Disaster brings hope

[jttt3]

With my mighty come-back from my Disaster (detailed in the Tank Setup forum), I have decided to go ahead with my salt water tank.

My Protien Skimmer arrives in a few days, I've got my testing kit, my hydrometer, and this week I plan to go through all the prep of getting the rest of the supplies I need.

Any disater avoidance suggestions?

[cocoa_pleco]

make sure youre financially stable for saltwater before you set it up, have good lighting if you want corals, if you want digging fish get live sand, especially gobys like that, and most of all- have fun making a salt tank!

[kkyyllee]

they dont need live sand just not crushed coral, stay away from crushed coral tho cause it can trap stuff and lead to disasters...

[jttt3]

Yeah, I was going to go sand and live rock.

I've got the cash spec'd out for the project +$100USD just incase.

I'm thinking 2 small clowns and a firefish. Those firefish look freaking cool.

Do you think I could add much more than that in a 24 gallon cube?

[cocoa_pleco]

some shrimp would work. i really liked my firefish

[kkyyllee]

is it like a aquapod or nanocube?, you could could keep another fish or 2 in ther, what about a pair of clowns, a pair of firefish, and a highfin redbanded goby and pistol shrimp pair

[unleashed]

Welcome to the saltwater club!!!!


Any disater avoidance suggestions?

Do LOTS OF RESEARCH before you set up. I have seen so many people just dive right in and they live to regret it.

As for a 24g cube, I would go three fish max. Stay away from large fish such as tangs/surgeonfishes (dory for example), rabbit fish and lion fish (just to name a few).

Personally, I would go for a fairy wrasse, fire fish (helfrichi - if you can afford one) and one other like a clown (not a maroon)

Good Luck!!!

[kkyyllee]

helfrikis are like $150, i wouldnt recomend it as a first fish youd be losing out on a lot of money if anything happened, you could do 6-7 fish easily depending on size

[unleashed]

helfrikis are like $150, i wouldnt recomend it as a first fish youd be losing out on a lot of money if anything happened, you could do 6-7 fish easily depending on size
6 - 7 fish could not be easily done for a small marine tank. You have to take into account that there will not be 24g of water in the tank. Take into account rocks, corals, sand etc and you drastically reduce the volume of water. Too many people try to stick lots of fish into a small tank. The fewer amount of fish in the tank the better.

[jttt3]

It is indeed an Aquapod 24G.

I'm getting a pair of clowns for sure, but not sure which size. I like the firefish, they look really freaking sweet, but they look like they just sit around not doing much.

I'm not touching the corals, yet, not in that tank yet. I've seen that exact tank setup with a reef, corals, etc, so I know it can be done, but I'm going to play it safe and just go slow. Think I'll stick to the 2 clowns and 1 more fish and see how the water tests go.

[kkyyllee]

yeah, yuo will be fine with most soft corals in there under the lighting, its designed fora reef tank. if you get a pair of firefish they will be much more active, and less skiddish, for clowns id say either get ocellaris or percula, get about 1.5-2lb liverock/gal and that will take care of the biolaod of the fish no problem., and if you havent already take the bioballs, sponges and ceramic rings out of the filter in the back, 6-7 fish is not hard to do if you have lr, and do your regular water changes

[Rue]

...skittish...

...not skiddish...:28:

[unleashed]

yeah, yuo will be fine with most soft corals in there under the lighting, its designed fora reef tank. if you get a pair of firefish they will be much more active, and less skiddish, for clowns id say either get ocellaris or percula, get about 1.5-2lb liverock/gal and that will take care of the biolaod of the fish no problem., and if you havent already take the bioballs, sponges and ceramic rings out of the filter in the back, 6-7 fish is not hard to do if you have lr, and do your regular water changes

That amount of LR will easily take care of the bioload. However, take into account how much WATER VOLUME that amount of rock will remove. If you add 6-7 really small fish to a 24g, there will be enough room for sure. However, take into account that marine fish do not like to be in close proximaty to each other and WILL fight. By adding all that rock, you will remove (off the top of my head) at least 6g of water.

[kkyyllee]

as long as they have the room they dont really care how much water they are in, aggression depends on the fish you have, lol sorry ill remember skittish:9:

[2manyfish]

Honestly, I would never recommend putting 6 to 7 fish in a 24 gallon tank even if they are all small fish!! Too many people try to shove way too many fish into small salt tanks....this isn't a freshwater tank. You have to have less fish than in a fresh tank just because of the limitation of oxygen in saltwater. Warm water holds less oxygen than cool water. Saltwater holds less oxygen than freshwater...so....warm saltwater holds the least amount of oxygen of all!
Not only that but saltwater fish can be very aggressive towards each other. Not much room in a 24g to get away from other fish!

Best advice I can give you is to take your time with this tank, research any livestock you put into the tank before you actually put it in the tank!! :ezpi_wink1:
There is a saying in saltwater that is very true "Only bad things happen fast in a saltwater tank" ......
Take your time and enjoy every minute of it!

[unleashed]

Honestly, I would never recommend putting 6 to 7 fish in a 24 gallon tank even if they are all small fish!! Too many people try to shove way too many fish into small salt tanks....this isn't a freshwater tank. You have to have less fish than in a fresh tank just because of the limitation of oxygen in saltwater. Warm water holds less oxygen than cool water. Saltwater holds less oxygen than freshwater...so....warm saltwater holds the least amount of oxygen of all!
Not only that but saltwater fish can be very aggressive towards each other. Not much room in a 24g to get away from other fish!

Best advice I can give you is to take your time with this tank, research any livestock you put into the tank before you actually put it in the tank!! :ezpi_wink1:
There is a saying in saltwater that is very true "Only bad things happen fast in a saltwater tank" ......
Take your time and enjoy every minute of it!
good post '2manyfish'

Too many people try to shove heaps of fish into small tanks and thats just a disaster waiting to happen