i think a general rule of thumb with saltwater is go big or go home lol...if your nervous about keeping saltwater, id start small. 40 gallons is great. get a few smaller fish to start. You'd be surprised at how much experience you can gain, just by starting small. id recommend some of the typical fish. Clowns, smaller wrasse, cardinals, chromis etc... after a while, you'll feel more inclined to make the decision on being ready for corals or not. good luck.
Starting!
- Thread starter Rawrzer
- Start date
You are using an out of date browser. It may not display this or other websites correctly.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
You should upgrade or use an alternative browser.
is cycling the same as freshwater? also What are some other things taht are a lot different from fresh that i should watch out for?
well saltwater should always be run with a skimmer. some say that a FOWLR systems does not need one, but hey, no harm in being clean right lol. The cycles differ slightly. The same effects are taking place but usually done in different methods. Live rock is a must as this typically starts the cycle of the tank. this also provides hiding places for your fish. usually 1 lbs a gallon is used, but sometimes more depending on the size and density of the rock.
I say that skimmers are a must no matter what. Big fish = more waste, you are going to want that skimmer even more if it is a fowlr setup.
I think that all "pounds per gallon" rules as far as SW goes are also bogus...do what works for you, and for your fish.
Dont pack your tank full of rock because you think you need that much...that is antiquated reefing.
I think that all "pounds per gallon" rules as far as SW goes are also bogus...do what works for you, and for your fish.
Dont pack your tank full of rock because you think you need that much...that is antiquated reefing.
Yes, I run and recommend AquaC.
I think that for the price they are the best skimmers on the market, and in one way or another I have had experience with quite a few skimmers.
AquaC also requires zero tuning, and darn near close to zero maintenance, great for someone just starting out.
I think that for the price they are the best skimmers on the market, and in one way or another I have had experience with quite a few skimmers.
AquaC also requires zero tuning, and darn near close to zero maintenance, great for someone just starting out.
FLESHY;4942745; said:Yes, I run and recommend AquaC.
I think that for the price they are the best skimmers on the market, and in one way or another I have had experience with quite a few skimmers.
AquaC also requires zero tuning, and darn near close to zero maintenance, great for someone just starting out.
x2.
My dad runs one of these (AquaC Remora, to be exact) on his 55 gallon saltwater aquarium. He has it hooked up to empty into a five gallon bucket, so he dumps that once a week and calls it good. The AquaC Remora is rated for 20-75 gallons, so it would be a good choice for your aquarium.
Is cycling salt like cycling fresh - it can be if you use hardy fish w/ dry rock and bio-media. The nitrafing colonies will build on both just like fresh using the ammonia generated from the fish. I've read about ppl cycling tanks with food however I have never used just food to cycle any tank thru. It can also be totaly different if using semi or cultured material like Live Rock their will be another element creating the ammonia the die-back from the exsisting live organism within' the rock. After the ammonia spikes the Nitrites go thru the roof for a few weeks making it not so ideal for anytype of life other than nitrifing bacteria and algaes. Same happens to freshy's, but the fish are exposed to poisonus gas. With the LR the tank will cycle thru without the risk of high exposure to any fish.
Rawrzer;4938848; said:is cycling the same as freshwater? also What are some other things taht are a lot different from fresh that i should watch out for?
As has been previously said, be sure to have live rock in your aquarium when you start cycling; it will help the aquarium to cycle faster plus the live rock provides some of the best biological filtration that you can get for saltwater.
I wouldn't put any fish through the cycle. Cycling can be very rough on even the hardiest fish and the fish may not survive. This sticky provides some pretty useful information on cycling.
fleshy, ill agree that 1 lbs of rock per gallon is a pretty bogus rule, but for starters i think its a safe bet. Id also agree with Aqua C. there are some other great skimmers out there, but what we dont know is if you are using a sump or not. maybe i miss read if its listed, but in sump skimmer are by far better then HOBs, always. if you can run a sump, your options will be much better.
