ok my first salt tank starts

[Bazinga]

ok so tonight i was bored and went to my LFS i dont like going there because every single time i go i always spend money and this time was no different, i walked in just because i was bored and then it turned into me wanting to start a slat tank, i went ahead and bought live sand, a hydrometer, and instant ocean salt, im planning on making my 29 gallon into my first salt tank just a reef with maybe one or 2 clowns and a tang, possibly a star fish and a shrimp, im very new to salt and im not sure what to do first my gues is to put the sand in, fill it with pre mixed water, from there im going to wait a week or 2 so all the bio can build up and what not, then im gonna buy some live rock and some corals so the fish will feel more at home, then lastly ill buy the fish... im not looking to rush into this as i spent some money on it and i dont want a dead tank and to be down $$$ anyways any tips and pointers to help me start my first salt tank would gladly be appreciated thank you in advance

 

[BlackShark11k]

Hey,

Glad to see more people getting into saltwater. First of all a hydrometer is not always accurate. I have not had problems with mine, but I have heard of people loosing all their coral due to incorrectly hydrometer readings. A salinity refractometer will yield more accurate results. As for stocking, in a reef tank you will want to keep it simple. A single clown would work fine, be careful when mixing multiple clowns since they can be nonspecifically aggressive. A tang will get too large for a 29g tank. You'll want to hold off on the corals until the tank has properly cycled and your sure all of your parameters are 100% correct. With corals you will also end up needing high spectrum lighting. I'd choose the corals you plan to house and then base what lighting you get after that, as well as different foods/etc depending on the corals. Frogspawn are my personal coral favorite, they are a great beginner coral and won't require additional food. Be sure to do lots of research on whatever you choose. Also, your going to need a protein skimmer, most lfs will have them or you can purchase one online.

Good luck,
Blackshark11k

 

[Bazinga]

oh i forgot to say i do plan on waiting a long time until i add corals and fish i want to make sure this tank is at 100% before i buy things, anyways thanks for the tips i will look into everything you said, ive read that if i do a coral only tank i wont need a skimmer is that true, and how about a power head ive noticed that almost all salt tanks have power heads again thanks for the advice

 

[BlackShark11k]

oh i forgot to say i do plan on waiting a long time until i add corals and fish i want to make sure this tank is at 100% before i buy things, anyways thanks for the tips i will look into everything you said, ive read that if i do a coral only tank i wont need a skimmer is that true, and how about a power head ive noticed that almost all salt tanks have power heads again thanks for the advice

A skimmer is a key part of any saltwater tank, some people get buy without it, but very few people will recommend removing the skimmer, especially in a salt tank where coral foods can easily create a lot of surface protein. Powerhead are also important, just understand that different corals will appreciate different currents.

 

[Bazinga]

A skimmer is a key part of any saltwater tank, some people get buy without it, but very few people will recommend removing the skimmer, especially in a salt tank where coral foods can easily create a lot of surface protein. Powerhead are also important, just understand that different corals will appreciate different currents.

ok thank you i will look into getting a skimmer, and will also look into the corals im buying before i buy them

 

[FLESHY]

Blackshark, Im going to repeat some of the things you said.

BTW - Beautiful frontosa...cant wait till mine gets a little bigger.

Some things that worry me. You are buying stuff before researching.

Live sand is pretty much a rip. It will cycle your tank, but not because it has the bacteria, but because all that dead stuff (which might have been bacteria before it was left in a bag at room temp for a couple months) will feed the bacteria.

For a reef I would recommend caribsea's special reef grade aragonite. Its the best stuff out there, if you want to know why...ask.

There is nothing wrong with a hydrometer...I have kept my reef for 8 years with one, have a ton of "difficult corals" and have had no problems. Check, double check. Rinse your hydrometer with freshwater before AND after every reading. Make sure that the arm is not stuck someplace, and that it is free of bubbles. Make sure that the water level is okay, and if you do that, you should be fine.

Skimmer. Whoever told you that you dont need one, has a nasty film on the surface of their tank. Either that or they waste a lot of time and salt "skimming" it by hand. I dont have any filtration on my aquarium aside from my skimmer, my 90# of rock, and a 30% bi-weekly water change. All my wastes read out at 0 during testing. If you want more info on this, ask.

The smallest tangs need at least a 75g aquarium. And even then, I feel bad sometimes. A 125 is ideal, some species need more swimming room.

If I were you I would do this:

Research what corals I want...buy some lights accordingly. Get good filtration, a skimmer, a heater...set it all up on my tank.

When I had all that stuff ready to go I would add the sand and the water, and the live rock I wanted.

Watch your water quality over a couple weeks, doing water changes, removing dead stuff from your rock. (This is easily done by blowing them off with a powerhead. During this time you could also have added your cleaning crew: snails, hermits ect) When your tank is cycled, and the rock isnt having dieoff anymore, you can add your first fish.

After you have all the fish and inverts you want in your tank. (This should have been gradual) You can start getting your first corals. Good luck, and post back with any questions you might have. Your original statement is pretty broad to respond to in just one post.

 

[Mazcote Yarquest]

For a reef I would recommend caribsea's special reef grade aragonite. Its the best stuff out there, if you want to know why...ask.

Ok, I will, please enlighten the whole class

That smiley looks like it's wearing a crown...

 

[FLESHY]

Ok, I will, please enlighten the whole class

That smiley looks like it's wearing a crown...

Well, its reefkeeping. Everything is an opinion. Im humbled that you DID ask. Ha ha, now I have to back up my claim. Well here it is:

First off, its aragonite. Although substrate does little for buffering, if its going to do anything at all, its going to be the aragonite.

Second off, the size. This stuff is small enough that its not rough on animals, can go through gills of jawfish, and other sand sifters, and YET...can be siphon vacuumed if need be.

Aside from that theres not much else I look for in a substrate. I have had everything from crushed coral to sugar sand...This has just left me the happeist all around.