Planning a first Saltwater Aquarium

stevorino

stevorino

New Member
Hey All!
I'm starting to plan a first dive into saltwater tanks. I've had plenty of freshwater and amphibian tanks in the past, but always grew bored with the tank. With saltwater, I'm attracted to both the challenge and the ability to have some really neat fish/inverts/corals in the tank.
I plan on reading 2-3 books that I've seen recommended on here before truly starting.
I'm in the process of planning the eventual aquarium and want to take it slow and enjoy the process of starting from scratch and eventually building the aquarium into something really awesome. One big concern is that I want to do things the right way the first time around: ex: I don't want to buy a 30 gallon tank, all of the stuff for it, and then a year later decide I want a 150 gallon setup instead.
Here are some specific questions I have, but I'd love to hear any other stories/advice:
1) Maintenance is really our biggest fear. We want to have a really awesome tank that looks picturesque and is super healthy for its inhabitants. Is it possible to achieve this with only 5 -10 minutes a day of feeding/logging/adjusting and 15-30 min a week of cleaning/hands-on maintenance? If not, what is a more realistic schedule?
2) We've considered everything from a 30 gallon to a 130 gallon (and maybe larger?). Everything I've read says go as big as you can afford. Do maintenance needs increase with size?
3) When we finally take the plunge (shooting for summer/fall), what is necessary to have our base aquarium setup? My current plan is to have the tank, a couple fish (probably a pair of clowns), some DIY Live Rock, live sand, a sump, heater, and testing equipment. So initially we would forego corals, lighting, a protein skimmer, inverts - does that sound reasonable or can I do less/need more to start? Is a skimmer a must-buy w/ a fish-only start?
4) Our plan is to add something once a month or so.... for years. If it really catches on, I can see that schedule becoming once every other week. Any thoughts on this plan?
5) The 3 fish we really want in the tank: Clowns, Seahorses, Seadragons. Seadragons are apparently illegal and clowns apparently aren't great w/ Seahorses (understatement). Any ideas on the front-end of eventually keeping both clowns and seahorses? Any other recommendations for fish/inverts that are super fun to keep and consider during the planning stages?
6) Also, I see all of these online fish stores.... do fish/corals/liverock actually ship well or are LFS the best buy option? I also brew beer and I've come to learn that buying online is 10-15% cheaper but there are some things you just don't get online (live yeast is best example).
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevorino http:///t/394897/planning-a-first-saltwater-aquarium#post_3515083
Hey All!
I'm starting to plan a first dive into saltwater tanks. I've had plenty of freshwater and amphibian tanks in the past, but always grew bored with the tank. With saltwater, I'm attracted to both the challenge and the ability to have some really neat fish/inverts/corals in the tank.
I plan on reading 2-3 books that I've seen recommended on here before truly starting.
I'm in the process of planning the eventual aquarium and want to take it slow and enjoy the process of starting from scratch and eventually building the aquarium into something really awesome. One big concern is that I want to do things the right way the first time around: ex: I don't want to buy a 30 gallon tank, all of the stuff for it, and then a year later decide I want a 150 gallon setup instead.
Here are some specific questions I have, but I'd love to hear any other stories/advice:
1) Maintenance is really our biggest fear. We want to have a really awesome tank that looks picturesque and is super healthy for its inhabitants. Is it possible to achieve this with only 5 -10 minutes a day of feeding/logging/adjusting and 15-30 min a week of cleaning/hands-on maintenance? If not, what is a more realistic schedule? Yes, 10 minutes a day is about average for me for feeding, visual check on equipment and fish count, cleaning glass. I would say the weekly tasks are between 30 minutes to an hour. Sometimes a little longer depending on what is getting cleaned. Mostly equipment cleaning takes the longest for me. My average water change take about an hour from start to finish/clean up.
2) We've considered everything from a 30 gallon to a 130 gallon (and maybe larger?). Everything I've read says go as big as you can afford. Do maintenance needs increase with size? Yes and no, for me. I had a 29g tank and upgraded to a 125g and the times increased a little, but nothing too crazy. Go BIG on tank size. You wont' regret it later. lol
3) When we finally take the plunge (shooting for summer/fall), what is necessary to have our base aquarium setup? My current plan is to have the tank, a couple fish (probably a pair of clowns), some DIY Live Rock, live sand, a sump, heater, and testing equipment. So initially we would forego corals, lighting, a protein skimmer, inverts - does that sound reasonable or can I do less/need more to start? Is a skimmer a must-buy w/ a fish-only start? Base setup, Tank, sump, heater, Live Rock (you can do DIY LR, but you should seed it with some true LR, or you can buy dry base rock and seed with LR), Live Sand (same as the LR, buy dry base sand and seed with a cup or two of LS from LFS), return pump, power heads. A lot of folks start with this and then add a skimmer a few months in.
Most will also recommend building your sump around your skimmer choice. You can still hold off on buying the skimmer you want but get the size info of the skimmer you want to run and then design your sump around that.
4) Our plan is to add something once a month or so.... for years. If it really catches on, I can see that schedule becoming once every other week. Any thoughts on this plan? Sounds great!! For fish, I would recommend setting up a Quarantine Tank (QT) for all new additions. Research QT'ing fish. But I usually wait a month between adding fish. For corals, it does not matter how long you wait between adding IMO.
5) The 3 fish we really want in the tank: Clowns, Seahorses, Seadragons. Seadragons are apparently illegal and clowns apparently aren't great w/ Seahorses (understatement). Any ideas on the front-end of eventually keeping both clowns and seahorses? Totally do-able. You just need two tanks. Seahorses are usually species only tanks. Any other recommendations for fish/inverts that are super fun to keep and consider during the planning stages? There are tons of cool reef compatible fish. You mentioned corals earlier, you need to stock fish that will be reef safe. Google reef safe fish and see all the choices...There are a bunch.
6) Also, I see all of these online fish stores.... do fish/corals/liverock actually ship well or are LFS the best buy option? I also brew beer and I've come to learn that buying online is 10-15% cheaper but there are some things you just don't get online (live yeast is best example). There are benefits to buying online. Most fish and corals ship just fine. There are some that do better then others. I have bought online before and would do it again. The largest benefit is that most online retailers will offer a 14-15 day guarantee. Most if not all LFS offer zero guarantee.
Hi and welcome!!!
Great choice going into salt. You will love it!!
 
stevorino

stevorino

New Member
Thanks sweatervest!
Great answers - makes me feel a lot better about it!
A few more follow-ups for you or anyone else willing to chime in:
1) If I just go super over the top on filtration equipment, can I cut down maintenance even more than your projection?
2) Just because I'm curious - is there such a thing as a truly zero-maintenance reef tank? Other than feeding?
3) It seems like 125g is a popular size tank - I'm assuming that's where tanks hit a good balance of portability/affordability/size. Worth going bigger?
4) Craigslist constantly has 80g+ tanks pretty cheap. Is it cheaper to go this route or building own tank?
5) Glass/Acrylic matter? Acrylic scares me b/c of scratching but didn't know if one was better for salt.
 
jay0705

jay0705

Well-Known Member
All that sweatervest told you is correct. I started w a 75 gal and now wana do a 150 lol. Its alot easier than it use to be. So enjoy. Go as big as you can with the tank. Alot of fish (tangs) need lots of room. If you can afford it go big. Maintenance is the same just on a larger scale. Ie water changes you'll need more water pre mixed
 
mr. limpid

mr. limpid

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevorino http:///t/394897/planning-a-first-saltwater-aquarium#post_3515083
Hey All!
I'm starting to plan a first dive into saltwater tanks. I've had plenty of freshwater and amphibian tanks in the past, but always grew bored with the tank. With saltwater, I'm attracted to both the challenge and the ability to have some really neat fish/inverts/corals in the tank.
I plan on reading 2-3 books that I've seen recommended on here before truly starting.
I'm in the process of planning the eventual aquarium and want to take it slow and enjoy the process of starting from scratch and eventually building the aquarium into something really awesome. One big concern is that I want to do things the right way the first time around: ex: I don't want to buy a 30 gallon tank, all of the stuff for it, and then a year later decide I want a 150 gallon setup instead.
Here are some specific questions I have, but I'd love to hear any other stories/advice:
1) Maintenance is really our biggest fear. We want to have a really awesome tank that looks picturesque and is super healthy for its inhabitants. Is it possible to achieve this with only 5 -10 minutes a day of feeding/logging/adjusting and 15-30 min a week of cleaning/hands-on maintenance? If not, what is a more realistic schedule? Yes once the tank is established takes about a year. Changing water and cleaning tanks and checking equipment takes about 3 hours every 2 weeks.
2) We've considered everything from a 30 gallon to a 130 gallon (and maybe larger?). Everything I've read says go as big as you can afford. Do maintenance needs increase with size? Yes, smaller less time but the changes in the tank are quicker in a smaller tank.
3) When we finally take the plunge (shooting for summer/fall), what is necessary to have our base aquarium setup? My current plan is to have the tank, a couple fish (probably a pair of clowns), some DIY Live Rock, live sand, a sump, heater, and testing equipment. So initially we would forego corals, lighting, a protein skimmer, inverts - does that sound reasonable or can I do less/need more to start? Is a skimmer a must-buy w/ a fish-only start? Yes first part. skimmer will be needed later is ok.
4) Our plan is to add something once a month or so.... for years. If it really catches on, I can see that schedule becoming once every other week. Any thoughts on this plan? perfict
5) The 3 fish we really want in the tank: Clowns, Seahorses, Seadragons. Seadragons are apparently illegal and clowns apparently aren't great w/ Seahorses (understatement). Any ideas on the front-end of eventually keeping both clowns and seahorses? Any other recommendations for fish/inverts that are super fun to keep and consider during the planning stages? Sorry clowns and seahorses do not go together.
6) Also, I see all of these online fish stores.... do fish/corals/liverock actually ship well or are LFS the best buy option? I also brew beer and I've come to learn that buying online is 10-15% cheaper but there are some things you just don't get online (live yeast is best example). Everyone has there opinion I prefer to see what I buy.
 
sweatervest13

sweatervest13

Active Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by stevorino http:///t/394897/planning-a-first-saltwater-aquarium#post_3515090
Thanks sweatervest!
Great answers - makes me feel a lot better about it!
A few more follow-ups for you or anyone else willing to chime in:
1) If I just go super over the top on filtration equipment, can I cut down maintenance even more than your projection?
2) Just because I'm curious - is there such a thing as a truly zero-maintenance reef tank? Other than feeding?
3) It seems like 125g is a popular size tank - I'm assuming that's where tanks hit a good balance of portability/affordability/size. Worth going bigger?
4) Craigslist constantly has 80g+ tanks pretty cheap. Is it cheaper to go this route or building own tank?
5) Glass/Acrylic matter? Acrylic scares me b/c of scratching but didn't know if one was better for salt.
My Pleasure!!
1) IDK if my setup is super over the top in filtration, but I think that it is pretty up there. The problem is that the more equipment you add the more you need to have a maintenance schedule for cleaning that equipment. So, it might cut down on daily/weekly tasks but add to the monthly schedule. A good example of this is a GFO reactor (phosphate removing media-Granular Ferric Oxide). You can add the reactor to reduce the phosphates and that will cut down on algae in the tank, making cleaning the glass of film algae easier, but then you now have a piece of equipment that needs regular service to keep running well. See what I mean??
2) A lot of people will debate this. This may be a goal for some folks. I know that a lot of folks that get out of the hobby that will do zero maintenance on their tanks before they exit. Some are running decent and some are a mess. I believe that you get out of it what you put into it. So I don't mind a little daily and weekly maintenance. I set up a nano tank for the wife in our kitchen. I don't spend as much time maintaining that tank and it shows for sure. It looks like crap but the water is more then fine for keeping fish.
3) Always worth going bigger... But with bigger comes more expensive. My wallet decided the tank size. LOL
4) Very good way to go. Like I said lots of people get into the hobby, buy all the fancy equipment and then get bored and get out. Why not benefit on their loss. You can find some awesome deals on CL.
5)You are right glass does not scratch as easy as acrylic. But Acrylic is clearer and a lot lighter. Personal preference on this one. They make specific products for cleaning acrylic.
 
mjtech12

mjtech12

Member
Definitly check craigslist I got my 125 for 100.00 and the stand for 50 I did have to buy the top from the local fish store because CL had not posted any in my area but I got a deal on that 2
 
stevorino

stevorino

New Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJTech12 http:///t/394897/planning-a-first-saltwater-aquarium#post_3515101
Definitly check craigslist I got my 125 for 100.00 and the stand for 50 I did have to buy the top from the local fish store because CL had not posted any in my area but I got a deal on that 2
That's what got this thing really started for us - we found some awesome deals and almost pulled the trigger.... then we realized that we were biting off more than we could chew with an existing setup.
 
mjtech12

mjtech12

Member
Well whats your existing setup it might be sufficient less the filtration if its a 55 which is the ideal starter you can minimize your pocket output.
 
geridoc

geridoc

Well-Known Member
On the bigger is better question - we started 39 years ago with a 55 gal. system, upgraded to a 110 about 20 years ago, and then upgraded again to a 220 last year. I'm presently planning how to propose to my wife that a 440 would be just perfect. Here's hoping! BTW: the only maintenance-free tank is the ocean. I hardly ever have to clean the Atlantic, and I presume the Cali hobbyists feel the same about their ocean. Don't go overboard with filtration. Design a sump with additional live rock and a skimmer and you are good to go. Canisters just require maintenance, and are not demonstrably better than a well run sump.
 
stevorino

stevorino

New Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by GeriDoc http:///t/394897/planning-a-first-saltwater-aquarium#post_3515135
On the bigger is better question - we started 39 years ago with a 55 gal. system, upgraded to a 110 about 20 years ago, and then upgraded again to a 220 last year. I'm presently planning how to propose to my wife that a 440 would be just perfect. Here's hoping! BTW: the only maintenance-free tank is the ocean. I hardly ever have to clean the Atlantic, and I presume the Cali hobbyists feel the same about their ocean. Don't go overboard with filtration. Design a sump with additional live rock and a skimmer and you are good to go. Canisters just require maintenance, and are not demonstrably better than a well run sump.
LOL @ a 440
That's amazing. I'd definitely consider a 220 if I could find it at a reasonable price. I'm assuming at 440 you have to build it or pay an arm and a leg?
How have you and your wife enjoyed the hobby? The first reason I looked at this as a hobby was because I have my hobbies and my wife has hers, but we don't have many that we share. She's passionate about fish, I'm passionate about DIY work - seems like it could be a good fit.
Also, I see you have a lionfish - are those compatible w/ any other fish or are they for a separate tank? We recently went to Disney and I was mesmerized by the lionfish.... so cool. Could've just watched it with a beer in hand all day.
 
brent mccloskey

brent mccloskey

Member
Take it from me, any carnivorous fish, like a lion or grouper, will eat anything that will fit in its mouth. Fish and any crustaceans will be gone. They're a predator and will stalk your smaller animals even if you feed them regularly. You may get away with it better in a larger tank than a 92 gallon corner aquarium.
I love lions, my all time favorite saltwater fish. In my current setup, they just won't work.
 
stevorino

stevorino

New Member
Quote:
Originally Posted by Brent McCloskey http:///t/394897/planning-a-first-saltwater-aquarium#post_3515144
Take it from me, any carnivorous fish, like a lion or grouper, will eat anything that will fit in its mouth. Fish and any crustaceans will be gone. They're a predator and will stalk your smaller animals even if you feed them regularly. You may get away with it better in a larger tank than a 92 gallon corner aquarium.
I love lions, my all time favorite saltwater fish. In my current setup, they just won't work.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MJTech12 http:///t/394897/planning-a-first-saltwater-aquarium#post_3515145
Go Big Or Go Home
I think that's been the most disappointing aspect of my research thus far - many of the really cool fish/inverts aren't very compatible with others. In my dream setup, there'd be tons of clownfish, seahorses, and lionfish..... all in the same tank playing nice.
Right now I'm pretty settled on 100g minimum size.... the final size will probably decide what great deals I can find.
 
stevorino

stevorino

New Member
I am actually planning on doing a tour-de-LFS here in a few weeks. Everytime I get some time away from work they are closed!
I live in Metro Atlanta, so I figure there's gotta be at least one decent one within driving distance.
 
mjtech12

mjtech12

Member
There was a few stores in your area if you google local saltwater stores you'll see but heres one that might be by you
Premier Aquatics 1801 Roswell Rd, Marietta, Ga. they just opened a new retail store
 
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