# Need Help - Brand New



## codydemmel4 (Dec 18, 2012)

Hello, I am new to this forum but I wanted help from you guys about salt water fish and an aquairum. So I have had a 30 gallon freshwater fish tank for three years now and everything is going great and so on. But I really want to get a saltwater fish tank because I think they just look so much better than a freshwater and I like the fish a lot more. I obviously would have to keep it beginner at first with clown fish and so forth. 


 But the help I wanted from you guys, is what size of tank do you recommend to start at and if you have any setups that are running great and are easy to set up and take care of what are they? Also, what kind of saltwater fish are good for beginners besides clown fish. Please let me know and I greatly appreciate your guys help!


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Clownfish require a minimum of a 20g tank. Thats also a very good SW starter tank. And heres the rest of what you should know.

#1-Dry Rock, there are a few hitchhikers on Live Rock that people want to stay away from, so they opt for using Dry Rock, or Dead Rock. Macro Rock is a good place to start looking for that. Either way you go you will need a minimum of 1lb per gallon.

#2-Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon (if you get a filter) Which is really not necessary.

#3-Multiple Power heads (2 or 3) 10x your water volume for just a Fish Only With Live Rock, and at least 20x your water volume for a Reef Tank. So lets say your going reef, and you have a 100g tank, you would need flow in that tank at minimum of 2000gph, or 2 1000gph power heads.

#4-Protein Skimmer, rated at 2 times your water volume. Unless your tank is under 30g, in which case you can do 10% water changes a week to rid the system of detrius. But, you'll have to watch the water parameters close, if things go haywire, you'll have to do more water changes.

#5-Saltwater Test Kits. Reef Test Kit. Test for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, Phosphates, Calcium, ALK and Magnesium.

#6-Saltwater fish food. Mysis Shrimp, Squid, Cyclopease, Algae Sheets, Romaine . Flake food is not really a good food to feed your marine fish.

#7-Aquarium vacuum. This one is iffy. Most don't use one, if you have enough flow in the tank you won’t need one

#8-Rubber kitchen gloves

#9-Fish net

#10-Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon buckets

#11-Aquarium thermometer, digital being the best.

#12-Brush with plastic bristles (old tooth brush) - needed for cleaning the live rock if you don't get Fully Cured Live Rock.

#13-Power Strip, possibly GFCI outlets by the tank.

#14-Optional but definitely recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis or RO/Deionization filter for the make-up water, and a barrel for storing the water.

#15-Possibly a Quarantine Tank for your new fish. They sit in here for a few weeks to kill off parasites and bacteria, to keep it from getting in your main tank

#16-Heater rated for your size tank.

#17-Saltwater Mix. Marine Salt. Instant Ocean is the cheap Salt that beginners and Advanced use alike.

#18-Saltwater Hydrometer or even better a Refractometer, which is more accurate. There is also a Digital Meter that is way advanced if you have the cash.

#19-Aquarium filter (not absolutely necessary if running with adequate amounts of live rock, but nice to have if you need to use a mechanical filter or activated carbon, or GFO and such)

#20-Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed coral. Some go bare Bottom, others choose the 2-3" bottom, others, more advanced will try the Deep Sand Bed, which is over 6" deep.

Volusion Demo Store

Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle and Cycling. Methods for Ammonia, Nitrite Removal.

aquarium heater in Aquarium & Fish | eBay

power heads in Pumps | eBay

New 0 10 Salinity Refractometer Salt Water Aquarium | eBay

MarcoRocks Aquarium Products

Bulk Dry Live Rock & Live Sand - Bulk Reef Supply

Live Rock and Live Sand: Live Saltwater Aquarium Rock and Sand

Fish & Aquarium Supplies: Marine Substrates, Sand, Crushed Coral, Live Sand

Aquarium Lighting, Light Information; Reef & Planted, PAR, Watt, Kelvin.

http://live-plants.com/

What Your Coral Needs | Successful Reef Keeping

t-5 lighting in Home & Garden | eBay

cree led aquarium in Lighting | eBay

Aquarium Salt Mix: Salt for Saltwater and Freshwater Fish Aquariums


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## codydemmel4 (Dec 18, 2012)

Reefing Madness said:


> Clownfish require a minimum of a 20g tank. Thats also a very good SW starter tank. And heres the rest of what you should know.
> 
> #1-Dry Rock, there are a few hitchhikers on Live Rock that people want to stay away from, so they opt for using Dry Rock, or Dead Rock. Macro Rock is a good place to start looking for that. Either way you go you will need a minimum of 1lb per gallon.
> 
> ...




thank you very much, I also have another question. I was looking for setups that already made. and I keep coming across the biocube. I want an opinion from you guys since you obviously know what your talking about. Do you think the biocube is a good tank? and if so, can I get the regular one do I have to get the HQI one? Please let me know and if there is anything that I should add to the biocube to make it a great tank. I also wonder how many fish I can add to the biocube 29, since it is pretty much a 30g tank. Thank you!


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Bio Cube is a good tank. If getting one, and you want Corals, you need to get either the LED kit or the Halide lighting.


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## codydemmel4 (Dec 18, 2012)

Thank you, so is what your saying reefing madness is that the biocube 29 HQI is a better tank since I wanna make it a reef tank? Also, will I need to add a skimmer?


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Correct, the HQI is a better tank. Skimmer would be warranted if you plan on a bunch of Corals. If just fish your safe just watching the water parameters and doing water changes.


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## codydemmel4 (Dec 18, 2012)

say I do reef and fish and get the skimmer. How often would I have to do water changes then and if I do just fish and no skimmer, how often would I have to do water changes?


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Water changes regardless are based off of water parameters.


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## codydemmel4 (Dec 18, 2012)

but like do you have an average around when you think I will need to change water? And how much do I change at a time for a 29g tank?


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

Normal water changes are done every other week and at 20%. But, with a sump and very good skimmer, you can go much longer. I just went close to 6 months.


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## codydemmel4 (Dec 18, 2012)

Okay sweet. Thanks a lot.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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