Salt water fish tank... do's dont's starters...

[GUINNESS]

So I was thinkin it would be nice to have a fish tank around. Problem is, I never had anything very large before or anything other than fresh water. I really like salt water fish better... more colorful, prettier, etc... and I wouldn't mind having some real coral or anemonies either.

Is there anyone here who can give some advice on

where to start
what size tank to start with
what kind of fish to start with
expenses involved
and more important, time and cleaning

Thanks!

[GUINNESS]

And simply put... I'd like to have a tank that looks like you just dove into the waters off Kauai or St Martin

[statdoc]

If you want one that nice, you better hire a service to handle it for you!

Even with the help of a service, a friend of mine finally got rid of his. Said it was too much $$ and too much hassle.

[Hoopie]

A friend of mine in AZ used to consult for salt water tanks. Protein skimmers, extra runoff tank, live coral, fish etc.. etc.. He had a very large tank. around200 gals. The algea that grew was purple. He bought a high end water purifing system to mix with the sea salt to put in the tank after cleanings. Coral and just to set up a tank with lights and all was around 5 g's. OUCH!! But the end result was just plain awesome. I recommend you talk to a specialty store near you and see what they know. A runoff tank for the protein skimmer is a must. Lots of expenses, but well worth it. Get the tank and let it sit for a few weeks then add fish. Good luck.

[Carbon Schwarz]

I'll help. I have 18 years in the biz. Start at a reputable retailer, a store that exclusively deals in aquatics is preferred. Determine the type of fish you like before selecting final tank size. You can really only go a few ways:
1. Coral reef tank with lesser agressive fish, more focus on inverts, corals and algaes);
2. Saltwater community with smaller, lesser agressive fish some and fewer inverts;
3. Larger, more agressive species (triggers, large angels, groupers) no inverts.

As for tank, no matter what the size, don't CHEAP on equipment. By quality parts and ensure you have excessive filtration and a protein skimmer.

Expenses will be dictated by size. A good quality set-up in the 50+ gallon range would push $1.5K easily.

Ease on maintenance is influenced by many variables. Namely, size of aquarium and if you have over stocked and over fed.

If you buy quality from the start, the system will last your lifetime and make for a well run, easily maintained aquarium. You'll love it. No harder to run than fresh, saltwater just has slightly more upfront costs, but well worth it.

Feel free to PM me anytime for follow-up questions.

Cheers,

[jwilburn]

Very good suggestions. I would say just start with a 55gl. Get it started with with some cheap blue damsel fish. Also if possible get some good living coral or even some gravel from a friend's tank so you can start growing the good bacteria needed to sustain more fish.

My friend has a reverse osmosis purifier so he can just put the water directly in the tank when doing changes and doesnt have to worry about chemicals. (plus they also use it to fill up their water cooler in the kitchen)

There is a lot of good info online of course. Or just go to B&N and get a book. I used to have a good one but I forgot the name. Its small, has a white cover, and lots of good pictures.

Originally Posted by Carbon Schwarz

I'll help. I have 18 years in the biz. Start at a reputable retailer, a store that exclusively deals in aquatics is preferred. Determine the type of fish you like before selecting final tank size. You can really only go a few ways:
1. Coral reef tank with lesser agressive fish, more focus on inverts, corals and algaes);
2. Saltwater community with smaller, lesser agressive fish some and fewer inverts;
3. Larger, more agressive species (triggers, large angels, groupers) no inverts.

As for tank, no matter what the size, don't CHEAP on equipment. By quality parts and ensure you have excessive filtration and a protein skimmer.

Expenses will be dictated by size. A good quality set-up in the 50+ gallon range would push $1.5K easily.

Ease on maintenance is influenced by many variables. Namely, size of aquarium and if you have over stocked and over fed.

If you buy quality from the start, the system will last your lifetime and make for a well run, easily maintained aquarium. You'll love it. No harder to run than fresh, saltwater just has slightly more upfront costs, but well worth it.

Feel free to PM me anytime for follow-up questions.

Cheers,

[ljnlaw]

Not to be a downer but I wouldn't start off with salt, try some freshwater African Cichlids (from Lakes Malawi, Tanganyika, and Victoria). There is a wide variety of colorful fish and they are much easier to care for and less expensive for beginners. Most people who start with salt tanks spend crazy $$ only to have all of their fish die within the first few months. Once you get into a routine and enjoy caring for the fish then I would suggest switching to salt. I had Cichlids for years and loved them. Jst my 2 cents.

Check them out here: http://www.cichlids.com/

[GUINNESS]

Originally Posted by ljnlaw

Not to be a downer but I wouldn't start off with salt, try some freshwater African Cichlids (from Lakes Malawi, Tanganyika, and Victoria). There is a wide variety of colorful fish and they are much easier to care for and less expensive for beginners. Most people who start with salt tanks spend crazy $$ only to have all of their fish die within the first few months. Once you get into a routine and enjoy caring for the fish then I would suggest switching to salt. I had Cichlids for years and loved them. Jst my 2 cents.

Check them out here: http://www.cichlids.com/

And that right there is my biggest fear.

[vinuneuro]

There was some good advice in here, esp a few posts down (#7):

http://www.xoutpost.com/lounge/9842-a...ght=salt+water

[JV]

Ken- I was just at the aquarium store last night looking at options. Good advice in this thread and the previous thread. I think $1,500 is about right for start up estimate cost for a 55-70 gal tank with stand, filter and set up rocks/chemicals etc. Count on one day a week spending a couple hours on maintenance.

GL!

JV