New guy from FL

[24ktank]

I have always wanted a sw tank but never went for it. Now recently my wife and kids have been asking for one. So I think now is the time. This past weekend we went to a few local shops to look around and get ideas on what size tank and fish we would like.

While looking for tank I seen a really nice 72x24x24 that I liked, Noticed I said I . While talking with her we figured it would be best to find out what kind of fish we wanted and then figure out what size would work best.

My wife stated she wanted a Scorpion puffer, I think that's what she called it. The lil ones want a Nemo fish (per my son). I would like and eel if possible. Also some anemone, and other colorful fish. Rabbit fish .

What size tank would you recommend? My wife found a site called Glass cage or something like that and they have some really nice set ups cheaper that in the store, are they any good.

We also plan on having someone maintain it while I am away. I figure it would be to much for my wife to handle with 2 kids and work.

All help/suggestions will be appreciated

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

welcome i suggest you send melourse(sp?) and carey a pm along with i.dream.in.saltwater there some excellent sw people on this fourm

 

[carey]

Hi. Welcome to the forum! Where in Florida are you at? I'm in Deltona outside of Orlando/daytona.

I currently have a few SW setups, I'm pretty new at it but LOVE it! If you can swing it I would highly recommend a 6 foot tank, theres a ton more to get with that much space, plus you don't really have to worry about fish size.

Were you going to do a full reef or just fish only for now?

 

[24ktank]

I'm in Sarasota. To be honest I am not sure witch way we will go yet I am thinking it will be a mix. My son also just told me he wanted a baby shark, i doubt that will happen.

Thanks for the names wolfpack

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

no problem i love watchin new tanks come together careys been a huge life saver for my personally

 

[Maya]

Welcome. When deciding on a tank size there are some pros and cons to both. A larger tank is more expensive. More water, more space, more lighting, more heat and more water movement = higher set up costs and more electricity. However a larger tank also allows you more variety in livestock. There are many fish (like tangs) that do not respond well to small environments. Bigger tanks are also much easier to care for. The more water you have to dilute the bad stuff the less likely you are to have a lethal spike in ammonia, nitrates, etc. My suggestion is to research, research, research. Form a plan and then be patient. There is nothing about saltwater aquariums that you rush or expediate. Good luck and keep us posted.

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

also if your planing a large tank invest in a rodi fiter

 

[24ktank]

I have read Carey's post on the one from ebay.

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

I have read Carey's post on the one from ebay.

thats good to hear your not new to the sw game are you?

 

[24ktank]

Yeah I am but I have been doing a lot of reading lately. I don't want to just jump right in and feel lost.

 

[xxwolfpackof1xx]

ok I'm a newbie too but have done alot of research is there anything your confused on?

 

[cmor1701d]

Based on other's experiences I would recommend you stay far away from Glass Cages. Look to buy the tank and stand locally as shipping can add a lot to the final cost.
Buy the biggest tank you can afford today, but factor in the sump, powerheads, pumps, cost of water and salt, etc. into that equation.

Buy most dry goods online. We have some excellant retailers as site sponsors and there's always the big online stores too. Many have free shipping over x dollars, and some great specials.

Here's some suggested reading for you:

Stock list and tips for maintaining your SW tank

How to cycle your tank with out the use of fish

Quarantine article

An Ounce of Prevention is Worth a Pound of Cure: A Quarantine Tank for Everything by Steven Pro

Reef Aquarium Water Parameters

Tap Water in Reef Aquaria

 

[24ktank]

Reading all the posts on this site has helped me out a lot. I Just cant decided on a tank size.

 

[24ktank]

Thank you for the links cmor1701d.

 

[Maya]

If you aren't opposed to buying used... Craigslist is a good place to hunt around as well.

As far as size goes... We started out with a 75 gallon tank. Bought it with over 100 pounds of gorgeous 5 year old live rock and some fish and coral. Already established with good growth, that eliminated the need to cycle a new tank and we didn't have any of the standard set up problems or outbreaks. Instant gratification, I suppose. We are upgrading to a 125 gallon and are building a custom stand. The more water you have, the easier the tank is to maintain. Less water gives you less leeway. More water... More dilution.

 

[Maya]

Also...
We buy a lot of our test kits at pet mountain.com. They are much cheaper than our local stores and that is also where we purchased our koralia 1050 Powerhead/ pumps for less than 35.00. They offer free shipping on orders of a certain size and their shipping and packaging have been great.

 

[iDream]

The tank you mentioned is the one I would suggest for what you want to keep. That's 180G if you didn't already know.

There is a small problem though, I'm not sure which puffer you mean, so I can't comment except if it is a puffer it will eat inverts you place in the tank. And the Clownfish (Nemos) will definitely become a nice snack for almost any eel you might add.

From the fish you listed it's looking like you're wanting a predator tank, in which case bigger is better because most predators are larger fish.

The anemone would have to be a much later addition if you really want one. As they require a very established system and intense lighting.

What it looks like here is you want a tank, but have decided to research first, which I very much commend you on. But now it becomes what you want out of it, what fish you like and what type of tank whether it be a Reef, FOWLR (fish only with live rock), or FO (fish only). Then we can begin to help you further on suggesting fish and whatnot. Sidenote: puffers aren't reef safe so if you wanted a reef and the puffer, that couldn't happen.

Try searching through here and looking at requirements that are the same, like if you like more reef-safe fish than non reef-safe, ones with larger tank size requirements or smaller, etc.

Welcome to AA!