Originally Posted by
kandiman1224
http:///forum/post/2737374
I'm thinking about starting a saltwater tank and need advice.......
i would like to know the basic equipment i will need.
i know that clown fish live in temps of 75-80 farehnheit
and some guy said i would need a chiller 600$ dollar lol no way
because the tank i have is one im using for breeding my cichlids plus the temp of my water is always below 80 degrees so i dont need a chiller
my tank is 30 gallons a hexagon and im not planning on going all out on it until i can have a basic clown fish in it for a while
im going to buy equipment little by little
can anyone give me a guestimate of what i will need, i will try to give pics.......anyone wanna see my cichlid....lol off topic
Basic equipment for a FOWLR...Fish Only with Live Rock
Tank
...just jokes, but I would suggest one with overflows.
Lighting...less important for the FOWLR, but there are a ton of different kinds of lights, and this has the potential of being extremely expensive.
salt...something you might not really consider when buying saltwater (seems like a no brainer)...this can be expensive depending on the size of your tank, and this will be something you have to buy repeatedly
Powerheads
Heater/chiller...maintaining relatively constant temperature is very important.
Sump; or wet/dry filter; refugium; or less desired in saltwater, the canister filter, JMHO
If any aside the canister you will need a return pump, some kind of overflow, and necessary plumbing
Protein skimmer
GFCI outlets (recomended but not necessary)
grounding probe
you might consider an ultraviolet sterilizer
refractometer
Test kits
live rock...another potential Big Expense...I would recomend at least 1# per gallon of water.
sand or live sand
python, trash can, seperate powerhead or water pump for water changes
(if you have a smaller tank you can take out the trash can
)
shoulder length rubber gloves
Most will suggest an R/O unit for water...I simply use tap water, which is generally frowned upon given the varying degrees of quality tap water.
This will get you going...give you some stuff to research. I am sure there is something very common I am forgetting at the moment...I always do that. Hope this helps.
1st missed desirable...The Mag-Float...to remove algae from the glass...assuming you buy a glass tank.
Oh yeah, Welcome to the boards!!
