razzleblaster
Aquarium Advice Newbie
- Joined
- Apr 28, 2011
- Messages
- 2
Hello all... this is my first post so be gentle
I've had a FW 40 gallon breeder running for several months (Angels, mollies, etc. all doing great) and have decided to take the proverbial plunge to saltwater in the early fall (after having done the research and acquiring the funds to do so without cutting corners).
I figured it would be good to get advice here from people with experience before doing my heavy research on various fish/corals/equipment. I have friends with FW tanks but don't know that many people with SW experience. What better forum to join than "Aquarium advice"? None, I assume!
First question: currently I have 2 Aquaclear 50's running on the tank... will these be usable for a saltwater tank? If not its ok, it'll just give me incentive to set up a 2nd FW tank that I can use them on, hehehehe... anyway if I can't use these filters, what is the best alternative (that won't break my bank account)? A canister? I keep reading about sumps and how handy they are, are they truly essential? How hard are they to maintain, and what are the alternatives should a sump not work for my setup? Also, what is a good protein skimmer for a tank my size?
Second: what are some recommended fish/corals for a first time soon to be SW keeper such as myself? Here are some that I'm interested in (I know several are not compatible with each other, exploring options):
Frogfish
Flame Angelfish
Yellowtail Damselfish
Maroon Clownfish
Orange Butterflyfish
Dwarf Zebra Lionfish
I really, really like the Dwarf Lionfish and the Frogfish, but I hear they aren't very active and that you can't keep any inverts with them which is a bit of a bummer. Anyone who has kept either of these critters, please inform me of your experience and what you were/are able to keep with them!
As far as corals/inverts go, I really like the frogspawns, urchins, starfish... not sure where to begin or what would be practical for a SW n00b like myself...I know I need to start FOWLR and add corals when the tank is established but I'd like to know a good starting point as far as reef tanks go.
I tend to favor the exotic/unusual/colorful/weird/aggressive/impressive, but generally I'm totally open to stocking suggestions! I'd like to be able to keep a widest variety of critters possible.
Thanks for reading!
I've had a FW 40 gallon breeder running for several months (Angels, mollies, etc. all doing great) and have decided to take the proverbial plunge to saltwater in the early fall (after having done the research and acquiring the funds to do so without cutting corners).
I figured it would be good to get advice here from people with experience before doing my heavy research on various fish/corals/equipment. I have friends with FW tanks but don't know that many people with SW experience. What better forum to join than "Aquarium advice"? None, I assume!
First question: currently I have 2 Aquaclear 50's running on the tank... will these be usable for a saltwater tank? If not its ok, it'll just give me incentive to set up a 2nd FW tank that I can use them on, hehehehe... anyway if I can't use these filters, what is the best alternative (that won't break my bank account)? A canister? I keep reading about sumps and how handy they are, are they truly essential? How hard are they to maintain, and what are the alternatives should a sump not work for my setup? Also, what is a good protein skimmer for a tank my size?
Second: what are some recommended fish/corals for a first time soon to be SW keeper such as myself? Here are some that I'm interested in (I know several are not compatible with each other, exploring options):
Frogfish
Flame Angelfish
Yellowtail Damselfish
Maroon Clownfish
Orange Butterflyfish
Dwarf Zebra Lionfish
I really, really like the Dwarf Lionfish and the Frogfish, but I hear they aren't very active and that you can't keep any inverts with them which is a bit of a bummer. Anyone who has kept either of these critters, please inform me of your experience and what you were/are able to keep with them!
As far as corals/inverts go, I really like the frogspawns, urchins, starfish... not sure where to begin or what would be practical for a SW n00b like myself...I know I need to start FOWLR and add corals when the tank is established but I'd like to know a good starting point as far as reef tanks go.
I tend to favor the exotic/unusual/colorful/weird/aggressive/impressive, but generally I'm totally open to stocking suggestions! I'd like to be able to keep a widest variety of critters possible.
Thanks for reading!