Help with setting up a new tank approx 26 gallons.

[Blatchy]

Hello,

I'm new to keeping an aquarium and am considering a salt water tank. I have done a bit of research... not that much yet and have been turned away from the idea of starting up this tank. From what I have read it is pretty expensive and not really noobie friendly. Prior to this I had Gold fish for around 6 years and found these boring hence packing away my tank etc.

Im just curious as to how much setting up an actual tank this size would cost considering I have a tank stand and hood only, and what equipment is essential to succesfully keeping this tank functional.

This tank is around 26 gallons so isn't that large but I'm really only interested in starting this one up as a hobby to see how it goes and to see if I'm truely prepared for this.

The fish I'm looking at are 2 Clown Fish and possibly a Sea Horse. I have done some research on the Clown Fish and I think they generally are rather hardy fish.

So anyway back to my question - What do you guys recommend I will need to start this up and the costs involved???

Kind Regards,

Andrew

 

[loganj]

I'm not going to detail the costs for you because I don't have time to look it all up right now. I'll let you do that .
You'll need:
35-50 lbs of live rock

About 70-80lbs of sand for a 4" sand bed (guessing there)

Two Maxi Jet 600 powerheads (about $25?)

A skimmer Prizm or Seaclone is fine for this size tank. If you can afford an Aqua C Remora, that would be much better.

A heater...100 watt Visi Therm or Ebo Jager. ($15?)

A good digital appliance timer (Home Depot...$17)

You can use the lights you have for a FOwLR tank. I'd get a good 50/50 bulb. If you have two bulbs, go 10000k with one and actinic 03 with the other. If you want to make it into a reef with photosynthetic inverts, you'll have to upgrade the lights. That can come later. Fish loads are smaller in SW. My 20g has a Cardinal and a Clown...nothing else going in there. The clown is a good choice for you. No on the seahorse...they have special requirements and are best kept in a species tank. Read up on fishless cycling and the use of LR to cycle the tank. We'll help you all we can. It's really not that hard...just a little different than FW.

 

[fishfreek]

Andrew I/we will try to help you out but I can tell you that all of my information is going to be based on USA prices I see your location is Australia so I have no idea what the equivlent would be in your area and im not sure how the Aussie dollar compairs to the American dollar as far as currency conversion so some things might be alot cheaper or more expensive based upon local economics.

Clowns are heardy overall and here locally you can get a pair of tank rased clowns for $15/each. Sea Horses on the other hand are not overly heardy and have some very specialized diet and enviormental needs that need to be meet.

Tank prices can differ widly thruout the US so I would have no idea as to what it would cost for you there. If you dont plan on keeping any corals then you can get by with a standard florecent light strip for lighting since the fish have no real lighting requirments other than something to simulate a day/night period.

Equipment you will need would include the following:

Hydromoter (to test salinity)
Test kits (ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, ph at a minimum)
Salt mix (50 gal bag to start out with but this will be something you will have to purchase on a regular basis)
Substrate (sand or crushed coral)
Live rock (if you intend to use live rock for filtration and decoration)
Heater (may not be needed in your area depending on your climent)
Water circulation pumps aka powerheads (needed to move water around)
Skimmer
Quatliy water source
Fish food

Everything aside from the live rock above could probably be purchased for $200-250 range. The live rock depending on the amount could another $100.

If you use a DSB and live rock you wont need an external water filter other than the skimmer. If you go with maybe a shallow sand bed and no live rock then you need to add to the list of equipment a good external canister filter.

 

[loganj]

Good point on the test kits and hydrometer...I should have mentioned that .

 

[Blatchy]

Thanks for the reply guys.

I looked into the tank and feel it may be a bit of a waste putting sw fish in such a small tank. Maybe in a few years I will be back... anyways I opted for some fresh water/tropicals and have got the tank up on going.

Thanks again.