zatch214

Ok. so im new to salt water tanks. im going to get a new 29-30 gallon tank in a couple of days. i really want a a reef tank but im not sure what to get. i know i need live rock but im not sure what kind to get. whats most perferd amongst new keepers. i would also like some anenamois and other inverts with fish but need some help in deciding whats best for my tank. thanks for the help in advace

(p.s)i know stuff is spelled wrong

sirdarksol

Unsure about "types" of live rock. I can, at least, get the ball rolling and help the next marine enthusiast to read this, as I've been asking similar questions.

What kind of light are you going to have? This will help determine your choice of inverts, as some "grow" their food as algae stored in their tissue. I think anenomes fall in this category.
You're choices of fish are likely going to be limited with a 30g tank, so be thinking if there are any particulars you like the looks of (head to liveaquaria.com and look at the saltwater fish. They've got indicators regarding how difficult the fish are to keep, as well as the minimum tank size) The fish will also help determine the inverts you can keep, as some fish will eat particular corals, or shrimp, or crabs, or whatever.
Conversely, you can pick inverts (same site will help), and this will help determine the fish you can keep.
Keep an eye out for anything that says it's an escape artist. If you are incapable of providing a tank with a tight-fitting lid that has no significant gaps, avoid those fish/inverts. They will escape. For example, octopuses have been known to escape from their tank, cross the room to a freshwater tank, eat the fish, and then crawl back into their own tank.
Is there anything else in particular you're looking for? (for example, were you wanting to set up an Australian-only reef, or some other particular ecology, or do you just want to build something that won't self-destruct?)

zatch214

Well the type of lighting im going to to use is unsure, im hoping to get an annamie that would accept a clown fish. Also Iwould like to know what the um.... "prettiest" live rock would be. thanks again

sirdarksol

http://www.liveaquaria.com/

I listed this before, but now I know that they've got even more info for you. They have a section on live rock so you can look and see what strikes your fancy.
They have a couple of anenomes, and at least one that I looked at would host clownfish.
You can, however, post a question in the "clownfish" section, asking about clownfish/anenome pairings that are easy to raise.

zatch214

The fiji rock looks guite nice and my lfs i just found out is having a huge sale on sw fish.

sgould

Fiji rock would be a good choice. Make a plan on what kind of fish you want to keep. You mentioned a clown, which is a good choice. Anything else? You need to do your research now, make a stocking plan, and stick with it. Otherwise, you can end up impulse buying and wind up with incompatible fish (can kill each other) or an overstocked tank (stress, poor water quality, possible disease and deaths).

I would not rush into the anemone. They are moderately difficult to keep healthy as many of them have strong lighting requirements and are sensitive to water quality issues. General rule of thumb is to wait until a tank has been up and running for 6 months before attempting one, in part to ensure the water parameters have stabalized. My advice would be A) wait a few months, learn about the hobby and get some experience under your belt with a couple fish and some inverts, and B) invest in some serious lighting. At least T5 if not metal halide if you are serious about the anemone.

zatch214

Alight cool thanks, I had a fresh water tank for a few years now and ive been very sucessful with that, so keeping the tank isnt my worry. Could some put a list of fish that can go with clowns but are safe in a 30g tank, as well just for later knowledge what kind of annomie go good with clownfish. thanks yet again everyone.

Rbacchiega

Fiji seems to be the most common, at least in my area... Make sure you do lots of research on anenome....they move until they find a place that suits them best usually, and if you have any other corals in the area, they will sting them...so placement and size of corals is important as well as tank size. Also, certain corals (including anenomes) require different types of lighting (essentially more watts per gallon) so that will also determine what you add to your tank. Metal Halides are best, but expensive and can raise the temperature of your water, so it's best reccomended that you run the lights and check temps before adding fish etc.

With a 30 gallon, look at getting some smaller neon gobies, blennies and such. One Coral Banded shrimp or possibly two or three skunk shrimp would look nice too.
You're kind of limited because the tank is smaller....is there any way you can get a larger one? 50 gallons?

zatch214

there is a slight possibility of a 40g but no much of one. and what other kinds of lights are there for corals, thanks much

Rbacchiega

t5s would be your next best bet...anything with high intensity should work. For the most basic corals, I think I read somewhere that you should aim for approximately 4 watts per gallon

Rbacchiega

"...A good Rule, for the minimum acceptable lighting use ordinary flourescent lamps for a small tank one foot deep containig soft corals, HO (High Output) or VHO (Very High Output) Flourescents lamps for soft coral tanks 18 inches deep, and metal halides for tanks containing hard corals irrespective of depth..." (1)

"...A 20 Gallon aquarium can maintain soft corals with four ordinary flourescent lamps (two actinic and two full-spectrum day light). A 29-55 Gallon reef aquarium containigh only soft croals is much deeper, and requires at the very least two VHO and two ordinary fluorescent lamps. Any tank with hard corals should, in addition to VHO and perhaps regular flourescents, have one or two metal halide lamps..." (2)

__________________________________________________ _______________________
(1) Marine Reef Aquarium Handbook Dr Robert J Goldstein, Barrons Educational Services Inc. 1997. p 63
(2) Ibid.

zatch214

thanks for the help everyone now i just hope my tank is a sucsess.
thanks again

Rbacchiega

The best thing anyone can ever do for a tank is research. I've had the 90 gallon on a stand for over two months, and not an ounce of water (except for when I checked for leaks)...Once the setup process begins, I'll be cycling with live rocks, then adding the corals, then fish over periods of time, then after at least 6 months, my bubble tip anenome.... This tank could take 6 months just to set up!