how hard is a saltwater tank?

[new_noob]

:help:
Sorry to bother you guys, AGIEN. but my mom is getting kinda worried if a saltwater tank will be to hard to handle, we all ready have 4 or so 50 gallon freshwater tanks. im asking you people because most of you, if not all of you, have a saltwater tank. If you are reading this now leave a reply to this thread on how difficult it is to maintain a saltwater tank.
She is also worried about the prices

so if you could try to put up an estimate about how much a saltwater tank would cost, not in livestock wise, just the products, example: Live rock, Live sand, Powerheads, all that other good stuff. PLEASE!!!
It would mean alot to me!

 

[ty_05_f]

I don't think it's very hard for saltwater but thats my opinion. Cost wise it is pretty varied on what kind of setup you want Fowlr, reef........

 

[new_noob]

well thanks! i was looking to start a reef tank.

 

[civickid]

i had a fresh water tank and i upgraded to to a reef tank. Its the same really but if ur going to do a reef it is alot more difficult.

 

[jokerswild]

get out your check book and credit cards!!
its not gonna be cheap. lol

 

[civickid]

the lights alone will be as much as all of your freshwater tanks.

 

[ty_05_f]

Lighting is very important. Live rock will also cost a pretty penny but it's all worth it.:yes:

 

[karajay]

IMO, the only high expenses are associated with start-up. It will not cost much to maintain (depending on tank size).
It's not necessary to use live sand. You can use any aragonite sand (much cheaper) and/or mix it with live sand. Good live rock will eventually turn your sand live anyway. The general rule of thumb for amounts of rock is about 1-1.5 lbs. per gallon. For uncured rock, it's probably about $2-3 per lb. It's not necessary to get it all at once if you can't swing it. Just get as much as you can.
Lighting for corals can be expensive, but it really varies on the type you decide to get.

 

[niger12]

my 2 cents, it is no harder to take care of than fresh water but it cannot be neglected like alot of fresh water tanks. You really need to stay on top of things. You will need to spend a few minutes each day to keep thing running smooth. The live stock is less tolerant to band water conditions than fresh water. Good luck and read some books anddo lots of research.

 

[new_noob]

:thinking:
well what types of lights are the best? I have a 50 gallon tank, and i was wondering how hard it will be to convert a freshwater tank to a saltwater one, if its even possible!

 

[karajay]

What kind of equipment are you running now?
My advice is usually to start with a FOWLR and upgrade to corals in a few months when the tank is mature and stable. If you already have regular NO flourescent lights, they would be good enough to start with.
What type of filtration are you running now?

 

[new_noob]

ok wait
1. For my filter i have a regular BIOweel
2. For lights i have daylight flourescent
3. and what the heck is a FOWLR???
every thing i just said about lights and the filter is what my dad said ^^

 

[dcel22]

FOWLR = Fish Only With Live Rock

 

[karajay]

Check out the sticky post at the top for a list of the acronyms. It'll make things easier to understand.
Are your bio-wheels used in connection with some type of mechanical power filter? If so, you can probably use it. You will probably just need to add a few powerheads for additional circulation (look for maxi-jet 900 - very reliable).

 

[luvnluk]

FOWLR = fish only with live rock.....in my opinion, saltwater is slightly more expensive when you first get stared, however, in the long run is much more rewarding.......

 

[harlequinnut]

In your case, since money is a problem, I would suggest you get power compact lights. It shouldn't cost anymore than 250 on-line. Than you need a good protein skimmer like a red sea prism skimmer for under 100. For live rocks, I would suggest you go on-line and get 50 lbs of base rock for 50-60 dollars then go to a LFS and get 10 lbs of live rock to save some money. If you are lucky and your local home depot carries southdown playsand, then you're good to go.:yes:

 

[atf88]

i would actually get LR from this site, i paid $100 for 10lbs at my LFS, u get double that for the same price from here.

 

[harlequinnut]

My LFS sells cured fiji live rocks for 3.99/lb.

 

[ty_05_f]

atf holy cow you paid alot. Yeah you can find it much cheaper.

 

[bwmichael21]

In my opinion you should purchase a book before you think about anything else. When i switched from fresh to salt i did a good month to month and half of reading before. There are many aspects you should be atleast aware of before starting.