30 Gallon Set-up

[BWBettas]

Hey all, ive been reading up about marine aquariums a lot recently and have decided i would like to start one. Although i wouldn't want a ton of rock. So i don't want a reef aquarium, is there anyway i can have a marine setup without loads and loads of live rock?

Bret

 

[SkiFletch]

You just dont want it cluttering your display tank? Sure, just get a bunch of canister filters, gut them of their mechanical and chemical filtration and pack them full of LR

Or if you're adventurous, run a sump

 

[demonmagus]

can i ask why you don't want the rock?

Some fish like hiding in it though

 

[BWBettas]

No i didnt say NO live rock... just not ALOT of rock in the tank... I'm willing to buy a few bits of LR and then get some base rock and seed that? would that work? Also do i NEED sand? as i just purchased a load of gravel that was meant to be going in the tank when it was going to be freshwater and that cost a fair bit. Also i don't have access to RO water so would bottled water be sufficient? or should i see if my LFS does RO water?

Sorry for all the questions!!

Bret

Ooh at a thought... i think i could try a Nano reef in my 10 gallon instead of a 30 gallon... as i have pumps and stuff for that that will be sufficient turnover for the tank Hm... and it will be easier for me. But i don't have a light for it... Ooh im soo confused

 

[crazyelece]

Simple answer = no. You can not have a successful marine aquarium without a lot of live rock. Coral need it to attach to. It is the most important filtration in the system. Fish need it to develope terretories and feel secure. If you are really interested in having a marine tank, I think you need to do some more research. Read the pinned topics. Get a couple of the recommended books and read those. If you jump in and are not propperly prepared it will either cost you a bunch of extra money or you will get fed up and give up. Do some research and decide if the cost, maintence, etc. is worth it for you.

 

[BOD]

Simple answer = no. You can not have a successful marine aquarium without a lot of live rock. Coral need it to attach to. It is the most important filtration in the system. Fish need it to develope terretories and feel secure. If you are really interested in having a marine tank, I think you need to do some more research. Read the pinned topics. Get a couple of the recommended books and read those. If you jump in and are not propperly prepared it will either cost you a bunch of extra money or you will get fed up and give up. Do some research and decide if the cost, maintence, etc. is worth it for you.

You dont have to have corals! you can have a FO system and instead you other decorations for fish to develop there terrotories!

 

[BWBettas]

Yeah, i only wanted a FO system... with a little bit of rock in the middle center to make it look nice. Geez im glad that BOD posted that i was gna get flamey anyway, i'm pretty sure im in safe hands at my LFS because they specialize in marines...

Bret

This Is There 140 Gallon Display Tank.. (It Does Have Fish, HONEST! )

 

[SkiFletch]

I'm willing to buy a few bits of LR and then get some base rock and seed that? would that work?

Take it from someone whose tried this (me), you're asking for cyanobacteria and hair algae problems when you do this... You just can't replace the biological value of LR. You can get away with putting it in cansiter filters or in sumps, but unless the water system has enough in there, you're in for a rough and FRUSTRATING time.

Also do i NEED sand? as i just purchased a load of gravel that was meant to be going in the tank when it was going to be freshwater and that cost a fair bit.

Yes, plain aragonite sand is cheap. For a 30g aquarium you're prolly only looking at no more than 20lbs of aragonite sand ($15 in the states). Aragonite is the key word here. It helps jumpstart your alkalinity and properly buffers your tank. Without it, you'll have HUGE pH swings in your first 6+ months of tank operation that will likely lead to fish deaths. Gravel is a no-no.

Also i don't have access to RO water so would bottled water be sufficient? or should i see if my LFS does RO water?

Check to see if your LFS does it. I've seen before and after pictures of people's tanks who have used tap and then switched to RO and there is no comparison. The tanks are cleaner and free of nuisance algae once RO is introduced. If your LFS doesn't do RO and you still dont have a way to get a home unit (or water is prohibitively expensive in your area) then your only other recourse is to go to your supermarket and buy DISTILLED water. Even that is rolling the dice as not all distilled water is truly solute free. Spring water and most bottled water for that matter is unfiltered and usually full of heavy metals and silicates. Very bad idea.

The only other viable option for water is if you know someone who works in a stringent chemistry lab that employs triple distilled DI water that you could go with containers and ship around. After two months of doing that myself (i work in one such lab), I can tell you it gets to be PITA.


The only dumb question is the one you dont ask Brett. Having said that, make sure you read the pinned topics like crazyelece said as they will help you out with a lot of knowledge faster than we can answer your questions

 

[BWBettas]

I'm willing to buy a few bits of LR and then get some base rock and seed that? would that work?

Take it from someone whose tried this (me), you're asking for cyanobacteria and hair algae problems when you do this... You just can't replace the biological value of LR. You can get away with putting it in cansiter filters or in sumps, but unless the water system has enough in there, you're in for a rough and FRUSTRATING time.

Ok thanks. in my LFS they have a corner filter which is probably 20 cm high and 10 cm wide and it has an airstone in the bottom of it full of some weird blue media. Is that probably only there ebcause they run a central system? Ok i have a HOB filter with a big surface area to place some media and its rated for upto 50 gallons and i have a fluval 1+ i could put in just to churn up some water. Pretty sure i can get a small power head sorted out to go in there. The HOB output on full gets the water to go to one end of the tank and oyu can still see the water vigouroulsy moving, so i if i put the fluval one of that end i can push the water back down there so a continous cycle is going. Oh by the way i'm 13 years old so i don't want to be shoued at all the time... just need some help on settnig up a tank. We all started somewhere and this is where im starting. So you all think that i should get more live rock? O.k if that's the case im going to need to get a succesful spawn on my bettas to trade in for some store credit as being 13 you don't tend to have oodles of money laying around to spend on LR and i'vebeen quoted at £1 per fish so of a spawn of 50 i can get £50 to spend on stuff...
Anything else i need to think about?

Bret

 

[andywg]

If you are going FOWLR then it is possible to go barebottom, which is sort of in vogue amongst some of the larger marine pred keepers at the mo, though as has been mentioned, you lose a very large buffer. However, most fish are more forgiving than corals in water conditions, so in FOWLR it isn't as bad as in a reef.

You don't HAVE to have LR, but it does make it very hard work and costly to maintain, unless you can pipe in natural sea water constantly as a permanent water change.

If you don't like the cost of LR, you can always make your own, plenty of sites (such as GARF's) show you how.

If it is FOWLR then the heavier stocking would make me look for a protein skimmer to aid the filtration.

A decent amount of LR and a skimmer should be all you need, especially if you have a good flow (more than turnover you need to make sure there are no dead spots in the tank).

RO water is really necessary, though most LFS will sell you ready mixed saltwater so all you have to do is pour it in (but you will need pure RO for top ups).

If it were me doing a 30 gallon FOWLR I would be looking straight at a fuzzy dwarf lion, or a fumanchu dwarf lionfish. Then stock around that.

 

[BWBettas]

Soo.. stocking around the dwarf lion... what could i put in the tank with him that won't be an expensive snack?

Bret

 

[@ombomb]

It's difficult in a tank that size as once the lion is fully grown, you're going to be risking it with anything smaller than 3". Add to that the fact that carnivores generally create more waste and you're options are very limited. Probably best to make it a species tank if you REALLY want the lion fish, or failing that 1 other fish that's on the larger end of the scale for the tank size, like a coral beauty.

Personally I'd not rish it in a tank that small.

 

[BWBettas]

Ok... im pretty sure my brother is set on seeing "nemo" god i hate that film after everything it has done (went down my cruddy lfs and they sold a same age kid as me a goldfish bowl, 2 percula clowns and some epsom salts...) Anyway enough flaming lol... what stocking would everyone else suggest... it will be a LONG time until i stock fish as i dont have alot of cash and plan to cure and seed DIY live rock made from cement and oyster shells etc. I don't want corals and a load of fancy stuff... but the tank i want will be minimalistic. So only less than an inch of sand, live rock piled in the middle and what i'd like to see is a pair of perculas (true or false) in there swimming around chasing eachother etc... Then some detritus scavengers like micro blue leg hermits and maybe some shrimps? as my mum doesnt like snails. This tank is going in the living room so it has to be a nice simple focal point of the room...

Any suggestions?

Bret

 

[@ombomb]

I would suggest that your mother gets over her dislike of snails!

They're essential IMO as nothing else will clean you tank as effectively.

I'd recommend either a Leopard or Six Line Wrasse, very attractive and very active.

 

[BWBettas]

Hmm... well really i don't like snails anyway so but im sure i can get a few in there. What about hermit crabs... would around 20 of the lil critters be enough in there? anything else?... Would a pair of perculas or ny type of clown work well in there?

Bret