Thinking about saltwater tank

[MasterLuJr]

Originally Posted by multiham

Sounds like we have some passion for saltwater tanks! Appreciate the offer for help. Here are my initial (uneducated) thoughts:

Believe we would like a tank that has coral and less aggressive fish. Do not need to constantly explain the food chain to my young daughter! Pretty fish and coral should go long way with wife and daughter!

Do not know about tank size. Would like a tank that a new person can handle, but one that offers some future flexibility. Is there any guide on how large of a space you need to support a certain size tank. In other words, do you need 10 feet of space to support a 50 gallon tank and equipment. Perfect place for tank would be our family room. It is all carpet. Does that work or do you need different flooring because of spillage when you're working on tank?

How much time is required each week for cleaning, maintenance, etc? I travel a bit for my job and want to understand what my wife would potentially need to do. Also, is it possible to buy the right equipment upfront to automate as much of the maintenance as possible?

is there a basic list of what I would need so I can get an idea on pricing?

Appreciate your help and suggestions!

Thanks!

Steve

Steve,
No problem with the tank being on carpet. My 50 is on carpet. As long as your careful during water changes it's not a issue. Water changes can be done by 10% weekly or 20% every two weeks. As your tank matures you can get away with doing a 20% change every 3 to 4 wks. When you first get a tank it must cycle. After you put your live sand/rock in, (remember rock first then put sand in once you "design your rock") it's a good 2 weeks with no fish. Then put a cheap fish in. Don't put a damsel in! They're cheap but a pain in the a$$ fish! Trust me on this no Damsel fish lol Once you decide on tank size I can help you with a fish list. I.E. Order to put them in, which are reef safe, how many can you have, etc.

Now that you decided reef, you need to decide which type of corals you will keep. I highly recommend you stay away from SPS corals as then you will have to get metal halide lighting. I have a 6 bulb T5VHO light. It allows me to keep all LPS corals, anemones and such. For me personally LPS corals are all the "cool" ones. You can get open brain corals, torch/hammer corals,etc. Also most don't need special feeding as your light gives them all the nourishment they need. Plus I can tell you what light to get and bulb combo to go with.

When you first get a tank besides live rock you will also need live sand. It's extremely beneficial in a tank. Also I do all my coral/fish/equipment shopping online. I will PM you links to the sites I get my fish and corals from.

Over time with my reef tank I decided less is more when it comes to equipment. Here's a quick list of items you will need from day 1.

T5VHO Light
Canister or Hang on Back Filter (depends if your tank has a sump or not)
Heater
Water Pump for Circulation in tank
Protein Skimmer, hang on back or in sump depending on tank
Osmulator ( Keeps water level stable by toping off tank w/ro di water)

Equipment wise that should be fine. If you decide you want SPS corals then you go to metal halide lighting and add in a chiller besides heater to keep water temp stable. Also if you go SPS corals you may need a calcium reactor.

The great thing about a reef tank is you can get inverts that will take care of a lot of the maintenance for you,i.e. eating waster/algae.


It seems like a lot of info and work but it is really worth it. I'll shoot you a PM now with some links. It will allow you to see different fish/corals and pricing.

[PHC1]

Steve, once you get involved with this hobby, you will soon feel like a "mad scientist".

[Vintage Pete]

Originally Posted by MasterLuJr

Steve,
Water changes can be done by 10% weekly or 20% every two weeks. As your tank matures you can get away with doing a 20% change every 3 to 4 wks. When you first get a tank it must cycle. After you put your live sand/rock in, (remember rock first then put sand in once you "design your rock") it's a good 2 weeks with no fish. Then put a cheap fish in. Don't put a damsel in! They're cheap but a pain in the a$$ fish!

Lots of truth here. Back in the day when I had my tank, I was taught 25% water change once a month...those recommendations may have changed today, it was about 30 years ago now that I had my tank. I think I started with some small clowns, and then I started getting in a hurry.

Listen to Richard here and don't rush things. It's SO easy to want to get that fish population up quickly. I made that mistake once....don't do it!

Pete