for a new sw setup..?

[iains]

what would i need for a sw tank? i already have a freshwater tank established but now i feel i wanna get into salt water. so i wanna find out how much equip would be for a 36g tank

 

[Fluff]

It really depends on what you want to do with the tank. Equipment can be as simple as a filter, heater and lights. Is this for a fish only tank? Or are you planning to do a tank with live rock? A reef?

 

[DeathWarp]

A little more description would be needed really, like Fluff said, fish-only? reef?

 

[iains]

i'd like to try it with just fish first.

 

[FishFrik]

i'd like to try it with just fish first.

Most ppls say this and too often their tank will turn out to be a reef in a short period of time lol. This hobby is evil and it will consume u without u even noticing! JK hehe. I think u would be better off if u get the equipments for a reef from the start so u wouldn't waste money on unecessary equipments (fluval filtration, and other stuff to replace LR + LS).

For a reef u would need: a good skimmer (get the best skimmer u could afford!), 1.5 pounds of LR per gallon, DSB is usually recommended (3 - 6 in. of LS) but 1 - 2 in. of LS is fine, some PH's with 15x - 20x ur tank size GPH in total, a good light fixture (4W+ per gallons), a heater (50W per 15G). That's pretty much what u need, i think

HTH

 

[tmkx3]

A 36g is a little small for saltwater. I started with freshwater too. You can't stock as many fish in a salt tank as you can freshwater. Saltwater fish are really easy to get stressed if they don't have enough room. The cheapest part of a saltwater tank is the tank itself. Anyway of getting anything bigger? At least 55g? I think you'll be happier in the long run

 

[ryguy]

A 36g is a little small for saltwater. I started with freshwater too. You can't stock as many fish in a salt tank as you can freshwater. Saltwater fish are really easy to get stressed if they don't have enough room. The cheapest part of a saltwater tank is the tank itself. Anyway of getting anything bigger? At least 55g? I think you'll be happier in the long run

I agree that bigger is better in SW, but 36Gal is do-able. The tank is one of the cheapest individual items but it also dictates the price of all the other items as well. Going bigger means spending more money....no way around that. Bigger skimmer, more LR, more sand, bigger pumps, more lighting output etc. I say if you want to give it a shot, go for it. However, realize that your tank isn't overly big, so take the proper precautions and set it up wisely and understand that with a smaller tank, comes the need for a closer eye to keep water parameters in check.

Have fun with it.....read lots before jumping in so you don't buy sub-optimal equipment. Gain a solid understanding for the SW fundementals, and ask lots of questions.

Good Luck!!

Ryan