I want to really venture into the saltwater side

[Jasiono]

So over the weekend I bought my daughter a little 10 gallon tank. She's only 15 months old by the way.

I have it set up for tropical fish. I really enjoyed setting it up and we currently have 3 guppies and 3 glowfish in it. The maintenance is pretty straight forward for me.

While I was setting it up it brought me back to the days when I first moved to the U.S. from Germany. I moved over and my first job was at a petsmart store, in the fish department. I cared for the little tropical fish while the main guy there was all about the saltwater aquariums.

He had set up a massive display case he constructed himself and I remember that the fish and possibilities of saltwater tanks were stunning to me.

Well, there's a little history.

I did research for a while now and I keep seeing different things from different websites so I decided to join here and ask a couple questions.

First, budget is not a problem with me. I understand it can get expensive pretty quick, but I'm also not wanting to spend an atronomical amount of money.

How hard is maintenance? I read from some websites that the technology nowadays makes it tough to mess up, as long as you are paying attention of course. What are the things someone needs to test and at what frequency? How often and how much water drainage is needed to freshen up the tank?

How hard is it to move a tank from one home to another? I'm most likely going to wait until I purchase a house and move into it before I set it up, but I was just curious. I will be buying everything for it over the course of the year with the exception of the fish/coral/reef.

I'm on the edge about creating a mini reef tank vs. a reef and fish combination tank. If I went with fish as well, I would definitely, without a doubt, love to have a clownfish or two.

Also, what kind of gear do I need? I currently just have a filter, lights and a heater for my daughter's tropical tank, and I know that nowhere near cuts it for saltwater.

I might have more questions as the thread goes on and I think this might be a good start in getting information.

I will also be going to a local aquarium store this weekend to check some things out, jot some items of interest down and bring them here to talk about.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

First off welcome. Maintaining a sw aquarium isn't much different than fw. What equipment you'll need depends a little on tank size and set up you want but some basics are ro/di water, flow device, rock for bio filtration (either live or base) , a skimmer is nice to have but not necessary depending on what size tank, and then you have lighting which there are to many options to list and this also depends on tank size. Fish and coral in the same tank is no problem as long as you do your research and get reef safe fish, there are also lots if cool inverts you can add. IMO the 2 most important things for starting and maintaining a reef are research and patience.

 

[Jasiono]

Nice. Good to hear. I'm definitely doing my research whenever I have downtime.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Check out http://www.nano-reef.com/articles/_/beginners/setting-up-a-nano-reef-r1 they have some great articles and info. All the info pertains to larger systems as well not just nanos

 

[Jasiono]

Thanks for the link!
I was browsing on the forums and a couple of the links I went to are not valid any more.

I should be going to the giant aquarium store this weekend hopefully to jot some notes down on things I find that I want to look up.

 

[bribo12]

It isn't as difficult as one would think to have a thriving reef. You just gotta spend the money on good equipment and go very slowly. We are all here to help!

 

[Jasiono]

Nice. I will definitely be asking a lot of questions as I read articles and how-to's. I want to educate myself before I start setting it up and I will be buying bits and pieces as I do more research. I'm thinking about doing between a 20-50 gallon tank.

I read that a lot of people refrain from using a glass tank because of it's vulnerability to possibly cracking. Is that true? Is there a benefit I should know about when choosing between a glass vs the hard plastic material for a tank?

The tropical tank I have is not glass.

There goes simple question number 1. I just learned about gravity levels.

I definitely don't want to cheap out on anything, I plan on buying quality products for accurate readings and efficiency.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

Glass tanks are fine, I prefer them to acrylic because acrylic is to easy to scratch. A 40 breeder would make a great starter reef, they have awesome footprints and are pretty shallow making it easier to light and do work in the tank

 

[bribo12]

I have a glass tank lol and it's fine. I've never heard that though. I'd do a 40 breeder, makes a sweet reef. That's actually my next tank as well haha. Or a cube as they're really nice for a reef as well.

 

[Jasiono]

I saw the cubes and it didn't really appeal to me. I like the 40 breeder! Looks like "widescreen". Seems like a perfect size. I will jot that down for when I go to the store so that I can physically see the size.

I'm reading about setting up and cycling as well as how to set up for power outtages. That's one thing I want to definitely throw a good chunk of equipment at.

 

[huma-huma]

IMO id take a glass tank over an acrylic anyday. acrylic scratches way too easy and can distort as it ages. sure its a bit more forgiving in terms of tank flex and bumps to the tank, but thats it. just remember one thing with the SW hobby, nothing good happens fast. the ONE trait that every well-established reefer has in common is the sheer amount of time and attention they have invested into their tanks. Also, when the time comes, you need to judge and research the power grid your system will be on. although everyone really should do their best to prepare for an outage. its pretty well known that some people experience outages as part of daily life, then theres others that may experience a short outage every few years. knowing the grid reliability youre on is important.

 

[Jasiono]

Good point, great advice.

We are currently renting a duplex here and will be looking in this neighborhood. We had some nast storms where everyone around us lost power, except for us. One of our neighbors who has been living here for 40 years now said that in the 40 years she has been here, they have lost power only 3 times.

I think that's a great ratio

 

[Jasiono]

Well I made up my mind. I'm going with the 40 breeder.

I want to make it nemo themed!

 

[Sillyfishies]

Well I made up my mind. I'm going with the 40 breeder.

I want to make it nemo themed!

Please just don't get a "Dory". A 40g is way too small.

 

[Jasiono]

Ah yes. The blue tang. I was doing more research and concluded that I absolutely want a clown fish and I read that they host frogspawn quite well.

I was also reading about some reefs eating the fish?

 

[bribo12]

Ah yes. The blue tang. I was doing more research and concluded that I absolutely want a clown fish and I read that they host frogspawn quite well.

I was also reading about some reefs eating the fish?

Nah most coral can't catch and eat a fish. Tell my clowns that they host frogspawn readily lol. They don't touch any of my euphyllia corals.

 

[Jasiono]

Tomorrow I will buy my first item.

Here's an awkward question. I'm technology oriented and I know how quickly technology can become obsolete.

How is it in the case of items for a tank?

Thinking about getting a gravity measure.

 

[BigRedsReefs10]

There's always a new gadget of some sort, but the basics will stay the same

 

[Jasiono]

Do you guys run a reverse osmosis machine on your tank? Where exactly is one incorporated?

Is it constantly running and purifying the water or is it only done at certain times, such as when you drain some water or whatnot?

If it's constantly running to filter out contaminants, do you hook something else up along the same line to throw back in the essential nutrients?

 

[Stinky Pete]

A R/O machine is just used to make your tap water usable for your tank. You can use it to mix with salt or as top off water to replenish lost water due to evaporation and skimming. I make about 10 gallons a week for a 55 gallon tank. 5 for water change and 5 for top off.