Saltwater Tank

[Full3R]

i wish to start a saltwater tank, can anyone give me advice about which saltwater fish are best to start with and what minimum sized tank i should have etc

thanks in advance

[jeffs99dime]

i wish to start a saltwater tank, can anyone give me advice about which saltwater fish are best to start with and what minimum sized tank i should have etc

thanks in advance

here's a link for you. it has a lot of good info on marine tanks etc. http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/index.php?
the only thing is that you have to register. hope this helps you out! -jeff

[PaulasPets]

You can keep any size tank, but keep in mind that a bigger tank will always be a more stable environment (and also more expencive...) What do you want to keep? Just fish or corals as well?

Paula

[Fishguy2727]

Corals are not for beginners. I go to aquaria central, but would not highly recommend it to anyone, it is one of those places where some people who THINK they are really good manage to come across as if they are.

What fish do you like? (which ones made you want to do sw?) The bigger the tank the better. Tanks from about 20 gallons and under should be left to those with some decent sw experience (not for beginners). I would not start with less than a 29, 30 would be better since its longer. I plan on doing a 55 to start. Live rock is also a huge help. It really helps achieve a more complete and balanced system. 1.5-2 pounds of live rock would be about right, team that up with a high quality protein skimmer and you are almost there as far as filtration goes. I'm assuming you want a community type tank. I plan on going with clowns, firefish, a coral beauty, and a few other things. Start with a couple books. I recommend The Complete Idiot's Guide to Saltwater Aquariums as well as TFH's PocketExpert Marine Fishes.

[Glasstapper]

Almost every site I've seen suggests damselfish as the best starter SW fish. There's some really cool nano reefs that are between 10 and 20 gallons, but since saltwater is less forgiving for mistakes, I'd bet your safest route would be a tank larger than that.

Also, I've seen some pretty neat artifical corals that almost look like the real thing. All the beauty with none of the hassle! :)

[Fishguy2727]

Damsels are the last thing you should use. They get way too big (many up to 6"). They get way too aggressive, so they are only really appropriate for larger, more predatory and aggressive species. Definitely NOT a community fish. They also become very ugly as they grow, most end up as a horrible drab gray.

Again, nano tanks need to be left to those with some decent sw experience, not something to be taken on by beginners trying to cut costs because you will most likely end up paying dearly for it.

The live rock you get may be uncured, in which case the curing process will cycle your tank for you. The cheapest place I have found is on liveaquaria.com. From what I have heard they are very good. And even including shipping, the live rock from them would be less than my boss would have to pay from the wholesaler he goes to, so that is the cheapest way to do it.

[Glasstapper]

wow, no damsels? I guess people only suggest them for the cycling process and not as long term pets. well, that's just sad.

[Fishguy2727]

they are good to cycle the tank (if cycling with fish) because they are very hardy. They are just no good in just about any tank, at least almost any tank a beginner will be starting.

[Hevydevy]

Hi guys,

I'm also looking at starting my first saltwater in a few months when I've got some spare cash.

Started my first freshwater about five months ago and it's going great.

Anyway, the tank I've got my eye on at my lfs is about 40 gallons.

I've read a bit about corals etc but am unlikely to go the coral route. Thinking I'll put heaps of live rock in.

Questions are: I've read that if I have enough live rock i won't need a filter at all?

Also, what's the process with water changes? Do I need a seperate tank to prepare the new water a few days in advance each time?

And does anyone know which sorts of fish would get along well with two seahorses? I know that the more aggressive fish are a bad match.

Cheers guys, I'm excited about the tank already!!

[Fishguy2727]

Still need filtration with live rock, although it may cut down on how much and of what type you need. I have seen purple firefish with seahorses, but you are looking for shy, slow eaters to go with them. I would highly suggest reading The Complete Idiot's Guide to Saltwater Aqauriums, as well as getting a few books on just the available species.

[Severus]

Definitely read as much as you can and try to take in as much info as possible. There are a ton of aspects to keeping a saltwater aquarium and a lot more equipment needed as well. Good luck with everything!