One to add. Take photos. Patience can be difficult, things are not growing it seems. Often if you can look at a photo taken not that long ago you will notice that things have grown, it's only because you see it regularly it seems it hasn't. If you miss the opportunity to take a snapshot it is lost.
Good Vid and lovely looking Tank! I'm just about to start out in this hobby having never owned a Tank of any kind in the past, I read a lot though and have been reading and planing a small build for quite a while now. Every now and then I get a little concerned with horror story's I read on Forums and think maybe I shouldn't get into Marine with no practical experience what so ever but I'm going to take the plunge and after watching your Video, the advice you've given is very much in the direction I was already planing so I think I'm ready. Only time will tell, good luck for the future of your Tank.
the great thing with a refugium isn't just the removal, or the free tang food, if you have one that hangs in the main tank, it also gives you a corner that doesn't have direct light which is perfect for certain things, mushrooms love the indirect light.
I think only experts like you should be doing RUclips videos. Nice to hear the reality of owning a reef tank. It’s a pipe dream of mine if I win the lottery. I’ll hire the company near me that charges $600 a month to run everything and even feed and replace fish. After your description that sounds like a deal! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Also, is there a list of restaurants, maybe hotels in Irvine, Ca that have reef tanks. I’d love to support their businesses!
Im literally about to do this too, i build bespoke tanks so i end up running more than i should in my house so im about to do this, imagine each tank with a large sump the same size as the tank juat two smallish tanks you can put so much more into 👌
Some of these things I question if you are only thinking of your size of tanks. in a 3 gal tank, these doom and gloom scenarios. how do they play out? ( i just bought books like an hour ago so forgive the question)
Clownfish are dickheads forsure hahaha, but they're pretty awesome because they seem almost social and interact pretty well when you walk in the room or by tank.
I have 2 "Nemo" clownfish and a Blue Damsel. I bought a can of Omega One flake food and the fish don't seem to like it very much. I have experience in keeping tropical fish and I usually buy Tetra flake food for the tropical fish. What brand would you recommend for saltwater fish?
I had a huge zebra eel I working on tank out of nowhere I felt his on my off hand but he realized it wasn't food and let go before biting down hard not a scratch on me thank God
Wow, at 19:37 in the video, the striped guy with the yellow on it's tail, looked amazing. And as I was scrolling around on the video looking for it, I noticed how much the crabs and other critters moved got around and fast.
Great video, and beautiful tank! I've been going crazy on research and shopping preparing for my first saltwater system. It's crazy how much you need to learn, how much you don't even know that you don't know. Even as someone who has halfway followed the hobby for years and has freshwater tanks. So, I appreciate the tips. I love the mollies, don't see them too often in full saltwater. Finally, I have to tease you, you meant *too* on a few of those bullets. Knowledge man. ;-)
Question : was thinking of adding My first Acro frag, I wanted to start with Bali Green Slimer but the Shop owner said the Tri color Valida would be a better choice, It's Hardy and Cheaper. Question one, Can I introduce it as the first Acro ? Question two, if I place it on a rock that has a Montipora Digi growing on it already, can the Monti kill the Acro in Future or vice versa (the placement would be like 5-6 inch apart)
Had a 4 foot tank going for 7 years. Had a clown fish in there the whole time. If you keep things simple it's not hard to do. Don't over crowd the tank, easy.
Just bought one and after being in my tank for 10 minutes, he found the cave where my 3" Sleeper Gold Head Goby stays in and ate him. Way to go Earl the Eel.
Have 2 maroon clowns 40g breeder 1 big 1 juvenile and they r doing good so far. No tank mates, no corals yet. Waiting a while before adding anything else.
I've had my tank up for about 3 months now and only have some zoas and xenias. I've had a pretty bad dinoflagellate bloom and got dino x to see if that'll work. got any tips on how to kill off the dinos? I have a simple 20g long tank with a hob filter
Before you start adding anything i would attempt to find the nutrient source. when thats done go ahead and try a chemical just understand that if you have coral in the tank they might not like it.
Probably recorded during a surge mode. They are come on several times during the day to help pickup and filter detritus. Plus the tangs really like the burst flow
I'm a fresh water guy but really enjoyed this video. A lot of your points apply to both salt and fresh. Your comments on Lion and Clown fish were hilarious. Your reef is beautiful. Thanks.
My son and I are just starting out, and the problem we’re running into is all the conflicting information we’re coming across. One aquarist suggests one thing and the next will suggest the complete opposite. We can’t tell which way is up at this point.
honestly, you just gotta pick one guy or one book and do it the way they say then go from there. Theres many ways to do things in this hobby, so its best to pick one reliable source and work from that
Good tips man.. One almost needs a degree in marine biology to run a reef tank.. (science is awesome! :) )And you need $$$$$$. I'm upgrading to a 63 litre(16 gallon) tank from a 30 litre (8 gallon) wish I could afford to run a larger tank though so I could have a yellow tang . So yeah, 2nd tank: Buy Dry Rock and cure it! Buy premium sea salt (not cheap shit or water from ocean that has parasites, fuels/pollutants and different parameters) QUARANTINE EVERYTHING WET!! Drip accumulate for at least 2 hours And I'm gonna use the previous tank as the QT which I'm gonna need, the clownfish I bought and named Sushi a year a go has a lump on its right gill, been there since I bought him from the infested tank at the LFS . (lessoned learned) Not sure if it's an ich or cyst but I want it gone before he enters the new tank.. I think I'll research more into hypo salinity, seems to be effective but even less stressful for the fish and thus myself. I think I'll get a fish trap rather than catch him with a net to ease some stress. I should QT the hermit crab and Coral Banded Shrimp too yeah before they enter the new tank? Shit I'm gonna need to set up another tank.. bloody $$$. Good thing I dont have a social life haha In response to heating.. My heater blew and was stuck on 'on' overnight the temp was at around 34c I think that's 94F ? .. But the clownfish, shrimp and crab... All fine.. I have no corals, they would have bleached for sure though..
You can also add to document everything your doing. Log sheets with parameters, budgets, expenses, things you did each day. It will be valuable information when you go back and can see how your tank develops over time.
Do you have a video or can you make one on the tips tricks do's don't for a refugium. I am converting from Fish Only to Reef and about to add a SUMP and refugium, want to do it right the first time and not waste any money.
I had just moved to Florida and since I'd just relocated the tank, I was in the middle of an algae bloom when we got 3 hurricanes in 2 months. The tank crashed. It was terrible to watch, after a couple of days, the algae died and destroyed the water quality which caused other things to go and so forth.
Been thinking about switching my 45g freshwater to saltwater for awhile now. This video helped me realize that I really don’t have the time and money for it. Thank you lol
Good video. When I had my reef tank a few yrs ago, I could hardly wait to have the coralline algae. Then..... I couldn’t stop it. I had to scrape it off the front walls of tank just to get a good view. Also, ever had starfish? I had a choc chip star. So cool but they take over.
Hey Travis i love your very educational vids man..gotta ? : I'm a new reefer n I'm very confused about two part dosing..should I run mag dosing along with alk and cal at the same time? Idk if my question made sense to you but I would appreciate your answer if you would please..thanks and keep up the good works man
thanks u speak lot of sense is coraline algae good 4 your tank i have loads of it in ripples on the back glass and on my rock had my tank 5 years with 2 canisters no upgrading to a sump tank at last got about 50 corals now soft and lps 1 Monte Pora which has just come back to life after 3 months
Coralline algae i like to think of it as just another coral if you want it let it grow if not take it out. I personally just leave it on the back and bottom glass. Understand it uses up cal, alk just like hard corals.
i sub with this vid i was looking for this info online. whats best to start off with if i just want coral n maybe 2 clown fish, mostly want coral, would 10 20 or 30 first timer dont want to make a complete fail attemp my first try
Outstanding video! This should be on the ‘must watch’ videos for all beginner reefers. Totally agree on Clown Fish, mean suckers! I also pulled out all anemones, worst creature for a tank.
I'm look for heater for my 150 long aqua 4 sump and extra 20 gal tank 2 tank sump what size heater and my new tank I just added ro/di water and adding salt can I add the bacteria now whole the water is cold letting it cycle now or do I have to wait for the heaters
what is the total water volume you are looking to heat? I use two 300 watt heaters in a 180 gallon system. Both are controlled by an apex. You can add the bacteria now but it will cycle faster at a higher temp. I personally would wait until i got the heaters and the temp stable before attempting to cycle a system.
Thanks for the video !! I'm just getting I to this and it seems that it was good to watch this I will be following you and hoping to learn much more from you thank you again and hope to be successful with this new hobby !!!
Checkout My Website Fishofhex.com
what happend to this tank... it looks better than your new one.. was it a crash?
One to add. Take photos. Patience can be difficult, things are not growing it seems. Often if you can look at a photo taken not that long ago you will notice that things have grown, it's only because you see it regularly it seems it hasn't. If you miss the opportunity to take a snapshot it is lost.
Point no.8 is the most important of all
I appreciate the amount of thought put into this video. Good stuff!
Good Vid and lovely looking Tank!
I'm just about to start out in this hobby having never owned a Tank of any kind in the past, I read a lot though and have been reading and planing a small build for quite a while now.
Every now and then I get a little concerned with horror story's I read on Forums and think maybe I shouldn't get into Marine with no practical experience what so ever but I'm going to take the plunge and after watching your Video, the advice you've given is very much in the direction I was already planing so I think I'm ready.
Only time will tell, good luck for the future of your Tank.
the great thing with a refugium isn't just the removal, or the free tang food, if you have one that hangs in the main tank, it also gives you a corner that doesn't have direct light which is perfect for certain things, mushrooms love the indirect light.
All of these are 100% spot on
Good list. Add: Go big from the beginning.
Love the mollies!
I think only experts like you should be doing RUclips videos. Nice to hear the reality of owning a reef tank. It’s a pipe dream of mine if I win the lottery. I’ll hire the company near me that charges $600 a month to run everything and even feed and replace fish. After your description that sounds like a deal! Thank you for sharing your knowledge! Also, is there a list of restaurants, maybe hotels in Irvine, Ca that have reef tanks. I’d love to support their businesses!
If you like anemones, have a separated tank, this is YES a great advice!
You are so right about multiple tanks. I am about to shut down 5 tanks and keep 1 reef and 1 fresh.
F is for Family. Love that show
Im literally about to do this too, i build bespoke tanks so i end up running more than i should in my house so im about to do this, imagine each tank with a large sump the same size as the tank juat two smallish tanks you can put so much more into 👌
love my apex!
Some of these things I question if you are only thinking of your size of tanks. in a 3 gal tank, these doom and gloom scenarios. how do they play out? ( i just bought books like an hour ago so forgive the question)
Had to sub just cause of the Mollies. Haven't seen that in saltwater in ages.
Thank You, I love those little guys
100% agree
31)😀We wish we knew is permanently expending💲💰hobby(appliances broke and need be replaced,improvements to go further,etc)
Glad to see I'm not the only one with mollies in my reef. :-D
Yea i love them
What's a good book to read? I have a 55g tank just waiting on a few more pieces before I'm able to start!
Clownfish are dickheads forsure hahaha, but they're pretty awesome because they seem almost social and interact pretty well when you walk in the room or by tank.
theres also ways to limit that aggression by adding them in last
Cool videos man!! U just got a new sub
just found this channel and instantly my favourite !
Awesome! Always nice to hear that.
I’m switching from fresh to salt. Man you have a nice set up!!!!!!
do you know what to do if corals aren't opening like gsp and zoanthids tips??
it depends on a ton of factors. It could be anything from flow to water parameters. Sometimes it can take a little troubleshooting
I have 2 "Nemo" clownfish and a Blue Damsel. I bought a can of Omega One flake food and the fish don't seem to like it very much. I have experience in keeping tropical fish and I usually buy Tetra flake food for the tropical fish. What brand would you recommend for saltwater fish?
Jayson Hannah Pellets and frozen food. Flakes aren’t that good for tropical or marine.
I had a huge zebra eel I working on tank out of nowhere I felt his on my off hand but he realized it wasn't food and let go before biting down hard not a scratch on me thank God
i think i saw dalmation platy on top of the right side of the tank...
All 30 points are VERY SOLID tips. Great job! Hope lots of new reefers watch, listen and PRACTICE your advice.
YOU DONT NEED 100 gallon for a reef tank...
Bigger is better for a beginner
Brandonez Doofenshmirtz so true got a 55 for my first saltwater tank
Wow, at 19:37 in the video, the striped guy with the yellow on it's tail, looked amazing. And as I was scrolling around on the video looking for it, I noticed how much the crabs and other critters moved got around and fast.
Lion fish can eat a fish up to 2/3 the length of its body
Thanks
just ran into your channel nice setup bro sub. chk out my 120 when you have some time.
Will do thank you for watching
Great video, and beautiful tank! I've been going crazy on research and shopping preparing for my first saltwater system. It's crazy how much you need to learn, how much you don't even know that you don't know. Even as someone who has halfway followed the hobby for years and has freshwater tanks. So, I appreciate the tips.
I love the mollies, don't see them too often in full saltwater. Finally, I have to tease you, you meant *too* on a few of those bullets. Knowledge man. ;-)
Thanks for this, very informative for a guy getting ready to start his own reef tank!!
No problem thanks for watching it was a little long but figured it would help out
‘Clown fish are dickheads’ 😂😂😂
Question : was thinking of adding My first Acro frag, I wanted to start with Bali Green Slimer but the Shop owner said the Tri color Valida would be a better choice, It's Hardy and Cheaper. Question one, Can I introduce it as the first Acro ? Question two, if I place it on a rock that has a Montipora Digi growing on it already, can the Monti kill the Acro in Future or vice versa (the placement would be like 5-6 inch apart)
Had a 4 foot tank going for 7 years. Had a clown fish in there the whole time. If you keep things simple it's not hard to do. Don't over crowd the tank, easy.
Im just gonna get a damsel and a clown
I'm watching this video 5 years later ( June 23, 2021) and I have to like it just because of number 10 LOL!
Are those two large mollies in the tank?
Just bought one and after being in my tank for 10 minutes, he found the cave where my 3" Sleeper Gold Head Goby stays in and ate him. Way to go Earl the Eel.
Have 2 maroon clowns 40g breeder 1 big 1 juvenile and they r doing good so far. No tank mates, no corals yet. Waiting a while before adding anything else.
I love you bro but #1 knowledge just can't be on this list you should do your homework before you do anything
I've had my tank up for about 3 months now and only have some zoas and xenias. I've had a pretty bad dinoflagellate bloom and got dino x to see if that'll work. got any tips on how to kill off the dinos? I have a simple 20g long tank with a hob filter
Before you start adding anything i would attempt to find the nutrient source. when thats done go ahead and try a chemical just understand that if you have coral in the tank they might not like it.
got it thank you :)
It’s not going to help to have a generator if you don’t have a chiller or some fans maybe some ice packs would do the job
your purple dotty back doesnt attack your shrimp or inverts ? crabs snails etc?
Eels can be dangerous cause bad infections when bit. Tomato clowns can be bullys as well worse bigger they get
I wish you could list what fish are in your tanks. I am new at this hobby. Thanks, sub’d
fantastic video. I can relate to the majority myself over the years. a power cut is my biggest concern. thanks .
Thanks Man
I am probably a lot a bit late but on Amazon you can get a nice UPS for 60 and it will fix all your power outage concerns
Good video bro. A lot of people are gonna pull a ton of stuff from this video! Good idea Trav!
I agree, Most of the clowns are bullies, damsels are often too and kill new smaller fishes. I like your tank!
any reefing books you couldn't do without at the beginning ?
Is the current to strong? Looks like the fish are struggling to swim lol.
Probably recorded during a surge mode. They are come on several times during the day to help pickup and filter detritus. Plus the tangs really like the burst flow
Excellent informational video! Yup, I have a Maroon clownfish pair since 2006 and the female is pure evil!
I'm a fresh water guy but really enjoyed this video. A lot of your points apply to both salt and fresh. Your comments on Lion and Clown fish were hilarious. Your reef is beautiful. Thanks.
Thank you come checkout the new 300 gallon
Is that a Sailfin Molly?
lol don't buy a lionfish cause they're dumb
R those mollies?
Yes
I didn't know they could live is salt water!
they can, however they need eight hour drip acclimation, hell long time aclimation than average marine creature
Do you drip acclimate every fish you introduce?
What's a good source for rock I'm starting a nuvo lagoon 25 for my first reef ever if you have a place would be much appreciated
Will be answered in this weeks q&a video
Finally sw person who makes simple and very informative videos! Thanks so much. New sub and fan. Also, thanks for ur service!
Thank You and No Problem
My son and I are just starting out, and the problem we’re running into is all the conflicting information we’re coming across. One aquarist suggests one thing and the next will suggest the complete opposite. We can’t tell which way is up at this point.
honestly, you just gotta pick one guy or one book and do it the way they say then go from there. Theres many ways to do things in this hobby, so its best to pick one reliable source and work from that
Good tips man.. One almost needs a degree in marine biology to run a reef tank.. (science is awesome! :) )And you need $$$$$$. I'm upgrading to a 63 litre(16 gallon) tank from a 30 litre (8 gallon) wish I could afford to run a larger tank though so I could have a yellow tang .
So yeah, 2nd tank:
Buy Dry Rock and cure it!
Buy premium sea salt (not cheap shit or water from ocean that has parasites, fuels/pollutants and different parameters)
QUARANTINE EVERYTHING WET!!
Drip accumulate for at least 2 hours
And I'm gonna use the previous tank as the QT which I'm gonna need, the clownfish I bought and named Sushi a year a go has a lump on its right gill, been there since I bought him from the infested tank at the LFS . (lessoned learned) Not sure if it's an ich or cyst but I want it gone before he enters the new tank.. I think I'll research more into hypo salinity, seems to be effective but even less stressful for the fish and thus myself. I think I'll get a fish trap rather than catch him with a net to ease some stress.
I should QT the hermit crab and Coral Banded Shrimp too yeah before they enter the new tank? Shit I'm gonna need to set up another tank.. bloody $$$. Good thing I dont have a social life haha
In response to heating.. My heater blew and was stuck on 'on' overnight the temp was at around 34c I think that's 94F ? .. But the clownfish, shrimp and crab... All fine.. I have no corals, they would have bleached for sure though..
its gonna take me 2+ months.
back to knowledge ! to Cure to cycle yes
yes! did you that know how cycle to good enough and it to dare and say that i done have that
LOL, clownfish are dicks. Love that ;)
I speak nothing but the truth haha
You can also add to document everything your doing. Log sheets with parameters, budgets, expenses, things you did each day. It will be valuable information when you go back and can see how your tank develops over time.
Checkout my aquaticlog playlist
Funny how you said you couldn't keep more than 2 tanks.... how many do you have now?
1 Saltwater system and 1 freshwater
How did you transition your Molly to salt water
Hi, i liked your video. What do you mean DC.. you saved money going to DC.. power$$
What's DC ? Ta
Great video as always but does the eel ever catch any of the other fish?
Learning lots from you 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻🇬🇧
Do you have a video or can you make one on the tips tricks do's don't for a refugium. I am converting from Fish Only to Reef and about to add a SUMP and refugium, want to do it right the first time and not waste any money.
What’s the best numbers for
alk ? Salinity? Magnesium? And calcium for coral ?? In a 29 gallon tank.
I had just moved to Florida and since I'd just relocated the tank, I was in the middle of an algae bloom when we got 3 hurricanes in 2 months. The tank crashed. It was terrible to watch, after a couple of days, the algae died and destroyed the water quality which caused other things to go and so forth.
I like this video just because of the way you said clownfish are d*ckheads
Are those Poecilia sphenops at the top at 7:05?
Molly yes
Ha. My maroon cllwnfish is an a-hole as well. Bites me when im moving frags or rocks. Every single time. Little douche. Nice tank
Very nice. I agree that there are many things I would've done different knowing what I know now. Would've saved a ton of money too.
What ratio would you suggest for a refugium (like how many gallons in refugium relative to display tank gallons)?
Been thinking about switching my 45g freshwater to saltwater for awhile now. This video helped me realize that I really don’t have the time and money for it. Thank you lol
Good video. When I had my reef tank a few yrs ago, I could hardly wait to have the coralline algae. Then..... I couldn’t stop it. I had to scrape it off the front walls of tank just to get a good view.
Also, ever had starfish? I had a choc chip star. So cool but they take over.
Nice tips.
I find this video extremely helpful.
Glad i could help you out.
Great channel! Just subscribed!
Thank You
Hey Travis i love your very educational vids man..gotta ? : I'm a new reefer n I'm very confused about two part dosing..should I run mag dosing along with alk and cal at the same time? Idk if my question made sense to you but I would appreciate your answer if you would please..thanks and keep up the good works man
thanks u speak lot of sense is coraline algae good 4 your tank i have loads of it in ripples on the back glass and on my rock had my tank 5 years with 2 canisters no upgrading to a sump tank at last got about 50 corals now soft and lps 1 Monte Pora which has just come back to life after 3 months
Coralline algae i like to think of it as just another coral if you want it let it grow if not take it out. I personally just leave it on the back and bottom glass. Understand it uses up cal, alk just like hard corals.
i sub with this vid i was looking for this info online. whats best to start off with if i just want coral n maybe 2 clown fish, mostly want coral, would 10 20 or 30 first timer dont want to make a complete fail attemp my first try
The bigger system you can get the better off you will be. More water will allow for mistakes without impacting the system as much.
Outstanding video! This should be on the ‘must watch’ videos for all beginner reefers. Totally agree on Clown Fish, mean suckers! I also pulled out all anemones, worst creature for a tank.
I'm look for heater for my 150 long aqua 4 sump and extra 20 gal tank 2 tank sump what size heater and my new tank I just added ro/di water and adding salt can I add the bacteria now whole the water is cold letting it cycle now or do I have to wait for the heaters
what is the total water volume you are looking to heat? I use two 300 watt heaters in a 180 gallon system. Both are controlled by an apex. You can add the bacteria now but it will cycle faster at a higher temp. I personally would wait until i got the heaters and the temp stable before attempting to cycle a system.
Very useful video thanks 😀 2020
Crazy flow, fish are struggling lol
You are totally wrong..its natural and good for the fish and corals. This is what most tanks should do.
@@StanTheObserver-lo8rx Thank you for this. I am a noob and I thought I was torturing my fish lol
Yeah the fish are getting thrown lol
Thanks i am considering a system so this helped ne
Does salt water tank develop those white hard stains on the tank?
To stop a syphon when power goes out drill small wholes in return nozzle right below water level.
well tank is 150 gal about a aqueon model 4 about 30 gal I think and a 20 gal tank next to the sump transferring water back and forth
Yea two 300 watts would work, idk if you have en apex but if you do set them higher and let the apex control the temp with them.
My carpet takes up a 20 gallon by itself. Lol. They get huge. Feed your eel with marshmallow tongs. You've been warned.
I eat the eel so no worries
And what is that a spider fish or a shirp fish and what are the plants up front in the middle of the tank and corner that look like trees
I’m new to this and I’m running a tidal 55 on my 29 gallon should I clean it out ?
Hey guys can somebody recommend me a good book for salt water aquariums?
When you say you switched to DC what do you mean? Current?
Hi! Loved the video, I found it really helpful.You know the shrimps in your tank! are they skunk cleaner shrimps please?? 🎅
Thanks for the video !! I'm just getting I to this and it seems that it was good to watch this I will be following you and hoping to learn much more from you thank you again and hope to be successful with this new hobby !!!