I'm a noob...be kind.

[marinegrl]

Hello, everyone! I just joined, and hope to get some valuable advice from the 'old timers' on beginning a saltwater tank. I was resigning myself to the thought of buying a 55 gallons starter tank, when I really wanted to use my 20 gallon, when I found some sites on 'nano' tanks. Could anyone spare a moment and explain to me what exactly makes a 'nano tank' different from a regular tank? I could make an educated guess, but I want to have concrete knowledge instead. Thank you!
One minute. I should say that my 20 gallon is a freshwater tropical tank, with two marble angelfish and six tetras. It is mostly planted with tall, green Amazon type plants, for my shy angelfish. It has the whole Biowheel filter and kit. The heater, thermometer, tank and hood w/ light came in a 'Starter' kit. Thanks for any replies! :happy:

 

[pontius]

as far as I know, a nano is just a lot smaller. I wouldn't recommend a nano tank starting off in saltwater, because there's a lot less room for error as far as water parameters, and you'll have a lot more upkeep with a small tank.

 

[texasex]

Post your question on the Nano thread, and you will find a lot more people with greater knowledge on the subject. :yes:
But, my personal suggestion would to start with a 55 gallon. The larger tank would actually be a lot less work than the smaller tanks.

 

[marinegrl]

Yeah, thats what I thought. *sighs* For the good of the fish, I will probably be purchasing a 55 gallon. Thanks for the advise, and the next time I'm on, I'll try the nano forum thread.

 

[1journeyman]

Welcome to the boards!
The general advice in SW is to get as big of a tank as you can afford. That's for 2 reasons:
1. Bigger allows for a larger "margin of error"
2. Because you will always see something else that you want!
Good luck. If you haven't stumbled across it yet, check out Fenner's book "Conscientious Marine Aquarist". He also has a great website full of information.
Keep posting and reading. You'll love it.

 

[irishsalt]

Originally Posted by Texasex
Post your question on the Nano thread, and you will find a lot more people with greater knowledge on the subject. :yes:
But, my personal suggestion would to start with a 55 gallon. The larger tank would actually be a lot less work than the smaller tanks.

What he said....
IME A *Nano* tank is 15 gallons or less. IME anything smaller then a 55 is a Nano thank though....lol. I think your actually talking about the relatively new Tanks that are sold/marketed as Nano Cubes. I know guys that run them(I think they make a 16 gallon as the biggest). They seem to have good filtration, ventilation and lighting but not my cup of tea.
Bigger trullly is better when it comes to the Marine hobby. Levels are MUCH more sensitive with smaller tanks. THe smaller you go, the more difficult matinence can be(all things being relative). 55 would be a great place to start for a newb. If you dead set on *Nano*, check out the Nano forum as the above quoted poster has said.
Also, you have to consider the fact that LiveRock and especially(deep) sand beds can displace allot of water. You might start out with a 29 and end up with a 20.
Also, Investing in High quality equipment to begin with, will absolutely be cheaper in the long run.
Peace

 

[fishmamma]

HI!
I am also a newbie but thought I would share since I just switched a 16 gallon from fresh to salt, and am currently setting up a 29 gallon as well.
I know bigger is better but unfortunatly small rooms=small tanks.
I am religiously checking h20 parameters on my 16 and so far have not had any trouble aside from some low level ammonia due to dead snails that I can not remove myself. I am having a snail problem but that is another story.
I should be receiving my protein skimmers today- IMO a must with small tanks. I find the weekly water changes quick and easy on my 16 gallon- that is one plus to a smaller tank. Two gallons out, two gallons in.
The hardest part is matching the salinity and temp to the tank. That can take up the better part of the morning. I have decided to constantly run a heater and air stone in a 5 gallon bucket in the basement so I will always have saltwater ready to go when I need it. That should make things a little less time consuming.
Good luck to you and have fun!! :jumping:

 

[jedi]

Hello and welcome :cheer:
There is alot of great people here with alot of very good experience.. read and learn and you will be very successfull in this Hobby.
If you are just starting up a salt water tank, I would definatley suggest a 55 or larger. The more water in the tank, the more "flexibility" there is for adjustments. A smaller, "Nano tank", leaves about 0 room for error. And the water parameters are harder to control when you are starting up.
Also, read up on what you want to keep in the tank. that will be a big factor in the size of the tank you get.
Good luck,
Jedi

 

[marinegrl]

I love this! A big thanks goes to everyone who replied, it was interesting to read your remarks. I think I'll bid for the 55 gallon and hope the price doesn't go up to high...otherwise I'll be making do with the freshwater (which, don't get me wrong, is lovely, with the personalities and hilarious antics of the 'freshies') for the time being. Thank you again for all the tips, advise and a nice welcome! :happy:

 

[me-n-my-fish]

I have a 55 gal tank that is just sitting here. I live in south alabama. where are you in florida?
Bigger is better (easier)

 

[malounsbury]

Originally Posted by IrishSalt
I think they make a 16 gallon as the biggest.
24 gallons is the biggest they make the JBJ Nano Cube.
And, welcome to the boards marinegrl!

 

[jon.316]

Yup not to beat u over the head or anything its basically true, nanos are anything smaller than 15 gallons generally...in my opinion anything under 36 gallons is a nano..but basically nanos run about 10-15 gallons and its really cool to have if ur on a budget..
And yup, larger tanks are basically harder to mess up on because of so much water involved but remember larger tank = more work during water changes.
As for tank sizes...The general rule of thumb is.....Get the biggest and the best you can afford! If u live in a little condo u obiviously cant get a 300 gallon....but i'd suggest getting at least a 46 for it to be worth it...keep in mind costs for live sand/ crushed coral, skimmers , filters, corals and fish.....I've spent well over 3000 on my 155 so make sure I can tell you you'll probably spend a bit over 1000$ at least...This is a very expensive but additive hobby!!
good luck and ask questions

 

[marinegrl]

Sorry for not posting any replies for a little while...I have not disappeared (as you can see). Like my profile says...the horses were first and still are. So, someone has a 55 gallon tank thats just sitting around? Sounds like a crime. Is it still available? I'm interesting, probably until I hear the price. Then I'll scream and faint. No just kidding. Let me know if its available, and thanks again everyone for the advice.
:jumping: I've been really busy on the web and in the library discovering all sorts of great stuff about marine aquariums! Its so much fun, I have three books on my bed right now and probably another three lying somewhere around...its a great hobby.

 

[malounsbury]

Marine, you may want to head over to the classifieds section of this board. There's a bunch of people selling tanks that they don't need or have any use for. I'm sure you should be able to pick up something at a good price there.

 

[marinegrl]

Except the shipping is horridly priced, I live in Central Fl, (right smack in the middle, little over an hour to either coast) and its a real pain for people to ship all the way down. But thanks for the suggestion, I'll take a look.

 

[malounsbury]

Every once in awhile there's someone in your area that has what you're looking for. Sometimes if they're in another state and close enough, you could meet half way to pick up the tank from them.

 

[1journeyman]

You might check around at your Local Fish Stores too. A 55 gallon really shouldn't cost that much, especially if you get a glass one. (lighting, skimmers, live rock and/or sand etc. is where the wallet starts to get slapped around)

 

[marinegrl]

Ok, I'm actually planning a trip to my local aquarium dealer this Thursday. I'll talk to the guy then about a tank, plus I want to do some price checking on accessories. One place was so outrageously priced on their rocks and decorations it almost made me laugh. I mean, how can someone pay that?

 

[nanotanker]

I myslef live in jacksonville florida and your right marine girl prices for decorations are completely out of control so i suggest petsmart(just for decorations NOT fish)

 

[marinegrl]

I'm kind of glad to hear that, just because it means I haven't been looking in all the wrong places. Sometimes, living in Fl is absolutely great when it comes to this stuff. But sometimes, like in this case, its not so great. I was just looking at the petsmart page, thinking, 'hmm, their prices aren't so bad'. Though you're a lot closer to the top of Fl than I am! Jacksonville is COLD! lol