Saltwater BeginnersA place for saltwater aquarium beginner questions. Also check out the Saltwater Aquarium Beginner's Guide and Aquarium Setup Guides. Setting up a new saltwater aquarium can be a daunting task for some because there is a lot you need to know. Please don't be afraid to ask questions. That's what this forum is all about!
Hi everyone.. new here and hoping to get into salt water
Hey everyone.. I have pretty good experience with fresh water aquariums. But always wanted a salt water tank.
I did start one a couple years ago which did not last very long. I went against advice from friends.. they told me the bigger the tank the easier to maintain. I was on a budget and was bored so I bought a 6 gallon eclipse tank and a couple fish.
Let me tell you those poor fish did not stand a chance. The biggest mistake I made was that I kept adding salt in the water I added not even thinking that salt doesn't evaporate with the water!
But anyhow.. I'm ready to learn things the right way and hopefully the community here can help me decide what size tank, what kinda set up, etc etc would be best for me
Hello DOC and Welcome to Fish Lore. I will move your thread to the saltwater beginners section of the forum. You may get more responses there.
Have fun and enjoy the site.
Ken Moved thread
I'm a newbe too and I've started out with the 8g Oceanic Bio cube. So far I'm having a wonderful time with it. Because it comes with everything needed it's given me the opportunity to learn not only the basics of SW keeping but some pretty advanced knowledge too, for my future bigger tankssss. I have MTS bad!
Welcome to FL and welcome to the wonderful world of SW.
welcome to fishlore!!
I think salty tanks and FW tanks are the same in retrospect that the bigger the easier they are....I hope you get some good salty advice!!
im a begginner too. Id say the best thing you could do is buy a book and youll get at least a backbone of information. Any questions you have ask here. Are you still on a budget? If so i would not go with saltwater just yet. Plan on spending about $30-50/gallon. ($50/gallon just to be on the safe side)
oh wow.. I didn't know it would cost that much.. $30-50/gallon whoa
I'm not on such a small budget anymore but I may have to rethink spending $900-1500 because I had my eye on a 29 gallon biocube
is that a good system to start with btw? I was thinking BioCube 29 plus optional protein skimmer
I would say around 30 gallons is really easy. Look on craigslist for deals. Find one with a saltwater reef set up. I bought a lot of tanks from craigslist and it saved me a fortune.
Okay it is really expensive and if your lucky, you can get free critters on live rock like I did. 10 gallon the least. Marineland makes great setups but I recommend you look on craigslist I spent around 200$-300$
I would say around 30 gallons is really easy. Look on craigslist for deals. Find one with a saltwater reef set up. I bought a lot of tanks from craigslist and it saved me a fortune.
I've gotten a 38 gallon with skimmer, lights, filter, powerheads, stand, canopy, sand. For $250.
Got a 65 gallon with 3x 175 watts metal halide, canopy, stand, tank, sump, skimmer, return pump. For $250
Got a 125 gallon with live rock, corals, fish, clean up crew, beat up stand canopy for $500.
I have an 8g Oceanic biocube. Having done what I have been told to do..having researched researched and researched some more I must say that this have been the most wonderful experience I've ever had keeping an aquarium. I have heard many times that bigger is better. But I've also seen many people keep little nano's with much success, myself included. Just think on a smaller scale. There are many nano's out there. Their best known for the all-in-one systems. Smaller does mean some extra care but with some of the modifications I've seen their becoming more and more popular.
Check out this sight....www.nanoreef.com you'll find so many people keeping nano's.
If you're really serious about saltwater, Just buy a big real tank. Not like those bio cubes, but a real tank that has a sump, good skimmer, fuge etc. Yes, you will spend a lot more, but look at the choices you have for fish. You may not see it now, but I bet you when you have corals, you will want more
If you buy a bio cube and you have MTS. I bet you you will spend money on a bigger tanks anyways in the future. So you will have to spend more money. So if you have a bigger tank,
# 1 you have more options.
# 2 You could make it more natural looking. (If you think bio cubes can make things look natural, it can't) (I was born in a country filled with reefs)
# 3 You'll have more choices for equipment
# 4 If you upgrade, you could still use some of the equipment.
# 5 It will be easier
I recommend you join a local reef aquarium society forums so you could trade and buy equipment/ livestock for cheap price.
Weclome! Can't believe I missed this thread! We have all been beginners at one time. Definitely upgrade to at least a 10 gallon. There are tide pools near me with inverts(will look for fish) that could save me big $$$ but I am never sure of taking and tanking them. Good luck! You will spend a lot of money on this.
Weclome! Can't believe I missed this thread! We have all been beginners at one time. Definitely upgrade to at least a 10 gallon. There are tide pools near me with inverts(will look for fish) that could save me big $$$ but I am never sure of taking and tanking them. Good luck! You will spend a lot of money on this.
IMO
bigger.... I wouldn't get a nano if you're REALLY into it or planing to upgrade for a bigger when you're good at. The thing is, people buy small tank as beginners, but small tanks require more attention than big tanks. Not only that, but they get infected easily. Get a cup and a bowl. Fill it up with water and put a drop of blue food coloring in them. The cup will turn blue and the bowl won't be as blue as the cup. Imagine if the food coloring was a disease. You will also need to check water parameters regularly.
The reason I didn't tell you this time keeper is because you don't have enough money and you already bought that 20.
Also, I don't think you should get fish from tide pools. Yours are tropical coral reef
IMO
bigger.... I wouldn't get a nano if you're REALLY into it or planing to upgrade for a bigger when you're good at. The thing is, people buy small tank as beginners, but small tanks require more attention than big tanks. Not only that, but they get infected easily. Get a cup and a bowl. Fill it up with water and put a drop of blue food coloring in them. The cup will turn blue and the bowl won't be as blue as the cup. Imagine if the food coloring was a disease. You will also need to check water parameters regularly.
The reason I didn't tell you this time keeper is because you don't have enough money and you already bought that 20.
No problem. I really regretted buying the 20 because they had complete setups(60 gal.) for the same price it cost me to set up the 20.
Hi there, ATP if you see this thread again I have some questions for you.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATP
IMO
bigger.... I wouldn't get a nano if you're REALLY into it or planing to upgrade for a bigger when you're good at. The thing is, people buy small tank as beginners, but small tanks require more attention (what attention is required in the small tanks that is not required in bigger tanks, can you explain this statement?) than big tanks. Not only that, but they get infected easily (can you explain "get infected easily", not sure I know what you mean by this statement.) . Get a cup and a bowl. Fill it up with water and put a drop of blue food coloring in them. The cup will turn blue and the bowl won't be as blue as the cup. Imagine if the food coloring was a disease (Not to burst your bubble, but this statement depends on alot of things. First it is dependent on the population of fish in the tank. Second it is dependent on the disease you are talking about. Spreading food coloring is a disolve example and not always an adequate camparison to the spread of disease.) . You will also need to check water parameters regularly. (I find this to be false. Yes, you have to keep an eye on fish amd make sure there are no dead bodies in the water. If this is a reef tank, than I might be wrong. I only keep fish and find it easy to maintai water paraameters in small tanks.)
The reason I didn't tell you this time keeper is because you don't have enough money and you already bought that 20.
Also, I don't think you should get fish from tide pools. Yours are tropical coral reef
Hi there, ATP if you see this thread again I have some questions for you.
The reason you need more attention for smaller tanks is evaporation. For example a 5 gallon tank evaporates and you're not home in the morning until late at night. Your salinity would be messed up. For my 125 gallon, It last 2 days without topping off water and there's little salinity affect. Of course there are other reasons too.
Checking water regularly is required for Reef tanks. Smaller tanks do need to be checked more often because little effect would be major effects for small tanks and corals in general are sensitive to water parameters. (calcium, salinity, KH, magnesium, etc.)
The food color thing is in general. It shows how little thing affects large amounts of water than small amounts. A basic Idea.
The reason you need more attention for smaller tanks is evaporation. For example a 5 gallon tank evaporates and you're not home in the morning until late at night. Your salinity would be messed up.
Have you ever figured out, mathematically what the salinity would be in a 5 gallon tank if 1/2 a gallon would evaporate? If so, can you post the number so that it is understood how much the salinity would actually go up. Take a specific gravity of 1.025 and post what the number would be after evaporation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATP
For my 125 gallon, It last 2 days without topping off water and there's little salinity affect.
I believe the increase in sainity due to evaporation is proportiontionate to the amount of water evaporated, not to the size of water column. The rate of evaporation is dependent on heat, so I would imagine that salt would evaporate at a rate that is proportionate to the heat.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATP
Checking water regularly is required for Reef tanks. Smaller tanks do need to be checked more often because little effect would be major effects for small tanks and corals in general are sensitive to water parameters. (calcium, salinity, KH, magnesium, etc.)
The food color thing is in general. It shows how little thing affects large amounts of water than small amounts. A basic Idea.
I think all tanks need to be maintained and checked. As far as the comment "little effect would be major effect for small tanks" can you explain this further. I do believe that corals are more sensative than fish, thus sudden or major changes would affect them adversely.
Last edited by locoyo386; October 22nd, 2009 at 02:37 AM.
[quote=locoyo386;686299]HI there, thanks for responding
Have you ever figured out, mathematically what the salinity would be in a 5 gallon tank if 1/2 a gallon would evaporate? If so, can you post the number so that it is understood how much the salinity would actually go down. Take a specific gravity of 1.025 and post what the number would be after evaporation.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATP
For my 125 gallon, It last 2 days without topping off water and there's little salinity affect.[/QUOATE]
I believe the drop in sainity due to evaporation is proportiontionate to the amount of water evaporated, not to the size of water column. The rate of evaporation is dependent on heat, so I would imagine that salt would evaporate at a rate that is proportionate to the heat.
I think all tanks need to be maintained and checked. As far as the comment "little effect would be major effect for small tanks" can you explain this further. I do believe that corals are more sensative than fish, thus sudden or major changes would affect them adversely.
I do agree that evaporation does depend on weather. At some point, most of us have a warms season which water will evaporate faster. I cannot do the water difference currently because I'll be busy this week and It'll be raining here in Washington.
"little effect would be major effect for small tanks" meaning that for example, you're doing a water change. Your tank has the salinity of 1.024 and you add a salinity of 1.028. The salinity for the 5 gallon tank would rise higher compared to the salinity of the 125 gallon tank. That's where the thing with food coloring comes. A drop of blue (or what ever color) food coloring will turn the cup darker than the bowl.
I do agree that all tanks need to be checked often, but I check calcium, KH, and magnesium once a week and others are once every two weeks.
I do agree that evaporation does depend on weather. At some point, most of us have a warms season which water will evaporate faster. I cannot do the water difference currently because I'll be busy this week and It'll be raining here in Washington.
Well I meant more so the heat genrated in and on the tank (lighting, power heads and other elirical motors in the tank). I have 12-10 gallon tanks now and they all evaporate around 1 gallon per week. Not that all will evaporate at the same rate or same amount. As far as the example I was asking about; If you had a 5 gallon tank with a salinity of 1.025 that had 1/2 gallon evaporate (assuming perfect conditions) you would end up with a tank with a salinity of 1.028. I do not consider this increase to be drastic for fish, but not sure what effect it would have on the corals.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATP
"little effect would be major effect for small tanks" meaning that for example, you're doing a water change. Your tank has the salinity of 1.024 and you add a salinity of 1.028. The salinity for the 5 gallon tank would rise higher compared to the salinity of the 125 gallon tank. That's where the thing with food coloring comes. A drop of blue (or what ever color) food coloring will turn the cup darker than the bowl.
Well even if you did a 100% water change and kept that same volume change on the 125, than yeah, the 5 gallon tank would now have a 1.028 salinity vs the 1.02416 salinity that the 125 gallon tank would have.
Quote:
Originally Posted by ATP
I do agree that all tanks need to be checked often, but I check calcium, KH, and magnesium once a week and others are once every two weeks.
I know that corals are more sensative to water parameter changes than fish are.
Well I meant more so the heat genrated in and on the tank (lighting, power heads and other elirical motors in the tank). I have 12-10 gallon tanks now and they all evaporate around 1 gallon per week. Not that all will evaporate at the same rate or same amount. As far as the example I was asking about; If you had a 5 gallon tank with a salinity of 1.025 that had 1/2 gallon evaporate (assuming perfect conditions) you would end up with a tank with a salinity of 1.028. I do not consider this increase to be drastic for fish, but not sure what effect it would have on the corals.
Well even if you did a 100% water change and kept that same volume change on the 125, than yeah, the 5 gallon tank would now have a 1.028 salinity vs the 1.02416 salinity that the 125 gallon tank would have.
I know that corals are more sensative to water parameter changes than fish are.
Than it will depend on the strength of your equipment.
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