new saltwater hobbyist

[patricia]

Ok, I'm the Newbie here. I currently have a 29 and a 10 gallon freshwater aquarium, and I'm in the process of choosing another one (approximately 55 gallons). I want this one to be a saltwater. I would like to know how many lbs. of sand do I need to start along with whats the best type of rock/coral to get. I plan on getting two Porcupine Puffers to start with. I want to start an anemone, but I know you should have your aquarium for a good while before you place one in there. I just need some pointers on getting started. Thanx, Patricia:help:

 

[andrewt]

first, you should set up everything, sump,pump ect. only add live rock and live sands to let your tank c ycle. have patience, duun get any fish or corals to soon

 

[richfish]

well your gunna have to wait at least a couple of months after you cycle your tank to get corals so youll have a well astablished tank.also youll need very strong lighting to hold an anemone and you also should have a very well astablished tank to with all the right readings beacuase they wont tolerate poor water quality
i have a 55 gal also and i put about 3-4 inches of live sand in my tank for biological filtration(get some other opinions on this thow)
the live rock....i think you could put as much as your hearts content(but im not sure)and this will also help with bio filtration
if you are going to have a reef tank you will also need an RO unit beacuase tap water just won't cut it(it has to many bad things in it like metals and stuff)or you could used distilled water for water changes but that could get a lil exspensive
im pretty sure you know about cycleing a freshwater tank but its nothing like cycleing saltwater....im not an expert on cycleing so put up another post on cycleing to find out what to use for the cycle and when to use it
finally you will need equipment and im not an expert at that either but heres what youll need in my opinion:
a pump to return water from the area where the water is going from the tank
some powerheads(maybe 2-3 maxxi jet 1200's)
live sand
live rock
sump
refugium(i think this is optional)
200 watt heater
protien skimmer
uv sterilizer(not sure bout this)
i dont know if youll have a drilled tank so i cant tell you what you will need for an overflow or something
RO/DI UNIT
BUT REMEMBER WHAT I SAID"IM NOT AN EXPERT AT EQUIPMENT" SO GET OTHER PEOPLES OPINIONS
oh yea for what kind of live rock you should get i would deffinately reccomend the live rock off of here but if you go to your LOCAL FISH STORE just get cured live rock(make sure it doesnt smell really bad)and look for rock with coral line algea and try and look at the rock for unwanted critters(aptasia,ect.)
well i hope i helped a little and remember to get other peoples opinions

 

[patricia]

Hey thanks guys on your help ! When you said buy live rock, how long in advance can I buy it before I set up my tank? I am trying to buy things a little at a time so when I am finally ready to purchase my tank, it's not so expensive. Also, is there a good website in which to purchase a tank? I can't seem to find a place that sells the tall hexogonal aquarium. The petstore which I frequent doesn't have any.
They said they can always special order, but I am also getting price quotes.:happyfish

 

[sula]

Patricia:
First, use the search button at the bottom of the page of any forum. Enter Saltwater 101- those threads will give you a really great overview of the basics of setting up a tank. I'm new also, and wish I would have found that information sooner.
Also, one of the forum sections on this site is classifieds. Keep checking there - people are always upgrading or changing, and maybe you'll get lucky enough to find a tank near you (the one thing with tanks, no one wants to ship)
And Welcome

 

[patricia]

Thanks Sula, I will get right on it! Being new, I want a beautiful aquarium, but of course, I want my fish to feel at ease and be healthy. Again, thank you.