Want to setup a saltwater fish tank

[firsttimer]

I want to setup a saltwater fish tank for my little girl. Can anyone give me an idea what type of aquarium I should start with and accessories I would need for the fish tank? I know saltwater fish needs alot of maintenance and work which I am willing to do. but since this would be my first time setting up a saltwater tank I need help from the experts.

 

[flower]

Welcome to the site...WOW, most little girls get a goldfish in a bowl.
The bigger the better in saltwater, smaller tanks can go bad real fast. So first decide on what size tank. 55g to a 75g is the best start point IMO...folks start smaller but I wouldn't do it. SWF are very territorial so in a small tank you are very, very limited.

 

[firsttimer]

Thank you for the welcome
she likes Finding Nemo so I wanted to get her bunch of clown fish and blue tangs. Do you recommend any books I should read before i start setting up the tank? I dont want to be called fish killer by my daughter If the fishes dies because I didnt setup it up properly lol

 

[dmanatee]

Welcome to the forum!!!!!

What a great hobby to start and to work with your daughter with.
Things to consider...
1. what size are you looking into...10+gallons, 55+, or greater. Note most of the time bigger is better when it comes to saltwater. What I mean is that waste accumulates faster in smaller areas so more maintenance is normally involved.
2. Do you have a price limit that you want to stay under. lights, filtration, live rock, and protein skimmers are things that you will need to consider.
3. What kind of fish are you thinking. Clown fish are great (and just a warning, anemones are not for beginners and tank bred clown fish "typically" don't host them. are you thinking corals or not....?
etc...
Myself...I started with a 55 gallon. Its large enough to be enjoyed but not so large as to take up a significant amount of space. 75lbs of live rock and some fish after the cycle.
Lets us know what your thinking and there will be so much help you wont know what to do with it all.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by FirstTimer http:///forum/thread/381739/want-to-setup-a-saltwater-fish-tank#post_3326960
Thank you for the welcome
she likes Finding Nemo so I wanted to get her bunch of clown fish and blue tangs. Do you recommend any books I should read before i start setting up the tank? I dont want to be called fish killer by my daughter If the fishes dies because I didnt setup it up properly lol

That pretty "Dori" fish is a Blue Hippo tang and it needs a 90g tank when mature and ONLY one per tank, unless you go really big like 225g. The clowns are easy but you can have only two in a tank, so a bunch of them are not doable.

 

[gemmy]

Welcome to the site! Clownfish do best in pairs and I would recommend getting just one pair. If you do a bunch, they might be ok for awhile as juvis but as they mature they will get aggressive towards one another. Tangs need a lot of swimming (think how Dory says "just keep swimming") and would need a large tank at least a 100 gallon to start and still many tangs will outgrow this tank.

 

[firsttimer]

I am looking to buy 40 Gallon ( SeaClear 40 Gallon ) and fluval 250 or 350 filter system. My price is around $800 but If i have to spend little more extra I wouldn't mind. yes I am planing on putting live rocks, sand and coral. what kind of water tester would I need?

 

[meowzer]

LOL...again....welcome.....and again....the tang (Dory) needs larger then 100G tank....
you can get 2 clowns in a 29G though.....have no clue what size you are looking into..

 

[gemmy]

Quote:
Originally Posted by FirstTimer http:///forum/thread/381739/want-to-setup-a-saltwater-fish-tank#post_3326976
I am looking to buy 40 Gallon ( SeaClear 40 Gallon ) and fluval 250 or 350 filter system. My price is around $800 but If i have to spend little more extra I wouldn't mind. yes I am planing on putting live rocks, sand and coral. what kind of water tester would I need?




Are you getting the tank new or used? If you are getting new, it would be cheaper to get a glass aquarium like a 40 breeder (you can put some of the money aside for a nice lighting system these are pricey). The tangs would be out for this size tank, but there are colorful substitutions that can be made. Test kits needed for the reef tank: PH, Alkalinity, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate & Calcium. I might be missing something.

 

[florida joe]

With all due respect this hobby is not something to get into on a whim. Get yourself a good book and see what is involved
I personally got involved with meozer on a whim and I am still paying the price

 

[firsttimer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by florida joe http:///forum/thread/381739/want-to-setup-a-saltwater-fish-tank#post_3326983
With all due respect this hobby is not something to get into on a whim. Get yourself a good book and see what is involved
I personally got involved with meozer on a whim and I am still paying the price
yes, I am aware that I cant get into this hobby without any knowledge. That's why I joined this form to learn from people are successful with their saltwater fish tank. The last thing I want to do is kill the fishes. If I get basic knowledge from the forms community the better I will understand when reading a book. but thanks for your reply and I respect what you said.

 

[firsttimer]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Gemmy http:///forum/thread/381739/want-to-setup-a-saltwater-fish-tank#post_3326982
Are you getting the tank new or used? If you are getting new, it would be cheaper to get a glass aquarium like a 40 breeder (you can put some of the money aside for a nice lighting system these are pricey). The tangs would be out for this size tank, but there are colorful substitutions that can be made. Test kits needed for the reef tank: PH, Alkalinity, Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, Phosphate & Calcium. I might be missing something.
What kind of saltwater fish do you recommend with pair of clown fish?

 

[florida joe]

start with a good book take your time read and reread what you dont understand post. you will find what we all do that this is a wonderful hobby and welcome

 

[monsinour]

Welcome, the book I recomend is The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists by Robert Fenner. Its what I started with and without it, I never would have found this place. It has tons of info in it and will offer you up suggestions and tips that you will constantly be looking back into that book for. 40 gallon breeder are cheap tanks and stands should be readily available. 60 lbs of live rock would be a good ammount to get and the fluval canisters are good filters. I would skip the charcoal that is in there and use chemipure instead. For lighting, you have to decide T5, Metal Hailide, or LEDs. Startup cost wise the T5s are cheaper and work relatively well. The MH are more but do a better job. Did you want to have coral in the tank?
A really good place to start is the list of threads for newbies at the top of this forum.

 

[flower]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Monsinour http:///forum/thread/381739/want-to-setup-a-saltwater-fish-tank#post_3327130
Welcome, the book I recomend is The Conscientious Marine Aquarist: A Commonsense Handbook for Successful Saltwater Hobbyists by Robert Fenner. Its what I started with and without it, I never would have found this place. It has tons of info in it and will offer you up suggestions and tips that you will constantly be looking back into that book for. 40 gallon breeder are cheap tanks and stands should be readily available. 60 lbs of live rock would be a good ammount to get and the fluval canisters are good filters. I would skip the charcoal that is in there and use chemipure instead. For lighting, you have to decide T5, Metal Hailide, or LEDs. Startup cost wise the T5s are cheaper and work relatively well. The MH are more but do a better job. Did you want to have coral in the tank?
A really good place to start is the list of threads for newbies at the top of this forum.

60 pounds of rock in a 40g tank??? The fish have to swim ..LOL...Try 25 pounds of rock in a 40g ...Just my opioion. Reef rocks like Fiji are light but take up allot of room, but it runs $10.00 per pound.

 

[pauloesco]

Personally I'd say start with a 55, they're cheap and practically free at yardsales or CL. And if you pretend the 55 is a 40 for fish counting you'll be better off. If this is a fish only tank (and a good way to start, skip all the expensive fancy lighting and get a couple cheap as you can aquarium flourescent tubes -- killer lamps for corals is just going to grow you lots of algae and set you back $$ for no reason if you don't have corals.
You can skip the cannister filter to start. The live rock will be your filtration along with a couple of powerheads.
As to clowns, they do fine in singles and without anemones.
The number one piece of advice though will be patience. Plan on a couple weeks between each fish addition.
Ask a lot of questions online or at your local SW club (not the local fish store employees ) or even other customers in the store. Take what people say with a grain of salt. Err on the side of caution.
And good luck. It's not a hobby but an addiction.

 

[pauloesco]

For a book, I'd get Mike Paletta's New Marine Aquarium. It seems to be at every Local Fish Store and is very up to date, versus some older books.