First Saltwater Tank !HELP!

[fofa12]

I'm 17 and starting my first Saltwater tank. I've had goldfish and tropical tanks before. Now I'm trying something different! I have a 55 gal and need help with a couple questions. What fish are compatible? Anyone have a list of fish that would work well and how many? I'm interested in having clownfish!
How much live rock do I need? Its expensive, but I want to do it right, could I just get a couple pieces?
Do I need a protein skimmer? I have a canister filter, so is it necessary?

Any other advice or tips?

 

[jay0705]

Hello and welcome. Biggest recommendation is to read a good sw beginners book. Research research and more research. To touch on your questions tho. A 55 is ok but not ideal for sw. A canister filter is not reccomend. A hob is a better option. No you do not need a skimmer. You will if you want coral tho.
A pair of the same type of clown fish is fine. Get them young

 

[jay0705]

Also yes you want live rock. Its the base on what all successful sw tank are built

 

[fofa12]

Is there a reason a hob is better? I have a spray bar if that helps.
And i wish i had something bigger then a 55 gallon. But I'm still in high school so I'm trying to keep costs low.
Thank you!

 

[lmforbis]

Canisters tend to produce a lot of nitrate. They require a lot of maintenance with no benefit.

 

[beaslbob]

Whatever you do I recommend you simply start out the tank with macro algae and then do the rest. Macro algae will balance out the system, consume ammonia, nitrates (in that order), phosphates, co2 and return oxygen and fish food.

Everything else IMHO is secondary. Skimmers, filters, live rock included.


my .02

 

[GabrielleSimpsonC]

I am also a beginner fish owner. Thank you very much for your advice, I had no idea that there are so many different nuances here. It was really difficult for me to choose the first aquarium. It took a lot of time to make the right choice. but it was even more difficult to choose all the necessary equipment. For example, it took me over a month to find the right heater because I didn't want to screw it up. I understand that taking care of someone is a big responsibility and I didn't want to strip my cute pets. So far, I don't have very many fish, but in the future I hope that I will have many more. I also think to add several different types. I hope I succeed!

 

[Grumpyguy]

I am also a beginner fish owner. Thank you very much for your advice, I had no idea that there are so many different nuances here.

I noticed that you replied to this thread. It is over a year old. If you are looking for fish compatibility you can just google a chart that shows what fish are more compatible to other fish. It is very helpful when planning what you want to stock your tank with.

 

[emmajoe]

I am also a beginner fish owner. Thank you very much for your advice, I had no idea that there are so many different nuances here. It was really difficult for me to choose the first aquarium. It took a lot of time to make the right choice. but it was even more difficult to choose all the necessary equipment.
Dear,
word to pdf

 

[Alanhey]

Hey, did you buy any decorations for your aquarium yet?

 

[galelauk]

Hmm, it really is very hard for a beginner to start with saltwater fishes, you know? You can check it out at https://www.aquarzon.com. On this website, there's a specific page only for saltwater fish. Be careful though, you don't want to mix things up, or else the chances that your fishes may end up dead is pretty high. Fishes are so fragile, lol. I managed to buy some pretty decent stuffs there. I have some saltwater fishes in my aquarium too, and I tend to decorate my aquarium with rocks and plants.