Beginner's marine tank

[David]

I really want a marine tank (after spending several years in freshwater, not as exhilarating as it used to be) however I am a complete noob when it comes to sw tanks and I need someone to please tell me the basics. I know that there is a pinned thread at the top about this but I'm looking for something a little more in depth and suited to my specific needs, if you please. What is the best size for a beginner, how to set it up, what kind of fish, etc. basically i'm looking for a step by step guide to making your first marine (fish only, can't handle the invertebrates just yet and don't even want to try) aquarium. Any help is much appreciated.

 

[smithrc]

This might help...

 

[Crystal]

Hey David, I have found a link for you. It is on Reef Central (sorry guys, not TFF)

Reef central newbie link

The author is really informative, and funny as heck. There is a lot to read, but he gets in depth with everything, and has a lot of links as well. HTH!

 

[parker313]

Funny to see you here David, I'm turning my 10g into a small saltwater tank I was just at the lfs today talking to them about it, it's sorta their specialty - the small reef tanks!

 

[ostrow]

RC is the place to be for your question. Read, read, read. You'll see many different answers to your questions. You have to go with what feels right for you. A few musts:

1. The largest tank you can fit (if afford is the word you would end this sentence with, then you are not ready for a marine setup).

2. The best lighting setup you can afford.

3. At least 1lb of live rock per gallon.

4. The best skimmer you can afford. Best are the AS G3s or a Euro-Reef. Run you around $200. You can get by with a lesser but eventually you will upgrade to one of these or another higher end model.

Pretty much the rest follows my first point: read, read, read and go with what feels right for you.

 

[enchanted]

1. The largest tank you can fit (if afford is the word you would end this sentence with, then you are not ready for a marine setup).

I disagree with this comment. I could, if I choose, pay for a 240G tank (saw one for $700 today at one of the LFS).

But, what I choose to afford is not a 240G.

Also, the biggest tank you can fit is not always the best option. I could "Fit" a 16' tank, but there is no way I am going to buy a 16' tank at this point.

I would recommend first looking at what I was reading across the top about marinet tank sizes.

I believe the recommended from what I read on a small end was 60G or bigger with 75G being prefered as a small tank.

For most people this would become affordable. I have not done saltwater yet, but I'm looking at starting with a 55G, which from what I have read is fine.

But the same things as they say for fresh also appear to apply to salt. The bigger the tank is the easier it is to take care of.

 

[David]

Like I said I don't want to get into the whole reef thing yet... fish only for now. Eventually FOWL, but for now just fish until I am ready for sure. 55 gallons is an acceptable size for a beginner?

 

[jimdogg187]

55 galllons is big enough for a fish only tank; however, a fish only tank should be as big as you can get. salt water fish need room. lots of room. sure, you can buy a smaller tank, it will work, but what you can put in this tank is limited. i have a 125 gallon tank and i still find myself limited in the ammount of fish i can succesfuly keep. it's okay to start off with 55 gallons, yes. eventualy, you may turn that tank into a reef and up grade to a larger tank for you fish only set up. but just remember, fish only with salt water doesn't mean less work. my fish only tank is a lot more work than my reef. i do water changes weekly because the fish soil the water so quickly. also, be prepared to be extremely limited in the ammount of fish you can keep. fresh water fish do not soil water, create waste and demand nearly as much attention as salt water fish. with that said, good luck to you david!

 

[Max]

imo you should get a 75-100G with 400W MH (go on ebay and look up metal halide highbay... you should find some 400W for around 100$ then a bulb and a reflector could be another 100) 100 lbs LR (ebay again... some people sell for 3$ a lb) a protein skimmer... (redsea uhhh whats it called... anyways it blue around 75$) so thats 150ish for tank 200 for light 300 for live rock... and... 650 ...

not to bad...

 

[chris777]

imo you should get a 75-100G with 400W MH (go on ebay and look up metal halide highbay... you should find some 400W for around 100$ then a bulb and a reflector could be another 100) 100 lbs LR (ebay again... some people sell for 3$ a lb) a protein skimmer... (redsea uhhh whats it called... anyways it blue around 75$) so thats 150ish for tank 200 for light 300 for live rock... and... 650 ...

not to bad...

IMO a 55 would be fine for starting out. Also just gotta say why would he need Mh for a fish only tank. Ya if you want you can get them but there not needed for a fish only.

 

[Max]

if i was him i would have zoos... they dont need much care... and they look nice... (my favorite coral... and next is a monti. cap...)