Thinking of starting a sw tank

[Auratus]

In my tropical fish hobbyist magazine I read a step by step guide on how to set up a 20 gallon sw tank. But I read in the pinned post that it is better to start with a big tank. Unfortuanatly, that is not an option for me! Is it really hard for beginners to manage marine tanks?

 

[ostrow]

The more water, the more stable the water. The less water, the less stable. Unstable water in a marine tank is even more deadly than unstable water in a freshwater tank.

Nanoreefs are much harder to keep than "regular" reef tanks and 20G is certainly a nano size. Of course, I just learned my 75 is considered a "nano" reef so whatever.

 

[devinf]

I've always assumed that a starter tank should be at leat 40-50 gallons. Anything smaller and you are tackling a more advanced system (i.e. your water quality control will have to be dead on as will your lighting, filtration, etc.).

If you do start with something small I would keep it as a fish-only system and avoid any inverts. Maybe a display tank for one or two favorite fish? And then go and find a biger tank!

Devin

 

[Landlocked]

It really depends on your tank to be able to tell whether its hard to manage or not. A 55 gallon tank is about the best to start with. Smaller tanks can be used at times, but they're a lot harder to manage. What are you going to want to put in this tank?

 

[EddieW]

Auratus,

A 20 gal is definitely nano as everyone else has said. It can be done (I have a 20 gal which is working nicely) but you need to watch it carefully. If you want to see mine there are some photos in Member's Aquarium Pictures - search for Nano.

I terms of price per gallon you will spend more on a nano than on a larger tank.

There is a forum out there which is specifically about nano-reef setup which is worth a visit - watch out though, some of the people there are nowhere near as friendly and tolerant as here so anything they consider a stupid question gets flamed. I use it for research mostly now and if I have specific questions I usually post here or on other forums. PM me if you can't locate the forum and I'll give you the URL.

HTH, Eddie