Minimum tank size?

[mrupallnit]

I went to a large aquatic store today. I told the dude i was interested in starting a saltwater tank. He told me that we need a MINIMUM 55 gal to start. However, I have read other websites that you can start a small one in a 10-25 gal? is this true? any suggestions?

 

[thomas712]

Welcome to the board.
Well, my first recommondation for a starting tank would be a 55 gallon. It will allow for some mistakes to be made that can be corected with that amount of water, whereas a smaller tank can have quicker disasters that will not allow you the time to fix them. Unfortunally bad things happen fast in this hobby, and the more experience you have the better you will be able to control the bad things.
Another reason for a 55 over a smaller tank would be the when the saltwater bug gets you you will be looking for an even larger tank to house some of the larger fish you would like to keep. For instance even a tang really doesnt belong in a 55 gallon tank as it requres at least 5 feet of swimming room which would require a 125 gallon tank as a recommondation. But the 55 would allow you to keep more fish including some of the pygmy angels and other fish like firefish or gobies that are known as jumpers with more success.
A 55 gallon is a real nice starter tank, but you can have smaller tanks, many times thought they require more attention than larger self sustaining tanks. The larger the tank the more forgiving it is of mistakes.
Thomas

 

[mrupallnit]

Thank you for your feedback Thomas.
My wife is suggesting that I do a freshwater first and see if the fish will stay alive

 

[tagg]

Hi and welcome to the board.
Sounds like that dude just wants to get a little extra $$ by making a larger sale.
You can start with any size tank you want. But I'll bet you $50 that you will want a 20g if you start with a 10g...or a 30g if you get a 20g....etc
Go with what you have room for and can afford.
Read....Learn....Enjoy....
You will find everyone here to be very helpfull, don't be afraid to ask.
Tagg____

 

[mrupallnit]

Thank you for your feedback. I just hope when I start it I don't screw anything up. I know before I do ANYTHING, I'm going to be asking aobut 10 questions to make sure that ONE thing is correct.
What size tank did you start out with Tagg___ ?

 

[jacksonpt]

There are 2 parts to the answer to your question.
First, the bigger the tank you have, the easier it is going to be to maintain the water quality. Changes in salinity, ph, alk, etc. are much more drastic in a 20g tank than they are in a 100g tank.
Second, most people start out relatively light/easy and work their way into the hobby. Once they feel like they know enough to be successful with a tank, they quickly decide the tank they started with is waaaay too small to house all the critters they want to keep. Buying a larger tank to start with will give you more room to grow as your knowledge/experience with saltwater grows.
Make sense?

 

[cliffrouse11bas]

I started out with a 29 gallon and have still not had anything larger than that. I had to break down and sale the 29 gallon because I moved. Now all I have is a 7 gallon minibow. I do not suggest a tank this small. I have to topoff about 3 times a day. A gallon water change every week. It is just a constant chore. There is no tank that is going to be easy, but I say get no smaller than a 29, but a 55 if you can afford it. Just whatever you do, please dont skip the live sand and live rock. That will be your number one key to success.

 

[lesleybird]

Hi, I would start with at least a 40 gallon as with a twenty five you will only be able to keep about 3 fish that grow to be up to about in the 3 inch size safely. You don't have to start with a fresh water tank, but they are a lot easier. If you want to start with saltwater, do yourself a favor and buy and read at least one good book on the subjuct before you buy anything. This way you know what is involved and get a better idea if it is something that you wish to do. A couple of good books are "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" By Robert M. Fenner, also, "The Book of the Marine Aquarium" by Nick Dakin is a great book. "The Complete Book of the Marine Aquarium" by Vincent B. Hargreaves is also a good book. Any of these, or a couple of these should give you an idea of what it takes to be successful in this fun but challenging hobby. Please don't be like a lot of people on this board who buy first, kill all their first fish, then learn later! Start off right by doing your homework to avoid costly mistakes later on.
A lot of good books are for sale on this site, or other online book sites like Amazon.com. Good luck, Lesley

 

[lesleybird]

One more thing....I started out with a 25, but quickly out grew it. If you get a twenty-five or twenty nine to see if you like the hobby, you could maybe do a pair of clown fish (nemo tank) and one other small fish like a royal gramma or something, and various shrimp, tiny hermit crabs and snails. If you do this, please don't think that you need an anemone. They need very high light intensity to survive like metal hallides.....which are hundreds of dollars just for the lights. If they don't have this light they die. When they die, they release a toxin that will kill all your fish. Clowns in an anemone is cute, but not reality in a starter tank. They are fine with out one. With the hermits, make sure that you provide extra empty shells of the same size and a few sizes bigger. Another beginners mistake is not reading up on a fish before purchase. A lot of the pretty little fish that will fit into a small tank at first grow to 7 to 10 inches plus! This is one of the most common beginner mistakes that drives all of the more experienced people on this board crazy. Lesley

 

[cnlight]

I have a 20 gallon tank for my saltwater, only because I first had freshwater and the tank was left over. I thought I would try my skills at and see just how difficult it might be. Well, I wish I had a bigger tank, there are soooo many fish I would like to have but can't because of my small tank. If I were to do it again, I would personally get a 125 gallon and be happy, because of the fish I want to have in it. There are some really nice fish in this hobby, so do your research and see which ones you want and then find out from us, how big a tank you will need to house it for the long run.