Marine Tank Advice For A Newbie!

[lock77]

Hi all,

For a start I would like to ask you all if you think this is a good deal for the £££?
http/www.gumtree.com/p/pets/dd-nano-cube-full-marine-set-up/1001887142#gallery-item-full-2

My second question would be if Marine are much harder to keep than tropicals.

My wife and I would really love a marine tank but we really haven't got a clue what we are at when it comes to a marine tank!

Any advice on the above questions will be greatly appreciated.

Thank You in advance.

Keith

 

[Box]

It's not a bad price for what your getting but I don't think your get many more fish in there
As its only 29 gallons (125ltr)
Live rock wise 10kg worth around £100 in lfs £50 on a tank break down
I started with a 29 gal but the bug got me and now upgraded to a 90 gal so bare that in mind lol
As of upkeep if you spend an hour a week on your tropical tank you will spend 2 hours tinkering on your marine set up
Daily glass cleaning is a must water testing every couple of days checking salt levels
Sounds daunting ??? Well it's not and one of the best things I have done
Just do some research mate
Good luck

 

[lock77]

It's not a bad price for what your getting but I don't think your get many more fish in there
As its only 29 gallons (125ltr)
Live rock wise 10kg worth around £100 in lfs £50 on a tank break down
I started with a 29 gal but the bug got me and now upgraded to a 90 gal so bare that in mind lol
As of upkeep if you spend an hour a week on your tropical tank you will spend 2 hours tinkering on your marine set up
Daily glass cleaning is a must water testing every couple of days checking salt levels
Sounds daunting ??? Well it's not and one of the best things I have done
Just do some research mate
Good luck

It's very tempting, he's dropped his price to £200.
Bearing in mind that a know nothing about marine fish, do you think we could put a trigger fish and a yellow tang along with what is already in it?

 

[matt_storey]

Its alot of hard work and dedication.

Also VERY costly, you will want to fill it with corals which cost a bomb, you may need to upgrade the lighting which again costs a bomb, then theres the additional electricity cost, water costs (buying or making your own), salts, hydrometer... I could go on, but put simply...

A 200l tropical tank would cost £200 to set up, an equivalent marine reef tank would be at least £1000

 

[Box]

Lock you won't be able to keep any sort of tang in there or trigger as its nearly to its stocking limit as it is
And mat is right the bits and bobs to all add up BUT it can be done on a budget
Corals can be bought as frags for as much as £10 to £15 each as long as your willing to get them small and watch them grow
At the end of the day your only get out what your willing to put in

 

[lock77]

Its alot of hard work and dedication.

Also VERY costly, you will want to fill it with corals which cost a bomb, you may need to upgrade the lighting which again costs a bomb, then theres the additional electricity cost, water costs (buying or making your own), salts, hydrometer... I could go on, but put simply...

A 200l tropical tank would cost £200 to set up, an equivalent marine reef tank would be at least £1000

Corals could be added through time. Why would I have to upgrade lights, what effect does the light have on coral.

What do you mean buying or making your own water?

 

[lock77]

The seller says he does 1 water change a week and the only extra cost is the salt itself.

Lock you won't be able to keep any sort of tang in there or trigger as its nearly to its stocking limit as it is
And mat is right the bits and bobs to all add up BUT it can be done on a budget
Corals can be bought as frags for as much as £10 to £15 each as long as your willing to get them small and watch them grow
At the end of the day your only get out what your willing to put in

The wife won't like that, the Yellow Tang is the only reason she wants a marine tank. I'm happy enough with the clowns.

 

[lock77]

I just read that I could just go to the beach every so often and collect water from the ocean. Is this true?

My head hurts and I now officially hate Google!

 

[Donya]

Bearing in mind that a know nothing about marine fish, do you think we could put a trigger fish and a yellow tang along with what is already in it?

No - even if you took all the other fish out it's still no. Those are two fish that do not belong in a nano. If you want those fish, you need to be looking at much bigger tanks and a 4ft length minimum for a tang to accommodate its swimming needs.

The wife won't like that, the Yellow Tang is the only reason she wants a marine tank.

Tangs need big tanks in the 300L and up range. They are also very fragile fish that are susceptible to disease, so if you put them in a small, cramped space then they are more likely to have problems with ich and other infections.

I just read that I could just go to the beach every so often and collect water from the ocean. Is this true?

Two big issues with that (and why it's not feasible even for most people who live by the coast): pollution and plankton/microbes. Problems with pollution are fairly straightforward, but plankton/microbes side of it is less obvious. The fauna can actually cause really big nutrient spikes really fast if it dies off, which is common when you put it in a bucket and close it up to transport it. If the trip is short you might see nothing, but I've see spikes in ammonia and nitrite in as little as a 3-4 hours. Coldwater fauna can also die off very fast if heated up for too long. You also run a small chance of bringing in larval things that you may not want.

 

[lock77]

Bearing in mind that a know nothing about marine fish, do you think we could put a trigger fish and a yellow tang along with what is already in it?

No - even if you took all the other fish out it's still no. Those are two fish that do not belong in a nano. If you want those fish, you need to be looking at much bigger tanks and a 4ft length minimum for a tang to accommodate its swimming needs.

The wife won't like that, the Yellow Tang is the only reason she wants a marine tank.

Tangs need big tanks in the 300L and up range. They are also very fragile fish that are susceptible to disease, so if you put them in a small, cramped space then they are more likely to have problems with ich and other infections.

I just read that I could just go to the beach every so often and collect water from the ocean. Is this true?

Two big issues with that (and why it's not feasible even for most people who live by the coast): pollution and plankton/microbes. Problems with pollution are fairly straightforward, but plankton/microbes side of it is less obvious. The fauna can actually cause really big nutrient spikes really fast if it dies off, which is common when you put it in a bucket and close it up to transport it. If the trip is short you might see nothing, but I've see spikes in ammonia and nitrite in as little as a 3-4 hours. Coldwater fauna can also die off very fast if heated up for too long. You also run a small chance of bringing in larval things that you may not want.

Like I say, my knowledge of marine fish goes as far back as yesterday afternoon. All your info is appreciated and has been taken on board. What are your thoughts on the tank in the link for a beginner? I am happy with the fish that are in it, my wife will soon change her mind about the trigger and tang when I tell her we need a 4ft tank.
http/www.gumtree.com/p/pets/dd-nano-cube-full-marine-set-up/1001887142#gallery-item-full-2

 

[Donya]

The price seems alright. The main issue is that the learning curve is going to be a LOT steeper with less room for error right off the bat than if you go slowly and build a system from scratch (which can still be done from breakdowns, just part-outs rather than all-in-one deals). You would have time to get the feel for things better if you get the tank, scout for rock, get the live rock, wait a couple weeks, then get a few inverts, then wait a couple more weeks, then get a fish, and so on for a couple of months until you get to corals. Getting a fully stocked system back up and running after being moved from one location to another can be a hairy and tricky business even for experienced folks, since the animals and system are under stress already when they reach the destination. Of course, animals will be under stress anyway when they've just been bought and bopped around in a bag for a while, but there's a big difference between dumping them into a stable system that's been running for a while vs. one that has just been destroyed and reconstructed.

So, I would say that if you are working on a tight decision time limit with that system you're looking at, you are heading into it way too rushed to stand a good chance of avoiding casualties. If the guy selling it is familiar with what needs to be done and is close enough to provide help for a week or so then you'd be a lot better off. But, if the system just gets dumped on you and he takes off into the hills...only bad things happen quickly in marine.

 

[lock77]

The price seems alright. The main issue is that the learning curve is going to be a LOT steeper with less room for error right off the bat than if you go slowly and build a system from scratch (which can still be done from breakdowns, just part-outs rather than all-in-one deals). You would have time to get the feel for things better if you get the tank, scout for rock, get the live rock, wait a couple weeks, then get a few inverts, then wait a couple more weeks, then get a fish, and so on for a couple of months until you get to corals. Getting a fully stocked system back up and running after being moved from one location to another can be a hairy and tricky business even for experienced folks, since the animals and system are under stress already when they reach the destination. Of course, animals will be under stress anyway when they've just been bought and bopped around in a bag for a while, but there's a big difference between dumping them into a stable system that's been running for a while vs. one that has just been destroyed and reconstructed.

So, I would say that if you are working on a tight decision time limit with that system you're looking at, you are heading into it way too rushed to stand a good chance of avoiding casualties. If the guy selling it is familiar with what needs to be done and is close enough to provide help for a week or so then you'd be a lot better off. But, if the system just gets dumped on you and he takes off into the hills...only bad things happen quickly in marine.

That all sounds like great advice. I've got myself excited about something before I knew anything about it. Now that I have looked into it I think I will take your advice and maybe start from the ground up on my own setup. I have a lot to learn. Thanks for everything.

 

[Chris7]

Donya is pretty much spot on, I myself don't know that much but after 2 or 3 weeks researching i know much more now and obviously are still researching and learning now.

I was in the same boat as you lock, But when i knew i was changing my freshwater tank into a salt water tank i took things slow and am still doing so. Its tempting to rush but i thought as i know very little i will take my time and build from the bottom so i can get more of a understanding of what to do and what not to do. I did think of buying a ready made tank with rock and fish in it but then thought 1) i know nothing about running one and will be thrown straight into the deep end and will have to do water changes and everything else all in one go without knowing what i am doing, 2) It's much more fun building your own than buying one all done for you. Plus you can learn as you go.

I had a 72 litre freshwater tank and was told it would be too small, So i bought a 94 litre tank a few days after posting for help on here. My tank is still sat there with no water in it as i have been researching, Taking trips to my local fish stores and asking questions, prices for there water, live rock and so on. I now know much more within the space of a few weeks.

I am in no rush and i believe people around here will tell you going slow on things like this is much better. Plus i look at it like if i go slow and in a month or two i seem to lose a little interest (i wont) but then i would know this isnt going to work before i have spent mass amounts of money on it.

Not much help from me as i too am a beginner. But just wanted to let you know how i have done in the last few weeks.

Here is my journal that i started on the 24th october. I asked pretty much everything up to the stage i am now. Have a read it might answer many of your questions. http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/408753-my-marine-adventure/

Good Luck