Hi, everyone lately after reading about saltwater so much I have a crazy idea to get a saltwater tank. At the time I have a freshwater tank and I like it. I know saltwater is much harder to keep up with but I still want to give it a shoot. I have my first 10 gallon tank which helped me kick off my freshwater hobby. I was wondering, what kind of size tank should I start out with? Im thiking of getting 1 or 2 clown fish as my first fish. I know live rock will play a big role in the tank too. Any suggestions on a set up with tank, filter, sand, fish, corals, or pounds of live rock?
Newbie Question about start up saltwater tank
- Thread starter joeyjoeq
- Start date
Well the size of the tank is going to really depend on the amount of money you have to spend. Ideally you would like to get the largest size as possible because this will help with parameters and the tanks stability, so until we know what kind of range your in its hard to suggest a size
as far as filtration live rock (amount depending on size of tank) and alot of water flow will be all that you need. If you do decide to go with a larger tank then a protein skimmer should be in order (and just throwing it out there maybe a RO unit if you have the funds)
Clown fish would be a good started fish but fish are a ways down the road. After you have your tank setup, cycled (from the live rock) then you can start adding a cleanup crew. Once everything has been stable and setup for a while then think about adding fish.
As far as coral put them after fish (and will require lighting as well which will cost more)
Just take it nice and slow and youll do fine.
as far as filtration live rock (amount depending on size of tank) and alot of water flow will be all that you need. If you do decide to go with a larger tank then a protein skimmer should be in order (and just throwing it out there maybe a RO unit if you have the funds)
Clown fish would be a good started fish but fish are a ways down the road. After you have your tank setup, cycled (from the live rock) then you can start adding a cleanup crew. Once everything has been stable and setup for a while then think about adding fish.
As far as coral put them after fish (and will require lighting as well which will cost more)
Just take it nice and slow and youll do fine.
At the time I have $700 for my fish stuff. If I was going to start small I would go with the 10 gallon tank, but like you said the bigger the better. The biggest tank I can have is the 75-125 gallon. Any bigger and it wont fit in my house. I have a new protein skimmer and filter. It was a gift from my mom thiking I had saltwater. I think its called seaclone(skimmer) and the filter is a proclear 150. I have an RO system already. Its the coral life pure flo II. I dont know if I can use that one? What is a clean up crew? I really have no idea what fish are out there for saltwater. I know some because I always see them at the LFS but thats all.
Well for that price range I think a 55-75 would be a great tank size.
for a tnak in that size your looking at 40-70lbs of live rock and alot of water flow (stickies are a awsome source of added info on live rock function and also flow)
The seaclone (I hate to say this as it was a present) but it is really not a usable asset. The horror stories Ive heard of them (flood, fire) has been numerouse and there benfits are droned out by there defects. If I were you I would try to return it or sell it for as much as retail as possible and look into the AquaC urchin or other reputable skimmers (which can get pricey but are a must for a larger tank)
Right now its up to you and hard to say what you will need without a specific tank size. Just because you have the space for a 75 doesnt mean you need one but it will make your life easier but anything above a 20 will really help out. Once you make your decision on the tank size it will be easier to help.
Fish will be a fun part of the process but like I said before its a little ways off. Patience is a must in this hobby (sorry to others if I sound repetitive
) but it really is.
for a tnak in that size your looking at 40-70lbs of live rock and alot of water flow (stickies are a awsome source of added info on live rock function and also flow)
The seaclone (I hate to say this as it was a present) but it is really not a usable asset. The horror stories Ive heard of them (flood, fire) has been numerouse and there benfits are droned out by there defects. If I were you I would try to return it or sell it for as much as retail as possible and look into the AquaC urchin or other reputable skimmers (which can get pricey but are a must for a larger tank)
Right now its up to you and hard to say what you will need without a specific tank size. Just because you have the space for a 75 doesnt mean you need one but it will make your life easier but anything above a 20 will really help out. Once you make your decision on the tank size it will be easier to help.
Fish will be a fun part of the process but like I said before its a little ways off. Patience is a must in this hobby (sorry to others if I sound repetitive
) but it really is.
I think I will go with the 75 gallon maybe I would try a 90 but I think its too much. This week I will be looking for tanks. I dont want to buy everything in one week because it really does put a hole in your wallet. I guess your the only one helping me out here so I would message with what I'm buying. I really dont want to spend more than $3,000. I'll try to stay around the $1,000-2,000 area. It may take a month or two to find the things, but I'll be patient on my new tank. Thanks for the help!!!
You've more money than me! I'm just putting a 200 together, and my whole budget except fish is under 2000 dollars.
Start with a 40 gallon breeder. I don't want to sound condascending , but I think you need to spend a bunch of time reading before you start spending money. There are some stickies on here, but i would recommend Mike Palettas new marine aquarium as a book that will actually explain how things are setup to work, and gives some fish suggestions too.
In all honesty to answer single setup q's on a tank like this, if you don't a few of the basics, will take us a long time.
My big piece of advice now is, whatever you learnt about filtration on freshwater tanks, forget it now. Freshwater methods, technologies are not good in the marine world
Start with a 40 gallon breeder. I don't want to sound condascending , but I think you need to spend a bunch of time reading before you start spending money. There are some stickies on here, but i would recommend Mike Palettas new marine aquarium as a book that will actually explain how things are setup to work, and gives some fish suggestions too.
In all honesty to answer single setup q's on a tank like this, if you don't a few of the basics, will take us a long time.
My big piece of advice now is, whatever you learnt about filtration on freshwater tanks, forget it now. Freshwater methods, technologies are not good in the marine world
Well you're going to need a stand as well. What are the dimensions of the 150? Also is it drilled. An undrilled 150 is a possible option, but we need to know if you're going to have a sump or not.
I'm not saying buy it or not, but it seems to me that you have some cash and aren't stupid enough to think that now you have the tank the spending money bit is over.
You will need salt.
A supply of clean water.
I would go for 100 pounds of live rock (and likely not much more)
A big skimmer (the brand, abilities of the skimmer are somewhat affected by whether you have a sump or not)
Some form of large scale water movement (we are not talking a couple of maxijets here tho' two Tunzes, Seios or equivalent will do it)
I will give you a big tip before you start spending money. Research everything, as equipment is not, in any form created equally. It is easy to drop multiple hundreds of dollars on equipment in this hobby tat is either unneccessary or just rubbish, overrated.
I'm not saying buy it or not, but it seems to me that you have some cash and aren't stupid enough to think that now you have the tank the spending money bit is over.
You will need salt.
A supply of clean water.
I would go for 100 pounds of live rock (and likely not much more)
A big skimmer (the brand, abilities of the skimmer are somewhat affected by whether you have a sump or not)
Some form of large scale water movement (we are not talking a couple of maxijets here tho' two Tunzes, Seios or equivalent will do it)
I will give you a big tip before you start spending money. Research everything, as equipment is not, in any form created equally. It is easy to drop multiple hundreds of dollars on equipment in this hobby tat is either unneccessary or just rubbish, overrated.
on a tank that large the equipment and addition operating costs can and probably will go well over the cost of the actual tank (just as Wayne said)
skimmer (on a 150 to do a good job) atleast 250-400 imo (also depending on sump)
heaterS
lighting (omg dont even get me started on lighting aha)
rock itself!
clean up crew (those crabs and snails add up fast and your looking at alot for the 120)
water movement
testing
not saying you cant handle it and that you shouldnt gor for a 150 because that opens up alot of doors but You could put together a gorgeouse 55-100 gallon tank and save alot of money for those extras
skimmer (on a 150 to do a good job) atleast 250-400 imo (also depending on sump)
heaterS
lighting (omg dont even get me started on lighting aha)
rock itself!
clean up crew (those crabs and snails add up fast and your looking at alot for the 120)
water movement
testing
not saying you cant handle it and that you shouldnt gor for a 150 because that opens up alot of doors but You could put together a gorgeouse 55-100 gallon tank and save alot of money for those extras
Like Wayne and OC stated make sure you REASERCH every aspect of this before you drop the $$$.
Think longterm with this tank... what kind of system you want and what you want to keep in it as far as livestock, as this will greatly effect how you want to set-up your tank and what is needed and what is not.
Example: if you do not want any corals, just some LR and fish then you don't need to spend big $$$ on a high output lighting fixture, on the other hand if down the road you want to add corals then you will need a good light, so you are better off getting a good one from the start and not wasting the money on the cheaper one.
As well as Camaro said you have so much options with a big tank like that you can take your time stocking it slowly and really enjoy watching it progress over months/years.
I say if you can afford the 150g set-up and it's up-keeping costs then go for it, you have so much options with a tank of that size.
Think longterm with this tank... what kind of system you want and what you want to keep in it as far as livestock, as this will greatly effect how you want to set-up your tank and what is needed and what is not.
Example: if you do not want any corals, just some LR and fish then you don't need to spend big $$$ on a high output lighting fixture, on the other hand if down the road you want to add corals then you will need a good light, so you are better off getting a good one from the start and not wasting the money on the cheaper one.
As well as Camaro said you have so much options with a big tank like that you can take your time stocking it slowly and really enjoy watching it progress over months/years.
I say if you can afford the 150g set-up and it's up-keeping costs then go for it, you have so much options with a tank of that size.
I agree with Saltywaters... and everyone else for that matter.
I am in the same boat as you. kinda... i just purchased a 55 gal tank and I had to fight with my husband not to get the 150 gal. yeah I would love to have it to but, what if it was something that we didn't get into?? maybe we didn't enjoy it. So we settled on the 55 gal and are currently waiting for it to cycle (hence signature!) Anyways, Take it slow with Saltwater and remember that you can't recreate the ocean overnight.
I am in the same boat as you. kinda... i just purchased a 55 gal tank and I had to fight with my husband not to get the 150 gal. yeah I would love to have it to but, what if it was something that we didn't get into?? maybe we didn't enjoy it. So we settled on the 55 gal and are currently waiting for it to cycle (hence signature!) Anyways, Take it slow with Saltwater and remember that you can't recreate the ocean overnight.
This whole week I have been reading the stickys on the site. Read a few books here and there that I purchased at my LFS. I went back to the store where I saw the 150 gallon tank. I dont know if any of you have heard of Aquarium Adventure? Well I asked if they had any tanks similar to the 150 and the same company made a 30 gallon tank. Both are the same in red cherry wood color, canopy set-up, etc. The stand looks different because it does not have the glass shelves, but I guess the size would play a role in this part. I measured it and the filter my mom gave me wont fit. I did get the $120 bucks back from the skimmer(thanks Occfan023). I still have 3 days to get a refund. I think I will go to get a refund and buy a filter later on. In the future I would like some corals, live rock, damsels, cleaner shrimp, and clown fish are a must for what I atleast want. Like wayne, camaro, and salty waters recommended I started to make an idea of what I want in it for the future. My sister suggested that I can use the 30 gallon for freshwater, and the 55 gallon I have can be used for saltwater. This week I gave away many fish to friends, and some other fish will go too. You think I should do the switch of tanks? I really dont want to since it has been running for sometime now, but I'm open for suggestions.
switching out the 55 to a 30 fresh and keeping the 55 for salt would be good as having a 55 fresh and a + side saltwater reef (as on your list were corals) is alot of work, but if you could manage the work load then more power to ya.
On the note of filtration (you said you would wait until later to purchase it) dont worry about buying any HOBS or like items. Unless your talking about a sump for added volume then the only filtration you will need is live rock, alot of flow, and a protein skimmer.
The only problem with going a 150 gallon tank when you want corals is the lighting would be very expensive (but I dont know how much your willing to spend so Ill leave it at that)
in the end the choice is yours on what size tank. The 55 would be harder to aquascape but its doable. Maybe look for wider tanks but like I said its up to your needs and wants.
On the note of filtration (you said you would wait until later to purchase it) dont worry about buying any HOBS or like items. Unless your talking about a sump for added volume then the only filtration you will need is live rock, alot of flow, and a protein skimmer.
The only problem with going a 150 gallon tank when you want corals is the lighting would be very expensive (but I dont know how much your willing to spend so Ill leave it at that)
in the end the choice is yours on what size tank. The 55 would be harder to aquascape but its doable. Maybe look for wider tanks but like I said its up to your needs and wants.
You are correct on the work load. That was another reason I dont want to switch. Sorry to ask but what is an HOB? I see that word in many posts. I think I will do the 30 gallon to start out atleast. Any ideas on what things to get for the 30 gallon? I know you said to get an aquac skimmer. Thats is basically all I know that for sure I will buy later on after I do some more research on cycling. Its very tricky, anyone know a good source that has cycling for dummy maybe???
a hob just means Hang on Back (refering to hang on the back of the tank filters, HOB Filters.) Not needed unless your using it with a phosphate removal, active carbon, or just extra flow (but you wont need to worry about that stuff hopefully)
For a 30 a skimmer would be beneficial and a aqua c remora would work well (especially a need if you want corals.) For lighting check out PCs, T5s, and metal halides (could get a nice lighitng setup on a 30)
as far as cycling are you buying cured live rock or uncured? If you buy cured live rock you can just add it to your tank with some powerheads and you will see a ammonia spike and when the little die off one the rock takes place and then restablaizes itself (all 3 components 0) your good to go with a clean up crew.
For a 30 a skimmer would be beneficial and a aqua c remora would work well (especially a need if you want corals.) For lighting check out PCs, T5s, and metal halides (could get a nice lighitng setup on a 30)
as far as cycling are you buying cured live rock or uncured? If you buy cured live rock you can just add it to your tank with some powerheads and you will see a ammonia spike and when the little die off one the rock takes place and then restablaizes itself (all 3 components 0) your good to go with a clean up crew.
When looking into lighting make sure that your lighting can fit on a larger tank down the road because you ARE going to want to upsize at a later date, we all do it is the nature of our disease. Go with the best lighting that you can afford right now for what you want in the future. ie....get metal halide or a really good t5 set up if you are wanting corals eventually. Don't settle now in the thought to get better lights later....it is just throwing money away. The Aqua C will do great as a skimmer and will work well on either a 30 or 55 anything larger and you will need the Aqua C Pro. both can be converted easily to work in a sump later if you get one. Live rock next to lighting is your greatest expense. I know that some sites recommend 1 lb per gallon but I have read that up to 2 lbs per gallon is better. I would lose the damsels from your wish list as they are territorial little b*stards that you will regret ever introducing to your tank........at a 55 you have a lot of choice on great fish. Don't be tempted to put tangs in there though....they need more room......you are on the right track and research up front is worth it in the end......that way you won't needlessly spend your money.....I word of suggestion.....if you are in the Chicago area there are always people on various forums selling live rock or equipment that they are getting out of the hobby etc......maybe you can get a scoop on some live rock etc......nothing wrong with second hand provided it is clean, works and has never come in contact with copper.........good luck and welcome to the salties.
Ok yesterday I got another 55 gallon tank. When I went to buy the 30 gallon tank, I spotted a new tank coming in and it was 55 gallons. The same model as the 150 I wanted but mini version. I was so happy to see it. I just decided to make my 55 gallon reef tank. This way I have two 55 gallon tanks. I will place my freshwater in my basement(basically playroom for the kids) and the reef in my living room that way people can notice it right away. I ordered the Aqua C Remora Pro. Still reading more about starting your saltwater tank dont think I want to creat the ocean right away like all you said. I was thinking of gettin maybe one domino damsel but if they are territorial then forget it. I do like the yellow tangs and blue tangs, but I dont think I'll get them now. I would worry about fish later. One thing I have noticed in rock are the names. I want cured rock because I dont want to cure it myself. What live rock is the best? Or atleast is the one that looks nice? Do they all do the same thing?