Where to start

[solly]

I have had my aquarium for approx 10 yrs with limited success. It is a 35 gal. octagon shaped purchased and set up as suggested from LPS. After reading tips on this site, I find I have been doing basically nothing right! No wonder I gave up years ago purchasing expensive fish and now have a couple of damsels and a purple lobster. I realize the tank is small and I will only ever be able to have a few fish but I have always wanted a saltwater tank. The point of this post being...I would like to improve things, but cannot afford to dish out the thousands all at once. Can you give me a plan to improve things a little at a time??
Thanks so much!!

 

[srfisher17]

First-I'd get Bob Fenner's book. The "Conscience Marine Aquarist" (either edition) and read it cover to cover. LFS used to be great scources of info; but sadly, not anymore. The big box pet dealers are thw worst, IMO. If someone suggests an octogon tank again, run. These tanks have their fans, but the limited surface area and over-all shape really limit your choices. Go slow, you can probably have a bare bones, but nice, SW tank with what you have. There are a lot of great things to buy in this hobby; but take the time to learn what is necessary and what is a luxury. However, if this addiction does grab you; you will be willing to sell everything you own to support it anyhow. Good luck and ask lots of questions.

 

[flower]

Welcome!
Are you going for fish only tank or a reef (corals)?
I built very slowly on a 55g tank I already had. Got RO (Reverse Osmoses) water from Wal-Mart, already had a heater, thermometer and canister filter form my 55g as a freshwater tank.
To make my freshwater into a saltwater reef...I purchased live rock and sand, a skimmer, hydrometer and Coralife PC lights. A marine master test kit and Salt mix.
As you can see the basics really aren't that much.
A word of caution, damsels are very aggressive, when mature they will bite you and bring blood. You won't be able to keep anything else in the tank, they will fight and kill most other fish. So return them to the LFS, get some Clowns and a Purple Firefish or Royal Gramma. Those are great, really pretty beginner fish, that get along well with other fish.

 

[solly]

Thanks for your help! My goal is fish only and I do realize I need to get rid of those mean little damsels!! I had just gotten tired of the more expensive fish dying cuz I was apparently doing everything wrong! I do have an UGF with PH and a canister filter and heater and thermometer and lots of artificial decorations with places for fish to hide. So should my next purchase (besides a really good aquarium book) be the RO water and also is a live rock only for reef tanks or is that something I should be getting? Thanks again!!
Originally Posted by Flower
http:///forum/post/3143672

Welcome!
Are you going for fish only tank or a reef (corals)?
I built very slowly on a 55g tank I already had. Got RO (Reverse Osmoses) water from Wal-Mart, already had a heater, thermometer and canister filter form my 55g as a freshwater tank.
To make my freshwater into a saltwater reef...I purchased live rock and sand, a skimmer, hydrometer and Coralife PC lights. A marine master test kit and Salt mix.
As you can see the basics really aren't that much.
A word of caution, damsels are very aggressive, when mature they will bite you and bring blood. You won't be able to keep anything else in the tank, they will fight and kill most other fish. So return them to the LFS, get some Clowns and a Purple Firefish or Royal Gramma. Those are great, really pretty beginner fish, that get along well with other fish.

 

[florida joe]

First-I'd get Bob Fenner's book. The "Conscience Marine Aquarist" (either edition) and read it cover to cover
Plus 1

 

[srfisher17]

Originally Posted by solly
http:///forum/post/3143686
Thanks for your help! My goal is fish only and I do realize I need to get rid of those mean little damsels!! I had just gotten tired of the more expensive fish dying cuz I was apparently doing everything wrong! I do have an UGF with PH and a canister filter and heater and thermometer and lots of artificial decorations with places for fish to hide. So should my next purchase (besides a really good aquarium book) be the RO water and also is a live rock only for reef tanks or is that something I should be getting? Thanks again!!
By all means, dump the damsels. You'll get some opposite opinions; but an UG filter with a PH is still a very effective bio-filter for ammonia & nitrite, not nitrates, which are no big deal with fish-only. An UG & a canister should work well.
Even in a fish-only tank, you should have live rock, if only for realistic decor. Because of your budget, you don't have to start with a lot. The one thing LR does as a filter that other methods won't is remove nitrate; but if you keep up on water changes, nitrates will be fine. Again, this is controversial, but (IME & IMO) not everyone needs RO water--it depends on your water supply. Fenner says pretty much the same thing in his book, the 1st addition anyhow, I haven't seen the 2nd.

 

[ophiura]

I will say this - never judge your aquarium skills on keeping this type of tank. IMO, it is one of the most difficult types of footprints to keep.
Sad to say that a lot of people are getting out of the hobby now, and if you can afford a few hundred bucks, you may be able to pick up a very decent system.
the issue with hex tanks is that they have relatively little surface area considering the volume. That can be an issue with gas exchange and circulation deep in the tank. So it is tough to keep them, when in this smaller size range. It can be done, but it isn't easy
Can you post a pic? And your tank parameters - ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, alkalinity and specific gravity?