planning to set up a tank this year.

[aqua_guy]

I have been in the hobby of maintaining a freshwater tank for about two years now. Can you give me tips on starting a saltwater tank. i'm planning to set up one this year. but i have to get proper parameters. tank size, fish compatibilities, ph levels...etc.

 

[jamal-188]

Check out these articles they are pretty helpful in getting you started.

http://www.aquariumadvice.com/showfaq.php?fldAuto=2

 

[cmor1701d]

Read, Plan, Review, Repeat!
and don't forget to post your plan here for review by those who have been doing this for a long time.
Ask lots of questions, then go back to step 1.

Best advice to start is to get the largest tank you can afford now, but make sure you include everything you need to go along with it.
Decide if you want a FOwLR or a reef tank, but be aware that most FOwLR are wanna be reefs within a year, so plan your livestock accordingly.

 

[Guest]

cmor1701d wrote:

Read, Plan, Review, Repeat!

Just to second that:

1.) Read
2.) Plan
3.) Post Questions on this board
4.) Receive constructive criticism well
5.) Talk to other SW keepers you meet in LFS
6.) After you have done this, go back to step 1 and repeat.

If you study well, and apply the principles, you will be a happy SW keeper...

Regards,

 

[Bearfan]

I read for months before I started my equipment list, then I changed that for over a month.

 

[aqua_guy]

i am planning to put out a 75 gallon tank for a start. what equipments would you suggest?

 

[aqua_guy]

by the way, for that 75 gallon tank, i would like a fish only with live rocks setup.

 

[aqua_guy]

and i would like damsels and clown fish in the tank. probably some blue tangs.

 

[sw-addict]

Damsels are good starter fish, because of their hardiness and price. Once we had the damsels for a while and started adding more expensive fish, we found out Damsels are very aggressive and didn't take kindly to new tank mates. Then it took hours to get them out of our tank...but I digress...I agree with all those who have said, read, read, read. Patience is also VERY important in this hobby. A really good book (and one of the more current ones we could find at the library) is The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Good luck.

 

[toddwess]

Damsels are good starter fish, because of their hardiness and price. Once we had the damsels for a while and started adding more expensive fish, we found out Damsels are very aggressive and didn't take kindly to new tank mates. Then it took hours to get them out of our tank...but I digress...I agree with all those who have said, read, read, read. Patience is also VERY important in this hobby. A really good book (and one of the more current ones we could find at the library) is The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Good luck.

I second that! I will NEVER own damsels again unless it is a species only tank. I had a blue devil and had to remove ALL of my LR and most of the water to get him out. He had already killed two yellow tangs, and it was time for him to go.

Todd

 

[cmor1701d]

Now that you've decided to go FOwLR, decide what kind of substrate you want, CC, shallow sand or DSB. CC will require some cleaning (siphoning out detritus).
You should also begin to think about this...Every new FOwLR is a reef wannabe within a year.
I know mine is, so think about this as you plan your livestock. Damsels can be quite aggressive so if really want them, add them last. Even then once they are comfortable they may begin chasing other fish.

Read up on sumps and refugiums. I converted my wet/dry to a sump and now I'm planning on replacing it with a larger sump so I can get all my equipment in it (heater, skimmer and pump).

Lighting is critical and expensive. I started with the NO included by my LFS, changed one side to a PC and now I'm planning on getting a 72" Aquaspacelight.

 

[aqua_guy]

o ic. one of my friend told me he uses those damsels to cycle the water. that's cruel yeh so i wont do that. anyways, i want a peaceful community sw tank. are clown fishes less aggressive?

 

[aqua_guy]

i guess i have much reading to do.... now that cmor1701d mentioned it.

 

[cmor1701d]

As you read you'll start to develop a plan of what you want your tank to be. There's a lot more that SHOULD go into the planning stage for SW than for FW. I was in FW for many years (10+) before deciding on trying SW. Thought I knew quite a bit too. Then went and made a bunch of mistakes (like buying a great package from the LFS) before finding this forum and reading the posts.

As you read you'll find conflicting advice from different sites and people. One thing I urge you to try and find out is WHEN an article was published. Things change over time and what was new and exciting a few years ago was proven to be wrong over time.

There's been debate over the past year on DSB's too, though I think the jury is still out on that one.

As questions arise, come back here and ask. Also, keep reading the various posts here so you will become familiar with the posters and get an idea of who's advice you should take and who's advice should be taken with a grain of salt. No one here will deliberately mislead you but some people have been in this hobby longer than others and have seen and done more.

I'm still a newbie to SW so I only try to pass on information that I've learned to trust and I avoid commenting on areas I know little or nothing about.