Beginner Saltwater Tank Owner

[fish1025]

I have been looking at getting a decant size saltwater tank, and I think I'm going to go with a Biocube 29. Is this a good beginner tank? Are there any websites that sell it for cheaper? How many fish should I have in it?? I have only ever had betafish and goldfish so I am very nervous and excited to start a saltwater tank. I have a list of fish also that I like: clownfish (duh), some type of wrasse (I was thinking either 6 line or yellow), a bangai cardinalfish, a dwarf angel (either flame, coral beauty, yellow, rusty, or red stripe), and a fire fish (most likely purple). I know nothing about fish and how they would interact with each other but I am excited to learn and I just really need some help and advice about saltwater aquariums. Thanks

 

[lmforbis]

Welcome to saltwater. The best advice I can give you is do your research. Research all the equipment and fish thoroughly before you buy anything. Patience is a very important part of this hobby. Once you decide on equipment you'll need to cycle the tank which takes 3 to 6 weeks. No fish until the tank is cycled. Ask questions here and other forums through the whole process and beware of any advice given by local fish stores.
In salt water a bigger tank is always easier than a small tank especially for a beginner. 29 gallons is small. In a 29 gallon you will be limited in the fish you can get. A pair of clowns maybe one more small fish.

 

[jay0705]

Welcome. Now research research research! Lol. If you want to do only fish, you can prob get a normal 29 cheaper than the bio. That said, the bigger the tank the easier it is to keep. You have more wiggle room w water issues. Perhaps a 40b. Not terribly big but has a nice footprint. Fish wise, all the fish u listed are compatible if the tank is big enough. Only 1 angle tho. If you stick w a 29. Either a pair or 1 clown, 6-line, and maybe a small fish. I went w a single maroon in my 29bc they don't pair easily.

 

[deejeff0442]

29 gallon is not a beginner tank.a 75 to 100 gallon is.

 

[pegasus]

Welcome to the saltwater hobby! When starting this hobby, bigger is better. It took me a long time to get enough courage to tackle a 40 gallon, and only because it shares the same water and filtration as my established 125 gallon. Larger volumes of water allow novice hobbyists a chance to catch and correct problems before they become catastrophic. A small saltwater tank can literally turn over overnight. It's often said that the solution to pollution is dilution... and this couldn't be more true than in saltwater. You're far more likely to have success with a larger tank than a small one. As mentioned, small (nano) tanks are best left up to the expert hobbyist. If you want a dwarf angel, be aware that 50 gallons or more is recommended... and highly recommended to be a mature tank before adding the angel. Part of angels diet consists of the algae they graze off of rocks, but you can supplement with algae sheets. Bigger tanks are a bigger investment, as the tank and equipment costs more. However, you can spend a small fortune trying to keep a small tank going, and quickly grow frustrated when things go south. We're not trying to sell you a big tank as that's not our job, but if you want the best shot at success, take the advice that most of us did and get the largest tank you can afford. You can thank us later... lol!

 

[deejeff0442]

Lol yea what he said .just didnt want to type so much.

 

[snakeblitz33]

I'm going against the grain and say: buy what you can reasonably afford. If a tank is too big, too much to maintain, too large of water changes, it becomes a hassle to maintain and you might end up neglecting it because of time or money.

Larger tanks Have a larger margin of error and when things go wrong, and they will, it takes a lot more effort to course correct, which means costly water changes, chemicals or medications.

Again, look at the costs and research.

 

[fish1025]

thank you so much everyone for your advice!!!!! this is so so so helpful and I will continue to research and ponder the situtaion! thank you so much I thought nobody would respond to me lol thanks guys

 

[geridoc]

thank you so much everyone for your advice!!!!! this is so so so helpful and I will continue to research and ponder the situtaion! thank you so much I thought nobody would respond to me lol thanks guys

One problem you will never have is nobody responding to one of your questions. As you have already seen, you got 6 responses consisting of 2 different opinions. If you had a dozen responses you would have seen even more varied opinions. This is a good thing, since the experienced aquariasts on this site will usually give their reasons for their opinions, and you can then weigh their responses against your needs. Since no one on this site is selling you anything, the advice is usually not biased by the desire to make a profit, but based on wanting you to succeed. Welcome, and good luck!

 

[pegasus]

Well said, doc! However, I think I should point out that the only advice that is accurate is mine!!! LOL!!! Just kidding... while it can get confusing, as every situation is different, you have to take bits and pieces of advice to find what works for your system. While suggestions for equipment may vary, the basics are basically the same. Good water parameters are the health of the system, so that's always #1 priority. Once you get that part down, the rest is pretty simple... kind of simple.

 

[lmforbis]

Along that same line good quality test kits are very important in achieving the goal of pristine water.

 

[jay0705]

Ok folks. Water quality is key in this game we all agree. So in your options what is most commonly the reason for it getting out of whack? I ask bc I have a 29,56,75 gal tanks. For me it seems they manage the same. I still don't reccomend small tanks for beginners tho lol

 

[lmforbis]

Over feeding I'd put high on the list.
I think with beginners not knowing that top off water should be RODI not salt water.
Overstocking or adding fish too fast and too soon.
Inadequate oxygenation

Another would be overreacting to a problem. Instead of thinking it through we rush to fix it possibly making it worse.

Not testing before adding additives.

i think as we are in the hobby for a while, we learn what our particular tanks will do and what it takes to prevent a problem as well as what the cause may be. We also learn the subtle signs that something is off. For me if my Duncan stays closed all day I need a water change. Experience and observation prevent a lot of problems from getting out of hand. Large tanks have more of a buffer when something goes wrong especially in a new tank set up by someone new to SW who may not know what to look for.

Even after many years of salt water I am still guilty of some of these.

 

[jay0705]

Good points. I do mostly fish, starting to get into corals. You def can tell just by the way certain fish act if something is off.
Overfeeding, lol yup. If people really knew how much I feed. I'd be banned from the forum lol. Bc of my draggonets, I do feed "extra"now I also have a souped up cuc to help w it tho.
The r/o point always surprised me. I guess early on I read water evaps salt doesn't. So to me its a no brainer

 

[lmforbis]

Me too but I am a chemist. I see so many people at work come in as biologists and they have no idea about solution chemistry so I don't assume a newbie in SW would know that. I see all the time people wondering why their SG is too high and it turns out they've been topping off with SW.

 

[jay0705]

Refractometer vs hydrometer is another. Those dam hydrometer's are never consistent

 

[lmforbis]

Especially the swing arm. The bobber ones are good if temp is correct.

 

[jay0705]

Never seen the bobber one.

 

[geridoc]

Too much nutrient in the water, either from overfeeding or overstocking is probably the number 2 problem in salt water fishkeeping. What is number 1? Not quarantining every incoming living thing until it is proven healthy and is eating. Just my 2 cents...

 

[jay0705]

I hope fish1025 doesn't mind us semi hijacking this thread lol but this is excellent info.
geridoc- qt I believe is one of the biggest reasons people think sw is so hard. They don't do it and bam!! I have ich, or my fish doesn't eat, ect. I will admit I never did it either. I only bought from reliable lfs , and only fish I watched for minimally 2 wks. I got lucky and never had an issue. Then ick showed up. Months after I added any fish!!! How? I bought snails, and while true snails don't get ick, the little bastards can attach to the snails shell. So yes now everything gets qt.