how to make a selfsustaining ecosystem for salt water fish tank???

sad fish

sad fish

New Member
we have a 55 gal salt water tank. we were wondering if a selfsustaining ecosystem was even possible? we have 2 o clown fish [nemo] , 3 zebra gobys, 1 black goby, 1 coral banded shrimp, 2 green crabs, 5 red leg crabs, 4 turbo snails, 1 anemane, 1 choclate chip star fish, 1 sea urchin. sounds like a bounch but just lots of crabs. we wold also like to know good comunity fish under 20$ and reef safe. . . is 3 pajama fish a good choice.
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
woah, slow down. lol
Research your purchases first. Make sure you have the proper lighting and water quality to keep an anemone before you buy one. Make sure you remove that chocolate chip star fish before purchasing any corals.
To be completely self sustaining, a tank has to produce it's own food. I don't believe that is possible quite yet in this hobby.
However, if you want to get into trying to keep your system as self-maintaining as possible - look into aquarium controllers, auto top off systems, and automatic dosers if you are going to get into reefkeeping.
Above all, check out my Snake's Methods thread for a lot of basic advice that will help you save a lot of money and time in this expensive and time consuming hobby.
 
sad fish

sad fish

New Member
we have had the anemane for a month so i will look into lighting. we do not need reef safe just in case we get a second tank later on to have a idea.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
Quote:
we were wondering if a selfsustaining ecosystem was even possible?
Yes it is possible. The problem is that you need a whole lotta saltwater habitat to sustain even a single small fish or small colony of coral.
 
bang guy

bang guy

Moderator
I think if you set it up right with a lot of surface area a 55 gallon could be self sustaining to a pair of Neon Gobies. You need a fairly diverse ecosystem though and lots of light to grow algae. I have a 1 gallon self sustaining Shrimp Tank sitting in a window sill but it's freshwater and there are no fish.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Although it is almost impossible to make a 100% self substarining eco system, you can get closer then most will admit. (at least IMHO)
With a large refugium say 50% to 100% of the display volume you can generate enough pods to keep things almost totally fed. And enough veggies (macro algaes) to feed the vegitarians as well.
But you still have to add a little food every now and then but a lot less than you would think.
And you can use culture bottles to provide phyto and rotifers as well. What I did was dump in phyto then nuke tank water to replace the water in the culture jars. And add nutrients to keep the phyto cultures going and feed the rotifer cultures. So still using water from the tank but kinda a refugium for the phyto and rotifers in seperate culture jars.
One good thing is that the macros or other plant life like turf algaes help stabilize operation preventing dangerous cycles.
So to me even though not 100% it does result in a stable system.
Still just my .02
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
That's still a lot of work you have to do,... And no real way around it, the fish still need to be fed from outside sources occasionally.
With the use of controllers and monitors and automated systems with continuous culture methods and some serious DIY, it might be able to be pulled off about 90% to 98% completely self sustainable but there is always that small margin.
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
Well you couldn't call it a hobby if it took care of itself. The only thing I don't enjoy is water changes drain water, lugging gallons of water into DT. If I wasn't so cheep I would get another pump an a rolling can to pump new water in.
 
sad fish

sad fish

New Member
so what about comunity saltwater fish there is a whole bunch of choices but every one says somting different? who do u listen too? any one have good comunity fish that are not hard to care for?
 
snakeblitz33

snakeblitz33

Well-Known Member
saltwater fish aren't like freshwater fish... Freshwater fish have communities. Saltwater fish have varying degrees of agressiveness. Learn the varying degrees of agressiveness and look at some species compatibility charts and you are well on your way.
When you ask questions on the forums and you get responses... here are a few ways to gauge the experience of the person who posts...
1. Look at their join date
2. Look at their post count (even though post count doesn't have a lot to do with it, most people who have low post counts either come from another forum or are complete newbs.)
3. Look at the advice they give in other threads and if people agree with them or are constantly correcting them.
You will eventually be able to judge who has more or less experience.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. Limpid http:///t/391559/how-to-make-a-selfsustaining-ecosystem-for-salt-water-fish-tank#post_3473603
Well you couldn't call it a hobby if it took care of itself. The only thing I don't enjoy is water changes drain water, lugging gallons of water into DT. If I wasn't so cheep I would get another pump an a rolling can to pump new water in.
IMHO water changes are one of those things that actually are the easiest to eliminte. But you do have to dose things like calcium,carbonte, and magnesium that are consumed.
Additionally waterchanges in and of themselves will limit but not prevent buildups and delpetion of anything due to the bioload.
still just my .02
 
rickross23

rickross23

Active Member
IMHO water changes are one of those things that actually are the easiest to eliminte.  But you do have to dose things like calcium,carbonte, and magnesium that are consumed.
Additionally waterchanges in and of themselves will limit but not prevent buildups and delpetion of anything due to the bioload.
still just my .02
Well stated. :flamed:
 
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