ok i have a 30 gal tank doing nothing, so i'm interested in trying my hand at a salt tank. but have no clue where to begin, do i need any special filter? what kind of substrate should i use? what are a few key things i should get before starting this such as testing and supplies. oh and also this will just be fish not coral thanks for any input!
setting up a new salt tank how to?
- Thread starter hastyryan
- Start date
basically u need, protein skimmer, heater, power-heads, lighting ( depends on setup ), GFCI, and this book
http://www.marinedepot.com/The_New_...uarium_Books-House_Brand-BKNMA-FIBKSW-vi.html
this book is the 1st thing to buy it should help save you alot of money
mr.reef24
http://www.marinedepot.com/The_New_...uarium_Books-House_Brand-BKNMA-FIBKSW-vi.html
this book is the 1st thing to buy it should help save you alot of money
mr.reef24
It doesn't have to be as expensive as some people seem to think, a lot depends on the choices you make when it comes to stocking etc. including buying the tank and stand, and the livestock, i got my whole set up done for just under £200.
People say you need a skimmer a lot, but i think it depends on the bioload and the size of the tank. My tank is a nano tank (a tiny salt water tank) so literally has one fish, one hermit crab, one shrimp and one snail, and the last three all act as a clean up crew to the fish. There is a filter inside the tank that keeps the current pretty high and just works in the same way a powerhead would (no filter material inside it, just live rock rubble), as you dont want stagnant water any where because waste will build up.
One big difference between salt and fresh is live rock. The little critters on and in the live rock will filter the water for you, assuming your bioload isnt too much. This can save a lot of time and effort, as you are re-creating nature to let the little guys deal with the fishes mess. I have coral too, supported by a £30 light above my tank, with glass over the top of the tank, and have my tank right by a window and the soft coral in the tank is doing fine. Not saying this would work for everyone (over feeding can lead to an algae build up) but my snail does his job well at keeping the tank clean.
In reality my tankis just live rock, filter, basic light, and thats about it! One thing i would say is dont expect to get as big a bang for your buck as freshwater,and dont scrimp and save... get a refractometer rather than a hydrometer for example, the extra accuracy is vital when you have so much invested in a tank.
Keep your head up, it can be done cheaply, as long as you dint mind the cheapness dictating what you can and cant have in your tank.
Edit: have a heater as well of course, but somehow forgot that!
People say you need a skimmer a lot, but i think it depends on the bioload and the size of the tank. My tank is a nano tank (a tiny salt water tank) so literally has one fish, one hermit crab, one shrimp and one snail, and the last three all act as a clean up crew to the fish. There is a filter inside the tank that keeps the current pretty high and just works in the same way a powerhead would (no filter material inside it, just live rock rubble), as you dont want stagnant water any where because waste will build up.
One big difference between salt and fresh is live rock. The little critters on and in the live rock will filter the water for you, assuming your bioload isnt too much. This can save a lot of time and effort, as you are re-creating nature to let the little guys deal with the fishes mess. I have coral too, supported by a £30 light above my tank, with glass over the top of the tank, and have my tank right by a window and the soft coral in the tank is doing fine. Not saying this would work for everyone (over feeding can lead to an algae build up) but my snail does his job well at keeping the tank clean.
In reality my tankis just live rock, filter, basic light, and thats about it! One thing i would say is dont expect to get as big a bang for your buck as freshwater,and dont scrimp and save... get a refractometer rather than a hydrometer for example, the extra accuracy is vital when you have so much invested in a tank.
Keep your head up, it can be done cheaply, as long as you dint mind the cheapness dictating what you can and cant have in your tank.
Edit: have a heater as well of course, but somehow forgot that!
Yea i dont know how you guys set up these expesnive rediculous tanks. My 200 cost me 300 dollars to set up....
TheCanuck;3935447; said:
I have to agree, with all my research and planing my 1000gal is only going to cost around 2000-3000$ (including tank but without fish and corals) haven't decided on some of the equiptment, hence the large price span.
But back to your question, I would say get the book and read it, or do a ton of reasearch online, as no matter what you are told here there will still be other options you could go with and you will never get all the information. Also I hear all kinds of stories about people with problems they never knew could happen because they didn't do the research first. IMO salt tanks are not something you can just jump into and are not to be taken lightly. Just jumping in without the initial research will cause many headachs and possibly large sums of money wasted, so read up, ask a few questions, but try to learn as much as you can on your own as you will learn more and be able to solve problems better on your own if you don't have someone holding your hand the whole time.