help getting into the saltwater aquarium hobby

ok so iv always liked fish umm I want to start a salt water tank (dont know size yet any sudgestions?) umm I read the info on fishlore (main website) I wanted to know how much money I'm looking and what do I need ( so I can make a shopping list) I'm thinking of kepping a anemone and about 7-8 clown fish maby some 2-3 angelfish and some coral I have a big space ready for it so space is not a issue

 

Re: help getting into the hobby

With a fish list like that I would recommend at least a 100 gal tank. The clown fish get about 4 inch's when full grow but the angelfish "depending on which one" can get up to 18 inch's. The general rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish per gallon.
The basics you will need besides the tank are:
1. Salt water test kit "Not the test strip kind" I recommend the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Saltwater Liquid Master Test Kit
2. Hydrometer
Those 2 items are a must for any salt water tank. If you are going to do real hard coral, you will also need a protean skimmer, as well a special light set up such as a METAL HALIDE AQUARIUM LIGHTING system. Those 2 items can get pricey.

There is a lot to think about when starting a salt water tank especially like the one you are thinking of. A tank set up like the one you are describing above will run you up words of $3-4,000.

My suggestion is to start small and work your way up to a setup like this. Most people that I know that started out with a large tank set up like this gave up after a couple of months because it gets very stressful and frustrating and quit. You can allways get a bigger tank later and use the small one for something else.

 

Re: help getting into the hobby

There are "dwarf" angelfish like the flame angelfish and the coral beauty, etc. that only get to about 4 inches but it's not advised to keep multiples since they are territorial and may fight in smaller tanks.

Corals and anemones need very high lighting levels (expensive) and you don't need an anemone to successfully keep clownfish. The anemones are way cool but can be difficult for the newbie to keep.

Read up on the animals you're interested in keeping and find out their requirements and you'll soon develop a good idea of some of the other pieces of equipment you may or may not need. This research will also give you a better idea of the tank size needed.

I agree with Tumbleweed on the starting smaller part. Maybe you could start a fowlr tank (fish only with live rock) and then see if you really want to invest in some of the more expensive equipment (metal halides).

You could use this basic list as a starting point. Visit an online fish shop and price these items to get an idea of total costs.

Aquarium
Aquarium Photo Background or Paint the background
Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed coral
Live Rock
Saltwater Mix
Saltwater Hydrometer
Aquarium filter
Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon
Multiple Powerheads (2 or 3)
Heater - be sure to get one large enough for the size tank you're getting
Protein Skimmer - See the equipment reviews section for some protein skimmer reviews
Saltwater test kit(s) to test water parameters and monitor the infamous aquarium nitrogen cycle at minimum
Saltwater fish food
Aquarium vacuum
Fish net
Aquarium Glass Scrubber
Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon buckets (for water changes)
Aquarium thermometer
Quarantine Tank for acclimating new arrivals and monitoring for signs of fish disease
Power Strip plugged into a GFCI outlet

 

Re: help getting into the hobby

ok new and updated list after some long resurch iv come to the conclution that I will use a 50 gallon for 2 clown fish and 2 pairs of sea horeses and maby some reef will fallow

umm I can buy my buddy tank for 400 I haven't seen it yet but I will see him on monday so who knows umm suposly it has evry thing to get it up and runing since he got a 300 gallon tank filters and evry thing on that are way under requirment

 

Re: help getting into the hobby

whats a gfcI outlet???? ???

 

Re: help getting into the hobby

A GFCI is a type of electrical outlet usually found around the kitchen or bathroom (places close to water) that is built to trip if it detects an imbalance in the electrical flow in the circuit. In other words, it will prevent you from getting electrocuted.

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