First timer looking for help!

gmoney27

gmoney27

New Member
I am new to this hobby so I need advice on what to get to get started.
im looking to buy a tank tomorow. I basicly want a tank with some clown fish. I heard it good to get anomones because they use them as hosts or something.
Anyways I want something fairly big so I can expand over time. What do I need? I was thinking of making it a reef and fish tank but I heard they are harder.
Basicly what do I need to get a tank running with 4 clown fish and some anonomes?
please give me the list and some other resources I could use.
Ive bought saltwater aquariums for dummy's but I think getting straight to the point from you experienced folks will be better I just want to get my setup going doesnt matter if I cant get the fish in right away I can wait a couple months but I want to get my tank setup going so please guys help me out and tell me what I need.
Please keep in mind im new to aquariums so youll have to be as blunt as possible :D
I atleast want something close to 20 gallons or more. I want the most economical size.
Thanks
George
 
E

essop3

Guest
There is way too much to tell you in one post so the book will help alot. I'll try to get you started though.
1. tank, heater, power heads (they make currents) are basic requirements you can't do without.
2. Filtration comes in 3 basic ways. Mechanical (filters or sponges to remove floating stuff)
Chemical (carbon to remove impurities)
Biological (bacteria builds up on rock to break down fish waste... reseach cycle.
3. protien skimmer removes waste and will help alot with water quality.
4. Live rock as mentioned above will give bacteria room to grow, fish places to hide and look more natural.
5. You can only have 1 pair of 1 type of clown unless you have a BIG tank.
6. Anemones are hard to keep unless you have a good light setup and a fair amount of experience. Many easier corals will host clownfish.
Hope this is a few good pointers. Read alot on here and in your book and you will have many more questions.
 
oozy

oozy

Member
also clowns dont NEED a host.
cycle with a peice of raw shrimp or your live rock die-off, not live fish as they will probibaly die and is crule...
cycle takes aprox 2-3 weeks
after your cycle is dont do a 10% water change.
keep reading up if you need help theres alot of people that would love to help if you have mor questions!
good luck!
-oozy-
 
gmoney27

gmoney27

New Member
ok so how many power heads? also can you be more specific on the last 2 filters and where is some good sites to go to for cheap priced equipement?
when you say raw shrimp do you mean an actual raw peice of shrimp like human food wise ? ( sorry if I sound dumb im really new)
 
oozy

oozy

Member
well, first off you should decide if you want a Reef, of Fish only,
you should have at least one powerhead for fish only,
2 for a reef that size.
a filter can be an Aquaclear 150 to a penguin 300(may be over kill), depends on what you will put in the tank.
reefs=less fish
fish only you can have more fish=need better filtration.
i have 2 maxijet 600 powerheads and a aquaclear 150 on my 20g, ive kept all sorts of corals.
with corals you will NEED lighting
I have a JBJ formorsa DX it has 2 55w powercompacts~$200.
YES i mean raw shrimp people eat, sounds strange at first...but it works!
no need to be sorry! we were all new at one time

goodluck!
-oozy-
ps. search the Classified posts for equipment.
 
gmoney27

gmoney27

New Member
I want a reef with a pair of clowns and some other inverts. What will I need to get to make the tank work? isnt there like a package system I can buy?
links to sites will be greatly appreciated. I was also thinking maybe I should just go to the pet store and get them to pick out what I need but that prolly will make them grind me for cash because im new so they will likly sell me everything lol
I dont wanna get taken advantage of by pet store people. ugh this is confusing
 
susieq

susieq

Member
If you go to a pet store, they will see you coming. I started with a full set-up from that very large and cheap chain that's running everyone else out of business. (we aren't allowed to mention names here.) I have a 55 gallon tank that's been running for over 1 year. Start with sand for a substrate (on the bottom of the tank) Check the very large online aution site for cheaper equipment. They GOT IT! I have a clown fish that's using a fake log as it's anemone. It is very happy. Good luck and take things slow.
 
E

essop3

Guest
anemones are the hardest animal to keep. If you have enough light and good enough water quality for an anemone you have enough for a full reef.
And like stated above clowns will be happy without an anenome.
 
gmoney27

gmoney27

New Member
Originally Posted by susieq
If you go to a pet store, they will see you coming. I started with a full set-up from that very large and cheap chain that's running everyone else out of business. (we aren't allowed to mention names here.) I have a 55 gallon tank that's been running for over 1 year. Start with sand for a substrate (on the bottom of the tank) Check the very large online aution site for cheaper equipment. They GOT IT! I have a clown fish that's using a fake log as it's anemone. It is very happy. Good luck and take things slow.

can you maybe e-mail me id liek to talk to you gkatalifos@cogeco.ca
 
fishmamma

fishmamma

Active Member
Tanks usually need to be purchased at LFS unless you are going with some pre-packaged system like an eclpise. If you want 4 small fish you could go with something in the 30 gallon range. This is considered way too small by many, but I happen to enjoy smaller tanks myself. For starters you could purchase a tank at Walmart or other fish store with a standard plastic top with light. This would be sufficient for live rock and the fish. Then you will need some sand and live rock- 1-2 pounds per gallon (30 gallon tank=30-60 lbs. live rock). You can start on the low end and add rock over time if you have a local retailer carrying pre-cured rock. Someone else listed much of your basic equipment above. A marine test kit, salt, a 5 gallon bucket for mixing saltwater, an extra heater and airstone for the bucket and a refractometer are also essential when starting up a tank.
Meanwhile you can be researching what type of corals you would like to keep and then when you have the $$ purchase some reef lighting for the tank and you will on your way!!
I should mention that not all clowns will do well as a pair in a 30 gallon tank....stick to the smaller breeds if you go with this size. I sent you an e-mail with a link, good luck.
 
merredeth

merredeth

Active Member
Originally Posted by gmoney27
wheres a good place to look at for tanks?
My Advice
Number One: Buy the book The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists: Books by Robert M. Fenner - read it, and read it again. Grab a highlighter and read it again if you missed something.
Number Two: Buy the largest tank you can possibly afford. The more tank you have the easier it is to dillute the pollution. 55 gallon tanks are a minimum and can be a challenge for a novice. No tangs or heniochais, no matter how small they are when you buy them should go in a 55 gallon tank, unless you like dead ones.
Number Three: Don't shop the local chain for advice. Find a good local fish or aquarium store who knows their stuff. The local fish or aquarium store that knows their stuff is hard to find. Believe me, there are many who are out there, but few who seem to really know their stuff. The chains will see you come a mile away and want to sell you anything and everything you don't and won't need.
Number Four: Before you buy - VERIFY! This is a great place to verify whether or not the things people want to sell you are things you actually need. The people on this board are willing to help and have nothing to gain by helping you - the people who see have it in their best interests to gain monetarily and will not look out for you nearly as well as friends on this board who have learned from experience. There is a buy and sell thread on this site, you can buy new supplies from this site, and there is the world wide auction site you can buy stuff from as well.
Number Five: Before you buy any fish for your tank, cycle the tank and make sure it has cycled with a piece of shrimp from the store. Check for the ammonia spikes, check your water parameters and be patient. Water cycling takes a few weeks. So be patient.
Number Six: Take the few weeks time and research what you want to put in your tank. Some fish (I believe, like madarins for example) need well established tanks to go in. So start with beginner fish. Don't add all your fish at once. Add one per week, two if they are very small fish if you are going with a 55 gallon tank. Make sure you don't overstock your tank either. Follow the rules of thumb for stocking your aquarium. There is a rating scale in most books and websites to tell you what is a hardy fish and what is an easy to kill to fish or coral.
Number Seven: If you found and LFS you can trust, establish a relationship with them and buy from them. Do not just go to them for advice and then buy from the big auction site, here or somewhere else. They need to stay in business. Sure, they cost a little more but they stand behind what they sell and can trade a too agressive fish in for another one or give a little better guarantee if something is amiss. Also, consider buying from this site and other sites that sell. The rules here prohibit mentioning websites, but mail order for livestock is not always bad. I've purchased from my LFS and from mail order and have had great results from both. I've also had some bad experiences but they cannot be corrected if you don't inform the owner or the company of the problem. All problems I have encountered have been corrected to my satisfaction.
Number Eight: Only one person in your household takes care of the fish tank. I take care of our tanks and no one else does. No one else cleans around the tanks as I don't even want Windex on the tanks due to the potential of problems.
I hope my advice helps you.
Denise M.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top