Least Requirements for a Reef Aquarium?
- Thread starter aatif
- Start date
I can't help as much as some of the actual salt water guys on here, but I'll offer suggestions.
First off, no, it is not necessary to have a reef for marine fish, other setups include Fish Only(FO) and Fish Only with Live Rock(FOWLR).
as for requirements, there's the usual... heater, tank(Duh), lighting. On a reef tank, filtration comes from live rock, you just need to provide lots of water flow(Powerheads are usually used for this). For a reef tank with corals, an absurd amount of lighting is required, usually in the 3.5 to 10 watts per gallon range. Water comes from a marine salt mix, such as Instant Ocean; it is then mixed with RO or Deionized water.
Those are the absolute basics you'd need. Although not technically required, most people will tell you that when you get into bigger tank sizes, a protein skimmer becomes increasingly important.
PS: The biggest requirement of all when it comes to saltwater is patience. Rush something, anything, and you'll have a big headache on your hands.
First off, no, it is not necessary to have a reef for marine fish, other setups include Fish Only(FO) and Fish Only with Live Rock(FOWLR).
as for requirements, there's the usual... heater, tank(Duh), lighting. On a reef tank, filtration comes from live rock, you just need to provide lots of water flow(Powerheads are usually used for this). For a reef tank with corals, an absurd amount of lighting is required, usually in the 3.5 to 10 watts per gallon range. Water comes from a marine salt mix, such as Instant Ocean; it is then mixed with RO or Deionized water.
Those are the absolute basics you'd need. Although not technically required, most people will tell you that when you get into bigger tank sizes, a protein skimmer becomes increasingly important.
PS: The biggest requirement of all when it comes to saltwater is patience. Rush something, anything, and you'll have a big headache on your hands.
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the biggest thing necessary for any salt water adventure is a very thick wallet. This will enable you to ensure that your fishes and tank look their optimum best at all times. I know you can do this on a shoe string but I strongly believe that you should save your money and get the best that you can afford from the beginning. Don't be lulled into thinking you can get by without some of the equipment....the most important things are
good books on reefkeepint such as "The New Marine Aquarium" by Paletta
and "The Concientious Marine Aquariust" by Robert Fenner both of these have supplied me with very important pre-reading.....
THen:
tank
substrate if you decide on having it
live rock ( up to 2lbs per gallon)
protein skimmer
good lighting
heater
these basics you shouldn't scrimp on.
the rest can all come in time.....But research this very thoroughly before buying anything. There is a lot of money that can be wasted by impulse purchases.....do the research, read all the stickies on as many forums as you can. Take advise from those on these pages and DON'T believe that your local fish store guy knows what he is talking about.......most don't but some do...,
good books on reefkeepint such as "The New Marine Aquarium" by Paletta
and "The Concientious Marine Aquariust" by Robert Fenner both of these have supplied me with very important pre-reading.....
THen:
tank
substrate if you decide on having it
live rock ( up to 2lbs per gallon)
protein skimmer
good lighting
heater
these basics you shouldn't scrimp on.
the rest can all come in time.....But research this very thoroughly before buying anything. There is a lot of money that can be wasted by impulse purchases.....do the research, read all the stickies on as many forums as you can. Take advise from those on these pages and DON'T believe that your local fish store guy knows what he is talking about.......most don't but some do...,
First and foremost, decide if you're starting with a nano (under 29 gallons) or a larger tank.
Personally I recommend you start out small, with a 20 gallon long, or, if you're ready to try reef, a ten gallon. A ten gallon is MUCH cheaper to light and you can grow soft corals to your heart's content without worrying about additives or anything like that. A lot of people say starting small is a bad idea, but I think this isn't true. I've seen 55 gallon tanks fail for the same reasons small tanks fail... people get lax, get impatient, or don't know what they're doing... the size of the tank in my experience doesn't have anything to do with it.
As you can probably tell, I'm biased toward nanos, and I personally would never start a saltwater tank larger than a 20 gallon long. Too much money, too much equipment, too much that can go wrong... with nanos, their care is very basic... strong water flow, live rock, and weekly water changes. Once you get to know your tank, you know what you can get away with and what you can't... then again this goes for larger tanks too, but then you're talking about much bigger water changes, usually 3 times as much equipment, etc.
But nanos are very limiting to what fish you can keep. In a ten gallon, one fish would be best for the first couple months, then you'd be maxed at two... and I'm talking percs (not maroons as they get bigger) and gobies and smaller fish.
I am personally on a very tight budget and I have a nano reef with a clownfish and a mandarin fish, a bunch of soft corals, and many other inverts. But even if you decide to go with a ten gallon, you're looking at a 200 dollar investment, minimal. If you double that size, it just gets more and more expensive...
Also, with nanos, protein skimmers aren't usually attached to the system, and they aren't really necessary. This will save you an expense, as well as the hassle of dealing with more equipment. If you ever get a foamy or scummy buildup on the surface (this is very, very rare in my experience), kill power to the powerheads or filter and use a net to scoop away the scum.
If you're all about the fish, I'd start with a large system, 40-55 gallons, and keep it FOWLR (fish only with live rock). However, if corals are your thing and you're on a budget, I recommend starting a nano.
If you're interested in nanos here are some good posts in the nano section to help you along...
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33067
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?t=26026
Good luck and have fun starting out!
Personally I recommend you start out small, with a 20 gallon long, or, if you're ready to try reef, a ten gallon. A ten gallon is MUCH cheaper to light and you can grow soft corals to your heart's content without worrying about additives or anything like that. A lot of people say starting small is a bad idea, but I think this isn't true. I've seen 55 gallon tanks fail for the same reasons small tanks fail... people get lax, get impatient, or don't know what they're doing... the size of the tank in my experience doesn't have anything to do with it.
As you can probably tell, I'm biased toward nanos, and I personally would never start a saltwater tank larger than a 20 gallon long. Too much money, too much equipment, too much that can go wrong... with nanos, their care is very basic... strong water flow, live rock, and weekly water changes. Once you get to know your tank, you know what you can get away with and what you can't... then again this goes for larger tanks too, but then you're talking about much bigger water changes, usually 3 times as much equipment, etc.
But nanos are very limiting to what fish you can keep. In a ten gallon, one fish would be best for the first couple months, then you'd be maxed at two... and I'm talking percs (not maroons as they get bigger) and gobies and smaller fish.
I am personally on a very tight budget and I have a nano reef with a clownfish and a mandarin fish, a bunch of soft corals, and many other inverts. But even if you decide to go with a ten gallon, you're looking at a 200 dollar investment, minimal. If you double that size, it just gets more and more expensive...
Also, with nanos, protein skimmers aren't usually attached to the system, and they aren't really necessary. This will save you an expense, as well as the hassle of dealing with more equipment. If you ever get a foamy or scummy buildup on the surface (this is very, very rare in my experience), kill power to the powerheads or filter and use a net to scoop away the scum.
If you're all about the fish, I'd start with a large system, 40-55 gallons, and keep it FOWLR (fish only with live rock). However, if corals are your thing and you're on a budget, I recommend starting a nano.
If you're interested in nanos here are some good posts in the nano section to help you along...
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?t=33067
http://www.myfishtank.net/forum/showthread.php?t=26026
Good luck and have fun starting out!
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If you have good hands, you can save some money
Check this site , the poor man's reef : http://www.mindspear.com/reef/
Check this site , the poor man's reef : http://www.mindspear.com/reef/
Go between a 20 long and a 55. A small tank is nearly as expensive as big.
Corals require clean warm water with the right chemistry, and, as far as you're concerned powerful lighting. I would advise reading the stickied threads at the top, and the Paletta book. I would expect a significant upfront investment upfront, though nmot as much as some peole seem to think, an open mind and plenty of patience
Corals require clean warm water with the right chemistry, and, as far as you're concerned powerful lighting. I would advise reading the stickied threads at the top, and the Paletta book. I would expect a significant upfront investment upfront, though nmot as much as some peole seem to think, an open mind and plenty of patience