would a 30-40 gallon tank be ok for any sw fish? how much would it cost to set up a tank? and i do need filters right? are they hard to keep? what kind of fish should i get? is there anything you think i should know before i start? and im not going to start for maybe a month (if i even decide to)...
i want to set up a small salt water tank....
- Thread starter K_S_W_I_S_S
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I don't know much about salt water tanks, but I know 30-40 gallons is more than enough if you wanna keep it small and affordable. In fact, many people keep "nano-reefs", which can be as small as 5 gallons.
Many filters are able to be used in both salt and freshwater applications, such as Eheims and Fluvals. Protein skimmers are special saltwater filters that take dissolved organics out of the water before they can decompose.
Saltwater tanks are generally harder to keep, but exceptions can be made with size (I've heard larger ones are easier because fluctuations don't have a widespread effect).
Damsels and Clowns are good fish for smaller saltwater tanks, and they are much less expensive than other fish. For instance, the always popular Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon) can cost well over 50 dollars.
The major drawbacks of saltwater tanks are the high prices and the demand of matinence. Live Rock can easily cost $6 per pound (usually 1 pound per gallon) and live sand can be nearly as much. Also, corals are usually at the cheapest approximately 10 dollars each, which can seriously add up if you want much variety and volume. However, saltwater tanks are WONDERFUL to have and a pleasure to look at and enjoy.
I hope this helped
aaron
Many filters are able to be used in both salt and freshwater applications, such as Eheims and Fluvals. Protein skimmers are special saltwater filters that take dissolved organics out of the water before they can decompose.
Saltwater tanks are generally harder to keep, but exceptions can be made with size (I've heard larger ones are easier because fluctuations don't have a widespread effect).
Damsels and Clowns are good fish for smaller saltwater tanks, and they are much less expensive than other fish. For instance, the always popular Powder Blue Tang (Acanthurus leucosternon) can cost well over 50 dollars.
The major drawbacks of saltwater tanks are the high prices and the demand of matinence. Live Rock can easily cost $6 per pound (usually 1 pound per gallon) and live sand can be nearly as much. Also, corals are usually at the cheapest approximately 10 dollars each, which can seriously add up if you want much variety and volume. However, saltwater tanks are WONDERFUL to have and a pleasure to look at and enjoy.
I hope this helped
aaron
it helped some.... i looked at all the other posts right after posting (like i usually do) and learned a lil bit from there.... i have seen articles on making your own live sand and/or rock... anyone else know anything about doing that??
A 30-40g tank is a good starter size. Cost will depend entirely on how you set the tank up and what fish/inverts you choose to keep. It could cost you a couple hundred dollars or many thousands of dollars
Mechanical filters are not recommended for saltwater tanks because they will cause your nitrates to skyrocket if not cleaned almost daily. The most common setup is a Deep Sand Bed (DSB) of 4"-6" in depth, using sugar-fine sand...preferably aragonite. On top of this goes the 'live rock' (1-1.5 lbs per gallon). The sand and rock provide all the filtration you need, with the possible exception of a protein skimmer, which are good for beginners to have.
Here's an excellent article on starting a marine tank:
http://reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1
Making your own live sand is fairly simple. You can buy dead sand for the DSB and then 'seed' it with live sand from another established tank...or you can buy a DSB Start Kit from places like http://www.ipsf.com or http://www.inlandaquatics.com. Some people have made their own live rock from concrete, but I've never done it so I'll leave that question for someone else to answer.
HTH
Mechanical filters are not recommended for saltwater tanks because they will cause your nitrates to skyrocket if not cleaned almost daily. The most common setup is a Deep Sand Bed (DSB) of 4"-6" in depth, using sugar-fine sand...preferably aragonite. On top of this goes the 'live rock' (1-1.5 lbs per gallon). The sand and rock provide all the filtration you need, with the possible exception of a protein skimmer, which are good for beginners to have.
Here's an excellent article on starting a marine tank:
http://reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1
Making your own live sand is fairly simple. You can buy dead sand for the DSB and then 'seed' it with live sand from another established tank...or you can buy a DSB Start Kit from places like http://www.ipsf.com or http://www.inlandaquatics.com. Some people have made their own live rock from concrete, but I've never done it so I'll leave that question for someone else to answer.
HTH