Why Is It So Difficult?

[ponkbunny]

first i decided to go tropical and decided on a juwel rekord 120. now after visiting my lfs i want to go marine as i always have wanted to but always thought it would be too difficult. after loads of research i still want marine but its costly and my parents arent that keen on me having it.
so i decided to go tropical again.

but i have now discovered the joys of nano reefs and my marine interest has grown. i have found a tank that is 27 uk gallons. all i basically want is some live rock and clownfish.

will this tank be ok and is it true i wouldnt need a protein skimmer?

what other things would i need?

 

[1entra]

Well firstly welcome to the marine side of things!

If all you are after is a fish only with live rock (FOWLR) system then and you only want clowns, the 27 UK gallon tank is more than big enough, you would probly successfully be able to keep approx 5/6 small fish in that size tank with out stressing the bio-load of the tank! Also with a FOWLR system you would not require high intensity lighting so should be able to get away with standard T8 tank lights!

Marine is however alot more demanding than a freshwater tank and also as you will be aware the costs are also higher! So make sure you are willing to dedicate quite a bit of time to your tank along with expecting to spend a fair bit of cash!

With only keeping clownfish, the live rock (once cycled) should be able to deal with/ filter out most of the bio-load, and along with regular 10-20% weekly/fort-nightly water changes, the need for a protein skimmer becomes unecessary!

The equipment you will require however is:

• Preferably RO water in order to avoid future algae problems
• A hydrometer/refractometer
• Heater(s)
• Powerhead(s) for water circulation
• Some form of mechanical filteration to remove any large peices of detritus
• Thermometer
• Possibly a subtrate (live sand etc) - optional
• Marine reef water test kit- pH, ammonia, nitrites, nitrates
• Reef/sea salt

I think I have got everything there, might have missed something but don't think so? Someone else may well want to add something else!

Make sure you do alot of reading and research into the subject so u know what you are letting yourself in for, I do not mean to be trying to put you off as it is a very highly rewarding hobby but requires a lot of patience and commitment!

Anyways good luck with it all, and let us know if you decide to go ahead with everything.

 

[Musho3210]

oh and clownfish dont classify as "small fish" IMO, stick with 2 clowns, it will be easier to keep things in check, especially if your parents arent too keen on you and fish.

 

[Lynden]

Some clownfish max out at relatively low sizes, many authors tell me that the two "perc" clownfish will grow to a mere 2''; others 3''. On the other end of the scale, the record size for maroon clownfish is 8.9'', if I remember correctly.

Also, I find marine tanks to be less maintainence than freshwater.

 

[ponkbunny]

thanks for the advice. im going to my lfs today to have a look at the books and pick the staffs brains

 

[ponkbunny]

ok just got back from my lfs and bought a book called "The Simple Guide to Marine Aquariums" by Jeffrey Kurtz.

interesting book with loads of info on starting up.

whats annoying is when i went to my lfs 3 weeks ago, i was gived a quote for the tank i am getting and told i would have it in time for christmas. but today he says they are discontinued months ago. if they were discontinued, why did he say in the first place i could get one. now im confused with what tank to get now.

sorry if im ranting a bit, but it is rather annoying.

 

[littleme1969]

First of all find another fish shop, lol, the guy sounds like a real plonker!
Secondly if you want info then read the Diary section on marine & reef chit chat. You will pick up everything you need to know there. There are also lots of pinned topics in the nano section on how to go about things.
I learnt pretty much everything I know from these forums, I wouldnt trust my local fish and most of them dont have any real clue.

 

[ponkbunny]

i think your right about him being a plonker. i spent over an hour couple weeks back discussing salt water setup nd he didnt even recognise me!

I would go to another shop but its the only shop near me that sells marines. im currently a 45min train journey away from my nearest.

 

[Musho3210]

ok just got back from my lfs and bought a book called "The Simple Guide to Marine Aquariums" by Jeffrey Kurtz.

interesting book with loads of info on starting up.

whats annoying is when i went to my lfs 3 weeks ago, i was gived a quote for the tank i am getting and told i would have it in time for christmas. but today he says they are discontinued months ago. if they were discontinued, why did he say in the first place i could get one. now im confused with what tank to get now.

sorry if im ranting a bit, but it is rather annoying.

i dont like that book, its really old fashion, there are new ways of keeping reef tanks now. It talks about what you can use, but not what you should use.....

 

[littleme1969]

i think your right about him being a plonker. i spent over an hour couple weeks back discussing salt water setup nd he didnt even recognise me!

I would go to another shop but its the only shop near me that sells marines. im currently a 45min train journey away from my nearest.

I dont live near any reef shops and all my set up/stock/corals/rock etc where bought online with no problems at all. So its always an option, you dont have to buy from a local shop. Plus they tend to charge more for stuff. If you want any help with online suppliers I can give you details for everything, all tried and tested

 

[Lynden]

Agreed.

 

[ponkbunny]

thanks i have been told there is a fantastic marine shop about 1 hour away. my dad is taking me up next weekend.

 

[andywg]

i dont like that book, its really old fashion, there are new ways of keeping reef tanks now. It talks about what you can use, but not what you should use.....

Perhaps he realises there is more than one way to skin a cat, something the SW forum here often has trouble with.

And I must agree with Lynden (how scarily often that happens these days, eh Lynden? ) that SW does not always have to be more work than FW. Even my large reef tank is less work than my FW tanks for maintenance and feeding (even if I discount the fussy moray in the reef tank).

If you want an SPS farm to make some money on then it is work, but a simple FOWLR is not going to be much effort to maintain, especially if stocked light with smaller fish.

 

[Musho3210]

i dont like that book, its really old fashion, there are new ways of keeping reef tanks now. It talks about what you can use, but not what you should use.....

Perhaps he realises there is more than one way to skin a cat, something the SW forum here often has trouble with.

And I must agree with Lynden (how scarily often that happens these days, eh Lynden? ) that SW does not always have to be more work than FW. Even my large reef tank is less work than my FW tanks for maintenance and feeding (even if I discount the fussy moray in the reef tank).

If you want an SPS farm to make some money on then it is work, but a simple FOWLR is not going to be much effort to maintain, especially if stocked light with smaller fish.

The book doesnt go in depth on live rock, doesnt go in depth on protein skimmers, just says venturi and air powered, i mean the information is correct, i never said it wasnt (nor did you), but not many people would suggest as much bio-filtration and wet dry as possible now without cleaning it (since he never mentioned cleaning it) in a full blown sps reef tank.... Im sure you wouldnt andy if someone asked for the easiest to maintain way.....

It was published in 2001, no idea when it was written, for that time period, yes, it was probably the best way to keep fish, but things change......