Hello! (SW newbie here)

[bud29]

Hi all, I am a complete newbie to saltwater. Is there any complete guide to starting a saltwater reef? The earliest I see myself getting a SW tank is a year from now because they are so expensive, but it doesn't hurt to plan.

I do have experience fishkeeping, so I am aware of the responsibility (And serious moolah) involved in this hobby.

I am planning on buying a 40 gallon. Any ideas on the fish I could put in there?

I definitely want these fish:
Ocellaris Clownfish (I would like to get 2, one regular one black, but I heard they can be territorial. Is this true?)
1 Purple firefish
1 six line wrasse

I am kind of clueless as to what else I should put in there, for fish and inverts.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Well is this a fish stocking thread or do you actually want to learn how to care for a saltwater tank? Way harder then fresh.... So you need to ask some questions...

 

[bud29]

Well, I was hoping someone had a link to a good article about starting a SW tank, so I could read that and then we could talk about stocking after that.........

Yeah, I read that SW tanks are much harder than FW. But I think I will be up for it.

 

[Nu-Nu the eel]

Bro i got an old thread (no longer around) but it was when i started and i asked so many questions it was hilarious, very informative. Super long, but would be great for someone starting up

 

[Mr. D]

Those fish are pretty good for a beginner. Relatively cheap in the hobby and hardy for theist part.
Like nu nu said its just a lot of research and patience.
Yes it is harder to maintain a saltwater tank but IMO not very if you don't have very picky/challenging fish or corals.
If you have the time to devote to it won't be bad because the end result is something you can lose yourself in for hours and a great way to wind down.

But if you have the room I would start with a 75gl tank but the fish you named would all be fine in a 30 but like anything else you will want more and a nice variety do go as big as you can. The bigger the easier.

Smaller tanks are cheaper to set up but limit fish drastically. If you want free rang for 90% of fish commonly offered go 100+

 

[bud29]

I might see about a 55 gallon instead of a 40, but I probably won't be able to go bigger than that. First of all, I doubt that I will be able to talk my dad into letting me put 75 gallons of water in the house. He was a bit squeamish with my 30 gallon FW tank, so I doubt he will consider a 75 very much. Second, I am only 13 so it would take lots and lots of work to earn the money for a big tank. I think I could get a 55 cheap via my classifieds (I have seen several 55 gallon tank ads) but I have only seen one 75 gallon ad, and one ad for a tank bigger than 75.

Plus, SW fish are so expensive I am not sure how many fish I would want to put in! I was stickershocked at the price of some of these fish, so If I get a big tank, yes I could put in more cool fish but that means much more $$$. I am already looking at a few hundred dollars to stock a 40 or 55 gallon.

 

[Fransmom]

I a fairly a novice myself but I have a 28 gallon nano DT with a clean up crew a cromis and three PJ cardinals in my 10 gallon QT. I like the manageability of the water changes of a smaller tank, but I'm already regretting getting a small tank because a small fluctuation in water chemistry can be drastic to your livestock. This can make more frequent water changes along with more frequent water top off due to evaporation leading to water quality changes, especially salinity.

 

[bud29]

Bro i got an old thread (no longer around) but it was when i started and i asked so many questions it was hilarious, very informative. Super long, but would be great for someone starting up

Do you mean that the thread is no longer on the site or is it locked up but still available to read? If I can still read it, what is the name of the thread?

 

[Qube]

My advice on your tank size would be a 40g breeder style tank. By far the best dimensions out there for a mid size tank. It's easy to work with, not a lot of height, a modest volume of water and a wide footprint help make it one of the best. Combine that with the lack of tempered glass on breeder tanks make it one of the most versatile aquariums out there with regards to filtration options. Keep an eye out for the $1 per gallon sale at Petco, and you can pick this up cheap!

Do a search on 40 breeder reefs and you'll see what I mean, and this is coming from the proud owner of a 75g!!

 

[bud29]

Yeah, at first I was planning on getting a 40 breeder because I heard they had a big footprint. All those other things make it even better. Thanks!

 

[crister13]

Ya if you can't go 75 I would probably go 40 breeder because of the 18" width, but a 55 is 4' long. I'm 13 too!!!! And have 150 gallon tank on the second floor...... My moms really happy with the weight lol. As for inverts, do you want corals? Of you want to be able to keep high light demanding corals like SPS you're going to need really strong light. Which can cost $$$$$$. Anemones need just the same light. Also, I would recommend a CUC of hermits, snails, brittle/serpent stars, and maybe even some conchs (they're really really cool). Also some pep shrimp and cleaner shrimp would be awesome.

 

[TheTodd]

Keep an eye on Craigslist for deals. You might find a great deal. I got a 75g acrylic, with built-in filtration and the stand/canopy for $150.

 

[bud29]

OK thanks. I have been keeping an eye on craigslist, so pretty soon a good deal should be coming around sometime.

How much $$$ would we be talking about with a strong light?

 

[cmor1701d]

You had asked for articles on starting out. Have you checked our AA Articles section yet?

Stock list and tips for maintaining your SW tank (STARTING OUT) is a good place to start.

Good luck, have fun and most of all ENJOY!