noob questions

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laura65536

Feeder Fish
MFK Member
Sep 3, 2007
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Nebraska
Okay, first off I know to most of you this is going to sound completely dumb, and I apologize in advance, I've kept fish for quite awhile, and just recently started keeping a BW tank for puffers, now I am wanting to try a salt tank.

I have an empty 55, I'm wondering if the cycling process is the same for salt as it is for BW/fresh, what I mean by that is can I just have the SG at whatever my lfs keeps the fish at and put ammonia in the tank and wait for the nitrites to spike, then nitrates.

Also, since this is my first attempt at salt, I want to stay simple (and cheap) until I get the hang of it, so no $200 fish (yet ;)). My kids both love 'nemo' so I was thinking of keeping a single clown for awhile. Now my question about that is, are they okay by themselves, and do they need an anemone, and if so, what would be a good suggestion for a 'hardy' anemone?

I know live rock is very pricey, and I have looked into different ways to set up the tank, one of which is just using my hobs from when it was a fresh water tank. Will this be okay or should I wait to try this until I can shell out the dough for 60 lbs of live rock and just do a fowlr? Does anyone on here have experience with just using hobs, and if so, how do you set up the baskets (on an ac110 and an emperor 400)?

Thanks in advance for bearing with me!
 
Get RODI water and fill the tank leaving about 3 inches from the top. Mix the saltmix in the water increasing SG to your liked level. Add your live sand and have a mechanical filter running with some powerheads to keep it stirred up and help get it cleaned. I would invest most of the money on LR, LS and a skimmer. Skimmers are great because they help clean the water. You dont have to have one but i would recommend it for safe measure. keep the tank clean and start the cycle. The method that i like is buying uncured LR. During the curing porcess your rock cycles and so does the tank. This does require a bit more work on your part in the early stages of the tank, but the nice thing about it is, when the rock is done, then you know the tank will be done. Always a nice feeling lol.

HOB filters will be fine. You will want them to be clean but for the most part okay. I suggest getting a sump and getting an aftermarket overflow and use this. This is called WETDRY. its the best way to filter a SW tank IMO.

Lights can be standard if your not planning on keeping corals. If your want a Hardy annemone, then you will want to pay closer attention to the lighting and your price will go up big time. You will also have to let the tank mature for a while, about 98-10 months seems to be a nice time to wait.

Im very tired and i didnt put all the info down, so please keep the questions comming.
 
do clown fish need to have an anemone? I'm sure they don't need them, but is it a good idea to have one? And will it be okay all by itself, or do they do better in groups?

I was planning on getting a good skimmer, that was why I was wanting to skip the live rock for now, but if it would be better to just wait and do it that way then that is what I should do, I would hate to get invested in it and have it not work out because I had to cut corners.
 
No. They don't need them. I had clowns for years and never had anemones. I didn't have them in a reef tank, it was just some coral skeletons and clowns.
 
did you have the live rock in with them or not?
 
and sweetang, what is the purpose of keeping the water level down 3" from the top? (just wondering)
 
the purpose of leaving the water level a few inches from the top is so when you add the sand and rock, you don't over flow the tank. After it is all in there you can top it off if you chose, otherwise let it run where its at and do a water change later. I would recommend getting LR right away because its a very good biological filter for a SW tanks. Clowns will be okay in groups or singly. If you add one and then another one later, watch out for aggression. its always best advised to add them together.

skimmer i would look for is a ASM brand. Works well if your getting a sump, otherwise AquaC remora pros work very well for hang on models.
 
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