Help - 30 Gallon Saltwater Tank

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Sobe203

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Feb 26, 2008
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I'd like to set up a 30 gallon saltwater tank. Before I get any fish (which will be small, like clownfish, fire shrimp, and Kaudern's Cardinals - nothing large like angelfish or pufferfish), I want to properly set up my aquarium and make sure it cycles.

A guy on Craigslist is selling me his 30 gallon hexigon aquarium for $40. It comes with a black wooden stand, hood, light, heater, 30 or 45 whisper filter, air pump, and enough air tubing for the tank.

It's an over-the-top hanging filter. He doesn't say what type of lighting it has (flourescent, VHO, or halide), or what type of heater. For what it's worth, he kept it as a freshwater aquarium.

I was told I'll have to shorten the intake hose, which apparently takes 2 seconds to do. I might have my local aquatics store do it when I buy live rock from them.

Does this seem like a good start to my saltwater aquarium? It sounds like a better alternative to buying a $250 24 gallon NanoCube, but I'd like to hear an expert's opinion.

I assume I'll also need to get:
-Marine sea salt mix (assume $20)
- A hydrometer (assume $10)
-Dechlorinator
-A thermometer (assume $2)

Is there anything else I'll need for my 30 gallon tank?

Thanks,
Jen
 
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Are you planning on just a fish only tank or corals as well?

I have to ask, what would the dechlorinator be used for in a SW tank?

Other than that, it is a good start for a fish only salt water tank. If you decide to do corals later on your pretty much limited to a metal halide light on a hex tank, which isn't a bad thing, just a little expensive.
 
Will you be doing coral? If yes, this probably won't be the best beginner tank for you. Hexagon tanks tend to be tall and have odd widths. You'll have a terrible time lighting it up. And more than likely the lighting he has will not be strong enough. If it's just for fish, it'll be okay.

You'll be needing live rock, live sand, a powerhead (or 2), and possibly more stuff that I can't think of off the top of my head. You need 30-60 pounds of live rock. And enough sand to create a 3 inch sand bed. This will serve as your primary filter. The HOB filter can serve as extra water flow or perhaps to filter with carbon. It's not really necessary.
The powerhead will create water flow. If running just fish, I think 10x overturn (300 GPH) is what you need to aim for. If running coral as well, I believe it's 25x overturn (er...25 x 30 = ...750 GPH?). It also sounds like you'll be using tap water. The tap water will need to be tested first. Tap water usually contains way too many contaminants to be used in a marine tank. If it's no good, you'll need to use RO/DI water or distilled water. RO/DI is the more common one and will cost you around 40 cents a gallon.

I'm sure I missed a lot of other equipment you'll be needing.
 
I didn't plan on getting coral to start out with, but I might like it once I get the hang of having a saltwater aquarium. (6 months down the road?) Would a NanoCube 24 be more suitable?

I just read this on Yahoo! Answers: "Don't pick a hexagon tank for salt water...too little surface area...to little area for the fishes territory, plus they are hard to properly filter without turning into a whirlpool."

Agree or disagree?
 
Yup, agree. They are very hard tanks to maintain properly. It is definately possible as a fish only, but I wouldn't make it a reef. In a reef setup, the actual aquarium is one of the cheapest pieces. The light alone usually runs more than the aquarium cost.
 
I personally hate all the all in one cubes. Reminds me of Apple junk. But it is great tank to start with. Fantastic for beginners.

The Yahoo! answer makes sense about the surface area. The territory thing depends on the fish. Filtering shouldn't be very hard. Just use a powerhead towards the top and another closer to the bottom.
 
What do you think of the NanoCube 24? Here is some information on it:

24 Gallon NanoCube

It has a filter, lighting, and nice tank. What do you think of the price for what you get? How easy is maintenance (ex: replacing parts)?
 
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Well, I would say it is common if you really are interested in reefs, and you learn everything the hard way several times over. LOL. If you read the rest of it, out of that $13,000+, I would say $8000 was lost in making bad decisions on equipment and corals.

I figured it out recently, and if I were to build my tank right now from scratch and do it the right way the first time, it would cost around $3000 stocked.
 
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