What is too big for a first timer?

[rabiasjewell]

My husband finally agreed to my long time requests for a SWT. It will be a fast approaching birthday present therefore I am trying to learn as much as possible and must say that I am grateful for this forum. One question that I have is how big is too big for a first time Marine Hobbyist? We have both had FWT's in the past but do understand that there is a lot of different responsabilities envolved w/ SW. I want atleast a 50-55 gallon tank but have been playing w/ the idea of 75g-120g's. We have an excellent LFS less than 5 miles from my house who have also said that they will help set-up anything over 55g.
Anyway, all comments are appreciated and I'm so happy to be here!

 

[killafins]

Well there are alot of things that u shouldn't start with as a beginner. A mandarin is a large no no. An eel, eh, they are just going to be troublesome but nothing dramatic. Live rock, not recommended for beginners even though some do it. I would recommend doing a marine aquarium first, than do LR when u feel secure enough to try to do so. There are many fish you CAN try though, like a tomato clownfish, jawfish, damsels (the best starter fish), gobies (once again, DO NOT DO THE MANDARIN), grammas, blennies... the list can go on and on for beginners.
However, for a 55 gallon I would recommend staying within theses fish: tangs, chromis, angelfish, damsels, hawkfish, cardinalfish, pufferfish a SMALL lionfish (becareful cuz it stings, duhhhh) catfish, (they are more poisonous to have and they grow large too, but when they are young they are suitable for a 20 gallon)... i wouldn't recommend catfish though, depends how involved u r and how hands in the water u r...
What i would recommend u do is make a list of what u want and see what people say... that and buy books, they help for great ideas like the new marine aquarist or the new marine aquarium, both gud books.
Gud luck

 

[wamp]

As far as tank size, A 75 would be a much better choice over a 55 if your walett is bi enough.
What I would first suggest, a book, than a budget!
It's really easy to spend thousands of dollars and still have all the wrong stuff. On the other hand, if you are patient and willing you can save a ton of money and a avoid headaches.
P.S. There is no such thing as an excelent LFS.. Just really good ones. If they were excelent, they would be broke
PPS, you also need to decide on the type of tank. Your budget will also help decide that one for you.

 

[sea goblin]

I would disagree with the above statement, I think live rock is a very important part of the salwater aquarium. As far as tank size goes generaly the larger it is the less chance there is for bad things to happen. It leaves room for mistakes to happen and not crash the system. A good start would be either a 55 or 75..if you want to go bigger you can, just be sure to account for aditional costs that will be included over the long run such as salt, live rock, sand...stuff like that. Another important question here is do you want to do a reef tank, a fish only tank, or a fish only with live rock. Decide on that and people can help you more. Many will say to get a deep sand bed....and not to use crushed coral. Fish choices are a little far off to decide still. Get a good book or two, and read read read.

 

[thomas712]

Welcome to the board !
Let us know what type of tank you want to have and we will spit out some equipment for you to consider.
FO= Fish Only, won't need expensive lighting
Fowler= fish only with live rock, low to moderate lighting.
Reef= well reef that has corals,liverock, livesand, and is the most expensive way to go. Skys is the limit on lighting.
Thomas

 

[rabiasjewell]

Killafins, thanks for all the advice. I bought the New Marine Aquarium (book) a couple weeks ago and love it. I'll have to check out the other one you spoke about.
Wamp, thank you too for the advice. I'm trying to learn as much as possible about equipment so that I make the least amount of mistakes as possible along with the best decisions I'm capable of. I do know that with all the money we will spend, I don't want to rush into anything uninformed. lol on the excellent LFS being broke comment I hadn't thought of it that way.
Also, I have 2 places that I can put the tank in my house. One is only 3ft wide so the 55 would have to be no longer than 36" and tall which I've read is harder to keep stable, the other spot could hold a long and wide six footer , but I don't know that I'm that daring or if the budget would allow it. I'm considering rec. or bow front but will prolly end up w/ glass rec. due to costs. Do bows come in glass?
Thanks again for all the help!

 

[rabiasjewell]

Thomas and Sea Goblin, that is a very good question. What kind of tank do I want? I guess a Fowler, but I love corals. From some of the pictures in my book (the new aquarium pg. 60), he seems to have a bit of both. What is a good medium if there is one? Thanks

 

[grouperhead]

You could start out with a fowlr and some easy corals such as shrooms, colt, leather, etc. If you decide you want to go all out and do a reef, you can always upgrade your lighting down the road. My first tank was a 75 aggressive, it's great. Bo

 

[jtroutine]

Live rock, not recommended for beginners even though some do it.

i think this is completly false statement, I think that the LR will make it easier to maintain. LR in my opinion is maintance free, so benifial for your tank!! I almost didnt do LR starting out and I am so glad that I had a change of heart. As far as tank is concerned bigger the better. More water means more margin for error, just my opinion
As far as corals do what I am going to do collect LR as you would need this get good at maintaing your tank and when you gain expierence and cofidece start with some easy corals and go from there

 

[killafins]

I dunno, i find it easier to start with a marine only... some fish with some crabs, snails, etc... until u get adjusted to ur tank lifestyle. If you jumping straight into a reef tank than u r going to be havign to do alot more stuff than some beginners are equipped to be doing. I m just planning to turn my twenty gallon into a reef and my 55 into a FO: eel, puffer, lionfish, etc...
IMO, i would redommend getting used to the salt water life style before u go into the coral reefs.

 

[rabiasjewell]

Okay, so tell me if this sounds alright: After getting a tank (prolly a 75g), l cycle the water with the LR, then add some easy corals and maybe a couple fish(clownfish Ok?), and by then I'll know more of what I can do. Will I be able to add inverts to this type of set-up? Also, what sort of lighting, skimmer, filter do you recommend for this type of environment. Also, I'll need live sand too won't I?
Tons of thanks, I'm totally enjoying all the info.

 

[tkblazer]

hey a 75 is a perfect size...( i have a 75gal ) anyhow, i'd start off with a good sand bed.. many prefer a deep sand bed and the use of live rock as your main filter source. Using a skimmer to compliment the filtering is also used. There really isn't any need to use power filters or canisters in a SW tank. next you should get a few powerheads to keep a good current in the tank so there are no dead spots in the tank. general rule of thumb is at least a 10x turnover rate. well the lighting is really going to depend on what you want to keep. you can get away with the use of power compacts for a fish only tank, but you can also keep a few low light corals as well ( granted you have at least 200 watts)

 

[bas12547]

RabiasJewell - If it were me, I would hold off on the "Easy Corals".
Check ou cycling with Shrimp here. Do a search on that. It has been talk about many, many times...
Brian

 

[thomas712]

As far as corals go you will have plenty of time to study them, take your time. IMO they should not be added to a tank until it has been up for at least 6 months, not that you can't, but the tank is better off to mature at least that long before you add corals. This waiting period will give your system time to stablize and mature.
Thomas

 

[mykgillespie]

Welcome to the hobby,
Might seem like a lot, but I guarantee if you have patience and stick through some of the difficult times, it will be well worth it. As far as cycling is concerned, I would just have a good 3 to 4 in sandbed with fine Oolitic sand, a high quality protein skimmer, and un-cured Live Rock. The un-cured rock will have an odor to it, but will also give you the benefit of a source of ammonia for the nitrifying bacteria, and will typically carry more in the way of critters that you'll want for the sandbed. This setup will cycle quickly. Also an important expense to factor in is a quarantine tank to which all livestock should spend a minimum of 21 days before going into the main aquarium. This single piece of gear will save you much frustration and much money over time, Trust Me! Nothing like a 75 gallon full of beautiful fish corals and inverts that you've been collecting over a year or two (In a 75 gal. you could easily hold over a thousand dollars worth of livestock over time.) and you see a $10.00 Clownfish at the LFS that you like, take it home, put it in the tank, and it has some white spots that you didn't notice. $10.00 could wipe out $1000.00 easily. Maybe a little dramatic, but possible, I've seen it before. Search around for info. about QT tanks, and best of luck to you and you're Husband on your new Aquarium

 

[leboeuf]

Welcome to the hobby!
My fist SW tank was a 215g and 300 lbs of LR. LOVE IT! I wish I would have gone bigger. I have spent a lot of money but it is well worth it.

 

[rabiasjewell]

Thanks All for so much wonderful advice. Keep'em coming! Everyone has totally helped me get some important decisions in order. Thanks too for the warm welcomes. I look forward to sharing future adventures.
So it takes about a month for a tank w/ LR to cycle? How long after that could I ad a clown and anemonie? Should I had inverts first or fish (hardy ones of course)?

 

[birdy]

It is hard to say how long the cycle will take it depends on many factor. A month is a rough estimate. you will know when your Ammonia and nitrite levels are 0 and Nitrate is below 20. Most people wait another week or so then add a cleanup crew (mainly snails and crabs) to cleanup the algae that normally grows in a new tank. Then you can start adding fish. Going very slowly is the best advice anyone can give you. As far a an anemone. I do not advise them at all. They require pristine water conditions and superior light and even then most of them do not make it. A clownfish will be just as enjoyable without an anemone. Good luck and keep asking questions.
Also, If you start out using distilled or R0/DI water you will save yourself a world of trouble with algae later on.

 

[toddpolish]

I wanted a big tank, so I bought a 90gallon. What you need to learn is patience with this hobby. I've been researching for many months now. Once I started looking at other tanks, I felt like I could have gotten (or I was jealous at others having) a 110 or 125.
just takes time. I guess anything under 125g (or 150) would be ok for a beginner. Just have to upkeep the tank properly.
Time and effort!!!

 

[toddpolish]

the bigger the tank, the bigger the "wow" factor (by your friends' comments)
also need to watch your budget.