ahochan
Aquarium Advice Regular
I'm considering setting up a saltwater fish and live rock tank. I have limited space, so it will be a small tank. I have some freshwater practice, but I'm completely new to saltwater. The only background I have is the book "The New Marine Aquarium" as well as some reading around on various forums.
The two options I have in mind are:
Small 55 liter (60 cm) tank with about 5-6 small fish, a couple of cleaner shrimp and a hermit crab. For fish I was thinking a pair of damsels, and a school of 3-4 grammas (can they be kept in a school?) and perhaps one more fish.
Really small 35-40 liter tank with a pair of damsels, a cleaner shrimp and a hermit crab. Perhaps one more small fish (Gramma?).
I don't have the budget for a protein skimmer right now. I understand that I can get away with using active carbon instead. Any tips on this?
Also, the room I'm going to have the tank in can get quite hot in summer.
(normally around 28-35 degrees, but it will drop quite a lot in short periods when I'm using the airconditioner). Coolers seem to be very expensive, so I hope to get away with using just a fan. Can you get special canopies that have room for putting a fan in? Should I keep both the fan and the heater running to minimize temperature swings?
Can I get away with doing only weekly water changes, plus refilling freshwater on a quasi-daily basis? The book I mentioned recommends 10-15 % changes, any thoughts on this?
As for filter, will a normal simple HOB filter be sufficient, or should I go for canister? I saw a really nice and cheap 60 cm tank set the other day with a canopy that had room for two light tubes, the filter was built in to the canopy though, so I don't know if this will be sufficient for a saltwater setup? I've also heard that most filters of these types are not meant for saltwater and that the pump can be damaged if used with saltwater.
Will there be a significant difference in difficulty and upkeep between the two tank setups I explain? I'm leaning toward the really small tank...
The two options I have in mind are:
Small 55 liter (60 cm) tank with about 5-6 small fish, a couple of cleaner shrimp and a hermit crab. For fish I was thinking a pair of damsels, and a school of 3-4 grammas (can they be kept in a school?) and perhaps one more fish.
Really small 35-40 liter tank with a pair of damsels, a cleaner shrimp and a hermit crab. Perhaps one more small fish (Gramma?).
I don't have the budget for a protein skimmer right now. I understand that I can get away with using active carbon instead. Any tips on this?
Also, the room I'm going to have the tank in can get quite hot in summer.
(normally around 28-35 degrees, but it will drop quite a lot in short periods when I'm using the airconditioner). Coolers seem to be very expensive, so I hope to get away with using just a fan. Can you get special canopies that have room for putting a fan in? Should I keep both the fan and the heater running to minimize temperature swings?
Can I get away with doing only weekly water changes, plus refilling freshwater on a quasi-daily basis? The book I mentioned recommends 10-15 % changes, any thoughts on this?
As for filter, will a normal simple HOB filter be sufficient, or should I go for canister? I saw a really nice and cheap 60 cm tank set the other day with a canopy that had room for two light tubes, the filter was built in to the canopy though, so I don't know if this will be sufficient for a saltwater setup? I've also heard that most filters of these types are not meant for saltwater and that the pump can be damaged if used with saltwater.
Will there be a significant difference in difficulty and upkeep between the two tank setups I explain? I'm leaning toward the really small tank...