what do i need to start a salt water tank
- Thread starter dr.coral
- Start date
troyrb
Member
Check out this site for some tips on what you may need. Illegal Link I hope it helps you.
robchuck
Active Member
That kit will give you a good start, but in addition to what's included, at the very least, you'll need:
-A stand that can support at least 300 lbs. (that's about what a full 29 gallon tank will weigh)
-Water (either treated tap water or PREFERABLY reverse osmosis & deionized water commonly referred to as RO/DI)
-Salt mix
-Lighting
-Powerheads to provide in-tank circulation (the filter that comes with the FW kit probably won't provide enough circulation on its own; think about how much flow the ocean creates over the reef)
-Test kits (including a hydrometer or refractometer)
The filter provided with the kit likely won't be enough to keep the water pristine enough for the long-term health of the creatures you'll be putting into the tank, so after the items listed above have been purchased, I would high consider adding at least about 20-30 lbs. of live rock to the tank (it will not only function as decoration in the tank, but also provide a good deal of biological filtration.
A protein skimmer could be added to strip waste out of the water, but a 29 gallon tank can survive just fine with weekly water changes of 5-10% of the tank's volume.
-A stand that can support at least 300 lbs. (that's about what a full 29 gallon tank will weigh)
-Water (either treated tap water or PREFERABLY reverse osmosis & deionized water commonly referred to as RO/DI)
-Salt mix
-Lighting
-Powerheads to provide in-tank circulation (the filter that comes with the FW kit probably won't provide enough circulation on its own; think about how much flow the ocean creates over the reef)
-Test kits (including a hydrometer or refractometer)
The filter provided with the kit likely won't be enough to keep the water pristine enough for the long-term health of the creatures you'll be putting into the tank, so after the items listed above have been purchased, I would high consider adding at least about 20-30 lbs. of live rock to the tank (it will not only function as decoration in the tank, but also provide a good deal of biological filtration.
A protein skimmer could be added to strip waste out of the water, but a 29 gallon tank can survive just fine with weekly water changes of 5-10% of the tank's volume.
scoobydoo
Active Member
No seriously, read Conscientious Marine Aquarist over and over and over again. Then come back here and ask any questions you are unsure of. You may be better off buying things separately to make sure you get what you want/need. Also if you can afford a bigger tank than the 29 get a bigger one. I started with a 29g and was sorry I did the first month. At the end of 6 months, I have a 125g.