New 2 footer

[Full3R]

im thinking of buying a 2'x1'x40cm aquarium and i wish for some people to tell me what they think i should keep in it i was leaning towards saltwater clown fish, but, the hole live rock thing confuses me, anyway please suggest as many things as you want

[Lady Hobbs]

Sounds small for a saltwater to me. In my tank that size, I believe I'm going to just stock it with rams as the pH won't have to be adjusted for them and they remain small.

I believe it's 24 x 12 x 16?

[f1oored]

I agree with hobbs on this one. That tank seems small for salt water. Typically it is easier to keep constant water parameters in larger tanks. This is why most people do salt water in larger tanks. This being said, at one of my LFS they have a nano cube 6 gallon with a clown fish and some live rock and it looks great. Personally I would go with freshwater but thats just me.

[f1oored]

On second thought, looking at your sig you have a lot of freshwater, maybe a small salt water tank isn't beyond your experience level. I think the clown fish is a great idea.

[Fishguy2727]

What confuses you about the live rock?

That's a 20high. Not bad for saltwater if all you are wanting is (and have the self control to keep it to just) a couple of the smaller and hardy clownfish. If you are interested in that and have the patience and money to do saltwater, go ahead and give it a shot. Reading up on clownfish as well as nano tanks may be invaluable for this project.

[Full3R]

Well my intentions were to purchase just the to Black Clown fish, although now realising i may even have enough money and space to extend it to a 48"x12"x20" and still the clowns in that maybe some extras, my heart has always been set in the direction of a Lionfish though 55gal is not enough for one, there is always the option of having a custom tank made to fit perfectly in my room which gives me extra gallonige sostill open for suggestions

[Fishguy2727]

That depends on the type of lionfish. Make sure you take all expenses in to account. I planned out a 55 gallon saltwater tank (48x13x20) and when I added it all up (for me with my great discount at work and getting live rock online, the cheapest way I found) it would have been about $1000 before fish. Cutting costs off this would mean cutting corners, something I don't like to do with any fish, but would definitely not consider with saltwater.

[kimmers318]

Why not consider seeing if there are any brackish species you like? Brackish from my understanding is much easier....live rock I don't believe is needed (not sure if it is even possible) and brackish fish can be alot more tolerant of salinity swings since they are used to ups and downs being in a brackish environment where fresh water meets salt. It would be less expensive and let you get your feet wet on the whole salinity issue making you that much more knowledgeable to move up to saltwater later.

[Fishguy2727]

Do you mean live rock needed for saltwater or brackish?

Most brackish fish need more than a 20 gallon, and there are very few options for brackish, if you can find them in the area at all. Many LFS do not even carry them because there is almost no demand for them.

[Full3R]

I once kept a Pot Bellied Seahorse in a small 20gal which i had for roughly 2 years and then it died when i introduced a shrimp to the tank which i believe killed it, at the time i didnt know about live rock and did not use it and the seahorse was fine thats the most experience i have with saltwater fishes, oh, and the toad fish i caught, what predatory saltwater fish could i keep in the 55gal i want something like an ambush predator, and if anyone has freshwater suggestions that fit that predatory description then please feel free to say so

[jeffs99dime]

i always recommend the largest possible tank to people that is within their "reach" if you will. the bigger the better, i say. especially for newbie fishkeepers. easier to maintain with a larger aquarium. and i'm not calling you a newbie either. lol

[njn1127]

i had a 30gallon high for my first saltwater tank... the intial investment wasn't too bad and i only used 30 lbs of liverock. Id definately read about saltwater tanks before starting one... but its not as tough as some peopel make it out to be. I didn't like the high tank cause it was difficult to reach the bottom and clean.... plus proper water circulation was an issue. go saltwater though... its great!

[Full3R]

meh, i might just stick to freshwater, ive always loved freshwater, but can anyone tell me a fish that is predatory that has its own thing that sets it apart from other fish, like, archer fish with their water jet, and arowana with there "S" shaped body spring to catch insects above water level? you know something different

[Fishguy2727]

Bichirs are very unique and addictive, and they don't need live the way a lot of other predators do, so you don't need to risk their lives by feeding live.

[Full3R]

could i keep a bichir in a 55 gal ??? and on the average price in your area how much have u seen bichirs for i found some available online for $375! to me that seems like a bit much for a fish

[Fishguy2727]

Albinos near me are $25 (except at my shop where the wholesaler has them marked too high, so we have to raise the price). Regulars can be below $10.

55 is great for bichirs. That's what mine were in. The Common ones (Polypterus senegalus) usually only grow to about a foot. Others can be much larger. If you are interested in them I can give you tons of advice on them. They are a great fish and I plan on having more more soon, probably in their own 40long.