Considering the jump to salt water-need advice

nc0gnet0

nc0gnet0

Discus Breeder
Oct 31, 2009
577
0
16
Grand Rapids
Real Name
Rick
Hello all.

Up to this point my exploits have been primarily in the freshwater arena. I have a 200 gallon, 125 gallon and 75 gallon tank. I got into this hobby by first starting with a 1000 gallon pond (5000 gallon pond under construction) and some koi. I then picked up 75 gallon tank for quarintine/hospital tank purposes. That quickly led to a 125 gallon tank for baby koi, then a 200 gallon tank for overwintering. The general plan has always been to move all but the smallest koi into the two ponds when spring gets here and devote at least one tank to exploring saltwater fish (most likely the 200 internal overflow tank with 30 gallon sump).

However, as I was browsing craigslist I stumbled across an established saltwater tank for sale:

http://grandrapids.craigslist.org/spo/1555258448.html

Not knowing much about the value of saltwater fish what do you in-the-know think? I thought it might be a good starting point to get into the hobby. I also realize i would most likely need to employ a company to move the tank and set it up. Can this be done without throwing the whole tank out of whack and killing off all the inhabitants? I am a quick study and know I could learn quickly how to maintain the tank, but I don't trust myself to move it. And if I lose the inhabitants, then it is no longer a great deal.......

Any advice would be appreciated!
 
That is a good price, ive seen people pay over 2 grand for a tank like that. The corals will be hit the hardest but the fish should be ok maybe a little stressed out though. Also corals are pretty hard to care for i would get a test kit and be prepared to give some away. If you could get a stock list that would be helpful. I think i saw a tang that fish will definitely be a survivor, if he dies then something went wrong. I think i also saw a butterfly fish. If so then they are a good beginner species for that tank. Only one tang per tank though, they dislike their own kind if not mated. The butterfly fish will eat corals and is not reef compatible so there is something wrong with this picture. Keep either corals or fish but not both. You could probaly get anything here : http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/...6&r=22+28+32&s=ts&start=1&page_num=1&count=24 except the red head wrasse that gets to big.
 
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Are you saying get rid of all the fish or just the butterfly (assuming there is one)? Test kits I already have, including a salinity meter.
 
Just the butterfly. Also i forgot to ask: does this tank come with a sump? If not then you WILL need one. Also do you have a stock list? I just did some more research ant the tank is recommended for larger tanks then that. The book said 100 gal is best but it can go in a 75 and just maybe a 55 if you over filter and only keep one.
 
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Fishfriend1 said:
Just the butterfly. Also i forgot to ask: does this tank come with a sump? If not then you WILL need one. Also do you have a stock list? I just did some more research ant the tank is recommended for larger tanks then that. The book said 100 gal is best but it can go in a 75 and just maybe a 55 if you over filter and only keep one.
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+1. The tang will need a larger tank eventually and the foxface (butterfly) will too should you decide to keep it. Tangs really need at least a 6 foot tank with a wide footprint for the swimming room. 55's are pretty slim in depth front to back. The foxface might be ok in a reef but it might not be. I have seen them in reefs but they are well fed and heavy feedings can create another problem of excess nutients unless you have solid filtration (skimmer, etc) and you stay on your water changes.

Something is wrong with that picture because I don't see very much live rock and can't identify any coral. Maybe there is a sump below that holds more rock but I don't see an overflow in the tank to get water to a sump. I also agree on the sump but you could get by with water changes and good water flow on a 55. Your just adding more work (water changes) if you go without one. $700 is not bad but if its not what you want or the livestock is not what you want then you are kind of stuck unless you modify it or trade your stock for something else. If the tank isn't really what you wnat you are probably better just trying to find a good deal on a tank only (or maybe a tank with all the hardware) and make it how you want it.

Moving that tank wouldn't be that bad unless you have a long way to go. The listing says the price includes setup in your home by a Pro so you may not need to do anything except watch. That alone may be worth the $700 price tag :). Tangs can be prone to Ich when stressed but I think if you do it right all will be fine. One of the biggest things you can do to stress your fish while transporting/acclimating is expose them to bright light. If you decide to get the tank and want more details on moving it let us know. I have moved a few tanks with success and I'm sure other have too that can help.
 
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YAY Greech is here. You really know allot about SWFT. Im dead serious.
 
Fishfriend1 said:
YAY Greech is here. You really know allot about SWFT. Im dead serious.
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:) I know a little but there is a lot I more I want to learn about. Unfortuantely, a lot of what I know came from my own mistakes but that's the cool thing about this hobby for me. Don't get me wrong, I love watching my tank grow and acquiring new corals and fish but it's the never ending process of seeing and reading about new things that really draws me in. I was just looking at my tank last night and saw a snail that I have never seen before and I know I didn't add it. I have no what species it is and have yet to ID it. It was actually pretty quick for a snail and really well camoflauged. I also really enjoy helping others where I can because I have received a ton of help from others along the way.
 
Thats the best kind of snail. Also you really are a great help to all those who need it.
 
Nice to hear, thank you.
 
Well the beauty of it is if the fish eventually will need a bigger tank, that I already have. As I said I, have a 200 gallon tank that currently is overwintering some koi that will go back in the pond come spring. The 200 gallon tank has an intenal overflow and a 30 gallon sump (now operating as a wet/dry) with dual 1" feeds, dual circulation pumps and t5 lighting (that I am not using).

Though I am not sure I think moving from one tank to another within the same house would be easy compared to moving the tank and fish from one location to the next. I will ask the seller what species the tank currently has. This would be a starter tank for me with the eventual jump to the 200 gallon. ( I also have a 125 and a 75).
 
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