New to Saltwater

[Steven A]

I am considering trying a small salt water tank. However I am only 16 so there is the whole money situation. LOL

I know his must be said alot but I like the fish from Finding Nemo.

Mainly the Clown Fish and Dory (not sure the real name)

Any way what could I have in 33 (US) gal tank.

Also does any one know how much it would cost for me to set one up.
I allready ahve the tank, filter and heater. Obvo I need all the extra's (Marine) ....

Please reply. Also please post links were these items can be found CHEAPISH lol

:?

 

[seaham358]

I can tell you that this is not a cheap hobby.. Do a search on the site there are severl new posts on setting up new tanks.
Dory is a Hippo Tang or Blue Tang they need a large tank, 100+ gallon for them to do well.
You will need test kits, Salt, hydrometer, IMO LR is a must have for good natural filtration, I like skimmers on both reef and Fish only tanks, lights a PC light would do well for a FO tank. Cutting corners usually ends up costing more money in the long run.
Save up your money and do lots of reading on SW tanks and in 6-8 mouths you may have enough cash to jump into the hobby.

 

[macman7010]

Hey,

Well the Dory is out the door right away - they get fairly large and need lots of open swimming space - about 80-100 gallons worth. The clownfish though are not tough keepers and there are lots of other neat saltwater fish you could keep in a 33 gallon tank - The Fuzzy Dwarf Lionfish being one of them.

Saltwater fish only tanks are not terribly expensive, but then any tank that is "saltwater" is not cheap, fish only tanks are cheaper than reef tanks but reef tanks of any size are typically very expensive.

For a 30 gallon tank you are going to need some live rock and that is a cost, crushed coral or live sand for your substrate, I would recommend an undergravel filter, you will need a decent protien skimmer- a Prism would be a good choice, a good strong HOB filter - The Aqua Clear 500 would be my recommendation - Flourascent lighting of any general type will be fine but I would recommend a 10,000k bulb, a good reliable heater, and possibly a power head or two depending and other nick nacks here and there. All in all I think you could do a nice fish only tank for several hundred dollars.

 

[melosu58]

You two are right on the money!