TOTALLY new
 

Hi, I am totally new to the hobby of reefkeeping, I honestly just found out about it last night but am eager to start. I have been keeping fresh water aquairums but still have limited knowledge. I would love some advice or info, nothing is too simple. I would really like to start with a small tank (less than 30 gallons unless I can find another free or cheap). I found this article on Advanced Aquarists http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2006...red%20aquarium
so I know it can be done. I figured after doing many things like this, it is best to ask the experts, who are helpful, right? on how to avoid many mistakes. Really, nothing is too small. Please help me :).
Thanks,
Lauren

ammendment
 

I'm just here to learn... for a while, I don't plan on starting for at least a month or so, but I'm a fast learner, again, thanks!

Hi lauren and welcome to Frag Outpost! What specific information do you need? 1st, I would recommend reading as much as you can in the various saltwater forums and look for a club near you. Just about every club has members willing to help out a newbie. You already have an understanding of the nitrogen cycle. Best advise I can give you is be patient. Things go good slowly but go bad quickly, in saltwater. Read and then re read.

Smaller tanks are harder and more maintenace intensive than larger systems. Think of being in a closet that is airtight, eventually the air will get stale and it will become hard to breathe. Now if you were in a full sized room, it will take a lot longer for the air to get stale. Hope this helps.

Not sure
 

Thanks, I'm not quite sure if we're going to go through with it at this point. My boyfriend and I are concerned about the environmental impact it has, does anybody have any thoughts or suggestions on this. Mostly we're concerned about how they obtain live rock and sand and realize that most livestock and corals are grown in captivity or those that are are easily accesible. Thanks, Lauren

You can always make your own live rock. Usually you can find it from people breaking down their tanks for whatever reason. As for Corals, you can buy them from places like GARF for from others tanks and not impact the reef.

Yeah, I'm pretty set on livestock and corals not harming the environment as long as they're raised in captivity. I thought about also buying it from someone who was breaking down their reef.... Any suggestions on how to find someone within a reasonable distance from ithaca, ny (zip 14850)? I looked on a couple places but it didn't seem like there was much. Any thoughts/info/input would be of help.
Thanks,
Lauren