So I'm planing in the near future say 2-3 months from now getting a 75gallon tank and putting some African cichlids in it. However I've been doing alot of poking around today/yesterday at saltwater tanks and have a rapidly growing interest in them. That said I'm running into a small predicament on which to chose I can only chose one if I go salt tho I'll probably get a 55 instead of a 75 not sure and I'll probably start with fish and live rock and then move towards reef. But what are your opinions Salt or African Cichlid tank?
What to do? Salt or Cichlids?
- Thread starter Zari
- Start date
i just made the switch from a 55g freshwater aquarium to a 24g biocube saltwater aquarium.
all i can say is it's a whole different world, long gone are simple water changes with regular tap water and prime. now it's ro/di water ($.50/gallon) and salt mix or store bought saltwater at a $1.00/gallon. live sand usually runs about $1.99/lb and live rock runs anywhere between $3.00-$6.99/lb and the rule of thumb is usually 1.5lbs/gallon. and thats not factoring in lighting ($200-800 depending on if you want to keep corals), good skimmer ($150-300), sump and then livestock.
what i'm trying to get at is the initial investment for a 75 gallon aquarium is a lot of $$ but then again saltwater is simply beautiful (my opinion)
a side note, if your considering doing a saltwater aquarium do what i did, start with a nano tank. they could be had for under $200 and would give you a lot of hands on experience setting up and maintaining a saltwater aquarium.
all i can say is it's a whole different world, long gone are simple water changes with regular tap water and prime. now it's ro/di water ($.50/gallon) and salt mix or store bought saltwater at a $1.00/gallon. live sand usually runs about $1.99/lb and live rock runs anywhere between $3.00-$6.99/lb and the rule of thumb is usually 1.5lbs/gallon. and thats not factoring in lighting ($200-800 depending on if you want to keep corals), good skimmer ($150-300), sump and then livestock.
what i'm trying to get at is the initial investment for a 75 gallon aquarium is a lot of $$ but then again saltwater is simply beautiful (my opinion)
a side note, if your considering doing a saltwater aquarium do what i did, start with a nano tank. they could be had for under $200 and would give you a lot of hands on experience setting up and maintaining a saltwater aquarium.
gveng;4959743; said:
Yeah if I go salt I'll deffinately have to save up a lil more before I get it but the beauty of salt water even if its just fish and live rock is whats pulling at me eventual reef would probably be my goal. Not sure if I wana start with a nano, if I start ill probably have one and only one salt tank(at or around 55g) just due to the expense of water changes and equipment plus I've heard the bigger the tank the easier it is to keep water parameters right/good
if it was me and you already have FW tank i'd give the darkside a try. As far as a tank size goes I've read many times over bigger is better and for first timers a nano isn't the way to go. I noticed you said if you decide to go saltwater you would do a 55 instead of 75. I've done quit a bit of reading on different forums and everyone seems to agree that if your going to eventually get coral your going to want a wider tank because it will give you a bigger footprint to work with. So if you do decide to go to the darkside I would suggest the 75 over the 55. I would suggest you do a ton of research before attempting it though and make sure you know what your doing it won't be as forgiving if you make mistakes ad a FW tank would be.
Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com
Posted on mobile.monsterfishkeepers.com
IF money is an issue, stay w/ fresh... if time is an issue stay w/ fresh... you're lookign at 1/3 ratio on money and time spent. I kept salt a long time ago.. and my husband really wants a salt tank... so i'll cave soon i'm sure.. But I stopped keeping salt because it was a big drain on my play money. and my time.
I actually agree w/ starting with a 29 bio-cube or similar. they are very beginner friendly and a good way to get ones feet wet with salt... water changes are alot cheaper and over-all your likely to put as much $ into the 29 salt as you would a 75 fresh. The biggest problem I see is they are over-stocked so insanely easy. and I would go straight for reef type set-up to begin with. ime reefs are easier to maintain then fish-only SW set-ups.
I actually agree w/ starting with a 29 bio-cube or similar. they are very beginner friendly and a good way to get ones feet wet with salt... water changes are alot cheaper and over-all your likely to put as much $ into the 29 salt as you would a 75 fresh. The biggest problem I see is they are over-stocked so insanely easy. and I would go straight for reef type set-up to begin with. ime reefs are easier to maintain then fish-only SW set-ups.
MonsterMinis;4960110; said:
Well, I'm really gonna have to start saving then if I go straight reef or slowly build it up. Just a quick question? how hard is it to move a 55g or 75g salt tank? I'm still living at home and will be moving out probably around 3 years from now after I can get into school and get an associates degree.
with salt u have to let the tank run with only coral for up to 6 weeks before you can even put fish in
love The Jack Dempseys;4960593; said:
i think you mean "live rock"... not coral.
and that all depends on how fast your tank cycles, same with a freshwater tank.