help for a someone new to saltwater aquariums

[ewok]

whats up everybody im new to all of this so thats always good and embarassing... i'm about to get a 24 gallon set up just to get used to it and learn how to take care of a salt water aquarium... my friends parents are fish suppliers to many pet stores around my dallas-fort worth area so thats helpful and hopefully i will get some discounts lol... so anyways i was wondering what would be some good fish to start with and some other start up tips would be very much appreciated

 

[jam1e]

start out with a pair of clownfish .. they're docile to other fishes and very hardy .. maybe something along the lines of a six-line wrasse as well .. and a tip for a beginner would be to not listen to a local fish store unless you know and trust them .. most fish stores will try to get you to buy things whether they're good for your tank or not .. wait until after your tank cycles to get fish

 

[jam1e]

welcome to the board by the way .. there are a lot of knowledgable people here that can help you with just about anything

 

[sepulatian]

Welcome to the boards!!!First start with a good salt mix, a liquid master test kit, refractometer (to measure salinity) and about 25lbs of uncured live rock. You have to cycle your tank. You may want to look around this site and read as much as you can. You have a good 4-6 weeks before it is time to add fish. Look around, ask any and all questions you can think of!

 

[ewok]

what about gobys would that be a good starter fish ive heard those are good starter fish and i really like those what do yall think (sorry about the yall im from texas)

 

[1journeyman]

Hello from Argyle.
The DFW area is really hurting in good marine fish stores. It's sad really.
Marine fish take a lot of room. Make sure you research whatever kind of fish you want and see how big it grows and what it eats. There are plenty of fish for a tank your size, but also a lot that will not be suited for your tank.

 

[ewok]

you live in argyle?
i go to school at liberty christian

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by ewok
you live in argyle?
i go to school at liberty christian
Small world. Graduated there in 1990 (when it was still in Denton).

 

[jam1e]

gobies are great fish . very hardy and not aggresive at all

 

[fishygayle]

You need to also be aware of your cleanup crew. I have had:
Emerarald crabs - they get big!
Sally Lightfoot Crabs - get big AND EAT THINGs. My ex-Sally Lightfoot ate my royal Gramma and a Clown!
Brittle Star - when they get big can kill other small fish while they sleep - - My ex-brittle star got another clown. boo hoo!
The best:
a queen conch. She has a voracious appetite.
Sand sifting star - You will never see it...but the sand will be white
The others I have:
Hermit crabs
Narcissus snails

 

[1journeyman]

Originally Posted by fishygayle
The best:
a queen conch. She has a voracious appetite.
Sand sifting star - You will never see it...but the sand will be white
Sand sifting stars are actually bad choices. They eat the critters in your sand that keep your sand bed healthy and usually starve in all but the largest tanks.

 

[jam1e]

sorry fishygale but I'd have to agree with journeyman on that one .. there are always exceptions but usually sandsifting stars starve and damage your live sand by eating all of the beneficial organisms before they die .. but I CAN see how your sand would be clean if you had one ... if you can keep it alive . might I ask what size tank you have fishygale?

 

[fishygayle]

I have a 24 gallon aquapod with....about 4 inches of sand.
I fought an incredibly horrible outbreak of black slime algae in the late summer early fall. I tried everything to cure it...finally bought some Erythromycin..the sand sifting star is a result of some of my cleanup efforts. He hasn't been a problem so far, but my LFS is pretty good at taking things back and giving me store credit. That's where my sally lightfoot monster crab ended up as well as my brittle star.

 

[xdave]

Your parents friends are not only a source of stuff, but of knowledge. They probably know more than anyone you'll talk to.