Getting Started

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brolly

Registered Member
Jan 23, 2006
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first off let me say hi to everyone. I am not entirely new to aquariums and taking care of fish, it has always been a back burner hobby of mine. I currently have a small 30 gallon freshwater tank with a few bala sharks and irridescent sharks in it.
I went to the fish store yesterday and as always stared at the uber cool huge saltwater tank. After talking it over with my fiance we decided thats the thing to get (she was sold as soon as she saw a puffer fish smiling at her :joke: ).
Now let me tell you i have zippy knowledge of saltwater tanks so i did what i always do for these situations....join a forum. :hi: . Well the first thing im gonna need to know is what type of tank and system will i need and where to get it. I want something very large was thinking 150 +- gallons should do the trick. i want all kinds of corals going on in there, a bunch of different fish and a kick *** sump system. But then again maybe going that big isnt a great idea and i should maybe go 100+- gallons.....i dont know you tell me. I really am quite clueless but i do know what i want the end result to be and am ready to work for it.
 
Welcome to the salty side. For a beginner the bigger the tank is better. It sounds like you really want some corals!! Ok my suggestion would to start thinking about what types of things you find cool and will most likely end up in your tank. The best way to do this is to hit up as many of your Local Fish Stores (LFS) as you can. A 150g gives you many options between fish and inverts.
I would agree with you on the kick a** sump setup. I only have a 30 gallon but still opted to have a sump though it wasn't necessary. Since installing it my water has always been crystal clear and clean.

1. Find out what size tank fits in your budget (get one thats drilled so you can easily run a hose to your sump)
2. Determine what types of critters you MUST have!
3. Ligting is very important especially with corals, try and get the best ones for your corals and your budget. (though it is more or less life and death for your corals so don't get lights which don't fullfill their requirements)
4. Make sure you know your fish. Find out what types of places your fishes of interest live. If you find that gobies are something you must have, you might want to consider a DSB (Deep Sand Bed). Many fish like to hide in rocks while others like to swim. The types of fish you like will influence the amount of rock and the way you set it up. ALSO: know who your fish like and dislike. I used to have a problem with shrimp dissapearing. Turns out my longnosed hawkfish liked to eat them. That was because I didn't do enough RESEARCH on my fish. SO...know your fish.
5. Know the chemistry requirements of your system. Fish and corals often require special needs that tap water and salt will not provide.

This should get you started. This is a great forum with lots of information for newbies and experts. Your LFS is probably the best place to start so have fun!

Good luck!
~d
 
AS for the equiptment side of things these are what you will need for a 150 gallon.

Skimmer: ASM is probably the cheapest with still very good quality. I think you should go for a ASM G-4x

Powerheads, for a reef tank a turnover rate of 30 x per hour is the minimal that you will want, and the max will be 60 x per hour.


As for the lighting t5 or MH is what you should be looking at, if you go MH you will probably need 2 250 watt with DE globes and actinic supplements.

If you go t5 you will probably need 6 bulbs + and actinic supplements.
 
thanks for all the info so far......but after doing some more research i dont know if i can do corals just yet. It seems we are at a toss up between corals and fish(the fiance and i :argue: . There are too many incompatibilties out there that dont allow us to have everything we want. Right now corals are quickly losing the battle due to the extreme maintnence. As far as sump systems I was looking at the Reef Devil's. What do you guys thaink about that one :huh: . I like complete kit over DIY just cause it will be faster to do. Can anyone reccomend to me any websites that have a simple fish compatibility list? Something that can give me theme ideas and pretty pictures? oh well back to more research :read:
 
You could start out with a FOWLR system...and once you "wet your feet" in that....move on up to corals and inverts.

One thing also to consider with corals is that some of them can be very toxic ! Some SW fish as well can be hazardous to your health. Do check that sort of info out concerning anything you want to add to your tank. I haven't yet made my way to SW yet, but that is one thing I will have to consider when I do...I have 3 kids....
 
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