theyellowdartmti

Hi, I just had a few questions about saltwater aquariums, help is appreciated.

I am looking to start a saltwater tank, probably a small FOWLR somewhere around 20 gallons. How many relatively small fish do you think I can keep in a tank this size?
What type of lights are the best for this size tank, and how long do they need to be on for during the day?
What types of equipment are absolutely nessecary for a tank this size? Filterwise, could I go with just a skimmer, or do I need to have some sort of power filter?
And if its not too much trouble for someone to do, would somebody please make up a list of equipment (with prices) that would be good for my tank?

Thanks very much, any help is appreciated.

-matt

edit- Another question.... Does anyone reccomend using that biospira stuff to cycle a tank? Does it work with live rock in the tank?

agsansoo

Start here. http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterAquariumSetup.htm
and here http://www.fishlore.com/saltwatervsfreshwater.htm

theyellowdartmti

Thanks for the reply, but the page still doesn't answer all of my questions.
Could I use only a skimmer and no type of powerfilter?
And are there any specific sizes of skimmers for different sized tanks? Or are they all one size?

If anyone has had any experiance with bio-spira, please tell me if you reccomend it.

Thanks for any help!

-matt


After watching that video, it lead me to believe that I do not need a power filter as they did not put one into that tank.

KJC18

One thing that you MUST do is you have to, research research research then after that more research. I have never setup a saltwater fish tank in my life, but after doing tons of reading and research i'm halfway there as i'm stilling reading and researching.

1. Find out what kind of fish you like

2. Research how to take care of them

3. You Need a quartine tank -->> heres an article about them, http://home2.pacific.net.ph/~sweetyu...uarantine.html

4. you need a filter that has all three stages of, mech, bio, and chem filteration. they are all explained on this site also. You can research more about filters too on other sites as well.

You must consider the time, cost, and responsibility when thinking about getting a SW tank. So there is a lot of reading ahead of you.

some good sites:

www.marinedepot.com

www.drsfostersmith.com

www.fishlore.com <-- this site

If you have any questions, dont hesitate to ask.. Good Luck!

agsansoo

Matt,
No, you do not need to run a powerfilter. Powerfilters and canister filters are not recommended in saltwater tanks. They produce excess nitrates if not maintain regularly ! All you need is live rock / live sand, powerheads and a good protein skimmer. Unless you want to run barebottom like me. Then you can skip the sand.
I also recommend bio-spira. It will cycle your tank in 48 hour (for those like me that can't wait .. LOL). Just do a large water change after the 48 hours.

theyellowdartmti

Thanks a bunch guys.
I'll keep researching....its only all i've done for the past 48 hours lol

Agsansoo, If you don't mind me asking, what equipment do you have in your tank(s)?

KJC18

I didn't know that you dont need a powerfilter. Is this true for a 75 gal tank also?

Mike

I agree with agsansoo regarding not needing a mechanical filter. I started off with a powerfilter on my first 29 gallon setup but then removed it when I got tired of replacing and rinsing the filter pads. The powerheads keep the particulates in suspension and reprocess them into finer and finer pieces and the skimmer will pull out the excess dissolved organics while the live rock will handle the bio-load. This is assuming that you have enough live rock in the tank to handle the load...

You can still have an inexpensive power or canister filter on hand in case you need to run activated carbon or phosphate remover, etc.

theyellowdartmti

wow, that saves me a few bucks...haha
I don't know what I'd do without you guys.

theyellowdartmti

A couple more questions......
Is it safe to use bio spira with live rock in the tank?

And how do I go upon cleaning live sand? It doesn't seem like the kind of stuff that you siphon... or is it?