first time in saltwater

[fishguy228]

i have a 30 gallon tank liying around and i would like to try and turn it into salt water i have had several freshwater tanks over the year. but i dont know where to start would i need a filter and a protien skimmer? i heard that if you have a protien skimmer it allows you to put more fish in the aquarium and i am plan on collecting the needed things over time. is it best to do an fish only or a reef setup and how many fish could i put in there?

 

[redskull1944]

the same boat I'm in. When I lived in Layton about a year or two ago, we went to the aquarium store on 89 in north salt lake (kinda by the honda dealership I believe) they had the most marine equipment I have ever seen in a mom & pop store.

 

[mr_X]

it's easier to do a fish only than a reef.
you don't need a protein skimmer, but it's nice to have one.
it depends what fish you are talking about. you are quite limited with a 30 gallon tank.
did you want an aggressive tank, or a community tank?

 

[cmor1701d]

Check out some of the online retailers (liveaquaria.com, marinedepotlive.com, etc.) and check the recommended tank size for various fish you are interested in. If two site disagree, go with the lower number.

How many fish you can have is one of those IT DEPENDS answers. It depends on the adult size of the selected fish, how often you feed, how often you do water changes and how large each pwc is, how aggressive is the most aggresive fish, what type of filtration you have, do you have enough hiding space for the fish to settle in and be comfortable.

Crowding = stress = disease.

Check out our Articles section, and start with:
Stock list and tips for maintaining your SW tank

How to cycle your tank with out the use of fish

Quarantine article

Refugiums

and
An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: A Quarantine Tank for Everything by Steven Pro

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters

Do some research and then post the questions you have. You may also want to post the stocking list you have decided on and get some feedback from folks who have those fish.

Good luck and welcome to the Salty side!