Help With Starting A Tank?

[tehauthority]

Hi, not sure if this is the right spot to ask... I feel stupid asking but anyway heres what I want.

I'm guessing 20-30 US Gallon,

Here's what I wanna do...

-Couple of Clowns, (like the one in finding nemo) =]
-Couple Live Rock
-Couple Coral
-One of the things that move with water that clowns like bed in. (I'm sorry not sure what they're called)

Anyway thats what I want to do with some nice looking sand and everything. I'm on a pretty tight budget. But was wondering what to setup and how to get it all going,

I have a lot to learn and am ready to listen, I really if possible??? Would like to spend about 300 below... Without fish coral etc.......... just for the basics to get it up and urnning and cycled before fish come and rock or coral and what not.. If someone could help me out I would really appreciate it.... And if possible I currently have a freshwater 29, gallon setup that I would be willing to takedown and re setup with saltwater if possible IM NEWB and have no idea. So input Please... Sorry if this is the wrong part of the forum to put this in. thanks in advance.

 

[alittlefishy]

if you want to set up a salt tank its going to be pretty expensive... and the things that the clown fish adopt are called anemones... and only certain clown fish can go into certain anemones. Ask your lfs and see what they stock.

a 29 gallon would be fine for a nano reef, but you would need a different filter, a skimmer, a heater, probably a chiller, a refugium, and the correct lights for marine fish, witch is also quite expensive.

and the cycling period for a salt is obnoxiously long

 

[tehauthority]

how much is $$$ expensive??? and how long is long??? also what are nano reef?

 

[alittlefishy]

one of my friends just set up a nano reef aquarium and she spent about 1200 dollars, and a nano reef is just a small reef tank, usually under 50 gallons. the cycling ofr a salt includes going through stages of different kinds of algae growth, some of wjich can take up to a few months.

 

[tehauthority]

would it be better to buy one of the 29gallon, OCEANIC BIOCUBES for like 280$ which they say has everything???

 

[alittlefishy]

I looked them up and they dont seem to come with any skimmer or any refugium, which is recommended and im not sure with that compact design if there would be any room for these things, with the filter they have a refugium would not really be needed but a skimmer is a must if you want to spend your time enjoying the tank instead of hand skimming all the stuff off of the top. But all in all it looks like a decent little tank.

Also I would suggest getting the heater/chiller combo they have listed on the site I found as marine fish are very sensitive to temp
http/www.aquacon.com/nanotanks.html

 

[@ombomb]

the nano faqs are the best place to start for a tank that size - http/www.fishforums.net/content/Nano-Ree...For-Nano-Tanks/

 

[Musho3210]

I looked them up and they dont seem to come with any skimmer or any refugium, which is recommended and im not sure with that compact design if there would be any room for these things, with the filter they have a refugium would not really be needed but a skimmer is a must if you want to spend your time enjoying the tank instead of hand skimming all the stuff off of the top. But all in all it looks like a decent little tank.

Also I would suggest getting the heater/chiller combo they have listed on the site I found as marine fish are very sensitive to temp
<a href="http/www.aquacon.com/nanotanks.html" target="_blank">http/www.aquacon.com/nanotanks.html</a>

a protein skimmer is different than a surface skimmer.

If your just going to have two clowns and some easy to care for corals (dont get an anemone since you should have some experience and they need good light which costs a lot) then the bio-cube is great for you, but just remember that some of the equipment it comes with is cheap and or not exactly top of the line.

2 clowns, 1 lb of live rock per gallon, maybe some shrooms, zoas, easy to care for lps corals, and your good. Just know about the cycle, maturity, and patience and you should be ok. Make sure you do more reading before you start.

I wouldnt get a chiller, very expensive, big, and not needed unless you live in the desert and you are constantly having heat problems and a fan isnt working for you.

 

[tehauthority]

thanks so much for the input,,, i would really really really like to get an anenome... but not really sure how to install . (obviously need to read) but how does everything start like if you buy one from a lfs how do u put it in, don't some sting u ?

 

[SkiFletch]

I'd suggest starting by reading the anemone FAQ pinned in the Saltwater Inverts section

 

[Musho3210]

thanks so much for the input,,, i would really really really like to get an anenome... but not really sure how to install . (obviously need to read) but how does everything start like if you buy one from a lfs how do u put it in, don't some sting u ?

oh installing is the least of your worries....