I've been doing a great deal of research on the net and in books over the past couple weeks in preperation for my first salt water tank. I've decided to start looking at tank setups to see how people do things and almost all of them are situated on racks/cabinets that filled with various pumps, overflow tanks and the like.
Are these types of things required? Or are they more luxury items to help lessen the maintnance of the tank. I am very interested in getting into this hobby but I only have a limited amount of space to work with and certainly dont have room to dedicate such a large enclosure to.
Can Saltwater tanks be kept as a kind of "desktop" tank? Does the required equiptment come in sizes that can hang off the tanks top similar to how freshwater setups are?
Just some general info (and a pic or 2) of what a typical "newbie" tank would look like/contain would be very helpful. I know the heater is small, the protein skimmer is a device that comes in various models and sizes, but they do have a smaller type with a small trap that hangs off the side (I think so anyway), but what about pumps and such? Are these types of things needed?
Are these types of things required? Or are they more luxury items to help lessen the maintnance of the tank. I am very interested in getting into this hobby but I only have a limited amount of space to work with and certainly dont have room to dedicate such a large enclosure to.
Can Saltwater tanks be kept as a kind of "desktop" tank? Does the required equiptment come in sizes that can hang off the tanks top similar to how freshwater setups are?
Just some general info (and a pic or 2) of what a typical "newbie" tank would look like/contain would be very helpful. I know the heater is small, the protein skimmer is a device that comes in various models and sizes, but they do have a smaller type with a small trap that hangs off the side (I think so anyway), but what about pumps and such? Are these types of things needed?
