lol you guys are being pretty informative to me that it makes me scared to start a saltwater tank. hahahah but i'll be reading more and have questions later. i just wanted to know what i would need to buy to start. thanks so far!!!
BIG NEWBIE ON SALTWATER, TIPS PLEASE
- Thread starter duongsta4o9
- Start date
thanks for this link@! just read it and wiggles did a great job. his explanation makes it sound easy lol
It's pretty easy, but the main thing is taking it slow & not adding livestock until everything else is in place; it's a major pain to try to piece together a successful saltwater system as you go when you already have fishes in the aquarium. Hopefully that guide will come in handy!
Thanks for posting that link, too, Kelly!
My opinion is to start off with a bio cube and see if you even like the regular maintenance and the money you spend because from my experiences in both hobbies, saltwater tends to be most expensive to maintain everything the correct way. Just food for thought I know many people will say its a bad idea but that's what I'm doing now and on the 8th month mark of my tank, its coming along very nicely.
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I'd recommend going with at least a 40 breeder for a dwarf lionfish or at least a 75 gallon for a small adult volitan lionfish; a larger aquarium is preferable in either case, though.
I also recommend going with a sump rather than an HOB filter, if possible, as you will have more room to fit equipment & will have more water volume to help keep the water parameters stable. An HOB filter/filters will work just fine, but a sump is still preferred; avoid canister filters like a plague, too.
BioCubes, Nano Cubes, & most other "all-in-one" systems are pretty expensive and severely limit your filtration options; the average novice saltwater keeper tends to be off-put by the initial start-up cost of a basic saltwater system let alone the added cost of going with an "all-in-one" system. However, they are very good systems if you're willing to spend the extra money & can deal with their limitations.
I also recommend going with a sump rather than an HOB filter, if possible, as you will have more room to fit equipment & will have more water volume to help keep the water parameters stable. An HOB filter/filters will work just fine, but a sump is still preferred; avoid canister filters like a plague, too.
BioCubes, Nano Cubes, & most other "all-in-one" systems are pretty expensive and severely limit your filtration options; the average novice saltwater keeper tends to be off-put by the initial start-up cost of a basic saltwater system let alone the added cost of going with an "all-in-one" system. However, they are very good systems if you're willing to spend the extra money & can deal with their limitations.
thanks wiggles. how large of a sump does it need to be for a 40 gallon tank? are there any threads on how to properly setup a sump
btw...i know you saiid sand but which is better in benefits and why? argonite sand or crush corrals thanks!
Thank you Wiggles for writing the thread in the first place! I still think it should be stickied.
The DIY section will have the best advice and tips as to sumps. I've got a 55 with two HOB filters filled with LR rubble. It works out just fine. Someday though, that tank will be a sump. So i guess go with what you can afford, especially if you're just sampling the water, you know? I am just as inexperienced as you are,OP, but I've also been told a larger system is better and easier to maintain.
And don't forget, we like build pics! Lol.
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The DIY section will have the best advice and tips as to sumps. I've got a 55 with two HOB filters filled with LR rubble. It works out just fine. Someday though, that tank will be a sump. So i guess go with what you can afford, especially if you're just sampling the water, you know? I am just as inexperienced as you are,OP, but I've also been told a larger system is better and easier to maintain.
And don't forget, we like build pics! Lol.
Sent from my iPhone using MonsterAquariaNetwork app
It really all depend on what your using the sump for. A sump by itself is a place to put a larger GPH circulation pump and a cyclone type skimmer. Some ppl put Cheato algae in theres to use as a refrigium while others like me use towers for more LR and chemical bags, reactors, 3 stage baffles for overflow control and auto drip systems. I've seen sumps larger than displays on some folks systems - they've got all kinds of stuff goin on in there.
