# What do I need for a saltwater aquarium



## CottonDandyBubbleFun (May 4, 2011)

I recently went to my local pet store and spoke with an employee about
salt water aquariums. He told me they aren't difficult they are just different from 
freshwater aquariums. I told him "I really enjoy saltwater fish but have become discouraged 
by others who say the saltwater aquariums are not worth the effort that they are to expensive 
and are extremely hard to maintain." he then told me owning a saltwater aquarium is actually 
not as hard as people make it out to be. He asked me what sized tank I would use I told him 
I could purchase any size really but I preferred a larger tank for swimming space. He then told me all I would need is the tank, appropriate filter, live sand, live rock, saltwater mix, and I should be fine.
He also said I would need a hydrometer and he said to do basic water tests.
Is this true?


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (May 4, 2011)

Money and time is not an issue I just have a few questions.


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

i prefer a refractometer over a hydrometer any day. look on ebay for one, as you should be able to find one for not much more then what a LFS is selling a hydrometer and they are way more accurate.
patience is the huge key with a saltwater tank.
it seems the store employee has mentioned most of the basics you will need. no "filter" besides a protein skimmer. you'll also need heaters, and powerheads for water movement. high powered lighting is a must if you wish on keeping any corals. also keep in mind the tank is actually one of the cheapest things you'll purchase for your setup. 
regardless if you really have some cash and time to invest then a saltwater tank isnt so much of a challenge, as long as you do tons of research. i suggest reading anything related to the hobby to increase your chances of success and enjoyment. i cannot stress how important it is to read up about saltwater tanks if your serious in keeping one. asking questions helps too, just be careful where your information is being sourced from. hope that helps, and feel free to ask away.


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (May 4, 2011)

onefish2fish said:


> i prefer a refractometer over a hydrometer any day. look on ebay for one, as you should be able to find one for not much more then what a LFS is selling a hydrometer and they are way more accurate.
> patience is the huge key with a saltwater tank.
> it seems the store employee has mentioned most of the basics you will need. no "filter" besides a protein skimmer. you'll also need heaters, and powerheads for water movement. high powered lighting is a must if you wish on keeping any corals. also keep in mind the tank is actually one of the cheapest things you'll purchase for your setup.
> regardless if you really have some cash and time to invest then a saltwater tank isnt so much of a challenge, as long as you do tons of research. i suggest reading anything related to the hobby to increase your chances of success and enjoyment. i cannot stress how important it is to read up about saltwater tanks if your serious in keeping one. asking questions helps too, just be careful where your information is being sourced from. hope that helps, and feel free to ask away.


That helps a lot actually but no filter, why?


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

a "filter" traps debris, detritus and food/poop within its mesh filter pads allowing them to build up, and then start to break down. this method of filtration works well on a freshwater tank, but on a saltwater tank you do NOT want excess nutrient build ups/dead flow spots in the tank, you want to keep poop in the water column long enough for a skimmer to remove it. idealy a saltwater tank has 0ppm nitrate reading, which i strive to keep my tanks at. a properly set up SW system should not have an issue of acheiving this. it will involve dedication and work, but the end result is a beautiful looking, healthy running tank. to sum it up, anyone can put water and fish in a bucket and watch them swim around for the 2 days they'd survive, but not everyone can fill a glass cage with water and enjoy their same fish for years.

exactly what size tank do you wish to set up? what do you want to keep and what are you looking to get out of it?


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (May 4, 2011)

onefish2fish said:


> a "filter" traps debris, detritus and food/poop within its mesh filter pads allowing them to build up, and then start to break down. this method of filtration works well on a freshwater tank, but on a saltwater tank you do NOT want excess nutrient build ups/dead flow spots in the tank, you want to keep poop in the water column long enough for a skimmer to remove it. idealy a saltwater tank has 0ppm nitrate reading, which i strive to keep my tanks at. a properly set up SW system should not have an issue of acheiving this. it will involve dedication and work, but the end result is a beautiful looking, healthy running tank. to sum it up, anyone can put water and fish in a bucket and watch them swim around for the 2 days they'd survive, but not everyone can fill a glass cage with water and enjoy their same fish for years.
> 
> exactly what size tank do you wish to set up? what do you want to keep and what are you looking to get out of it?


Well I haven't purchase the tank yet I can buy any size whatever works best.
I do not want a lot of fish max 2 percula clown fish and as for the tank I was looking to purchase 
a 55g with just live sand and live rock no coral. Does this sound okay or should I change something?


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (May 4, 2011)

I'm looking to successfully
start a saltwater tank with
1-2 happy percula clown fish.


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

perfect! i mean it, perfect. usually its, i bought this, this and this and now what do i do. 
since you havnt spent any money yet, knowledge is free if you seek it, soak it up. this is the time to read, read, ask a few questions then read. i admire you reaching out before starting. prior research before purchase is important for sucess. as your reading dont be afraid to jot notes or ideas. plan ahead. look at other peoples build threads, see how they did it and so forth...dont expect the minimum wage kid at the fish store to be a wealth of information, not to discredit his/her knowledge but use many sources to aquire the best tried method.

im glad i had asked tank size. a 55 gallon tank IMO makes a good sump or freshwater tank, not so much a display saltwater tank. i dont want you to think you cannot set up a 55 gallon tank and have it running just as smoothly as another size, but theres some things to consider. a standard 55 is 4 feet long, same as a standard 75 gallon. however, the width of the 55 is smaller of that of the 75. again, i know people who have done 55 gallon SW tanks, but the smaller width constricts your aquascaping with your live rock. either going down to a 40 breeder, or up to the 75 will give you the wider room to have more options with your rock work. now, keep in mind the larger the tank the more saltwater you'll be mixing, meaning you'll be using more salt, meaning you'll be spending more money longer term.. it would also cost more for powerheads to keep the water flowing in the 75 and lighting then the 3 foot long 40 breeder. your also going to loose some tank volume due to the rocks being in the tank ( about 1-2lbs of rock per gallon, est. depending on its density ) and displacing water.
these are just a few things to consider. if your only doing 2 perc clowns they'd have plenty of room together in the 40 breeder. realisticly speaking if you really do intend on ONLY the 2 clowns you can even go with a smaller tank then that. also just to mention since you def. want sand, either go with a less then 1 inch sand depth or 4-6 inch sand depth. anything in between seems to cause nutrient build ups ( similiar to the freshwater filter as stated above... just like not having enough flow would build up poop in your rockwork, or having bioballs in a sump ) and should be avoided.


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (May 4, 2011)

onefish2fish said:


> perfect! i mean it, perfect. usually its, i bought this, this and this and now what do i do.
> since you havnt spent any money yet, knowledge is free if you seek it, soak it up. this is the time to read, read, ask a few questions then read. i admire you reaching out before starting. prior research before purchase is important for sucess. as your reading dont be afraid to jot notes or ideas. plan ahead. look at other peoples build threads, see how they did it and so forth...dont expect the minimum wage kid at the fish store to be a wealth of information, not to discredit his/her knowledge but use many sources to aquire the best tried method.
> 
> im glad i had asked tank size. a 55 gallon tank IMO makes a good sump or freshwater tank, not so much a display saltwater tank. i dont want you to think you cannot set up a 55 gallon tank and have it running just as smoothly as another size, but theres some things to consider. a standard 55 is 4 feet long, same as a standard 75 gallon. however, the width of the 55 is smaller of that of the 75. again, i know people who have done 55 gallon SW tanks, but the smaller width constricts your aquascaping with your live rock. either going down to a 40 breeder, or up to the 75 will give you the wider room to have more options with your rock work. now, keep in mind the larger the tank the more saltwater you'll be mixing, meaning you'll be using more salt, meaning you'll be spending more money longer term.. it would also cost more for powerheads to keep the water flowing in the 75 and lighting then the 3 foot long 40 breeder. your also going to loose some tank volume due to the rocks being in the tank ( about 1-2lbs of rock per gallon, est. depending on its density ) and displacing water.
> these are just a few things to consider. if your only doing 2 perc clowns they'd have plenty of room together in the 40 breeder. realisticly speaking if you really do intend on ONLY the 2 clowns you can even go with a smaller tank then that. also just to mention since you def. want sand, either go with a less then 1 inch sand depth or 4-6 inch sand depth. anything in between seems to cause nutrient build ups ( similiar to the freshwater filter as stated above... just like not having enough flow would build up poop in your rockwork, or having bioballs in a sump ) and should be avoided.


Thank you I really appreciate your info. I wasn't planning on jumping into owning a saltwater tank and have everything go wrong spend tons of cash and watch my clown fish suffer and possibly die off. I can purchase a different tank if necessary but the tank I'm looking at has plenty of room for aquascaping but I thought the 55g at petsmart looked cool but if you think I should do a 40/75 that's fine what ever is best for my 
tank. Money is not the issue for me the issue is I'm new to saltwater aquariums I'm actually starting 
multiple tanks actually :jester: I'm addicted but this is my first saltwater tank and i want to do it properly.


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

the 55 gallon would work, i was just suggesting better options in my opinion. (IMO) the wider tanks really help when it comes to placing your rock and having it look natural. its easy to have a narrow tank and reconstruct the berlin wall, as space is limited. for this reason alone its fairly common to see cube tanks with saltwater.
for the sake of only having 2 clowns you could go with a 20 to 30 gallon and be more then alright, with water changes to keep it in check.


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (May 4, 2011)

Can I do 4-6 inches of live sand with live rocks?

The guy at the pet store told me I could use a saltwater 
filter I would just have to change it more often 
because the food/poop is it possible to use 2 really good
saltwater filters and with regular water changes maintain 
a healthy tank?


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (May 4, 2011)

I heard more of the live sand helps lower nitrate levels.


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

CottonDandyBubbleFun said:


> Can I do 4-6 inches of live sand with live rocks?
> 
> The guy at the pet store told me I could use a saltwater
> filter I would just have to change it more often
> ...


what is a saltwater filter? i think ( and i could be totally wrong ) your talking about a canister filter? a canister filter is not a saltwater filter. the only saltwater filter they make is a protein skimmer. a skimmer doesnt catch debris like other methods of filtration do though, making it the ideal "saltwater filter"

a normal filter, whether it is a hang on the back of the tank kind, canister kind that goes under the stand, or even a sump full of bioballs is not the way to go when setting up a saltwater tank. if this were a freshwater tank, then yes any of the 3 mentioned filters would be great. 
a skimmer on the other hand does not directly catch poop into a mesh like surface, which does not give it the chance to break down and polute your tank water. it basically gives the water a nice whip and allows it to foam up into a collection cup.. the foam contains the poop and un-eaten food which is extracted from the water. (opposed to the freshwater method that allows this to sit in the tank water and have a chance to turn into excess nutrients.)
you can, use a "freshwater" filter but it will require cleaning every other day or so to not notice a NEGATIVE impact on your tank. i personally would only use a canister filter completely empty ( just for water movement, but thats what powerheads are for ) or to only run some carbon in ( but thats what media reactors are for ) so honestly you do not need this piece of equipment.
if this is infact going to be a 2 clownfish only tank, i think you would be fine without a filter, or skimmer for that matter. i personally would run the skimmer in an oversized sump because i like water volume, but thats just me. if you pre-mix your saltwater 24 hours in advance and stay ontop of water changes, that will be enough filtration. ( granted your tank went through its diatom bloom with enough pourus live rock and sand already ) and theres plenty of flow. 

i was trying to find an article ( i believe by pasfur ) on fresh vs salt filtration and couldnt. if i come across it i will share it with you. i did happen to find this, which touches on some issues of saltwater filtering.http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...ng-nitrates-water-change-frequency-bio-47415/


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (May 4, 2011)

I'll buy a protein skimmer then.

How do I pre-mix saltwater do I mix in a bucket or just in the tank and w8 24 hours?

How long does it take for a 40-75g saltwater aquarium to cycle? 
After setting the tank up I was going to w8 
a couple months to let the tank settle just 
to be safe is this okay?


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

they do make hang on skimmers, i have no experience with them however. i do know that if the skimmer is the route you wish to take, read online reviews about them.. alot of skimmers just make noise and waste electricty ( in other words, they are garbage ) while some are better then gold. 
i do think you can pull this tank off without the skimmer, but having one will only help.

as for the cycle, it will depend on alot of things. are you buying fully cured live rock? you may not have much of a cycle then. you will have some die off, but within about a week it should balance out. this doesnt mean its ready for fish just yet. are you buying dry rock? this will require you to cure the rock yourself, which basically just means letting it be in a tank ( or bin ) with saltwater for about a month or two.. adding a few pieces of live rock to the dry rock "curing" will help with the process. this usually is a much cheaper route, but takes more time. 

you'll want to pre-mix your saltwater in a seperate tank/bucket/large food safe container with a heater and powerhead atleast 24 hours ahead of time. the very first time setting up the tank, you can do it in the tank ( when theres nothing in the tank, no rock, no sand, nothing! ) but thats it.. after the first time, mix it outside your tank. it would also be wise to use RO/DI water, which is pure and will not add anything to your tank you do not want. this helps keep bad algaes at bay like hair algae. if your not introducing phosphates, its tough for something to grow that feeds off them. :wink:
an empty tank may need to be "fed" to keep the bacteria from the cycle ( the good kind that you want ) alive. this would really depend on how long you want it to be empty for. the ammount of food you would need to add wouldnt be much either. you wouldnt want to foul the water before even having anything in it. this would start to smell.

here is a very basic guide, but a good place to start
http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/water-quality-reference/introduction-salt-water-19051/


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## CottonDandyBubbleFun (May 4, 2011)

Okay so I was going to buy gallon water from the store
and use salt mix is this okay?


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

CottonDandyBubbleFun said:


> Okay so I was going to buy gallon water from the store
> and use salt mix is this okay?


this is ok, but it can add up in cost in a short time. an alternative would be to purchase a RO/DI unit and making the water at home. the unit will cost a couple hundred up front, but long run your not paying the estimated $.50 - $1/gallon. just another thing to consider.


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## onefish2fish (Jul 22, 2008)

i found the article on freshwater vs. saltwater filtration.

http://www.tropicalfishkeeping.com/...-filtration-101-how-differs-freshwater-31955/


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