Newbie here...

[Pingu]

Just wanted to say hi and ask a few general questions, not sure where to post so either point me in the right direction or admin can move me

Kept tropical fish most of my life but wanted to try mans stuff eg marine. Sold my last tank as I didn't believe it was big enough for marine (200L) and not the right set up. So before I go waste money on the right tank I wanted to ask people in the know.

Any suggestions or even questions I should be asking myself?

Chris

[hng]

Welcome to TRT Chris! One of the first things you should decide is what you want to keep in your new tank. Will it be marine fish only, fish with some live rock, fish with corals, or predominately corals? Once you settle on the answer to that, it will help you decide, the size of tank, the lighting you will need, protein skimmer, and plumbing designs. In my experience, the more towards corals you go, the more complicated your tank can get. DOn't take that as a deterrant, I think coral tanks are the most rewarding and most beautiful

[theplatypus]

Welcome

[BGJ223]

welcome to TRT!!!!

Ok lets get started, the first thing that you want to do is figure out what you want to keep. That will help decide what size tank and what type of lighting is needed.
For type of tank, you are going to want to go with a Reef Ready tank. Those are the ones with the built in overflow boxes. Having a RR tank makes it easier in the long run, and less worrying happens when you have a RR tank.

[motorslave]

Welcome to TRT! If you decide you want to do coral then you have to decide what type of coral (3 types) as they have different needs. Always build the system around the primary inhabitants.
Something else to consider is how much space and money you have/are willing to give up! This hobby can get real expensive real fast. With coral it can get very expensive but with a little research and planning you can still keep it relatively simple. Something else to consider (very important) is how much time can you spend maintaining the tank. Some set up take alot of our time in the form of tinkering with equipment, cleaning etc. Thats not to say that this is a hobby that will take your free time away (thats usually a matter of choice!) but with a lck of planning you may find yourself fighting some veryt frustrating battles.
They biggest key to everything with marine aquariums is patience. The slower you go the better off you will be. Dont rush anything. If you find something you think is a good buy, check here chances are someone will know about that particular peice and give you the info you need. Same with picking livestock.
Look around at some of our memebers tanks, see what you like then start researching and asking questions. Then strat to buy stuff. This aproach will ultimately save you money, time and frustration!
Again, welcome to TRT!!!

Robert

[tims]

Welcome TO trt Chris.
give this a read. this will also help you along the way and answer a few questions and make you ask more..

[fjoseph72269]

welcome to TRT. my advice......GO SLOW. plan EVERYTHING. read as many posts here to learn as much as you can and ALWAYS ask BEFORE you buy. your local fish store might be quite knowlagable, or maybe NOT. so ask around here before you spend your hard earned money, lot of knowlage and experience on TRT. another thing, don't skimp when it comes to buying equipment, go cheap and you won't be happy with the results and you'll just end up spending more money in the long run. if you dont have the cash on hand, WAIT, and buy one piece at a time when you can, you and your tank inhabitants will be happ you did. good luck, much peace!!!!!