Giving salt a try!!

[Sauteman]

I've decided to kick my fish keeping knowledge up a knotch and am going to be keeping both freshwater and saltwater. Fresh is staying in the 75 and salt is gonna eiother have a 40 gallon breeder or a 55 gallon. I want to do either FO with dry rock or FOWLR... whatever works! I am going to only be keeping 2 common clownfish,1 other clown specie I like, maybe a blue hippo tang or yellow tang, cardinal fish, and inverbrates. I am going to add the fish slowly one or two at a time.
I would like to know what to get, how to setup the tank, how to cycle it, etc.\
Basic setup procedures would be great. Try to make as simple as possible.
I know I have to get 2 filters I will get 2 hob filters, salt of course, protien skimmer, heater, hydrometer, thermometer, and prime, and of course rock.
I don't want to spend over 1000.
With the fish listed should I do fo with dry rock or fowlr?
Please give me step by step instructions on how to step up salt and pics would be good.

 

[nonstophoops]

I've decided to kick my fish keeping knowledge up a knotch and am going to be keeping both freshwater and saltwater.Welcome to the good side!! Fresh is staying in the 75 and salt is gonna eiother have a 40 gallon breeder or a 55 gallon. I want to do either FO with dry rock or FOWLR These are the same, dry rock will become live once it is in water and populations of bacteria grow on and in it.... whatever works! I am going to only be keeping 2 common clownfish,1 other clown specie I like Don't mix clown species unless you have a very very large tank, the other species will most likely kill off the occelaris you refer to., maybe a blue hippo tang or yellow tang Both a 40 or 55 are too small for any tang species, cardinal fish a pair of these would be a good addition, and inverbrates. I am going to add the fish slowly one or two at a time.Good idea. Once you have the tank up, you show leave it without fish running for at month to let bacteria populations grow. From there, you can slowly add fish like you say.
I would like to know what to get, how to setup the tank, how to cycle it, etc.\You are going to want to do a lot of reading and learning. Go slow with everything. Start by getting the tank in position, getting equipment, then hooking everything up and filling with water. Then let it run for a month without putting any livestock in the tank.
Basic setup procedures would be great. Try to make as simple as possible.
I know I have to get 2 filters I will get 2 hob filter Don't need 2, one will suffice with some carbon, but a sump would be a better option. Do you run any sumps on your freshwater?, salt of course, protien skimmer Get the best one you can afford, this is the single most important piece of equipment you will buy., heater, hydrometer, thermometer, and prime, and of course rock.Buying dry rock and seeding it with a small piece of live rock will save you a lot of money. You will also want to purchase a couple powerheads. Koralia 3's would be a solid and economical choice. You will probably want some sand too. Make sure you get aragonite sand. You only need to add less than an inch. Whatever you do, do NOT buy live sand. It is not live and costs twice as much.
I don't want to spend over 1000. This should not be a problem. You can get a 40 breeder at Petco right now for 40 bucks.
With the fish listed should I do fo with dry rock or fowlr?Like I said above they are the same and dry rock will save you some coin.
Please give me step by step instructions on how to step up salt and pics would be good.

I am in red. Best advice I can give you is read, read, and read some more. Nothing good in the saltwater hobby happens fast. Read and get an idea of what you want to do and then come back and asking specific questions.

 

[muttley000]

Great advice from Dustin above. The only thing I would add is that you will have better luck with the 40 breeder. Less expensive to light, easier to aquascape with the added width, and generally not tempered so you can drill it someday for the sump mentioned above. Keep us posted!

 

[Sauteman]

I am in red. Best advice I can give you is read, read, and read some more. Nothing good in the saltwater hobby happens fast. Read and get an idea of what you want to do and then come back and asking specific questions.

Thanks for the helpful advice!
Now in your honest opinoin, which clown speices is the best looking? Which to get? Maroon clownfish or occ. clowns? I am going to do 3 of that kind and call it a day as far as clowns goes. If the store doesn't have these when I go to get clowns I will get snowflake black clowns.
Maybe I will get a goby to replace tang? How would a starfish work?
I will let the tank run good for about 3-4 weeks and check the levels everyday. No fish till the 5-6th week.
Never had a sump before, so I will stick with hobs for now. BUT once I get experience I will use sumps.
Sorry if this sounds dumb Im a sw noobie, what does seeding dry rock mean? I'll get some pumps. Now as for the sand, if the store only carries live sand,would it be ok if I had to get it? Alright so I will get dry rock and 1 live rock to help it.
So the salt levels should be around 1.21-1.25? I am doing either occel clownfish or maroon clowns, goby whatever store has, spotted cardinalfish, starfish, and invertbrates of what ever. With the dry rock.
Now I am assuming once I clean the tank, add the equipment I then clean the sand and add it to the tank. Add water and rock? Then salt? Or salt and then rock?
As for water changes, do I need really a 55 gallon trash container or can i add salt in a bucket with water and add it to tank?

 

[Pig8enis]

I would strongly encourage no more than one mated pair of whatever clown species you choose. There are exceptions but more often than not there will be blood. Seeding dry rock just mean letting bacteria populate on it whether that be with OTC additives or precured rock. A goby would make a great addition and will and plenty of character along with your clowns. They will also pair up withal invert called a pistol shrimp creating a very interesting relationship. As for he water change thing it os really your preference. The only thing I would stress is to mix your saltwater at least 24 hours in advance to allow for complete dissolution and balance, more time if you aren't using rodi. He 55 gallon garbage pail is just a convenience most aquarists choose out of convenience as it is moderately large and easily modifiable. I personally would stay away from maroons because they can become a bit of a pill later on. When you set it up I would put set the salt mix in and let it balance and then aquascape. For dry rock I can personally recommend marcorocks.com as me and others on this board have utilized this business and have yet to be Ill amazed with the product. You can get enough dry rock for your tank for less than $150 And the quality is very high.

 

[nonstophoops]

I would strongly encourage no more than one mated pair of whatever clown species you choose. There are exceptions but more often than not there will be blood. Seeding dry rock just mean letting bacteria populate on it whether that be with OTC additives or precured rock. A goby would make a great addition and will and plenty of character along with your clowns. They will also pair up withal invert called a pistol shrimp creating a very interesting relationship. As for he water change thing it os really your preference. The only thing I would stress is to mix your saltwater at least 24 hours in advance to allow for complete dissolution and balance, more time if you aren't using rodi. He 55 gallon garbage pail is just a convenience most aquarists choose out of convenience as it is moderately large and easily modifiable. I personally would stay away from maroons because they can become a bit of a pill later on. When you set it up I would put set the salt mix in and let it balance and then aquascape. For dry rock I can personally recommend marcorocks.com as me and others on this board have utilized this business and have yet to be Ill amazed with the product. You can get enough dry rock for your tank for less than $150 And the quality is very high.

Great points here. and above. I think the 40 breeder is the better option for a tank too.

Get 1 pair of clowns and I wouldn't get Maroon's. They get super aggressive and in a tank of your size would probably be destructive.

Goby is a much better choice than a tang. Good idea.

Definitely mix the water for a day before using. You don't need a container that big for making new water. A 20 gallon garbage can or rubbermaid would be plenty, even smaller would be fine with a 40 gallon tank. You will only be changing out 5-10 gallons at a time anyway.

Setup order. I would start mixing some saltwater, once it is mixed and ready, put sand on the bottom and make your aquascape with the rocks, then start adding the mixed water while trying not to disturb the sand much(a plastic bag can help achieve this by setting it on the bottom and running the water onto the bag). Once you have the tank full, start up the filters and let it run.

I would strive to keep the salinity at 1.025 or very close but you won't see ill affects from your fish if it gets a bit lower than that.

 

[Sauteman]

Great points here. and above. I think the 40 breeder is the better option for a tank too.

Get 1 pair of clowns and I wouldn't get Maroon's. They get super aggressive and in a tank of your size would probably be destructive.

Goby is a much better choice than a tang. Good idea.

Definitely mix the water for a day before using. You don't need a container that big for making new water. A 20 gallon garbage can or rubbermaid would be plenty, even smaller would be fine with a 40 gallon tank. You will only be changing out 5-10 gallons at a time anyway.

Setup order. I would start mixing some saltwater, once it is mixed and ready, put sand on the bottom and make your aquascape with the rocks, then start adding the mixed water while trying not to disturb the sand much(a plastic bag can help achieve this by setting it on the bottom and running the water onto the bag). Once you have the tank full, start up the filters and let it run.

I would strive to keep the salinity at 1.025 or very close but you won't see ill affects from your fish if it gets a bit lower than that.

Thank you guys for your advice! I will get a 20 gallon container and mix the water and salt before I do water changes on my salt tank the day before. I am going to do the set up hoops described.I will keep the salitine level around 1.025.
This is going to be my saltwater update thread where I will post the pics of my tank and etc.
I am have been thinking of buying a used salt tank from cl whats your opinions?
I have my mind set on yellow watchman gobies... how are these? And do they really only get 4''? Can I have a pair of them with a pair of snowflake clowns and snails, starfish, and crabs in a 55 fowlr?

 

[cdc]

Craigslist is a good place to look for tanks. People get tired of looking after them and you can usually get a complete setup with skimmer, sump, rock,sand etc for alot less than the 1k you have to spend. I got a 80g complete salt setup for $220 most of the time its just luck finding one when you want one.

 

[Sauteman]

Craigslist is a good place to look for tanks. People get tired of looking after them and you can usually get a complete setup with skimmer, sump, rock,sand etc for alot less than the 1k you have to spend. I got a 80g complete salt setup for $220 most of the time its just luck finding one when you want one.

Guess what??? I might get a used 75 gallon that had salt in it for years. Comes with tank, filters (saltwater used), skimmer, stand, and lights. I am only paying $250 for it. Awesome craigslist deal! Thanks for the tip I think I am going to take this guy up on his offer! Now so I guess all I have to get at the local fish store now is salt, dry rock and 1 live rock, heater, hydrometer, thermometer, and prime?
Now that I am getting a 75 can I expand on stock a bit? I am going to do 2 occel clowns, 2 spotted cardinalfish, 1 yellow or blue spotted watchman goby, 1 shrimp. Can I get a blue hippo tang or a angel with a 75? My local fish store says he would do good in a 75-90 because they max out at 11-12''. If thats the case it will be just him, 2 clowns,and yellow or blue spotted watchman goby, and shrimp.

 

[BigCountry]

I say you switch the 75 into salt and put the fresh back on the 40.