New Salt Water Tank

[torpedo200]

Hey I have had fresh water fish for a long time but now I would like to start a saltwater tank...I have a four foot long tank which hold s fifty five gal..of water...My question is after cleaning out my tank from non use ...what comes next???

I live near Tampa and love to know if anyone knows a good store that carries coral.. of the beginners kind...thought about some clown fish to start off with I know a tank this size only holds 4 or five fish...but do love live rocks and coral too.
The lights I used where the flourescent which came with tank.. which is a oceanic but only using a double filter bio guard brand..for fresh water lets me think with saltwater I might need some more cycling...anyimput would give me courage at this point from newbie torpedo

 

[firefish3]

Welcome! not sure about the cleaning but just wated to tell you you cannot put tangs in a fityfive. good luck you cant do as bad as my first attempt.

 

[splash]

Click on search and type a subject matter for information.

 

[torpedo200]

I cleaned my tank with mild soap and water after sitting empty for awhile it was dirty...what kind of fish can I put in this tank..??hope you can help...I know live rock is good...am ready to role into it...

 

[zap800]

well you shouldnt have cleaned it with soap and water. you should clean it with vineger and water

 

[crm13]

I agree. Soap is no bueno.

Welcome to the board, by the way. I would love to answer your question on where to start, but, man, there is a lot of stuff to that answer. But, if I could make a good recommendation, I'd say grab that Consciencous Marine Aquarist book and read that from front to back. That's a killer book. Also, The New Marine Aquarium and Simple Guide to Marine Aquariums (Kurtz-- really well written and fun to read-- he has done a lot of work for tropical fish hobbyist magazine.) Those are all excellent starting points and will provide you with a wealth of information from lighting and equipment you'll want to have to fish behavior, diseases, and feeding. I remember in one of the books, can't remember off hand which one, it actually talks about going from freshwater to saltwater, the differences, and the transition. You should check it out. Anyway, welcome again and good luck.

 

[g8er_h8er]

Hey Torpedo,
I'm a Tamponian as well. I've bought most of my dry goods so far from a place called Marine Wharehouse Aquariums, located on Hillsborough ave. I never checked to see if they have corals - but they have a pretty decent stock of fish and inverts.
I would check out Tampa Bay Saltwater. Can't provide links on this website so just put those words together and add a dot com to pull up there website. They are only open to the public on Saturdays from noon to 5 pm because they are out diving the rest of the week. Not sure about them having corals, but from looking at their website, they certainly have tons of LR!
Good luck!

 

[torpedo200]

thanks love those fish...now do I can the tank out again with vinegar water to kill bacteria from soap or just rinse real well...?????feeling like I would like some advise on Kind of light to use on the tank..I have the flourcent one that came with it but I know some other type is needed...It s 4 ft..long and holds 5o gallons..thanks again Mary

 

[zap800]

well i would say rinse the crap out of the tank now. then clean it like i said. lighting is up to you. you should ask yourself what do you want to have and how much can you afford. one thing to remember fish really dont care too too much on the light. but the rock (coraline growth), anemones, and coral need a ton. alot of people agree with the 5 watts a gallon for pc and vho lighting. now with the matel halide a good rule is 175 watts for every 2 ft of length for the average tank.

 

[torpedo200]

:happyfish Thanks zap...I miss having fish but want to try saltwater to see if I like it so am thinking a few live rocks and some fish ...small budgets require diving if I need coral ..taking small steps already poring vinegar..and will keep you posted...