Dark_Rider2k3

Okay I am researching SW for the future (too poor to get one now), but am wondering this:

I know that with FW tanks you have to worry about your water parameters, but how hard is it to maintain a SW tank?

Also, what makes a smaller SW tank harder to maintain? I know in a FW tank it's the nitrites/nitrates and all that stuff that is hard, but like.. is there anything else?

Also, I know (somewhat) what the refractometer/hydrometer does, but do you do this with every water change?

just confused about the daily maintenance with a SW tank.

Thanks everyone!

ThisGuy

The problem with salt water is that it is expensive. A loss in FW hurts your heart a loss in SW hurts you wallet.

not a salty guy yet...soon

GL

Ryan

fishrule101

I SW is harder to maintain cuase you have to make sure the parameter doesn't change becuase the fish are not so forgiving and yeah is very expensive.

You do need a hydrometer/refractometer its like you life line. If you don't know what the SG is then you don't know if your add too much or too little salt into the tank. It takes me about a day to get it right. I set up my water about two days before the water change it due.

The smaller the worse. You parameters will change fast if given the time. For example if a fish dies in a 20 the toxics will have less room to spread so it'll get to the other side faster than with a 55.

If your doing a FOWLR your greatest expense will porably be LR. But its worth it. LR will help you with so many things.

Iluvatar

You should get live rock while you cycle and it is better to cycle fishless of course. A testing kit is very usefull so you know stuff and I buy premixed saltwater so I wont have to do mix it myself. I have a twenty gallon tank and its not that hard to maintain just the sg is usually high so I add a cup of freshwater. Damsel fish are easy to care for.

Martinismommy

I have had a salt tank for many years...As far as I'm concerned, my Betta tanks are harder to maintain than my 55 gallon salt tank......Once you get the salt tank cycled if you have the right ingrediants such as live sand and live rock all you really have to do is weekly water changes.....The water may be more expensive as you must use either an RO system or bottled water but other than that it's really not that hard.....

Now as far as losing a salt fish only being hard on your wallet and not your heart I completely disagree.....1st off my betta fish cost almost as much as my salty kids and 2nd of all I cried my eyes out when my Bi-color Angelfish Angela passed away...It is just as hard to lose a salty as it is a FW......

Iluvatar

Algea can also be a big problem I have to clean the glass daily and it is better to buy this magnet cleaner that is probably at your local fish store and if you dont have much water circulation you can get algea growing on the sand in a sort of layer and it is nothing a tank cleaning cant get rid of but for me if I dont clean algea in one week or a little less it is like if I never cleaned the glass and it looks dirty. I guess it is better to have a protien skimmer so you wont have to clean your tank that often.

Dark_Rider2k3

my plan was to have a full reef tank, though It was going to be a nano-reef (apprx. 20-30 gallons)

edit:

and thanks for the responses everyone!!!

Iluvatar

I hope your tank turns out well I hope you researched enough because I sure didnt my first time and my fish died because of the water conditions I still cycled. Researching enough is never enough if you know what I am trying to explain.
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