saltwater tank question..

kntrygrl4lyfe

kntrygrl4lyfe

AC Members
Aug 10, 2006
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Hey,
I dont really know much about the saltwater set ups. I always hear Oh its really hard, or Oh its SOO easy. I have a little Brackish water setup for a "FW Moray Eel" and Ive read where they can be converted all the way over to salt. Right now he is in a 10 gallon sence I bought him and he was in fresh, and was using that to slowly put him to more brackish. I was wondering. This may be a stupid question, but if the salinity is in the saltwater zone on the hydrometer, what all would I have to do to be able to have live rock and anemones(sp?) in there? or could I even do that? I tried to ask a guy at the lfs but... all he said was, I needed a different light. and that it wasnt worth it? So I figured where else to go then here! lol. well this whole post may be confusing but any help would be good. thanks.


I wanted to add that the eel is NOT staying in the 10gallon. I am just using it to get him used to brackish. I have a 55 gallon and a 75 that Im going to do. Im wanting one FW tank and one Brackish or if I can get the hang of it, a saltwater tank. Just didnt want people to think that, that was his home for ever lol.
 
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well, what the lfs said is true really...nem's need a really good light source to thrive...fish themselves dont really need that good a light source, but it is a must for nems in my opinion...

What lighting do you have at the moment on the tank?

Niko
 
Whether or not a sw tank is easy or hard to keep really depends on your level of experience in the hobby. If your one of those hobbyists that seems to have always had fish, have kept some more difficult fw fish, understand why to test and have done it regularly, and keep up with regular maintenance, then having a sw tank really isn't that hard at all. For someone that's relatively new to keeping fish, it definitely could be a difficult endeavor. Our reef tank has been very easy for me to keep -- I've had fw tanks ever since I was old enough to take care of them on my own. I always wanted a sw tank, but somehow knew how expensive it would be before I ever tried to price a quality skimmer or light fixture (yet many people think a sw set-up can be done for the price of a basic fw set-up).

If you want to go sw and want to have an anemone, I'd suggest doing so in your 75g tank (assuming you've never added any copper based medicines to it). Bigger is better for sw newbies, as the extra water volume provides greater overall stabilty compared to a smaller system. Anemones require high intensity lighting -- something that's not included in a standard tank purchase. Also, anemones are best added to established systems. There's so much that could be said, but the reality is the more you research it, the better off you'll be.
 
atnixon said:
well, what the lfs said is true really...nem's need a really good light source to thrive...fish themselves dont really need that good a light source, but it is a must for nems in my opinion...

What lighting do you have at the moment on the tank?
i agree with Niko
Niko
Click to expand...

fsn77 said:
Whether or not a sw tank is easy or hard to keep really depends on your level of experience in the hobby. If your one of those hobbyists that seems to have always had fish, have kept some more difficult fw fish, understand why to test and have done it regularly, and keep up with regular maintenance, then having a sw tank really isn't that hard at all. For someone that's relatively new to keeping fish, it definitely could be a difficult endeavor. Our reef tank has been very easy for me to keep -- I've had fw tanks ever since I was old enough to take care of them on my own. I always wanted a sw tank, but somehow knew how expensive it would be before I ever tried to price a quality skimmer or light fixture (yet many people think a sw set-up can be done for the price of a basic fw set-up).

If you want to go sw and want to have an anemone, I'd suggest doing so in your 75g tank (assuming you've never added any copper based medicines to it). Bigger is better for sw newbies, as the extra water volume provides greater overall stabilty compared to a smaller system. Anemones require high intensity lighting -- something that's not included in a standard tank purchase. Also, anemones are best added to established systems. There's so much that could be said, but the reality is the more you research it, the better off you'll be.
Click to expand...
yes research:read: is so important and i agree that the 75 would be ur best bet. metal halide or at least T-5 lights would be ur best bet for an anemone.
 
ok, thanks for the info. Are there any site that you guys think are really good to read or a certian book?
 
Well, to be honest with you, all the information that you need is right here on AC..Look at the stickys ( at the start of each forum sub section ), use the search function..We have a wealth of infomation here on the boards.

As for a good book, well, i would recomend "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert Fenner..an excellent resource for marine keeping...

Niko
 
yes a book would be very good, dont get The simple guide to marine aquariums, that book tells you what to buy in a bias way and it doesnt tell you how to take care of the tank
 
also try out these books
  • A Pocket Expert Guide Marine Fishes by Scott W. Michael
  • A Pocket Experts Guide Marine Invertebrates by Ronald L. Shimek
  • Aquarium Keeping and Rescue by Carl DelFavero
  • Corals A Quick Reference Guide By Julian Sprung
  • Invertebrates A Quick Reference Guide by Julian Sprung
  • Natural Reef Aquariums by John H. Tullock
  • The Complete Book of the Marine Aquarium by Vincent B. Hargreaves
 
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