New to Saltwater

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Woopededoo

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Aug 20, 2003
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Austin, Tx
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Im planning a saltwater setup for my small office in my house and need some advice. I currently have all freshwater tanks and want to try out a small saltwater tank to see how I do. I am thining a tank in the 20-30 gallon range with fish only, and some cool looking rocks. I really want a red banded shirmp... not too sure on the fish yet... but something small.. a few questions....

1. Is a protine skimmer neccasary? what other options do I have?

2. Will a hang on the back filter be enough?

3. Should I add a power head to give some good water flow in the tank?

4. Will Shrimp get along with fish and vise versa?

5. Do saltwater fish do well in hard water? if not, what can I do to lower it. Or will I have to buy water instead of using my tap water.

I know the tank is a bit small, but its my only option right now. I want to keep it minimal on the price. Not looking for anything crazy, just something small and clean looking. Maybe 2 fish and a shrimp...

any recommendations.
Thanks for the help....
 
1. A protein skimmer isnt necesary if you only have 2 fish and a shrimp. Just as long as you keep up with your weekly water changes. If this is a problem then a skimmer would be very nice. If you have the money I say you go for the skimmer but otherwise all you need to do is what I mentioned above.

2. A HOB filter isnt that beneficial for a SW tank. Ive found that they get clogged easily, especially during cycle when you have to scrape algae. You dont want a bio-wheel because salt creep will build up on it and it will just stop. Also you might want to try not using the media for the HOB and just running it to circulate the water. You can also buy little media bags to put carbon or phosphate remover in there as an option.

3. Yes, a powerhead is needed to keep the salt mixed. If you dont get a powerhead then all the salt will go to the bottom as sit there for quite along time before dissolving into the tank.

4. This questions depends on the fish. In most cases shrimp and fish do good together.

5. Ok, yes SW fish need a pH of about 8.0 to 8.4. Thats a safe level. But a word of advice is DO NOT USE TAP WATER!!!! Get RO/DI water from a store of something like that. You will avoid a big algae bloom in the long run.

You tank is not small at all. It wont be as stable as a big tank but Im running a 20 gallon reef and so far its been good.
 
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