kerryve

I took my husband to a wonder fish store i just found around the corner from me, he was so exited just to go to see the fish. We walked into the Marine section and his jaw dropped... now he wants a marine tank! i can just see my house having 30 tanks in it before the end of the year!!! not that theres a problem with that - its just all the maintenance...

What sort of equipment do i need to set up a salt water aquarium for him? im absolutly clueless when it comes to marine fish, i just know that they are really sensitive.

what size tank is best? what sort of sand do i use? and what is the difference between live and non-live sand? And also how many fish can one put in a marine tank? we looking at about a 55g tank, is that too small? is it more difficult to maintain a very small tank?

thanks in advance!

Mike

Sounds like your getting MTS - Mutliple Tank Syndrome!

Fish only saltwater setups can be a little bit harder than freshwater setups but they can be ALOT more expensive. I would recommend getting the biggest tank you can afford to setup (include the costs for live rock, protein skimmer, lighting, etc.). I would definitely recommend researching the fish and invertebrates you want to keep before buying your first piece of equipment.

Here is the basic saltwater setup page along with the equipment needed:
http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterAquariumSetup.htm

More articles on saltwater tanks: http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterBeginners.htm

I think a 55 gallon would be a decent size tank to start with. And yes, a smaller tank would be more difficult to maintain.

Just like freshwater, saltwater tanks are a ton of fun if you research the fish/livestock requirements beforehand. Take your time, do some research and then come up with a tank plan and go from there.

Mike

kerryve

excuse my ignorance but what is a fish only salt water set up? My husband has been begging and begging but i think hes in too much of a hurry. hehe, but thanks ill check out those pages. marine fish really are so beautiful, but it just seems so sad to confine them, but i suppose on the reef they kinda stick by their homes and dont swim way out. But really, thanks so much!

kerryve

Oh, dont worry about my question earlier got your previous reply! thanks!