# Saltwater Aquarium Help



## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

Hi i'm considering having a saltwater tank in a few years. I need all i need to know (i know nothing). How much would the average cost :BIGcha-ching: What kind of tank i will need :BIGhmm: What kind of fish are good :BIGnervous: How to make a saltwater aquarium :BIGsurprise: What do i need to keep it alive :BIGtongue: Should i have coral :shake: or not :BIGvault:  What fish would do well with coral. ECT. ECT. ECT. You shold know.


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## Nathanrb4 (Sep 1, 2007)

Mate i didnt know anything about them either when i started i actually walked into the shop looking to get a small freshwater tank and walked out with a 20g selfcontained tank. i live in the north queensland, australia so i also had to buy a chiller. all up for the tank and chiller i think i`ve spent $1000au but depending on where you live you may need a heater instead of a chiller which will probly save you $400-$500.

After getting it home and letting it run for 4 weeks i`ve probly spent another $600 on live rock, fish, inverts and corals (had a few mishaps before i got my chiller). The two clownfish and the valinti puffer i`ve still got seem to be the hardiest as they have been there throu it all. my blue tang is mental and seems to stress out and get white spot at the smallest things. 

I`ve also found that you can get this garlic stuff that you mix the fish food with that is supossed to help keep them healthy which seems to work really well. other than that get a full reef test kit and test your water atleast once a week. stuff like over feeding and even the smallest dead fish can make a diff. and you need to stay on top of it. 

besides from the water changes and feeding my tank now pretty much looks after itself and it was worth ever cent i spent on it. i`ve swapped my tv for my tankin my bedroom and now spend alot of time infront of it.

hope this helps even alittle. 
nathan


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

Well that doesn't help much because i want a fairly small aquarium. maybe 8 gallon but since i didn't specify it that doesn't help. So thanks for trying but it's my fault that you couldn't answer my question sorry.


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## Nathanrb4 (Sep 1, 2007)

8g is only small but you could probly put some liverock in it and acouple of small clown fish in it. maybe even a shrimp and a small aneome probly wouldnt have to spend to much. you`d have to get the right filter and let it run with saltwater for afew weeks (you need to do this to let the good bugs grow in your filter to keep you tank clean once its occupied). if you cant get saltwater you can buy salt and mix your own. again if its cold where you live a heater for a tank that size would only be $20 and i`d still say get a full test kit. the smaller the tank the faster bad stuff will happen i think.


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

ya thats probably true. Thats why i'm posting almost on all the posts to help me. I hope they take this rudely. I really want to get at least a clownfish. Would a regal tang fit?


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

I hope nobody takes me posting for help rude if so please tell me


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## Rogergolf66 (Dec 24, 2006)

best rates on stuff if you get it used from the paper or somehting. you want to get a tank with a stand lighting, live rock, protein skimmer, sump, powerheads, pump, plumbing since you are new and don't know what you need to do. getting a setup that has already been up and running this will be the easiest way to get started and lean on your first tank


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## Nathanrb4 (Sep 1, 2007)

yeah if you got one small enough. you need to have some structure on the bottom for it to hide in if your getting a tang.


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## Rogergolf66 (Dec 24, 2006)

Start reading everything you can. that is the best start you can get.


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

thanks. I'm posting on everything to get help. Thanks for the info. What i most need to know is the cost for everthing. what the average for the aquarium to cost the sump, light, live rock and all that other stuff.


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## Rogergolf66 (Dec 24, 2006)

depends on the size? a used tank you can figure about 1$ per gallon

That is like asking how much will it cost to get a car from 10,000-1,000,000 The same goes for a tank. Fish only tank much cheeper then a tank with corals because of maintanince cost. 

I will say after time everyone wants the next level. Whether it is in tanks or jobs or cars or anything in your life you will want the next level

specific questions like that is good. What else do you want to know?


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

what i ask on top. almost everything. but would coral look better. i like the anemones that i see and the fish. i kind of want to recreate a finding nemo seen i'll post a picture from it that i want my tank to look similar to it. i think it's the part when nemo is about to go out to touch the boat. but not with the view of the boat but the opposite one. Basically i want a nice looking aquarium. could you find a picture that would have a good place for a tang and a clown fish. And i'd like to know what i would need for that kind of tank that would have a tang and a clownfish and other snails and fish that will clean up the tank.


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## Little-Fizz (Aug 19, 2007)

Mmm I'm not sure but if you only want a small tank you could just buy a nano cube and it might save you on cost... Maybe :S That's all I'm going to do. They seem easy enough to take care off and come with lights and a pump already built into it. And for a 8 gallon your probably only looking at like 100 - 150 bucks for tank and stand... Well I'm pretty sure... It depends on your location but I'm sure you could find an even cheaper one online. But that doesn't include all the equipment you'll need on top of that... Theres no way to know for sure but don't be surprized if you spend like 800-1000 dollars on a saltwater tank. They aren't cheap. And things could go very wrong very quickly. You should get books on setting up and maintaining a saltwater tank before you start making any purchases. That's what I'm doing. You don't want to spend like 300 bucks of fish and then they all die on you... Good luck, I recommend you do a lot of research.. Not just simply asking people on the forum. People are the forum have A LOT of knowledge and can help you out but it might be better to do some research yourself, like go to the fish store and start looking at equipment and seeing how much it will cost you. And then if you have any further questions that your research never answered I'm sure people on the forum would be more then happy to help out. I can't really help you because I don't have a sw tank. But like you said on my post. We are in the same situation :wink:


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## Rogergolf66 (Dec 24, 2006)

well if you are looking for finding nemo a regal tang dory has to be in a min. 75 gallon tank as she grows very big

as far as an anemony you now need to look into so high end lighting. again depending on the size of the tank but you will need some strong lighting for most anomone. and most anomone should not be tryed to a novies


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

Ok so i don't want a Regal Tang. If all the fish were to die in my 55 gal tank from some unknown disease. Either i would start a saltwater aquarium or i would just keep it. Does anyone know a good book to buy on this stuff?


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## Rogergolf66 (Dec 24, 2006)

The best thing to do is make a list of everything you want and then google search each thing then read read read. If you have a question about a topic I think you will find a lot of help on the forums but in my oppinion the questions you have ask can not be answered in a couple of paragraphs. 

Other and I would be glad to help you out. very simply the bigger the tank the more it cost and the more it will cost to maintain.

Select the size tank.
Then select what you want to keep in it.
Then we can select lighting 
Then we can select filtration
Then we can select flow needs

Roger
Roger


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

Ok I Want 8 gal nanocube. Preferably used.
I want some clownfish (i need ideas for fish that will go with clownfish)
Coral and a CUC as in snails, shrimp, and crabs
I'd want an anemone and some other coral (i need ideas)
Would i need a sump or refugie?
I have a stand already (my desk)

Now what kind of filtration do i need?
What kind of lighting do i need?
What kind of flow do i need? (what do you mean by flow?)

Is that specific enough?


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## Rogergolf66 (Dec 24, 2006)

Just thought you should know that if you don't have any exsperiance with Salt water tanks that will be a difficalt setup to maintain. The reason is because the most important thing in sw tanks is to maintain water consitancy and with only 8 gallons of water the temp swings and salinity and other water parameters will have large swings in a short amount of time.

But I would go with 2 32watt power compact lights with reflectores. you want a turn overrate of about 5X-10X per hour so there pump will only have to be about 40-80 gph and you will want a flow in the tank of about 10-20 times per hour 80-160 gph powerhead. filtration you can either use a biowheel or live rock for your filtration. you realize that 3 fish would be a very heavy bio-load on this system. If it was me I would get the smalled maiting pair of clowns that I could find. and anemone and some zoathides and a few mushrooms and call it a day.


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

Ya i get what your saying but what i don't get is this


> you want a turn overrate of about 5X-10X per hour so there pump will only have to be about 40-80 gph and you will want a flow in the tank of about 10-20 times per hour 80-160 gph powerhead.
> 
> 
> > What do you mean by this. I'm not familiar by the terms. So if you can inform me i'd be better off.


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## Rogergolf66 (Dec 24, 2006)

Well the tun over rate is how often all the water in the display tank goes through your filter/sump

the flow rate is how much water your power heads move water around in the display tank

Roger

the number I gave you were on an 8 gallon tank

Roger


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

Now i get it thanks.


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

I was wondering what would be the biggest tank that will do fine with only a refug? Cause i want a fairly big tank but not one that will make my room really small. Like one that will fit on my desk. my desk is 47cm by 130cm. i would still need space to work on my desk so i need help.[/code]


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## Rogergolf66 (Dec 24, 2006)

I don't understand only a refug? you mean with no sump? no protein skimmer?

for only 8 gallons as I said before I would go with a bio wheel and no refug and no sump.

Roger


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

ok. i'll go to my local pet store and ask them about their 10gal aquarium. Theirs look like it has 2 filters. I'll get a pic the next time i'm there.


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

i was thinking what kind of coral, live rock and live sand would i need?


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## Rogergolf66 (Dec 24, 2006)

everything you put there is up to you (preferance) what do you like the look of? as far as coral anything that is a softie is a good starter coral.

Roger


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

well like something that will look good with a clown fish. Something that will make the take look nice and one thats hardy and colourful.   i want it to be very um "eye catching"


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## Rogergolf66 (Dec 24, 2006)

well as far as sand anything that is not crushed coral. Stay away from crushed coral.

rock if you like the look of branching stuff get that if you like the look of more bolder peices get them. I like a few flat peices so I can make some caves/ tunnals.

As far as coral if you are looking for something that will pop get red mushrooms and some nice color zoanthids and a toad stool leather.

Roger


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

thanks alot. I'm going to try and find a picture of some good reef plants.


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

here are 2 kinds i like


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

any idea what they are. :lol:


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## Rogergolf66 (Dec 24, 2006)

well the top one is a candy cane coral

the bottom one has a clam in it an on the top of the clam it looks to be an orange digita


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## MattD (Apr 25, 2007)

Clams are quite difficult to keep. Don't go and buy a clam to start with, if you are keen on buying one.


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## Rogergolf66 (Dec 24, 2006)

yes as I mentioned before go into the fish store and tell the sales man you want to soft corals only. don';t get SPS or SPS just yet as you will kill them with no exsperiance.

softies only for right now. If you were closer I could set you up with some.


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## SeaSerpant (Dec 9, 2007)

k thanks. i didn't know what they were so i looked at them and thought they were nice looking.


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