Hey guys, i want to join the club.

[gveng]

hey, i have been really tossing around the idea of what to do with my next tank and finally decided to try my hand at saltwater. so any help would be greatly appreciated.

-what size tank do you guys suggest i start out with? upgrading in the future isn't out of the question, but for my first time i don't want to go over my head.

-is live rock necessary?

-the fish i'm really interested in are clowns and dwarf lion fish. are these fish for beginners?

any other information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Wiggles92]

My responses are in red.

hey, i have been really tossing around the idea of what to do with my next tank and finally decided to try my hand at saltwater. so any help would be greatly appreciated.

-is live rock necessary?
It is not completely necessary, but it's the best biological filtration available for saltwater aquariums, hands down. In other words, you will not regret getting live rock: It will beautify your aquarium and help to keep good water quality.

-the fish i'm really interested in are clowns and dwarf lion fish. are these fish for beginners?
From what I have read, both of those fish are beginner fish. The clownfish can go with almost anything because they're pretty mild-mannered, but there are some exceptions such as the maroon clownfish. The dwarf lion fish might pick on invertebrates and will probably try to eat whatever fish that it can fit in its mouth.

-what size tank do you guys suggest i start out with? upgrading in the future isn't out of the question, but for my first time i don't want to go over my head.

Start out with whatever size aquarium that you want to; just remember that the clownfish will need 20+ gallons and the dwarf lionfish will need 30+ gallons when they reach their adult size.

any other information would be greatly appreciated.

 

[gveng]

My responses are in red.

thank you,

would this work?

-30g tank
-some kind of lighting (from what i understand i doesn't matter if there wont be corals)
-30 lbs of live rock
-some type of HOB filter for mechanical
-cycle for about 2 months

anything else i'm missing?

 

[Thecooler]

Also, I would recommend getting a mid size dwarf lionfish because they can be a little hard to train. I am struggling to ween my two of my dwarf lionfish to get off live feeders that the facility has been feeding them. The bigger your tank is, the easier it is =).

 

[gveng]

Also, I would recommend getting a mid size dwarf lionfish because they can be a little hard to train. I am struggling to ween my two of my dwarf lionfish to get off live feeders that the facility has been feeding them. The bigger your tank is, the easier it is =).

what size do you recommend? i'm just scared to get in over my head. but mentally and financially. haha, i already found a 120 gallon glass with full canopy, stand, 30 gallon sump, and skimmer for $200.00... but i think thats a little too big for my first time.

 

[Wiggles92]

thank you,

would this work?

-30g tank
-some kind of lighting (from what i understand i doesn't matter if there wont be corals)
-30 lbs of live rock
-some type of HOB filter for mechanical
-cycle for about 2 months

anything else i'm missing?

Looks fine to me; your list just needs a few additions:

You'll want to have decent lighting to get good coralline algae growth on the live rock, but it doesn't have to be super intense lighting like metal halides. You'll also want to have a substrate that is composed of reef-grade aragonite. You may want to get some base rock to put under the live rock to avoid die-off from the parts of the live rock that might get covered with sand otherwise. You'll want to get a protein skimmer, too; it will help to maintain good water quality. AquaC is a good brand to look into for protein skimmers. Be sure to have your lighting, filter(s), skimmer, live rock, base rock, and substrate all up and running when you begin the cycling process.

 

[Windsorguy77]

what size do you recommend? i'm just scared to get in over my head. but mentally and financially. haha, i already found a 120 gallon glass with full canopy, stand, 30 gallon sump, and skimmer for $200.00... but i think thats a little too big for my first time.

Up around the 100 gallon range is a good size if you have the room. The larger the tank is the easier to maintain in my opinion. Just starts to get expensive for equipment once you start getting big.

 

[gveng]

what would you choose as a starter tank..

a) 120 glass tank w/ canopy, stand, 30 gallon sump w/ live rock, lights (fluorescent but not for coral) power heads, return pump, and skimmer. tank is currently up and running and will be broken down in front of me. it will also come with about 70 lbs of dead rock $200.00

b) 24 gallon nano cube w/ power heads, live rock, corals, shrimp and fish. the tank is up and running and pretty much done. looks great $215.00

thanks!!

 

[Wiggles92]

what would you choose as a starter tank..

a) 120 glass tank w/ canopy, stand, 30 gallon sump w/ live rock, lights (fluorescent but not for coral) power heads, return pump, and skimmer. tank is currently up and running and will be broken down in front of me. it will also come with about 70 lbs of dead rock $200.00

b) 24 gallon nano cube w/ power heads, live rock, corals, shrimp and fish. the tank is up and running and pretty much done. looks great $215.00

thanks!!

I'd go with Option A because you'll be able to get the experience of setting up your own salt aquarium rather than just buying one that's already set up and stocked plus at $200 for that aquarium and equipment, you can't go wrong (especially if it's decent equipment). Another benefit is that you will not have to worry about the fish that you wanted outgrowing the aquarium as you would with Nano Cube (at least with the dwarf lionfish).

 

[nonstophoops]

I'd go with Option A because you'll be able to get the experience of setting up your own salt aquarium rather than just buying one that's already set up and stocked plus at $200 for that aquarium and equipment, you can't go wrong (especially if it's decent equipment). Another benefit is that you will not have to worry about the fish that you wanted outgrowing the aquarium as you would with Nano Cube (at least with the dwarf lionfish).

I agree here, but not if 120 gallons will totally overwhelm you. The smaller one is probably the better bet to get used to maintaining. Personally I would buy them both because they are both steals at those prices. Where do you live??? lol