Saltwater beginner

[Ayanna]

Hey everyone, I just moved into my brand new apartment and seriously wanted to add a nice element to my living room. I've had plenty of fresh water fish in the past and always wanted to take the plunge into the saltwater life, now that I am better financially and have more time to put into upkeep; I'm ready. I'm looking to start a tank anywhere from 30-40g, any advice on about how much I'd be spending for this new set up, things I need, and general tips would be great. Thanks so much!

 

[david1978]

I guess the biggest question.
Fowler?
Corals?
Inverts?
So basically the stocking will have an effect on cost.

 

[KDS]

You can save money by buying dry rock instead of live rock, but the process takes longer. When I ran my 20 gallon reef tank, I opted not to go for a skimmer and just increased my water changes. If I was going to do it again I would get a HOB protein skimmer.

 

[saltwater60]

Few hundred bucks to a few thousand dollars. Really depends on live stock. You can buy some really expensive stuff.
I’d say $500 is a good starting point and the sky is the limit.

 

[Jesterrace]

Fish Only can be done for less (any LED light bar will do) and it's less demanding for testing and you don't have to dose anything. 40 breeder would be a great footprint for a smaller size salty tank and will give you some cool stocking options.