Beginner Marine Aquarist - I Know It Is Often Asked But I Have Quite A Few Questions.

I think I will probably go for the 20 gallon as I want to be able to house quite a few corals later on.
Thanks

 

I think the 20 long is a better choice as well, although a 10 would be able to house a fair amount of corals, but I think you are getting a really good deal on the tank you found, the price is about 270 US dollars (with shipping included) bulk reef supply has the same tank for 399 US dollars.

Edit: although I don't believe this is too important, I would like to correct something I said earlier, the IM fusion 10 that you asked about would actually not be suitable for a clown pair, I wasn't aware of the dimensions of that tank, but now that I've realized it's basically a cube with minimal length and depth, I would not put clowns in there, I was thinking more a standard 10 gallon that is 20in x 11in or so (IMO that's even pushing it a little). I just felt I should correct this in case you are still considering the IM fusion 10, I would hate to give info that isn't as accurate as possible!

 

No its ok I will probably get the 20 gallon but I might wait until I come back from Germany just in case they have some nicer tanks. I really don't want to rush this

 

Awesome! Good idea, saltwater is definitely something you should start out with slowly, saves you a lot of hassle in the future!

 

Could I have your opinion on the fluval sea 13.5 gallon tank. I found one here for 130 pounds and seems like a really nice tank. The light is 14000 kelvins that is pretty good. The IM tank doesn't come with a light and apparently the return pump and media baskets aren't the best. Do you think I could put a clown pair in there? What about a yellow clown goby? If you have any better stocking for this possible tank I would very much appreciate it.
Thanks a lot

 

I couldnt find a ton of info/reviews for it, but from what I did find, it looks quite nice, and looks to be good quality (Never had a fluval tank, but I'm happy with the equipment I've bought that's fluval) although I can't find too much on price for this tank, so I'm not sure what they would go for here. I did find some dimensions and the dimensions are roughly the same as a 10 gallon (2 inches longer, and half an inch wider) so I am thinking a clown pair will be doable, but I would personally not add more than this, I have seen some people with 10 gallons tanks who have a clown pair and another small fish, but I would only have the clown pair. Are you set on clowns? Or would you be willing to try a few smaller fish instead of the clowns? You can look on live aquaria, not necessarily to buy, but they have a section labeled "nano fish" and you can find a good amount of fish that will do better in a 10 gallon than clowns will, although live aquaria tends to give a larger minimum tank size than most places, so just keep that in mind (clowns will say 30 gallon minimum on their site).

 

I'm not completely set on the clown pair but it would be nice however I am definitely set on the yellow clown goby. Any suggestions?
Thanks

Also would I have to change anything to my current CUC plans?
1 emerald crab, 2 trochus snails, 1 scarlet legged hermit
Thanks

Actually I think I will keep a clown pair only with quite a few corals - hopefully
If you have any better suggestions I would love to hear them
thanks

Lol just changed my mind again and I think I will probably go for the 20 gallon - it has a lighter stocking and more fish capacity. Also I don't want to ruin my plans lol. I will see if they have nice tanks if not ill get the IM - it has a mesh cover for gaseous exchange and quite a big rear chamber. Lights aren't too big of a deal.

 

It seems like you've made up your mind! For the smaller tank, I think your CUC would be fine, but emerald crabs can get up to 2 inches, I personally think that's a fairly large crab for that tank, but you could still have it, and I would either go clown pair or goby + something else, but not both in that size tank. I like 20-30 gallons for clowns better, but I think a 20 gallon is more suited for what you seem to want, and you would have to modify your original plan for stocking if you went for the 13.5.

 

Yeah I can often drift anyway from the subject and change my mind a lot lol
Thanks a lot

Are there any other good AIO 20 gallon tanks you Guys have so I can check if we have it here or we can get it shipped. Or I can have a look in Germany for. I would love to hear any other tank recommendations you have. Hope I don't change my mind again
Thanks a lot

It doesn't really matter too much if it's AIO or not
Thanks

 

What design do you prefer? A longer tank, a taller tank, a shorter tank, a cube? Or just no preference? I think longer and shorter is usually best for stocking and lighting. The best AIO tanks I know of are the innovative marine and Red Sea tanks, I have a Red Sea tank and although I'm plumbing in some other stuff, I think the back sump is pretty good, I'm assuming it's the same on the smaller tank, but I'm not sure as mine is about 70 gallons. I also know some other users who have innovative marine tanks, and really like them. Your options for just a 20 gallon tank (just the glass box basically) are pretty much endless, you can go with the standard aqueon tanks, a cube, a hexagon, a cylinder, a custom tank, etc. I think your best bet will be something like an aqueon (or any other brand) 20 long, good dimensions, easy to light, but if you prefer the rimless/cube, marine Depot has a selection of aquamaxx tanks that are fairly priced, I'm not sure if they have a tank that's exactly 20 gallons, but I know they have some that are around that size, but I don't think they carry very many cheap, standard tanks, it's mostly rimless, cubes, AIO, etc. amazon, Craigslist, any chain or local pet stores, those are really gonna be the places to go. You guys have pets at home in the U.K. right? I have no idea what their selection is like, but I'm assuming it's probably similar to other chains that we have in the US, I'd take a look there if you can.

 

Their selection is absolutely useless and their few fish that they have are neglected they don't even have saltwater tanks and rarely even have betas. They only have a few overpriced small Freshwater tanks 30 litres or so. I think I'll wait and see after Germany if they have anything good and then I'll most possibly buy the IM 20gallon
Thanks

 

Ah ok, yeah petsmart and petco here are pretty much the same, although they have a decent selection of pretty cheap, basic tanks, they usually have a ton of bettas who never look very healthy, petsmart never has saltwater fish, petco occasionally does, but usually it's a pretty sad attempt at saltwater. Some people say their stores are good, I think it really depends on management, but the petsmart and petcos around me are pretty bad, but luckily I have quite a few local stores. I have one that's priceier, but sometimes I make impulse buys there while I'm in for feeders for my snake (it's more of a local pet store than a fish specific store) the other store is a bit further, but their prices are usually the same as bulk reef supply's, and there's a ton of stores in the next city over, but I basically live right on the border of that city, so they're fairly close. Do you know of any local stores near you? If the chain stores either suck or don't stock saltwater equipment, it might be tough to get things to keep up with maintenance, although I guess you'd just order everything.

 

Yeah that's mainly what I'm going to do but I might buy a few stuff from Germany too. I might even buy ready mixed saltwater its like 25 cents per litre. I just wish that we had even a few stores that attempted to care for their fish or even a chain store like my dad is willing to drive for an hour or so if that's what it takes too go to a good pet store but there aren't any. For the tank ill just probably wait till Germany see what I like in person if they don't have anything ill just order the IM tank on amazon. We have literally have none of the tanks you mentioned too. The only 20 gallon tanks that we have are red sea which can be quite intimidating to a beginner because of the price tag. If you have any tips then please tell me
Thanks a lot

 

Wow that's surprising that there's no stores, I used to have hamsters, and I knew a lot of people from the U.K. Who had awesome stores for rodents and small pets. Maybe fish are different. Red Sea tanks are really nice, I love mine, but the prices are crazy, and if anything breaks, most things are a small fortune to get replacements for. On here when we refer to a 20 long for example, most people just mean the standard aqueon or great choice/top fin tanks, you can buy a 10 gallon just about anywhere, and most stores (petco, petsmart) have the 10, 20 long or high, 40, and 55. I've never liked petsmart or petco, but I guess we are lucky that they're everywhere and carry the basic things if you need it and aren't able to get to the fish specific stores. I'm thinking amazon will likely be your best friend. Hopefully if you get a build thread up, some other users from the U.K. can maybe share any stores they use.

 

Thanks I hope I can find the perfect tank!

So I was searching around yet again! And I found this:
Its 90 litres so will make for a lighter stocking and more fish potential later on. Will I need a hood if I go with my current stocking plan? The only thing I'm worried about is the snails. I think I will go with the HOBs you guys suggested and mod one of them as suggested in nart's beginner saltwater thread. Would this be classified as a long tank? just wondering. Do you guys see any faults with this tank or downsides? The price seems pretty good and I think I could make it work.
Thanks a lot

 

I wouldn't call it a long tank, but I'd put it somewhere between long and cube, looks like it has good dimensions though. I personally see no issues with it, just be sure it's made by a company that's known for making quality products, and be sure the glass is a good thickness, etc. I tend to be more cautious with the rimless tanks, as there is no rI'm stopping seams from bursting, although that's probably just my paranoia. No need for a hood, if you're worried about the snails, you can either buy or make a screen lid for it.

 

Would the HOB filter fit on the rim?

The glass is 8mm thick is that good?
Thanks a lot

Right so I did some even more looking around an I stumbled upon a 102 litre custom built tank by a company that makes custome aquariums: ND Aquatics Ltd
Do you guys think this would be too big for a beginner? Also would I be forced to add more fish due to the empty space or could I wait a bit? I know I change my mind very often thanks for bearing with me. What do you guys think?
Thanks a lot really appreciated

 

So that's roughly .3 inches, considering my almost 70 gallon Red Sea tank has glass that's .4 inches thick, I'd say so, although I'm thinking the silicone on the seam has more to do with whether or not it'll burst, but I'm doubting it'll be an issue, I'm just paranoid, and there should be no problem with the HOB fitting on there. I see you've found a 102 liter tank, there's really not a huge difference between a 20 gallon and a 26 gallon, it will just mean you have the potential to maybe add another fish to your stocking list, definitely not required though, I've had only my clowns for the past year and they were in a 40 gallon, and now live in a 70 gallon, I will add more fish soon, but there's no reason why I couldn't keep only them. I think so far, all the options you're considering are good ones.

 

Yeah I know I'm all over the place looking for tanks but I've just noticed that the 102 litre one has holes for a weir whatever that is so that's gotta be ruled out but this 90 litre is definitely on my list lol
Thanks a lot really appreciated

 

A weir is sorta like an overflow, you'll have one for a sump. I can't really explain too great, my tank has one, I'll attach a pic.
The black box looking thing with the grate in the back is a weir, it's a little different than a typical one, but I'm sure once you see the pic, you'll recognize it.

 

but the thing is it comes with holes drilled into it for the weir and I don't want to mess it up so I think ill just wait till I go to Germany to see their tank collection
Thanks a lot

I really like your clownfish by the way

 

Thanks!! Yeah I looked back at it, I see the holes are in the bottom for the plumbing, that would actually be a good thing if you were building a sump too, I can't quite tell, but it almost looks like the weir is made of glass, I guess you probably wouldn't see much of the plumbing, but I don't like seeing my plumbing at all. Although, you could probably plug the holes, and somehow mod this into a refugium, that'd be pretty cool, but I don't know if I'd want a refugium to be easily viewable right in my tank, that's something I like to have, but I don't necessarily want it to be part of my display haha.

 

Yeah but I don't think I will be building a sump maybe later on I just wanted to get started for now and see what its like. I have also located a good aquatic centre that I will hopefully be getting my fish and possibly some supplies.
Thanks a lot

 

Awesome! I agree with the no sump for now, I think most people can get away without having one in a nano tank, or even sometimes in larger tanks, it really depends on what you wanna run on the tank. For the 20 gallon, all you'll really need is the refugium, even at that, you *could* probably go without it. If you ever decide to add the sump after the tank is setup, you can just buy an overflow box, depending on what type you get, it'll run you about $50-$100, it's just easier than draining the tank and trying to drill holes in the bottom, although some boxes require drilling holes in the side.

 

Right so I have found a custom aquarium building company that will do it to whatever size you want. I put in a 20 gallon tank with a sliding glass lid for 89 pounds. Aquatic Design Centre
What size aquariums do you recommend other than the 20 long or is that the best option?
Thanks a lot

I changed the dimensions to 43 cm for all to make a cube tank and it came to 79 pounds that seems quite reasonable and I think would look quite nice What do you guys think? Also this would be 79 litres so roughly 21 gallons

 

21 gallons shouldn't be any different than 20, just a different shaped tank. As far as aquarium size, that's totally up to you, anything 20+ will be suited for what you want, I think anything in the 20-30 gallon range is good for beginners, I personally prefer larger tanks of 50+ gallons, but of course that means more expensive, takes up more space, much heavier, etc. and you totally don't need a large tank for what you want, I just like tanks that are large enough to basically be like a piece of furniture haha, but at the same time, I love the really tiny (like 5 gallon or less) pico reefs. I personally think if you want something in the 20-30 gallon range, I think the best bet is to get a longer tank to take more advantage of dimensions and floor space, most fish will use length more than height, although with your stocking list, a cube will be fine too, the clown goby is quite small and can thrive in only 10 gallons, and I know my clownfish don't seem to much care about length, width, or height, they use the entire tank.

 

yeah thanks! I will just order the 21 gallon cube

 

So it seems like you've picked a tank!! Yay! You should definitely make a build thread once it shows up!

 

I know I can't wait! Thanks guys I might ask them if they can build a rear chamber for me with a pump/nozzle that would be awesome

 

You could ask if they could build that rear chamber like you said, and see if they can do an AIO tank, it shouldn't be too difficult, they'd just need to silicone a glass panel to the back, attach something similar to a weir, or even just cut a small rectangle and cover it with a comb/grate, and drill a small circle with some plumbing and a return pump, and boom! All in one tank! You could also see if they'd be able to add some baffles in it, to have 2 or 3 chambers, and you could turn one chamber into a refugium, so you wouldn't even need a HOB filter. If they're not able to, you might even be able to build it yourself for fairly cheap, and I'm sure you could also find a place that would cut the holes in the glass for you if you don't have tools at home for it, I love those kinds of DIY projects!

 

thanks for the tips really appreciated

 

No problem! I'm excited to see your new tank, I always love new builds!

 

just a question wasn't this post 7 pages long? and my post have gone down they used to be around 70

 

I believe it was a little longer, it looks like a moderator just took any posts that were made as multiple separate posts, and combined them into one, if that makes sense. They will go through and do that sometimes, I believe it is just done to keep threads a litte shorter and cleaner.

 

Oh ok thanks I was a lil confused lol

soooooo...
Things don't seem to be amazing. My cousin came over and he has a 12 gallon tank which is empty and has convinced my dad that I don't need to buy a tank. So I am in danger of changing all of my plans it is 60 x 30 x 30. What do you guys think? I wish I was able to just buy the custom tank. In the meantime could I have a clown pair in here? We haven't come to a complete conclusion but my dad is pretty convinced. Wow seriously I was just coming to a conclusion and then this happens
Thanks a lot

 

So 23 x 11 x 11, dimensions are roughly the same as a 10 gallon, so a clown pair will be fine in there. If your family is anything like mine, they'll want the smaller tank, and it'll be hard to convince them otherwise, although now I'm to the point of having so many animals that no one really cares anymore haha, and I'm getting near needing to move out anyways (with roughly 30 animals joining me… fun) You could always inform them that a smaller tank will be more difficult to maintain, although people who aren't in the hobby usually believe the opposite, yes larger tank are more expensive, my 70 was significantly more expensive than my 40, but my 70 obviously holds more water, making it more difficult for parameters to rapidly change. The 12 shouldn't be a huge change from a 20, I have heard of people keeping clown gobys or firefish in 10 gallons with clown pairs, so it may be doable, I don't have experience stocking anything under 40 gallons though, so I would look into that further.

 

Yeah my family just think I'm wasting money lol and that it'll be too hard to look after if it's too big. So I think I'll have to clean this tank out and start with this. I will probably only keep a clown pair.
Thanks alot

 

For me the issue was mostly just a fear of my floor falling through (over 100 gallons of water on the second story) but I don't think that's a concern anymore, and then going away on vacation, but I already have so many pets now that I need to make arrangements to go away for a night, so I've already reached the point where it becomes an inconvenience, so there's not much to lose if I add more animals haha. I think the 12 gallon will be good though, it may not be able to house everything you want, but you can always upgrade in the future, just be sure that you pick equipment that would also be suitable in a 20 gallon, so you don't have to buy everything again when you upgrade, and you also save a little money by getting a free tank, so now you'll have more money for other supplies, and you could maybe even use that money to buy some of the "designer" clownfish, instead of just the standard orange ones, although I will always love the little nemo clowns, but the black ice clowns are pretty neat looking, and one of my lfs had clowns that were like Picasso mixed with something, they were the coolest looking clowns, had splotchy looking white patches on them, but instead of being orange or black, they were like almost pink, and they had those long finned clowns, so you could also have options like that.

 

Yeah I like those clowns they look really cool. Yeah I think I will get equipment that I have already decide to go in the 20 gallon for the 12 gallon as I don't there's too much of a difference

 

Awesome! The aquaclear 70 may be a little strong, although maybe not, but if you notice your clowns getting thrown around by it, you can make a baffle with a piece of sponge/plastic. Are you still sticking with the HOB filter/fuge idea? I think it's probably going to be the best option, as I wouldn't go out and buy another 10 gallon tank to be a sump, and I don't really see the point in making a sump out of anything smaller than that, also you won't really need one because you shouldn't have a ton of equipment like skimmers and reactors. I think the supplies from your original plan will be fine, just be sure whatever light you choose will also work on a 20, and for the powerheads, instead of doing a 20x turnover for a 12 (240 gph) you just do the 20x turnover for a 20 or 400 gph, I would either get two of the hydor koralia 240s or two of the 425s, either will be fine in the 12, and the 425s would probably be ideal in a 20, obviously there's other powerheads, but I have used the hydor ones and found them to be good quality, easy to clean, and they're fairly inexpensive, but any quality powerhead with a similar rating will be fine.