How do I start?

[teeny]

I am new to this.How do I start my first set up?

 

[darth tang]

First figure out what you want to keep...then we will help from there. Some fish have different requirements and tank size limitations.

 

[teeny]

I would want to start with something easy.I know it can be expensive and want to start small. there is a yellow and purple fish that i saw that was real pretty.

 

[lion_crazz]

probably a royal gramma. A 55 is a good starter tank. There are not many fish you can keep in it, but you will have enough to have a nice variety. My best suggestion is to pick up The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner. That book will tell you just about everything you need to know.

 

[teeny]

What is a FOWLR?

 

[lion_crazz]

Fish Only With Live Rock

 

[teeny]

I have $3000 I can spend. Is that enough?

 

[turningtim]

"Fish Only With Live Rock"
Welcome to the BOARDS!
Tim

 

[lion_crazz]

yes, plenty. I set my 210 gallon tank up for $4000. In this hobby, the bigger is always the better. I would probably start setting up a list of all the things you need, and then get the biggest possible tank that will fit into your $3000 budget. We can help you with that here. First, you need to decide whether you want to do fish or corals. Most fish cannot go in a tank with corals, this is why it is one or the other.
JUst fish, or FOWLR, is much cheaper, as corals require expensive lighting and more maintenance as well.

 

[teeny]

Thank you
my friend has crushed coral in their tank, i don't like how it looks, i like the sandy looking ones.

 

[lion_crazz]

crushed coral is difficult to manage anyway. Aragonite sand is much easier.

 

[teeny]

what size tank would be good for a snow falke eel? and what other fish can go with it?
it says on here they are docile and can go with other fish if you keep it well fed

 

[lion_crazz]

Yes, if kept well fed, they are not very aggressive. I would recommend a 125 for a snowflake. A 125 could be set up with your budget for sure.

 

[mrdc]

Well you are doing the right thing by asking questions and doing research first. I went the other way. I bought everything from the LFS (local fish store) and then did research. Since then, I have made many modifications to my tank which would have been A LOT easier if the tank was setup right from the start.
Also some things to consider:
1) do you want a tank with an overflow or not
2) do you want an agressive or nonagressive fish tank
3) you may want to measure where you plan on putting the tank which would help in determining an appropriate size
4) $3000 will be a good start! I quit counting how much has gone into my 120 but it's around $3000 in rock and equipment and maybe some fish. My corals made the cost go up faster.
5) you might want to look into getting some good books