I don't even have my setup yet

J

jessica.johnson7

I have several freshwater tanks of different varieties but I am wanting to join the "dark side" of saltwater aquariums. Im looking to get a smaller tank like a nano. At least a tank 35g or smaller. I would like some nice colorful corals and maybe a clown fish or two. Honestly I know very little about saltwater I've only ever had freshwater. Any knowledge anyone could impart would be great!
 
Honestly the easiest tank i have had was a 75 perfect tank for a beginner saltwater

~introducing fish and coral into a electronically balanced body of water since 2007~
 
Register and come to the Next Wave Conference. It will be the cheapest yet the most valuable purchase you can/will make concerning this hobby.
 
Having come from freshwater myself I can tell you that there's quite a learning curve that comes with the complexities of salt. If you've cone freshwater planted tanks with sumps and external filtration then you've got a head start and will find it rather easy to move from fresh to salt. The main difference is the elements that are / aren't as important to test for between the two. Best piece of advice I can give is research, research, research. Start out by reading people's build logs from beginning to end, learn what mistakes they made, fixes they found, equipment lists, etc. This will help you get off on the right foot and help avoid some of the issues or problems that others experience.

Expect to spend roughly $30 a gallon for a "turn key" salt tank setup (not including livestock) if you get a used tank. Granted, that's a rough estimate and getting lower end equipment / used equipment will bring down that cost, just a good figure to estimate how big you can go for your budget. You don't want to get 90% into a 120 gallon and realize you don't have enough for lights or something along those lines.
 
Great advice and I'll second starting with a larger tank around the 75g range. I spent months researching and learning before jumping in and am still learning a lot everyday. I found Reefkeeping Online to be a great resource and have gone through just about every article and go back to some of the articles when I need a refresher:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/past.php
 
Thanks guys for the advice. I found a 30g I really like and in the beginning I'm only going to stock a couple of fish until I get a better feel for it. It will also come with a 20g sump which I'll need to figure out how to set up... That's the next step once I figure out how to get the tank itself into my apartment :D
 
Bear in mind that the cycle time before you can add fish or anything is longer than freshwater.
You can't just use dechlorinated tap & drop in fish! I kinda miss that from my freshwater days LOL.
 
I had a 75g as my first tank then went down to a 29 and the 29 is more constant water changes and etc. Basically the smaller the tank the more work. You get a lot more enjoyment and spend less in the long run getting a 55-75....

~introducing fish and coral into a electronically balanced body of water since 2007~
 
Funny thing I have a 75 and at one point was contemplating going back to a 46, which is were I first started. I decided to stay with the 75 so I broke it down temporarily to a 29 while I cleaned and recycled the 75. During that time I spent more time with maintenance than anything. Now the 75 is back up less time with maintenance...go figure!

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using Tapatalk 2
 
Yup my 135 is nice to.... But yes 55-75 is easy maitenance

~introducing fish and coral into a electronically balanced body of water since 2007~
 
Well I already put a deposit on the 30g. I know that sump should help quite a bit too. I'm used to work. That's what keeps me busy. And yes I plan on using the water the current owners have but I don't plan to really stock for at least a month so I can get a feel for the cycle. Everyone is afraid of work- that's why I want a saltwater tank, it's not as easy as freshwater. I know that. Never in my fresh water water days have I added declorinator and dropped in fish. I'm not a huge fan of the fish-in cycle. What kind of stuff should I put in the sump though? Live rock? Some crabs?
 
If you have a refugium in it so cheato and rubble rock maybe some fiji mud or live sand

~introducing fish and coral into a electronically balanced body of water since 2007~
 
8EFDFF81-62B5-4F33-9D9E-D1A38EABD109-339-0000001A41BBCCFA_zpsa2c25610.jpg
alt="">

I hope that link works its the sump that came with the tank. I don't think it's a refugium-those are different things aren't they?
 
Water from the current owner isn't really going to help any, most of the bacteria is in the rock/sand, not the water column. You'd be better off with new water.
 
They are gonna give me the live rock from the tank too. I am going to get one and only. I've heard good things about it. Where would I get cheato? And what does it benefit?
 
I use cheato to remove phosphates and nitrates... It also houses and helps increase copepod population. It is very beneficial in a lot of cases... Rubble rock is just liverock broken down to smaller pieces and acts as a larger filter media.... I run a power compact 5k flood light (from Lowes) on my sump with a cheap walmart clamp on work light and it works like a champ.... Also you can run calurpa but if it gets into your tank and roots it is hard to get out and can turn A. Sexual and dirty up a tank fast if not careful. I would run just cheato... Easy and effective... Also could look into mangroves

~introducing fish and coral into a electronically balanced body of water since 2007~
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top