I'm thinking of starting a saltwater tank but I don't really know what size tank to start with. This might be done (saltwater tank) in some years because I have a 55g freshwater tank and I'm 13 and my parents wouldn't even think about letting me do a saltwater tank now. So anyways, what size tank can I start with?
what size tank??
- Thread starter jf228
- Start date
The largest size you can possibly afford.
Most people will say nothing smaller than 75 gallons, but the bigger the better.
55 gallons is a respectable size. Not optimum, but do-able for a beginner.
I would recommend to not attempt a smaller tank until you have plenty of experience with saltwater quariums. The smaller the volume of water, the less the margin of error you have, the more fustration you will experience.
Marine fishkeeping can be as easy or as hard as you make it on yourself. I do not recommend taking any short-cuts that people might recommend to you until you have read and reasearched all that is necessary to maintain a healthy tank. Your parents are wise to ask you to refrain. Marine tanks can become extreamly expensive, and at 13 years old you may be better off saving your money for college and nights out with friends than spending it on skimmers and expensive delicate fish.
One thing to keep in mind is that a majority of marine fish are wild-caught, so when they die in the hobby, that is one more fish down the road towards extintion. So use the five years you have until you are 18 to really read up on the marine hobby, to visit and speak with LFS people around you, join a local Aquarium Society or Reefer's club to gain knowledge from more experienced hobbiest, and start putting money away into a SW bank account so that you have some budget to work within when the time comes.
~~Colesea
Most people will say nothing smaller than 75 gallons, but the bigger the better.
55 gallons is a respectable size. Not optimum, but do-able for a beginner.
I would recommend to not attempt a smaller tank until you have plenty of experience with saltwater quariums. The smaller the volume of water, the less the margin of error you have, the more fustration you will experience.
Marine fishkeeping can be as easy or as hard as you make it on yourself. I do not recommend taking any short-cuts that people might recommend to you until you have read and reasearched all that is necessary to maintain a healthy tank. Your parents are wise to ask you to refrain. Marine tanks can become extreamly expensive, and at 13 years old you may be better off saving your money for college and nights out with friends than spending it on skimmers and expensive delicate fish.
One thing to keep in mind is that a majority of marine fish are wild-caught, so when they die in the hobby, that is one more fish down the road towards extintion. So use the five years you have until you are 18 to really read up on the marine hobby, to visit and speak with LFS people around you, join a local Aquarium Society or Reefer's club to gain knowledge from more experienced hobbiest, and start putting money away into a SW bank account so that you have some budget to work within when the time comes.
~~Colesea
