starting saltwater aquarium

[turbo2oh]

I just purchased a 29g tank and stand. I have held off purchasing any other items so I could ask here first.

First of all I've been deciding between saltwater and freshwater, I'd really prefer saltwater and don't mind the extra work but I worry 29g may be too small for a newbie. I've read through several similar threads on the forum in order to avoid too many flames (I'm used to car forums) but would still like any advice as to some of the best products to buy and some to avoid. Also, the hood that came with my tank only has 1 light will that be sufficent?

I plan to pickup some live substrate and maybe rock from a LFS in order to speed up the cycling. Are live plants generally avoided in saltwater tanks? Sorry I was kinda all over the place with the questions but I'm just trying to do this right while avoid too many costly mistakes

TIA,
Phil

 

[tel0004]

Ive never had a saltwater tank but I have a friend who does. First off SW can be a lot more expensive than freshwater. The fish need a lot more space, so it cant be stocked as heavily, and there need more exact water conditions to survive. Also, breeding SW fish is more difficult, if not impossible on some fish, so the fish are a lot more expensive. Im not trying to scare you away, Just give you the facts. I dont know of any plants for a saltwater tank that are common. Mostly just rocks and sand. As far as one light being enough, it all depends on the setup, the type of rock, and the type of light. For a simple setup, it should be fine, but ill leave that question up to people who know more than I do. Welcome to the Forum! :dance

 

[OrionGirl]

29 is the smallest I would ever suggest for a first SW tank, and you will need to decide what fish you really want to have--there are not as many SW options that will fit into that tank comfortably. Spend some time wandering through the LFS, and pick the fish you really like, then research them to see if it will work.

The light will be fine for a FO tank, even FIWLR, but won't work at all for a reef--corals need much more lighting than a NO fluorescent produces. So, spend some time looking at corals and see if you're interested in keeping them.

There are very few true plants that wil lsurvive in a SW tank. Mangroves, which grow out of the water, are commonly available but not suitable for all setups. There are other plant-like options--a wide variety of macro algaes. These will meet the same need as plants in a FW setup, but will also require more lighting--Power compacts would be my choice.

In terms of other equipment--good powerheads, a good heater. A protien skimmer would be useful, but not required. Standard HOB filters--useless, no need. Better lighting if you want more than fish and crustaceans.

 

[mogurnda]

First off, welcome to AC! It's great that you're pausing to do your research before getting set up, it will save you a lot of pain in the long run. The people who stay with the hobby seem to be the ones who read and research for weeks or months before adding water to the tank.

A 29 is not too small for starting out. Larger tanks are a little less fussy, and will give you more room for livestock. On the other hand, smaller tanks make the logistics of water changes and plumbing easier.

To figure out the specifics of equipment, like skimming, lighting and circulation, it will be necessary to know what you want to keep. In your tank, you can do anything from FOWLR (fish only with live rock, which can also incluse inverts like shrimp) to a full-blown micro-reef. Although FOWLR can be cheaper and simpler, because you don't need fancy lights or much supplementation, your fish population will have to be small in a 29. With a reef, you can have a spectacular little ecosystem, because corals add little to the bioload of a tank.

There are plants, mostly macroalgae, that do well in marine aquaria, and they can even help keep the nutrient levels down and the tank clean.

If you want some more background, there are some good books (and a lot of out of date bad ones) out there. Good ones include:
The Conscientious Marine Aquarist, R. Fenner
Natural Reef Aquariums, J. Tullock
The Simple Guide to Marine Aquariums, J Kurts
The New Marine Aquarium, M Palletta

 

[turbo2oh]

Thanks for all the advice This tank is in my bedroom so 29 is as large as I wanted to get. Well if I won't be able to stock very many in a FOWLR tank maybe coral would be more interesting(i guess I'll be ditching my stock hood already ) I'll probably head down to the LFS today to pickup some of the basics and checkout the lighting options.

My only concern is in reef tanks I mostly see clown fish, is there a very small group of fish that will live happily with a reef setup?

Also is a sand substrate recommended?

Thanks,
Phil

 

[TKOS]

Check out what they offer at www.ahsupply.com

This company make kits to retrofit into existing hoods to give better light. And their prices are reasonable as well. It may save you some money, rather than buying a whole new setup (and fish stores generally charge too much for lighting anyway).

Many sw fish available either eat corals, destroy corals looking for food, or eat the critters that help keep a reef tank clean (snails, crabs etc..). So it is very important o research each fish type. Do as Oriongirl suggests and browse to see what is available to you. It is a lot easier than having people suggest different fish only to find out you can't get them or they cost a fortune.

 

[turbo2oh]

I'm strongly considering getting the package setup from TBS. I just need to purchase my lighting, heater, etc. beforehand so I have it all setup. I realize I'm pretty new to all this but I've been trying to research and am pretty good at following directions(especially if I have that much money invested).

Mogurnda, I ready through your post on reef central and another VERY long post about TBS and for the most part everyone seems satisfied.

I'm really not familiar with any of the brand names so any good heater, lighting(saw T5? mentioned in the longer thread) etc. suggestions would be appreciated. Also for anything else I may need powerhead? filter?. Maybe I can chat with the people at ahsupply.com because I couldnt identify any lighting package for what I would need.

Also, I've been searching around a lot and haven't found a thread yet describing the correct way to do a water change. It sounds like a lot of people do it through pumps as opposed to a manual change

Any other feedback is always appreciated.

 

[becky_e]

My only concern is in reef tanks I mostly see clown fish, is there a very small group of fish that will live happily with a reef setup?

Phil

Clownfish are common in reef tanks because they fit smaller tanks and they are reef safe. There are several small reef safe fish available for your 29 gal. You can check out gobies, clowns and cardinalfish for starters. There are others that would work. You probably will want to avoid damsels. They will fit the tank but are very territorial and I would see big problems with them in a small tank. Also, clownfish are a type of damsel, so if you go with clowns, don't mix species and try to get a mated pair if you want 2 clownfish. You can search the forum for pairing off clownfish. I haven't done it yet, so won't be much help there. I hope this will give a place to start when you look at fish for your tank.