# whats a good size starter tank?



## skelator (Mar 27, 2012)

hey guys ive kept freshwater fish for prolly over 12 years. ive always wanted to try saltwater. what would be a good size to go with as a first timer? also any reccomendations on fish or rock or anything? thanks, Mike


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

I would not start with anything less than 20g long tank. Your have many more options with that tank than with the 10g eveyone wants to start with.
Dry Rock, there are a few hitchhickers 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.
Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon (if you get a filter) Which is really not necessary.
Multiple Powerheads (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 powerheads
.Protein Skimmer, rated at 2 times your water volume
Saltwater Test Kits. 
Reef Test Kit. Tets for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, Phosphates, Calcium, ALK and Magnesium.
Saltwater fish food. Mysis Shrimp, Squid, Cyclopease, Algae Sheets, Romaine . Flake food is not really a good food to feed your marine fish.
Aquarium vacuum. This one is iffy. Most don't use one, if you have enough flow in the tank you won’t need one
Rubber kitchen gloves
Fish net
Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon bucketsAquarium thermometer, digital being the best.
Brush with plastic bristles (old tooth brush) - needed for cleaning the live rock if you don't get Fully Cured Live Rock.
Power Strip, possibly GFCI outlets by the tank.
Optional but definitely recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis or RO/Deionization filter for the make-up water, and a barrel for storing the water.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
Heater rated for your size tank.
Saltwater Mix. 
Marine Salt. Instant Ocean is the cheap Salt that beginners and Advanced use alike.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.
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)
Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed cora. Some go bare Bottom, others choose the 2-3" bottom, others, more advanced will try the Deep Sand Bed, which is over 6" deep.


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## skelator (Mar 27, 2012)

holy mother! i really appreciate all the info there. thats alot to take in ill have to slowly go through all that.


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## JimBinSC (Jun 11, 2011)

Reefing Madness said:


> Multiple Powerheads (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 powerheads


Whoa, that's alot. I can't fathom that much water flow. I'm looking at moving up to a 75gal FW and making my current 29gal SW, possibly reef, just because of the cost.

Reefingmadness, I was looking at your aquarium pics and saw a dosing schedule of Vodka 18ml a day? Could you explain that a little more please?


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## Reefing Madness (Jun 26, 2011)

JimBinSC said:


> Whoa, that's alot. I can't fathom that much water flow. I'm looking at moving up to a 75gal FW and making my current 29gal SW, possibly reef, just because of the cost.
> 
> Reefingmadness, I was looking at your aquarium pics and saw a dosing schedule of Vodka 18ml a day? Could you explain that a little more please?


 Sure, I have Nitrates in my tank that I can control via dosing 9mls of Vodka in the am and 9mls in the pm. LPS corals and softies need a small amount of Nitrates to thrive, I can control how much is in my tank in any givin day. I used to have alot. I do water changes now, only once every 3-4 months. ONce my sump is set up, the Cheato and Caulerpa Algae will take over this role for me.
Vodka Dosing by 'Genetics' and 'Stony_Corals' - Reefkeeping.com


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