Guide on saltwater reefs?

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joshbr32

Aquarium Advice Apprentice
Joined
Sep 14, 2015
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I saw this on a TV show or something and I'm wondering whats the requirements to make a good saltwater aquarium? What would be good fish to put in? What type of fish/animal/plant would clean the tank (like saltwater plecos)?
Lastly what is the min size the track must be? BTW I didn't do any research yet

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Oh yes, I would like a price range too plz!

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This isn't a good set of questions in all reality. Saltwater doesn't work like much of fresh in terms of being compatible together and cleaning.
How big a tank depends on the fish as many can be open water swimmers that need at least 6 ft long tanks to be happy, like tangs, even though the fish can be the size of your hand.
Cleaning isn't much on livestock and more on you feeding and doing water changes along with any filtration you might run on the system. We do use hermit crabs and snails to do some work, but nothing will replace your time and effort.
In terms of plants, you could mean algae or coral. This is a very broad scale that can mean a simple vho bulb to very intense lighting from metal halide or strong led panels.
This all effects cost, which then is determined by the route you go. A good example is a led panel to grow anemone or sps corals can range from 100 - 800 dollars!


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Well to better put you in the right direction let's point out the rules of thumb.

The bigger the tank the better. More water means any changes will take longer to effect larger tanks making them easier to correct. Water conditions can change drastically in small tanks.

Besides having proper flow and filtration, nothing helps a tank better than water changes. 20% or so should be changed every 1 or 2 weeks with good ro or rodi water.

Don't keep your lights on too long. Too much light will lead to excessive algae growth.

All in all if you have a good size tank and do proper water changes you will take care of most of your issues.

Snails hermits and sand sifting gobies are a favorite for keeping a tank clean.

If you want corals and don't want to break the bank stick to soft corals like mushrooms and zoanthids or polyps. They don't require the very expensive lighting however do require good light.

Brad McLaughlin
Tampa Bay Area
 
This isn't a good set of questions in all reality. Saltwater doesn't work like much of fresh in terms of being compatible together and cleaning.
How big a tank depends on the fish as many can be open water swimmers that need at least 6 ft long tanks to be happy, like tangs, even though the fish can be the size of your hand.
Cleaning isn't much on livestock and more on you feeding and doing water changes along with any filtration you might run on the system. We do use hermit crabs and snails to do some work, but nothing will replace your time and effort.
In terms of plants, you could mean algae or coral. This is a very broad scale that can mean a simple vho bulb to very intense lighting from metal halide or strong led panels.
This all effects cost, which then is determined by the route you go. A good example is a led panel to grow anemone or sps corals can range from 100 - 800 dollars!


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Hank nailed it. Bottom line saltwater is not not cheap. I've probably got $400 in my 10g reef.

I would recommend a larger tank to start out with. I've faced the challenges of a small tank because parameters can change fast. If budget allows I would start with a 40B or more. The breeder tank gives lots of room to design your rocks, a good amount of space, and just all around nice tank.

It's also good to be aware of the stock you pick. I assume you want a reef. Like in freshwater, Some fish destroy plants. In saltwater, there's some fish than can eat corals or just all around to rowdy for a reef system. Snowflake Eels and lionfish are the first that come to mind. Best left to a FOWLR.


Caleb
 
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