Total newbie - be gentle!

Purplecatti

OK, I have always wanted a Marine reef aquarium but as I have been moving every year up until now I've put that dream on hold, until now as I am going to be in the one place in a few months. I have been a very successful goldfish and tropical fish keeper for years.

I will avoid technical questions until I have done a lot more research but I have a few questions to be getting on with:

- What do you do when you go on holiday?
- Where is it best to put a marine tank? Do they need a degree of natural sunlight as well as the artificial lights they need?
- what if any organism gets sick?
- Are there any good places I could go to for information/advice in Yorkshire? Apart form here obviously :D

I'm wondering if it would be better to start off with a nano tank and see how I get on or go the whole hog and begin from scratch with a biggie? And either way is it better to go with buying a package or to buy items individually?

I realise these are rather stupid questions but remember I am new to the world of salt water but would like to take the plunge

mHeinitz57

No such thing as stupid questions here...everyone has to start somewhere so any questions are happily answered.

- What do you do when you go on holiday? Depends on the type of fish and setup you have. Some reef systems will have plenty of algea and organisms that fish can feed off of and you may be able to leave the tank alone for awhile. Automatic fish feeders can be used if the fish are eating simple pellets or flakes. Timers for lights are also a good investment. Otherwise it would be worthwhile to find a friend who can look after the tank if you are gone for awhile.
- Where is it best to put a marine tank? Do they need a degree of natural sunlight as well as the artificial lights they need? Any lighting provided should come from artificial lights. This is because you can not control sunlight as well and the sun will hit the tank differently each day and throughout the year. Sunlight can also cause temperature shifts depending on its intensity. Artificial lights are controlled by you and can provide more consistant lighting than the sun would.
- what if any organism gets sick? It's always good to have an extra hospital tank lying around for putting new fish in quarantine and treating sick fish. Depending on the disease though you may be able to treat it in the tank but its best to be prepared.
- Are there any good places I could go to for information/advice in Yorkshire? Apart form here obviously :D No clue, i'm in the US, lol.

I'm wondering if it would be better to start off with a nano tank and see how I get on or go the whole hog and begin from scratch with a biggie? Honestly I usually suggest beginners start with larger tanks. The nano tanks have been a success but the larger tanks will give you much more room for error and allow for more versatility. If you want something that is large but still easy to manage, a 29-55gallon would work well.

And either way is it better to go with buying a package or to buy items individually? Depends on the package. Red Sea just put out a complete 34 gallon kit that is awesome and decently priced as well. Some kits though will be geared towards people on a budget and will have the bare minimum parts. For instance, a 50 gallon kit will often just have asmall 50 gallon filter, which isnt much and usually you want more filtration than that. You will spend less on a kit but saltwater is one of those things that the more money you put into the setup...the better off you are. Do research on the equipment and get the best you can within your budget.