possibly starting a marine tank

[fish_keeper2]

ive been been keeping fish for several years now and i wanted to attempt a marine tank. basicly all i want is 1 clownfish(typical aint it ). i have read through the pinned topics and i have a few questions. with a clownfish is a 10 gal doable? i dont want to get a much larger tank in case it doesnt work out or its not what i thought it would be or whatever. can i use the same filter and heaters as a freshwater tank? can i use silk and plastic plants with sw? is the "clean up crew absolutely nessecary? how do i cycle a marine tank in case i cant get ahold of live rock and live sand?......on top of that can anyone tell me how to take care of clown fish and info about them.


sorry for all the questions....i just want to make sure if im ready to start something like this or not )

 

[steelhealr]

with a clownfish is a 10 gal doable?

It is but it comes under the heading of a nano reef. It's a lot of work...trust me...I am running a 24G now.

can i use the same filter and heaters as a freshwater tank?

Heaters are heaters and you can use them interchangeably. However, you want a good reliable one for marine. The filter...depends...eg, if you cleaned out an AquaClear, you could use that to hold your media as a HOB. Live rock is your main filtration system. Powerheads circulate your water.


can i use silk and plastic plants with sw?

Yikes....er...wouldn't put silk in there. You could do plastic but I wouldn't look forward to cleaning the algae off it. It's kinda like putting the sunken ship with the opening hold in a FW...cheesey..but..if you were on a budget and could'nt or wouldn't want to add corals, you could. They DO sell them in marine catalogs.

is the "clean up crew absolutely nessecary?

Nothing is absolute, but, if you are going to run a nano tank, they scavenge algae, detritus and leftover food and add little bioload to the tank. I imagine if you were scrupulous and had the best water husbandry techniques in the country you could get away without one, but, I think it is beneficial to your tank.

how do i cycle a marine tank in case i cant get ahold of live rock and live sand?

In VERY short you don't ( I don't recommend it). LR is the heart of your system, your filtration. If you can't afford to buy LR, I'd seriously recommend that you save up to or wait to start a marine tank.There are manuals online that show you how to make it but, it's a pain...

on top of that can anyone tell me how to take care of clown fish and info about them.


Buy one...acclimate him...put him in the tank....feed. That's all....no different from any other fish...it's maintaining the TANK that is the work...not the clown per se. Plenty of stuff on them on the internet. SH

 

[fish_keeper2]

thanks for the info....the prob with the live rock and live sand is that i might not be able to get it......ill be searching the net for where to buy some. ill also call my lfs where i plan to buy the clown fish from to find out what type of clownfish he carries and if he carries live rock and sand.....as far as sand(not live) i saw at petsmart pure white sand labled as moonlight sand and said its for fresh and saltwater. would that be ok to use?


http/www.petsmart.com/global/product_lis...D=1123604244532 how do you feel about those fake coral?

for the cleaning crew is a shrimp and a few small snails enough for a 10 gal?

what is a powerhead exactly?

are these ok?

live sand: http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...T&N=2004+113554

live rock: http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Di....cfm?pCatId=875

coral: http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Di...cfm?pCatId=2033 btw why does it say coral is semi aggressive?

for the clown fish this is the one i want http/www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_Di....cfm?pCatId=755
im gonna see if this is what my lfs carries, if not then ill order it from there. does anyone have experience with liveaquaria.com, are they dependable?

is this what i need as the powerhead: http/www.petsmart.com/global/product_det...D=1123608168057
it says it atteches to the undergravel stems...im guessing that has to do with an undergravel filter....how would that work in a marine tank with sand?

what about this one: http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...8&N=2004+113040


does this stuff actually work? would it be a good idea to get?
http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...C&N=2004+112990

 

[abstract]

i'm not even going to try to answer the questions since i just don't know, but you really, really, really should do us all a favor and do some reading on the internet and this forum (besides just the pinned topics)...there is so much information out there and every single question you have asked can be answered in many different, reliable sources...fact is, SW ends up costing more and being more work in most cases....the questions you are asking really show that you want a tank that is as cheap and easy to maintain as a freshwater tank, but you REALLY should research live rock, skimmers, refractometers(sp?), refugiums, hard and soft corals, and general hardware before you research fish and invertebrates....

there is much more to a SW tank than adding water, heater, filter, decorations, and fish...just look through the various topics in the SW forum and read some step-by-step guides, etc and then decide...i know it is easy to ask for answers without doing a lot of leg work, but in the end, if you can't do the research on your own (i do understand that there will always be questions, but THESE types of questions are just...), then you probably don't want to go SW...

 

[Ed4567]

A good start would be to read through steelhealr's tank setup diary:
http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?showtopic=84931

 

[fish_keeper2]

i'm not even going to try to answer the questions since i just don't know, but you really, really, really should do us all a favor and do some reading on the internet and this forum (besides just the pinned topics)...there is so much information out there and every single question you have asked can be answered in many different, reliable sources...fact is, SW ends up costing more and being more work in most cases....the questions you are asking really show that you want a tank that is as cheap and easy to maintain as a freshwater tank, but you REALLY should research live rock, skimmers, refractometers(sp?), refugiums, hard and soft corals, and general hardware before you research fish and invertebrates....

there is much more to a SW tank than adding water, heater, filter, decorations, and fish...just look through the various topics in the SW forum and read some step-by-step guides, etc and then decide...i know it is easy to ask for answers without doing a lot of leg work, but in the end, if you can't do the research on your own (i do understand that there will always be questions, but THESE types of questions are just...), then you probably don't want to go SW...

[snapback]867218[/snapback]​

i understand all that and will be researching day and night and then decide if im ready for sw. the reason why i asked the questions is becuase i would rather get the real answer from some one who has experience rather than reading it from some website and then assuming something wrong which really backfire later on.

thanks ED4567 there is quite a bit of info there

 

[fish_keeper2]

ok scratch all my other questions, i have them figured out(i think and hope, its late and im getting tired so....)i was wondering, is this a good powerhead: http/www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod...G&N=2004+113040 if so which model is the best for a 10 gal, if not can you suggest a good one for a 10 gal thats not too expensive ie. running into the hundreds range.
also does this one have to be near the surface or can i submerge it to about mid level?