Hi,
I want to set up a saltwater tank. I currently have 55 gallon and a 10 gallon freshwater. I want to know is it better to set up a 55 gallon or the 10 gallon. Please help
Need help setting up new saltwater tank
15 posts • Page 1 of 2
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newbie916 - Posts: 375
- Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:12 pm
It's completely up to you on whether or not to set up the 55 or 10. I started with a 12 gallon saltwater with no problems and a few months later I moved into 100 gallon. It's not a cheap hobby, but it's very rewarding. You'll need a protein skimmer, 1.5-2 lbs of live rock per gallon, 2 lbs of live sand per gallon, use R/O water for top offs and water changes, phos reactor, and metal halide or T-5 lighting. The lighting depends on what kind of salt water tank you want. Do you want reef or a fish only. You should do a lot of research and ask a lot of questions because mistakes in this hobby could be really expensive. You could find a lot of stuff on craigslist to save some money. The guys on this forum helped me a lot. Good luck
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schigara - Posts: 468
- Joined: Fri Mar 14, 2008 5:42 pm
Newbie916 has good advice.
The 10g will be quite cheap but difficult if anything more than just one or 2 tiny fish. Smaller water volume=harder to maintain water parameters.
Cutting to the chase..............someone new to saltwater, should get the biggest tank they can afford. Since you already have the 55g, that would be the best choice. Do you have any interest in coral or just fish?
The 10g will be quite cheap but difficult if anything more than just one or 2 tiny fish. Smaller water volume=harder to maintain water parameters.
Cutting to the chase..............someone new to saltwater, should get the biggest tank they can afford. Since you already have the 55g, that would be the best choice. Do you have any interest in coral or just fish?
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dookiestyle - Posts: 2
- Joined: Tue Sep 23, 2008 6:10 am
Thanks a lot guys. I think I'm gonna go with the 55 gallon, I want fish and coral together so pls send me a list of equipment that i would need to buy, thanks
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newbie916 - Posts: 375
- Joined: Sat Jun 21, 2008 3:12 pm
Here's what you'll need to start.
1. sump and sump pump. Probably a 20 gallon sump. I would actually use it as a refugium, which is a whole nother cool thing.
2. Protein Skimmer
3. T-5 or metal halide lights. About 3 watts per gallon
4. 60-80 lbs of live sand
5. 80-110 lbs of live rock. Buy it on craigslist because you could get it for $2 lb vs. $7 lb at the store.
Make sure you put your live rock in first at the bottom of the tank and then add the sand. This will reduce the dead spots underneath the rock, which gave me months of heartache with my nitrates when I first started.
6. Use R/O water. You could buy it at the LFS for .49 per gallon or buy a R/O water filter.
7. I would use cheap Instant Ocean Salt to cycle your tank, but once you get corals I would use Red Sea Salt. It has the calcium and other essential minerals that your tank will need to thrive.
8. Hydrometer to test the Specific Gravity keep it between 1.023-1.025
9. Water test kit to check Ph, nitrates, ammonia, and nitrites. You'll eventually have to get test kits to check the calcium and Alkalinity levels.
10. Maintain your tank between 75-82 degrees with as little fluctuation in temperature as possible. Large swings in temp stress out the fish and corals.
Once you get all of this setup, let your tank cycle for 3 months and do 10-20% water changes every few weeks. Patience is the key and it gets easier over time. Once your Ph is 8.3-8.4, Nitrites 0, Ammonia 0, and Nitrates are less than 10 ppm. Your ready to start adding livestock a little at a time. Start with your cleaning crew. Hermits, shrimps, snails, brittle stars, etc.
Also, do your research before you buy your fish because some of the prettier ones like butterfly and angels love to eat corals.
Schigara has actually helped me out alot since I got into the hobby several months ago. He's a good person to ask a ton of questions. I hope this helps and shop on craigslist. It'll save you a boat load of money, but make sure you get quality equipment because nothings worse than going cheaper and having to buy the same thing twice. Good luck and if I think of anything else, I'll let you know
1. sump and sump pump. Probably a 20 gallon sump. I would actually use it as a refugium, which is a whole nother cool thing.
2. Protein Skimmer
3. T-5 or metal halide lights. About 3 watts per gallon
4. 60-80 lbs of live sand
5. 80-110 lbs of live rock. Buy it on craigslist because you could get it for $2 lb vs. $7 lb at the store.
Make sure you put your live rock in first at the bottom of the tank and then add the sand. This will reduce the dead spots underneath the rock, which gave me months of heartache with my nitrates when I first started.
6. Use R/O water. You could buy it at the LFS for .49 per gallon or buy a R/O water filter.
7. I would use cheap Instant Ocean Salt to cycle your tank, but once you get corals I would use Red Sea Salt. It has the calcium and other essential minerals that your tank will need to thrive.
8. Hydrometer to test the Specific Gravity keep it between 1.023-1.025
9. Water test kit to check Ph, nitrates, ammonia, and nitrites. You'll eventually have to get test kits to check the calcium and Alkalinity levels.
10. Maintain your tank between 75-82 degrees with as little fluctuation in temperature as possible. Large swings in temp stress out the fish and corals.
Once you get all of this setup, let your tank cycle for 3 months and do 10-20% water changes every few weeks. Patience is the key and it gets easier over time. Once your Ph is 8.3-8.4, Nitrites 0, Ammonia 0, and Nitrates are less than 10 ppm. Your ready to start adding livestock a little at a time. Start with your cleaning crew. Hermits, shrimps, snails, brittle stars, etc.
Also, do your research before you buy your fish because some of the prettier ones like butterfly and angels love to eat corals.
Schigara has actually helped me out alot since I got into the hobby several months ago. He's a good person to ask a ton of questions. I hope this helps and shop on craigslist. It'll save you a boat load of money, but make sure you get quality equipment because nothings worse than going cheaper and having to buy the same thing twice. Good luck and if I think of anything else, I'll let you know
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saltwaterpimp - Posts: 1307
- Joined: Wed Dec 19, 2007 2:22 am
newbie good post, shigara has tought you well. this is what i did to keep my rock off the sand bed,i just started over again , i still need a bunch of rock and another 40 lbs of sand,the sand will hide the pvc, my plan is a dramatic arch from one piller to the next. i have no skimmer yet.
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fihsboy - Posts: 1837
- Joined: Wed Mar 19, 2008 4:20 pm
hey guys.......easy way to create a dramatic arch......cylnder blocks. Stack two in your tank and one on top drill holes in it and drill holes in your rock. you zip ties to connect them and bam.....OR you can do something that is new.......and looks cool as S@#$. Its called live framing. You use PVC pipes to form your structure. MAybe like 2 or 3 inch pipe....big enough for your fish to swim through. and you drill small 1 inch holes to put other piecies of pvc pip in. then you cut a piece of 1 inch pvc about 3 inches long and drill your live rock and cement your pvc into your live rock. This will make it where you can move corals around all the time.......you can have a whole different tank today than what you had tomorrow......with no mess or cement and a lot less live rock. Which will save what 7 or 8 bucks a pound on rock......100 lbs in a decent size tank thats 700 bucks. Check it out....its called LIVE FRAMING. :)
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blueshoes2208 - Posts: 1077
- Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2008 4:01 pm
well judging by the pic pimp put up looks like he lives in the middle of nowhere fisboy where you been i havent seen you on here in a while?
