelessjr said: Would you go the AIO route? Personally if you want simplicity and to see if you really like the hobby going small is the way to go and an AIO is also the way to go. Yes it can be more difficult to keep parameters stable but this is not a big deal if you choose hardier corals like softies and mushrooms to start with. I think at least 20 or 25 gallons. The smaller tanks like the ten gallon gave me the most challenge with stability. The 20 and higher are more doable. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
islandVib3s Posted December 25, 2021 Share Posted December 25, 2021 12 hours ago, Curelessjr said: Would you go the AIO route? AiO are nice,but you'll likely want to upgrade to a sumped bigger system later. More water volume is always better.also if you get a aio with a lid light,it most likely won't have strong enough lights to keep a bigger variety of corals/nems so you'll find yourself going lid less and upgrading to better lighting. 40 breeder sumped is my best and favorite atm,till I can save some money for a 100+gallon DT tank. This is my 40B started last April 2021. Sumped with no overflow boxes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curelessjr Posted December 26, 2021 Author Share Posted December 26, 2021 I see the advantages and disadvantages to going small vs large. I have a space next to my desk for a 20 to 25 gallon waterbox type tank and stand. And then I have space for a larger tank, how much space I'm not sure yet. So theoretically I could do both. And with that in mind I may start small to figure everything out and then add a larger tank. I have so many more questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff.Tichenor Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 Welcome! If you are only doing fish, you don't have to keep your parameters (Alk, Calcium, ph, temp, salt, etc) super stable. Just keep an eye on temp and do bi-weekly (20%), or weekly (10%) water changes on a small tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curelessjr Posted December 27, 2021 Author Share Posted December 27, 2021 10 minutes ago, jtichenor said: Welcome! If you are only doing fish, you don't have to keep your parameters (Alk, Calcium, ph, temp, salt, etc) super stable. Just keep an eye on temp and do bi-weekly (20%), or weekly (10%) water changes on a small tank. In my ideal world, I'd be doing it all. I think my plan is to start small with something like a waterbox peninsula 25 with a clown pair, maybe a blenny, and some shrimp or snails. I would love a bubble tip for my clowns but that's probably a little advanced for me to start with. As for water changes, it seems like there is some kind of automated system for everything imaginable, is there a system available to do water changes? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdxmonkeyboy Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 My advice. Take $900, burn it, then delete your account here. LOL. Or.. go big.. at least 120 gallon. 1 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
reefrun Posted December 27, 2021 Share Posted December 27, 2021 We started with a 14 gallon biocube back in the day and loved it. I do agree with others, it will fill up quickly and you’ll wish you went bigger.. but there’s nothing wrong with starting small to dip your toe in the water, learn a lot, and then decide what you’re looking for in a bigger system (should you want to go bigger). With a smaller tank you can get by with buying premixed water from your local shop too. Eventually you’ll want an RODI though. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Squid Posted December 28, 2021 Share Posted December 28, 2021 On 12/25/2021 at 6:19 PM, Curelessjr said: I see the advantages and disadvantages to going small vs large. Lots of research! A reef tank can be complex or simple. I prefer simple. My suggestion would be smaller tank first. This hobby can be tough, has a steep learning curve and most quit in the first year. If/when you decide this hobby is for you, your smaller starter tank can still be used for a frag tank or quarantine tank. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curelessjr Posted January 5, 2022 Author Share Posted January 5, 2022 Quick update, I just picked up a used Waterbox Peninsula 25. Now I just need to start gathering all the other equipment. Thank you all for your help! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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