docdoo475

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

Thanks!

Lucy

Welcome to FishLore

docdoo475

Thanks! Could you recommend the smallest size aquarium that would be easy to care for, for a beginner?

matt6765

I think you should ask in the saltwater begginer page

aquarist48

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

MizRamzi

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.

Shawnie

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!!

smileyfish

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)

docdoo475

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

navyscuba

Welcome to FishLore.

ATP

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.

Time

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$-300$

ATP

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.

docdoo475

so no opinions on the BioCube 29?

MizRamzi

This is SW beginners

MizRamzi

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.

locoyo386

Well I started with a 10 gallon and it was not difficult at all, I now have 10 of them.

ATP

Hi,

This is just my opinion..

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.