what type of tank is best to start with

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philc21

Aquarium Advice Activist
Joined
Nov 6, 2003
Messages
122
Location
rutherford nj
we are thinking about getting our first saltwater aquarium and i dont no what type of tank to start with i was told different things i was told a tank with live rocks and live sand with a smaller filter and fish was the best to start with and then i was also told that an all fish tank with a big canister filter was the best but then again i was told that canister filters are not worth it and that undergravel filters were the way to go but i also heard bad about these someone help u guys give me ur opinion on this n e help would be greatly appreciated
 
IMO , id go with the live rock and sand and i hate undergravel filters and see no point of them with all the better filters avalible.
 
IMO, get the largest tank you can afford...at least a 29 gal...bigger is better. Set it up with a deep sand bed and live rock. You'll need a skimmer and some powerheads for water flow. If you want a reef tank, you'll need some high output lighting. Before you do any of this, buy a copy of "The Concientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert M. Fenner. This is almost required reading for anyone thinking about starting a SW tank. Once you've read this book, you can start to formulate a plan for the kind and size of tank you want. Be warned that this is not a cheap hobby. But, if you do things right the first time, it won't cost you nearly as much as it has some of us. As always, we're here to help you in any way we can. You might want to browse through the articles on this site as well. Welcome to AA.com! :mrgreen:
 
I think the best advice is to research everything first. I am sure everyone on this board, including me, has bought something because "it looked cool" or "the guy at the LFS said it would be fine". I have a closet full of stuff I bought even though I didn't need it. You can save a lot of $$$ by just asking (not a salesman) and researching. Many people have differing opinions, but most have good explanations why they use their method.

Good Luck.
 
I like the 75g as a starter tank. Big enough to expand with your hobby and stable enough to let the new hobbiest succed with minimal problems. Stick with a quaility online vendor or Local FIsh Store for equipment to begin with. That way The person will have a good idea what your set up is and how it may be functioning if somethig goes wrong. A good book is also Natural Reef Aquariums ny John Tullock.
 
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