Can Anybody Please Give Me Some Advice On Starting A Salt Water Tank?

[SG-1]

Ive always had freshwater tanks, currently running a 125 gallon, lots of experience, Im a vet with the freshwater but Ive never had a marine tank. Ive always been put off because Ive always been under the impression that they were very time consuming and very expensive. I have a 20 gallon tank I want to start as a project, debating on weather to go salt or fresh. What do I need just to start a new marine tank as far as equiptment, chemicals, and supplies?

 

[Redstratplayer1]

it has ben said that reef keeping is easyer than fresh but more expensive and a more time consuming

Expensive yes and no They can be expansive depending on what you want. If you want a 100gal sps reef with closed loop and bubble king skimmer yes if you want a 20 gallon mixed reef (what i am doing) not so much .i am spending
$300 tanks ,lights,tests,power heads ,heater ect ext
$100 LR
$50 CUC
$50 fish
$ 100 allowing for stuff i forgot

Go marine
First read ski's and mis wiggles and big Ians build threads then read pined threads

Also if you want to go really cheap thise will help Read

Oh and star gate sg-1 rocks ive seen like every episode

 

[SG-1]

Thanx for the link, and the advice!!!!

 

[Ranger]

Hello SG-1, I'm in the same boat as you are, just a few steps ahead. I too was a FW vet and wanted to start a marine tank, which is now cycling btw. It is not as difficult as people say it is from what I have seen. My tank is 25 gal, and it can get a little pricy. 2 powerheads, skimmer, sand, LR, heater. I'd say that the most expensive part is either the skimmer or the LR (for me its about $4.99-$5.99 per pound.) Setting up the tank wasn't all that much different from setting up a FW tank. If you already have FW tanks, I recommend that you try a marine tank, because I'm having lots of fun with it and I don't have an livestock in it yet besides hitchickers you get on the LR which are fascinating! LR= Live Rock in case you were unaware.


EDIT: Forgot to answer some of ur quetions... All the equipment questions you had largely depend on what kind of tank you want... FO, FOWLR, REEF. I currently am cycling a FOWLR to be tank, im using a aquamedic superskimmer, 2 powerheads, a heater, Marine Water test kit, and a salinity meter. And lots of LR, (the LR takes the place of the biological filter so one of the two is necessary). Uh.... You shoudn't really need chemicals for ur water as optimally you should use pure RO water (made on ur own or storebought). As I found out the hard way any chemicals you put into ur tank will make ur protein skimmer go nuts, lol. Lighting could be expensive or it could be cheap, depending on whether you want to keep corals anemone's ect...

EDIT 2: You could also look through my tank thread called "Want to start a saltwater Tank". It has some good info in it among all of my dumb questions lol. I'm sure youll learn alot by reading it!

 

[SG-1]

Now what exactly is a skimmer? Not familiar with those? Also with a marine tank, is a filter necessary say like a cannister or something??

 

[Ranger]

A protein skimmer, removes gunk from the water into into a collection cup.
Here's a link with some info

http/www.aquacon.com/skimmers.html

DO NOT under any circumstances consider a Red Sea Skimmer. I use the Coralife Super Skimmer.

Um, for outside filters you CAN have them. But the LR will take care of pretty much everything in ur tank with the exception of what the protein skimmer picks up. The LR acts as kindof a bio filter and basically "eats" the Ammonia and turns it into Nitrite which gets "eaten" and turned into Nitrate, some of which is removed through gas exchange but mainly through water changes (i believe).

EDIT: I renamed my thread to "Rangers Tank Journal" or something like that.

 

[SkiFletch]

Yeah, nitrate is removed one of 3 ways from the aquarium when only LR is used as filtration.

#1, water changes
#2, algae from LR and if there are enough corals they'll help too (there are tons of types, some desireable, some non-desireable)
#3, Anaerobic bacteria that sometimes live deep within LR convert nitrate to nitrogen gas

Nitrate can also be removed by growing macroalgae in a refugium, but thats a seperate topic

 

[LewisCade]

Jaffa Kree

Try this http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=138236 is good

 

[Ranger]

Yeah, nitrate is removed one of 3 ways from the aquarium when only LR is used as filtration.

#1, water changes
#2, algae from LR and if there are enough corals they'll help too (there are tons of types, some desireable, some non-desireable)
#3, Anaerobic bacteria that sometimes live deep within LR convert nitrate to nitrogen gas

Nitrate can also be removed by growing macroalgae in a refugium, but thats a seperate topic

Yay! I'm beggining to give back to the community! Lol.

EDIT: Just curious SG-1 but is ur avatar a Power Ranger?(I'm not joking or making fun)

 

[Chac]

Hi there

If you are planning a 20g Tank you MAY actually not require a Skimmer if you keep on top of your water changes, saying that I have in the past had a 24g tank running concurrently with my old 90 & I had a small skimmer on this but the decision is yours

Do you fancy Fish Only or a Reef as they are different costs involved

Ranger - SG1's avator is a Super Soldier Stargate SG1

 

[SG-1]

Jaffa Kree

Try this http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=138236 is good

hehehe awsome reply

Hi there

If you are planning a 20g Tank you MAY actually not require a Skimmer if you keep on top of your water changes, saying that I have in the past had a 24g tank running concurrently with my old 90 & I had a small skimmer on this but the decision is yours

Do you fancy Fish Only or a Reef as they are different costs involved

Ranger - SG1's avator is a Super Soldier Stargate SG1

Id probably be looking at a reef as well, and yes you are correct its an Anubis super soldier or kull warrior

 

[LewisCade]

Tek Ma Te Master how goes the salt water tank

 

[Ranger]

Tek Ma Te Master how goes the salt water tank

???

 

[sianeds]

I have a 20g reef with no skimmer, all I have is 2 small ish opposing powerheads and a heater with actinics in the hood

I do a 20% water change every week and apart from that it looks after itself, (not mentioning all the testing, water additives etc I do)

I have 12kg of live rock and a crushed coral substrate to a 1 1/2 inch depth.

I don't know whether I'm just lucky but I've had no real problems with marine since I changed over from FW. I think it has actually been easier and is sooooooo much more rewarding.

It will get expensive though because you WILL get hooked and end up converting every suitable container you can find into a marine tank....trust me....