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First timer

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Dannysk

First timer here. I was at a friends house recently and saw his saltwater tank and immediately was interested in finding out how to start my own. Ive dealt with freshwater fist/tanks, but Im looking more for a challenge. Any advice, good websites for purchasing the materials needed? Im pretty confident that I know what it takes to have a saltwater tank/reef and know what im getting myself into (I only say this bc ive been told its quite a task) Im trying to do as much research as possible before i move forward so any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanx
 
J

john90009

NJRC Member
There are a few setups you can go into. One would be a fowlr tank- this mean the pretty fish and some live rock for a filter. or you can go reef if you have the money to spend and time to care for it which is rock fish and corals. You can also just have a tank for fish with out the live rock but the fish like the rock. What position are you in to set up the tank? Want to start small on a fish tank you already have or go with a new big tank?
 
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Dannysk

thanx guys for the info so far, Im looking to start with just fish and live rock and eventually add some hermit crabs and snails, i was thinking of starting off with a 40-50 gallon tank.
 
steamman

steamman

Maybe you should start with fish that would be reef safe. In the future if you expand you won't need to change your fish.
 
qwik

qwik

Here's some ideas I've learned after doing it the wrong way ;D ;D
Try to figure out what you will want in the future. You say fish only for now ,but if live rock/coral is something you will want then buy the proper equiptment now . It is cheaper to buy the right stuff once .
Lighting and filtration will change with the items you wish to keep .
Keep in mind the adult size of the fish you will be keeping .
You can save a bunch of money buying used equipment ,just check it out well .
Read everything you can and ask alot of questions .
Spend a little more money on the better ointment,it will save you money in the long run .

If I could do it over again, after learning from questions,experience and reading I would probably change every piece of equipment I have . I would of bought a bigger tank,better skimmer,maybe t-5's instead of mh's,design a different sump ,etc..
 
J

john90009

NJRC Member
I have a 55 gallon tank with some other things like hang on the back overflow and a wet dry filter that you can put rocks in instead of bio balls. Or you can find another tank that is pre drilled already. Im not sure if you can drill a smaller tank because the glass is thin. The drilled tanks seem to be less of a hassle because usually the overflows are bulletproof, in a way that your tank will never overflow from the top or the sump.
 
steamman

steamman

If you don't have a lot of money to spend on experiments until you get it right, you should a lot of research. Have a plan like the others suggested. There are many different methods out their to choose from. Something that works for one may not work for others. Some methods are complicated and cost more money. Some are simple but may take more of your time. Some may work for you and some may not. It is really how dedicated you will become to the hobby that will ultimately determine if you succeed. You have to crawl before you walk. You have to walk before you run. Don't just jump in blindly with both feet without knowing how deep the water is. This is a great hobby when you get it right. The best piece of equipment you will own is your skimmer IMO. And keep up with your water changes.
 
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