Thinking of stepping up to saltwater

[Tigga_T]

Hi everyone,

As you can see this is my first post.
Well I have been running freshwater tanks for about 7 years now and can honestly say that I feel like its time to change. My current tank is 200 litres / 43 Gallons (UK) which Ive had for the past two years which is now starting to bore me with the lack of colours. I would like to get as much information as I can before I start a saltwater tank I wouldnt be looking to start big either I was thinking of starting with a nano set up not sure what a good size would be and even though Ive run tanks for a few years Im not really good with termonolgy so I apologize if i have to ask what you are telling me to do or get. I would also like to know what sort of costs it would incur not for the fish but for the equipment as I will need to save up for a while before I get started.

Many thanks for the help that I hope you will give me.

 

[Aqua Doctor]

I would recomend trying a fish only set-up first; once you start adding coral it becomes increasingly more challenging and costly.

A nano cube is going to limit what you can do,maybe start with a 55gal or 75 bowfront.

Good luck!

 

[jworth]

the bigger the tank, the more forgiving in saltwater. I wouldnt suggest any less than a 55 gallon. Do some research and stock up on some good equipment that you will need before starting. Dont be discouraged as the start up costs a pretty penny, but its very rewarding and the bio diversity in the tanks blows fresh out of the water. I had fresh for a few years in between my saltwater setups and having just switched back, I almost prefer looking at live rock over looking at my freshwater tanks.

 

[Tigga_T]

thanks aqua doc. As ive said i gotta do my research so will look into a bigger tank. hopefully some people will maybe give me advice from there experiences.

 

[Westie]

True a fish only tank is easier yet, we go salt for the corals right? Its expensive. Lighting, filtration, water changes and maintainance. Smaller is better sometimes. A nano is a great starter system. You could join the salt club for about $100-$200 US. Basically, the deeper the tank, the stronger the lighting. i.e. going from fluro's to metal halide and the increased power bill to boot. Filtration is just as important so your going to want good water movement and a good skimmer. Most carbon/hang on filters are seen as bad in salt. Unless your a pro at changing the pad every week? Your going to want every test kit your shop sells and test often. And, as a last note, I'd recommend a Reverse Osmosis water system. Keeps algae blooms down. Here's a couple links for research-

marinedepot.com and aquacave.com

 

[Itsadeepbluesea]

Bigger is better when it comes to salt, you have to remember that marine fish are not use to changes in their environment. Smaller nanos are actual usually more difficult as you have to put in more work with them. As far as cost, you have more supplements than a fresh water tank, as well as the cost of salt. In my experience, don't go cheap on the salt get a good quality salt or you'll be paying for it later. Other then having more parameters to check with salt its not all that more difficult than fresh and sometimes can be more rewarding. Just start easy with hardy fish in a fish only with live rock system and then slowly increase your stocks difficulty. I would reccomend starting at least with a 55 or 70. And remember the fresh water "1" of fish to a gallon" doesn't even come close to applying is more like 4-5 gallons per inch of fish.

 

[FLESHY]

As far as marine things not being used to changes in their environment, I wouldnt say that was exactly true.

Different currents and even areas will have vastly different h2o quality and parameters. Many fish we keep are from tidepools experiencing water level changes, evaporation and many other things that can be stressful.

Do some google research on reef parameters, I think you would be surprised about how much they change over the coarse of the day, and what they are really like.

Many aquariums are kept at levels that are more stringent than that of the reef, and thats good. It eliminates variables that could potentially be detrimental to the fish. But...ocean fish do go through a lot of changes throughout the day.