taking the plunge

[SheilaF]

I have been thinking about doing saltwater for a little while now. A few months back I posted here to get some ideas as to what was all involved. I recently got back from a trip to Edmonton for my cousin's wedding. Her husband is into fish and we got talking. I think I'd like to give it a try, but I have some questions, I don't want to just jump into things. Any help at all will be greatly appreciated.
1. If I start out with live sand/rocks and fish can I convert to a reef later? As long as I choose reef safe fish?
2. If I do start out with just live rock and fish do I need a skimmer and special lighting right away? Or can I add it later?
3.Filtration wise what would be better? AC500 or a fluval 404? For my freshwater tanks I like the AC's but I would like to use what works best.
4. What type of lighting is best for corals and invertebrates?
5. Is 30gallons an adequate size to start of with?
6. What size powerhead should I get?

Thanks so much for any help and if anyone has any suggestions as to what types of things to buy, that would be great, also any good websites would be great as well. Thanks wave

 

[drummereef]

Hi and welcome.

1. Yes, just make sure you do at least 1lb/gallon minimum of live rock from the start.
2. I would invest in a good skimmer, yes. Euro-Reef, Deltec, etc.. No special lighting is needed if it's fish-only. If you are considering a reef, it's better to buy lights that will be acceptable in reef land. T5's might be a good all around choice.
3. If you have at least 1lb of live rock per gallon of water (minimum), no filtration needed. The live rock is the primary bio filter.
4. Depends on what you want to keep. I would suggest T5. Metal Halide is great but can be a bit more involved, just depends.
5. Go with the largest tank you can afford. I would get a Reef-Ready tank (drilled for sump) if you can.
6. Tunze Nanostreams or Koralia are a good choice. Aim for at least 25x turnover as a start. Depending on what corals you wnat to keep more is definitely the way to go. I have 30x turnover in my 40g mixed reef.

 

[Mr James]

First off, I just moved to northern Minnesota, just about 2 hours south of Winnepeg. We're practically neighbors. Feel free to ask more questions. And do lots of reading here on RC!!

Do a lot of reading before you purchase anything. Get people's opinions on here. Just because your LFS (Local Fish Store) says it's a good thing, it may not be.

Any good stores up there in Winnepeg??

1. Once you put live rock/sand into a tank, it is a reef tank. Don't add fish until the tank has fully cycled. You're going to need some test kits to measure the health of your water before you add any fish.

2. IMO, yes, you are going to need a skimmer to help cure your live rock, to make it safe enough to put livestock in. Lights are not such a big deal. You could get away with a couple 40w lights to begin.

3. IMO, you don't need any hang on filters like the freshwater tanks have. Unless of course you were just going to run carbon in it. But I think a pair of pantyhose filled with carbon works better. (Judging by your name, you probably won't be as embarrassed as I am to buy pantyhose!!) Forget the hang on type freshwater filters, IMO.

4. Ahhh, lighting. The first question anyone will ask you is what types of corals, specifically, do you plan to keep?? Different corals require different light. IME, metal halide lighting is the best!!!

5. A 30g tank may be a little small to start with. I'd say start with a 55g to a 125g, or anywhere in between. Experienced reefers can do smaller tanks with greater success.

6. Why do you need a powerhead?? What in the tank requires it?? But to answer your question, I prefer Maxi-Jet 1200's for a typical powerhead. Now adays, there are quite a few powerheads to choose from for water movement. Check out brand names like Hydor, Rio (Seio), Tunze, Maxi-Jet.....

I always shop here first!! Check out the for sale boards and you will find things for sale a lot cheaper than brand new. And you will get to meet cool people like me!!

 

[Reefbox]

A saltwater tank can b done with minimal investment to get you started into this fascinating hobby and you can grow from there.

Just for example I have 3 independent 10 gallon tanks each containing a mated pair of clownfish only with a cheap flourescent light, small heater, no sand, no live rock and a cheap hang on power filter. That's it. 10-20 % water change each week. The tanks and fish do just great.

 

[Mr James]

Are you breeding clownfish Reefbox??

 

[jimicasper]

Start small the learning curve in saltwater can be expensive if you go to big to quick and looze livestock!

 

[Reefbox]

Mr. James

I have 4 mated pairs of clowns, but no eggs yet, but it is approaching, i see some of them doing their dance. Most of them are fairly young fish, but mated up.

I have the microalgae, rotifer and brine shrimp cultures ready to go once i have eggs. I also have a mated pair of bangaii cardinals and gold neon gobies.

I have a mated pair of Ocellaris, Clark's, Percula's and Maroon clowns all in seperate tanks.

It will b alot of work raising them but i feel that it will b a very rewarding experience.