Newbie Questions? (saltwater)

I am switching from a freshwater aquarium to a saltwater aquarium. I have done a lot of research, but I still have some questions. I have figured out what fish I want, but I don't know if they can be in the same tank.

Can clownfish live with banner cardinals?
How many of each can I have in a 20g, 30g, or 50g?
Is it better to have clownfish as singles, or as a pair?
Do I need an anemone for the clownfish?
Can I put a bubble wand in a saltwater tank?
Are Ph strips better than getting the like tube stuff?
What are the best lights for clownfish?
Is it okay to buy from an online site instead of going into a Petco/ Petsmart?
Also, any tips for a beginner switching?

 

I assume you mean Banggai?




Clownfish can live with them but the bigger the tank, the better chance of success (there are some examples of clowns killing the Cardinals when they venture in their turf). Clownfish are not the cute little characters they are portrayed to be by hollywood. They can become super territorial once established in the tank and will view any encroachment on their set turf as a threat and defend it to the death.
No more than one pair of clowns in ANY of those tanks, anymore and it's like Male Betas being together
You don't need a 'nem. Many clowns are captive bred and and don't know what to do with them these days. 'nems generally require well established tanks with very bright light to do well (think more expensive lighting)
Any LED light will work for fish, if you want corals then you need to get a lot more picky. Corals are definitely the expensive side of the hobby. FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock) is much cheaper
Petsmart is useless for saltwater other than a few pieces of very basic equipment (ie Fluval HOB Filters). Petco isn't much better in general although there are more options for mechanical equipment (they are great for dollar per gallon tank sales). I would not buy livestock from them though unless you happen to have one of the few that actually takes care of their saltwater fish. Many of the fish are not only overpriced but sick with disease to boot. Their live rocks are more bristleworm than rock, etc.

As for tips for newbies I will first address this:

I strongly recommend some time researching this site: They aren't 100% but they are by far the most accurate in determining minimum tank size, temperament (ie Peaceful, Semi-Aggressive, Aggressive), Reef Safe or Not (whether or not they will eat corals and inverts) and Level of Care (Anything above Moderate should be avoided for a newbie).

As mentioned in the video, an RODI system or buying RODI and RODI/Salt Pre-Mix water from your LFS (if they are reliable and maintain their system) is the best way to go as it ensures that anything nasty in tap water that can adversely affect a marine tank is stripped out. You do not want a bubble wand or any kind of bubbler in a saltwater tank (other than maybe a quarantine tank), you use a powerhead/wavemaker in addition to the filtration to simulate under water ocean current and keep the water moving.

 

I assume you mean Banggai?




Clownfish can live with them but the bigger the tank, the better chance of success (there are some examples of clowns killing the Cardinals when they venture in their turf). Clownfish are not the cute little characters they are portrayed to be by hollywood. They can become super territorial once established in the tank and will view any encroachment on their set turf as a threat and defend it to the death.
No more than one pair of clowns in ANY of those tanks, anymore and it's like Male Betas being together
You don't need a 'nem. Many clowns are captive bred and and don't know what to do with them these days. 'nems generally require well established tanks with very bright light to do well (think more expensive lighting)
Any LED light will work for fish, if you want corals then you need to get a lot more picky. Corals are definitely the expensive side of the hobby. FOWLR (Fish Only With Live Rock) is much cheaper
Petsmart is useless for saltwater other than a few pieces of very basic equipment (ie Fluval HOB Filters). Petco isn't much better in general although there are more options for mechanical equipment (they are great for dollar per gallon tank sales). I would not buy livestock from them though unless you happen to have one of the few that actually takes care of their saltwater fish. Many of the fish are not only overpriced but sick with disease to boot. Their live rocks are more bristleworm than rock, etc.

As for tips for newbies I will first address this:

I strongly recommend some time researching this site: They aren't 100% but they are by far the most accurate in determining minimum tank size, temperament (ie Peaceful, Semi-Aggressive, Aggressive), Reef Safe or Not (whether or not they will eat corals and inverts) and Level of Care (Anything above Moderate should be avoided for a newbie).

As mentioned in the video, an RODI system or buying RODI and RODI/Salt Pre-Mix water from your LFS (if they are reliable and maintain their system) is the best way to go as it ensures that anything nasty in tap water that can adversely affect a marine tank is stripped out. You do not want a bubble wand or any kind of bubbler in a saltwater tank (other than maybe a quarantine tank), you use a powerhead/wavemaker in addition to the filtration to simulate under water ocean current and keep the water moving.

Thank you! Also do you know any good places or sites to buy saltwater fish and the live rocks?

Also yes, Banggai

 

Thank you! Also do you know any good places or sites to buy saltwater fish and the live rocks?

Local Fish Stores are best if they are reliable and within a reasonable distance. If not, then there are some decent sites. Probably the most popular is and in particular the Diver's Den section. Results with Diver's Den tend to be better than regular liveaquaria (as there is more direct care involved with the Diver's Den fish). Another site that is highly recommended (although a bit spendy) is

 

Hi,
"Can clownfish live with banner cardinals?"
Yes, clowns are generally fine with most other species, except other damsels.

"How many of each can I have in a 20g, 30g, or 50g?"
Do you mean clowns? If so, which species? I would not put more than a known mated pair of Oscellaris or Perculas in a single tank. Unless it's a huge tank, definitely not one under 100G. Larger clowns, like the maroon, a known pair would be fine in a 50G.

"Is it better to have clownfish as singles, or as a pair?"
Depends how you buy them. If you can buy a known pair, that's fine. If you have to buy singularly, that's more tricky as there's no guarantee that they'd get along.

"Do I need an anemone for the clownfish?"
No. In fact most Ocellaris and Percs are captive bred now, and have no idea what an anemone is.

"Can I put a bubble wand in a saltwater tank?"
Only if you want salt creep splattered every where LOL
The only time you want bubbles in Saltwater is from a Protein Skimmer, otherwise, per Jester's advice.

"Are Ph strips better than getting the like tube stuff?"
No. Use a proper liquid test kit. Strips are notoriously in-accurate, and many probably don't go high enough for Saltwater anyway (e.g. 8.2+)

"What are the best lights for clownfish?"
Lights aren't really required for FO/FOWLR, they are more for our viewing pleasure. That said, per Jester above, a cheap LED would be fine, unless you're going reef.

 

Hi,
"Can clownfish live with banner cardinals?"
Yes, clowns are generally fine with most other species, except other damsels.

"How many of each can I have in a 20g, 30g, or 50g?"
Do you mean clowns? If so, which species? I would not put more than a known mated pair of Oscellaris or Perculas in a single tank. Unless it's a huge tank, definitely not one under 100G. Larger clowns, like the maroon, a known pair would be fine in a 50G.

"Is it better to have clownfish as singles, or as a pair?"
Depends how you buy them. If you can buy a known pair, that's fine. If you have to buy singularly, that's more tricky as there's no guarantee that they'd get along.

"Do I need an anemone for the clownfish?"
No. In fact most Ocellaris and Percs are captive bred now, and have no idea what an anemone is.

"Can I put a bubble wand in a saltwater tank?"
Only if you want salt creep splattered every where LOL
The only time you want bubbles in Saltwater is from a Protein Skimmer, otherwise, per Jester's advice.

"Are Ph strips better than getting the like tube stuff?"
No. Use a proper liquid test kit. Strips are notoriously in-accurate, and many probably don't go high enough for Saltwater anyway (e.g. 8.2+)

"What are the best lights for clownfish?"
Lights aren't really required for FO/FOWLR, they are more for our viewing pleasure. That said, per Jester above, a cheap LED would be fine, unless you're going reef.

Thank you!