How Long Before I Have The Experience To Start A Saltwater Tank?

Hello!

I am new to the aquarium hobby, and although I'm truly having an amazing time with my freshwater tank, I definitely see myself having a saltwater tank.

I know Saltwater is not recommended for beginners, and I respect that totally - I want what's best for the animal, always.

My question is - how long working with freshwater tanks is enough to advance to keeping a saltwater tank?

 

4-5 years. Really it's only kind of the general concepts that transfer between the two, imo.

 

5 years is best then try a salt water tank but make sure it is around two foot long you will be glade u did its better that way for the fish

 

I have too heartily disagree on the time frame. You certainly don't need to set an exact length of time, but it's good to start easy. So, manage a fw tank for about a year to make sure you are up to the work involved, and that you want to remain in the hobby. Use that time to research saltwater. I started a 20 gallon Saltwater tank about 6 months ago, and I wish I hadn't waited so long. It's not too hard, though the costs are higher.

 

It depends on what type of tank your dealing with now. a.2 g betta bowl with plastic plants where you.only need to.do a water change every week is different from a 100 gallon high tech planted tank where your dry dosing ferts every day or a 20 gallon breeder with 200+ fry.

 

Ive been taking fish keeping seriously for about 2 years now, I started the sw thing in febuary this year, and I'm hooked solid. There is no time period, you could start out on the salt water side, just don't rush, and have the confidence to do it and take the time to learn all the basics in fine detail. The main thing is starting slow, and learn on-going as you progress for the first two months of stabalizing the tank. All I say is do lots of homework, learn from sucesful tanks on youtube, google and fishlore, look at what others do, and take from others what you need and apply it to your project. I'm not going to throw husbandry tips at you, stella made a very good point, use the first few months to decide if you really like it before you start throwing dollars at all the high tech kit, and don't take miss-haps to heart, follow that and you will be hooked if your anything like me.

a morning snap of the reef just now lol.

 

It depends on what type of tank your dealing with now. a.2 g betta bowl with plastic plants where you.only need to.do a water change every week is different from a 100 gallon high tech planted tank where your dry dosing ferts every day or a 20 gallon breeder with 200+ fry.

Very true. The same could be said for saltwater. I have a 20 gallon long without a lot of equipment, with a bunch of small corals. This is much different than a 120g, full of corals, sumped with a protein skimmer, refugium, UV sterilizer, nutrient dosers and so on.

 

True, a high tech planted tank is going to be lower maintenance than a basic FOWLR

 

I also disagree with the X number of time-frame in Freshwater to be able to go into SW.
I would say, it helps in some aspects to know about FW, but there are many things in Saltwater that you'll have to learn as you go.

Some of the people I know through my local reef club, their first fish tank was a saltwater tank and that's all they know.
Imo, if you have the patience to learn, do your research, ask questions, go slow with tank set-up. You'll be successful 100%.

Also, money. Money is a huge factor in SW. You can go as low budget as you want with saltwater, but at the end of the day, you'll still be spending way more on a saltwater tank set-up than a freshwater. For instance a very basic set-up with Freshwater compared to SW. (not talking full-blown Freshwater planted tanks vs full-blown reef tank)

FW 20 gallon long tank set-up:
- 20 gallon tank
- heater
- HOB filter
- De-chlorinator
- API test kits
- lights

SW 20 gallon long tank set-up:
- 20 gallon tank
- heater
- 2nd heater for saltwater mix for water changes
- HOB filter
- Salt
- Power-head for tank
- Power-head for bucket to mix the saltwater
- RODI water (so either, RODI unit, or buy RODI water)
- Refractometer (to measure the salinity)
- API test kits (not sufficient for SW, other then to monitor the initial cycle of the tank)
- Salifert and Red Sea test kits (for trace elements like Alkalinity, Calcium, Magnesium, etc..)
- Lights

Roughly, the above is what you'll need to get you started for both Freshwater and SW. With Saltwater there are additional costs to it, just because your dealing with an extra element other then H2O.
Not to deter you at all, but just keep that in mind.

If you have some extra $$$ in hand. Let me know. I'll help you spend it with your saltwater set-up realllllll quick.

 

Haha Nart I can feel a aI hydra apearing above my tank soon, its like an addiction, I want to turn my little tank into the most well equiped little reef about, I can't resist a good bit of kit or a fancy coral, its good to find something we like though ive got no other real hobbys that are on the level of reefing.

 

Hello!

I am new to the aquarium hobby, and although I'm truly having an amazing time with my freshwater tank, I definitely see myself having a saltwater tank.

I know Saltwater is not recommended for beginners, and I respect that totally - I want what's best for the animal, always.

My question is - how long working with freshwater tanks is enough to advance to keeping a saltwater tank?

I am going to ruffle some feathers here and say it doesn't matter as saltwater and freshwater are two very different entities. What does matter is that amount of time you spend researching and being prepared for the costs and a few expensive mistakes along the way. I am the odd duck, I did saltwater as my first tank (I have never done freshwater) and spent about 4 months researching things before I pulled the trigger and I did make one costly mistake, but ever since then I have been fine. There is a wide degree in variation in the learning curve for saltwater from something as simple as keeping a couple of clownfish in a small tank, to some idiot trying to jump into saltwater by getting a huge tank and trying to start with a Ray or a Shark (Considered to be by far the most difficult tank you could possibly keep). While it's true that Freshwater teaches you some good habits it also teaches you some bad habits (ie treating water during cycling, setting up decorations instead of live rock, using tap water with chemicals, the type of filter that you use). The point is you will need to unlearn some bad habits you picked up with freshwater.

The patience and time to properly cycle live rock is where most people go wrong with saltwater and no amount of freshwater experience will teach you this. It is a process that takes 30-60 days and there are NO SHORTCUTS. You need RO or RODI water (if you want to cheat most LFS sell pre-mix saltwater/RO water so it is all ready to go). You cannot simply put in tap water and treat it. There are many more things to know about saltwater with the equipment, costs, processes and maintenance that you need to research. My recommendation would be to hit the forums here, hit Youtube, Talk with your LFS and basically as many people as you can and take your time before getting started. It will save you from many costly mistakes.

 

wish u all the best when u start a salt water tank but no one has said any thing about a protine skimmer

 

Jesterrace Well said about Saltwater and Freshwater being two very different entities.

I will disagree with you about the 'proper cycle' of where it 'takes 30-60 days and there are no shortcuts'.
Coming from the Freshwater side, taught me a lot about how to quickly promote as much beneficial bacteria growth in the shortest amount of time as possible. Though this knowledge is not needed, it definitely gave me an edge transitioning from Freshwater to SW. When I started my Saltwater tank, I was able to cycle my Saltwater tank with 10lbs of Life rock and 2lbs of Live rock in 2 weeks, and my tank was ready for fish stocking.

I will agree with you though, for a beginner that has no idea with what they are doing, should be patient and take the time to properly cycle the tank.

johnbetta what about protein skimmers?

 

Jesterrace Well said about Saltwater and Freshwater being two very different entities.

I will disagree with you about the 'proper cycle' of where it 'takes 30-60 days and there are no shortcuts'.
Coming from the Freshwater side, taught me a lot about how to quickly promote as much beneficial bacteria growth in the shortest amount of time as possible. Though this knowledge is not needed, it definitely gave me an edge transitioning from Freshwater to SW. When I started my Saltwater tank, I was able to cycle my Saltwater tank with 10lbs of Life rock and 2lbs of Live rock in 2 weeks, and my tank was ready for fish stocking.

I will agree with you though, for a beginner that has no idea with what they are doing, should be patient and take the time to properly cycle the tank.

johnbetta what about protein skimmers?

Did you purchase rock that had been pre-cycled or spent very little time out of saltwater? That can definitely make a difference. Also given the fact that your tank had only 12 pounds of live rock in it might have been a factor. I have 40lbs in my 36 and will have 90lbs in my 90 once I get it up and running.

 

I think the op lost interest with all this random info, you can't teach and encourage with a mass of words, especially when there's some bad info in there, Jesterrace a lot of the basic fundamentals are the same with fw/sw, secondly I know people that have started out with tap water, there are people here that have done it, tap waters depending where you are have different chemistries, its far from advisable but definitely do-able depending on the tap and what you want to keep, keep in mind everyones not wanting the same thing here, just a tip on giving advice, don't go into all that detail as there is lots of ways to go about getting in to salt water, were all amateurs here pretty much.

 

Jesterrace Well said about Saltwater and Freshwater being two very different entities.

I will disagree with you about the 'proper cycle' of where it 'takes 30-60 days and there are no shortcuts'.
Coming from the Freshwater side, taught me a lot about how to quickly promote as much beneficial bacteria growth in the shortest amount of time as possible. Though this knowledge is not needed, it definitely gave me an edge transitioning from Freshwater to SW. When I started my Saltwater tank, I was able to cycle my Saltwater tank with 10lbs of Life rock and 2lbs of Live rock in 2 weeks, and my tank was ready for fish stocking.

I will agree with you though, for a beginner that has no idea with what they are doing, should be patient and take the time to properly cycle the tank.

johnbetta what about protein skimmers?

Did you purchase rock that had been pre-cycled or spent very little time out of saltwater? That can definitely make a difference. Also given the fact that your tank had only 12 pounds of live rock in it might have been a factor. I have 40lbs in my 36 and will have 90lbs in my 90 once I get it up and running.

I think the op lost interest with all this random info, you can't teach and encourage with a mass of words, especially when there's some bad info in there, Jesterrace a lot of the basic fundamentals are the same with fw/sw, secondly I know people that have started out with tap water, there are people here that have done it, tap waters depending where you are have different chemistries, its far from advisable but definitely do-able depending on the tap and what you want to keep, keep in mind everyones not wanting the same thing here, just a tip on giving advice, don't go into all that detail as there is lots of ways to go about getting in to salt water, were all amateurs here pretty much.

Freshwater teaches you the basic principals of the nitrogen cycle, water testing, water changes, filter changes and that's about it.

It teaches you nothing about:

How to properly cycle live rock and what are the indicators for when it is completely cycled
Why using tap water is not advisable and the process of using an RO/RODI system and the process of pre-mixing saltwater
Checking Salinity
What should and should not go into the tank
What equipment is necessary beyond the tank, filter, heater

As for bad info, I wouldn't trust anyone recommending tap water for saltwater applications, unless they happened to live in a community that basically runs on an RO/RODI system. Very few areas come close to that kind of quality in their tap water since chemicals are necessary to make sure potable water doesn't go bad. I guess I just get tired of people insisting that everyone needs to go with freshwater first as a must when there are people who have zero interest in freshwater and just want to focus on saltwater. As for the details, they are crucial to avoid newbie mistakes.

 

protine skimmers are usefull in marine tanks helps with waste build up and is used when fish keepers have caral and fish in there tanks and with live rock when I had a marine tank I used one and my tank never crashed ever it is recommended to use one

 

^ Not true.
Protein skimmer's does not help to prevent tank crashes.
Typical tank crashes in a reef tank is either caused by a sudden Alk, pH, or salinity swing.

Protein skimmer's are not required in smaller tanks. Weekly water changes accomplishes what a protein skimmer accomplishes in that aspect.

Jesterrace Life rock, is artificial man-made rock. Not porous, and had no beneficial bacteria growing on it. I had some tools in my bag from the freshwater world to aide me in my saltwater cycle.
A tank cycle is a tank cycle. Dosing 2PPM of Ammonia Chloride in a 10G or 100G is still 2 parts per million. Both will take the same amount of time to cycle.

 

I have 0 experience with freshwater tanks and around 12 years of experience with nano reef tanks. Depending on what you want to keep, you can accomplish a successful saltwater or reef tank very easily. It is a good idea to research the basics but learning how to maintain a 200 gallon SPS dominant reef tank is not the same as a 3 gallon invertebrate-only pico tank.

The hobby can be as simple or complex as you want it to be with benefits to both. For example, you can have a successful reef with a sump-less, skimmer-less, and dose-free system if you perform decently-sized weekly water changes. On the other hand, you could setup a system that runs a sump, skimmer, and automatically doses precisely calculated quantities of trace elements as coral growth depletes them. I stress this because I've heard fish stores tell people they can't keep a saltwater tank without a sump or a reef tank without a calcium reactor.

Simple keys to success:

1. Provide proper lighting and flow
2. Maintain stable levels of ideal water parameters

Slightly in-depth explanation
Nitrifying bacteria
#2 is where things can get confusing and people will provide 100 different definitions and 100 different suggestions to accomplish the same thing. In essence, you want to keep ammonia and nitrite undetectable and phosphates and nitrates super low. The bulk of this is accomplished by your nitrifying bacteria population that exists in your aquarium (usually housed in your live rock) and will exist in proper size after your cycle completes. This bacteria will work in the background and convert toxic ammonia/nitrites into nitrates. The amount of nitrifying bacteria in your tank needs to be able to support the bio-load of what you are keeping. Even if the bacteria are able to keep up with the conversion of ammonia to nitrates, you also need to make sure your tank is capable of maintaining low nitrate levels. Proper stocking and nutrient export is the solution to that.

Source water
Any water you use to mix new saltwater or top your tank off with should be free of dissolved contaminants. This is usually accomplished with an RO/DI unit but you can also use distilled water if necessary. In some cases, well-water/tap-water can work if the total number of dissolved solids in the water is extremely low but you still run the risk of introducing something non-beneficial.

Nutrient Export
You may hear people mention nutrient exporting and this is accomplished to maintain low levels of things like nitrates and phosphates. Excess levels may promote nuisance algae and stress livestock. You can accomplish nutrient export with things like water changes (the easiest way), a protein skimmer, and a refugium. A refugium is an area where you grow and dispose of algaes in order to remove excess nutrients. A combination of these methods would be ideal on systems that produce large quantities of waste.

Flow
I see a lot of new-to-the-hobby-tanks crash due to a build up of detritus (excess waste/debris) in an area of little to no flow in the tank. This can rapidly and randomly screw up your water parameters and cause all sorts of issues (nuisance algae/livestock death) and is prevented by proper flow throughout the aquarium. Adequate flow makes sure that waste/debris are suspended in the water column and properly disposed of through your choice of nutrient export.

Stability

• Salinity - maintained via topping off with freshwater as water evaporates and perform water changes with water that has the same salinity as your tank
• Temperature - maintained with a heater or chiller/fan in extreme cases
• pH - maintained with regular water changes and water oxygenation. You can oxygenate your water with surface agitation (from a power-head/return pump) or as a by-product of using a protein skimmer. If you are keeping a reef tank, then there are some other factors that may impact pH (mainly calcium/alkalinity depletion)
• Stability in a demanding reef - the main things to keep stable and worry about are pH, alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium. Other trace elements like Iodine and strontium are important too but most of these will be replenished by water changes depending on your specific tank size and coral needs. When water changes are not enough, you can employ dosing and certain reactors as needed.

TL;DR
Buy a proper light, provide adequate water movement, and perform regular water changes.

What type of tank do you think you would want to keep?

 

^ Not true.
Protein skimmer's does not help to prevent tank crashes.
Typical tank crashes in a reef tank is either caused by a sudden Alk, pH, or salinity swing.

Protein skimmer's are not required in smaller tanks. Weekly water changes accomplishes what a protein skimmer accomplishes in that aspect.

Jesterrace Life rock, is artificial man-made rock. Not porous, and had no beneficial bacteria growing on it. I had some tools in my bag from the freshwater world to aide me in my saltwater cycle.
A tank cycle is a tank cycle. Dosing 2PPM of Ammonia Chloride in a 10G or 100G is still 2 parts per million. Both will take the same amount of time to cycle.

Oh okay, I just looked it up. I thought you were just making a typo there. Live Rock and Life Rock are two different things and I had never heard of Life Rock before.