New to SW

[Cichlid-Man]

Hi, i would love to start up a small SW tank. (Small to start and get used to SW) and i was wondering.....If i got say.....a 20-25 Gal. Is the stuff filter/light that comes with the aquarium good to use? what else do i need to make it ready for SW. What kind of Rocks should i get, Sand?And what kind of fish are good for starters cause i know u can put a lot of $ down the drain with SW if u are inexpirenced. Thanx.


*celebrate

 

[1979camaro]

first, most people will say go bigger b/c its easier to keep water parameters in line

that said, if all you want is fish then the filter/lights should be ok, but a filter upgrade wouldnt hurt...decorations are up to you, but coraline gravel would be good b/c it will make the water more alkaline (you wanna be in the 8s)...ive read that damsels are good for starting, but just like fw you will need to cycle...

keep in mind that i am no expert, so others may tell you otherwise and are probably more correct

Kevin

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Well i would like either some live rock or some kind of coral formation in the middle with the fish.....is there any certain nececities for that? I just want to really get used to keeping a SW tank so i can upgrade to a larger 1 later.

So you say a coraline gravel?.....i'll have to go to the LFS and see what they suggest.

Thanx

 

[1979camaro]

its just crushed coral...as for the lights for lr you need 2-3 wpg and for corals at least 5wpg

 

[JasonF]

As Camaro says, go for as big as you can afford.

Temperature, Alkalinity, PH, SG, all fluctuate less/more slowly in a larger tank, and swift fluctuations may kill the fish.

Would say get some books and read up a bit too, I say get some books as I have three and each disagrees with the other on some things...

Damsels are very aggressive fish, and though they may survive the cycle, is it fair to stress them firstly, and secondly they may relentlessly pursue/attack any newcomers, so not a method I feel is great. Fishless cycling may take a little longer but is worth it IMHO.

The lighting it would be good if you can get a 10k light (many use Metal Halides) and an actinic (Blue) which will light up an hour before the 10k light and cause less stress to the fish.

The filter I am afraid I have no idea about, but I would guess if the tank is sold as suitable for SW then it would do the job. Just need to let it mature nicely, and of course in SW many people have some Maxijets to get better water circulation, especially at the surface.

Good luck.

 

[Buzzfish]

head on over to http://www.nano-reef.com

They'll have all the info you need there in those forums.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

k thanx

 

[wayne at home]

Read Mike Palettas book - The new marine aquarium, a step by step guide or something similar. Veryy good starter info, no bull

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Ok i will. Thanx

 

[spikekillifish]

I started a 20G. reef tank 3-1/2 months ago. I went with a deep sand bed, 20lbs of LR, a AquaClear mini HOB, 130W coralife from hello lights and a couple of powerheads.

I have a RO/DI filter for top offs and water changes. I add Kalkwasser to my top offs to keep up calcium and iodine levels. I perform two 10-20% water changes weekly.

The tank is crystal clear and I have yet to lose any marine life since its inception. I have very little in unwanted agae growth.

I think starting off with a small tank was good idea for me becuase water changes are quite simple and the start up cost was considerably less. I spend a few $$$ a week on salt though.

I also baste my LR with a large eyedropper and use a radio antenna to keep the top 1/4" layer of the sand bed clean.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

Ok i am still thinking about using my 55 for SW but i am not sure........i was wondering if you all could make a "shoppinglist" for me. LOL i am not sure what to get so.....help me out!

And also i have heard you are supposed to cycle SW in a bucket overnight before a Water Change. Is this nescesary? deatils plz!

Thanx

As of now i have:
Tank
Stand
Hood that came with tank (1 light, i guess made for FW)

 

[wayne at home]

Done that reading yet ?- once you have your shopping list will be a lot clearer.
And yes you really need to dissolve the salt at least the night before , though you can use any big food safe plastic thing.

 

[Cichlid-Man]

No when i went to get that book, or a few books they wern't in stock so i am gonna run out in the next few days and pick them up. Thanx.

 

[MrKrispy]

Trust me, spend a few hours reading and reading and reading at nano-reef.com. Best info out there with a lot of people willing to help. Just READ before posting, because the info is probably already there....

 

[ClarkiCavalier]

You will need mroe lighting for sure. Letting the salwater sit overngith isn't too, too important. I let mine sit about an hour after heavy mixing. I use a Prizm protein skimmer and an emperror 400 filter. I fill the media cartridges with a carbon crystam and ammonia detox crystal mix that I found at petco. This combination would run around $200 and it keeps my water as clear as an Alaska night's sky

 

[supahtim]

hi spikekillifish,

this might seem a bit harsh, but it's not meant to be that way.

you shouldn't change the water that often. you have to let the tank settle, or if you accidently leave it for a day or two, the tank might have a spike, and you'll lose a lot of your stuff.

if you get a bag of marine salt and add a bit every once in a while, it'll last you a hell of a long time. i purchased a small bag for a 25g tank, and i only had to use it once to add the actual saltwater to my 5 1/2 gallon nano.

the tank shouldn't be "crystal clear". it's best if you have little particles floating around.

the sand bed needs to settle down. it's meant to hold the type of bacteria that keeps your tank in check. plus, hermit crabs and snails do all that stuff for you. lol.

sorry for being really judgemental or sounding like a jerk. i got in a lot of shit from other people for just thinking of doing things like that. lol

Tim