New to saltwater

[Rsquared333]

I have been a freshwater hobbists for years but now want to try my hand at saltwater. I have seen so many amazing saltwater tanks, and I would love to have one of my own. Here's what I 'm thinking. Please fill in the blanks and comment, there are several things such as protein skimmers and uv sterilizers and refugiums (would i need one?) that I am not accustom to in the freshwater field.

Tank: 46 gal bowfront

Filter: Rena filstar XP3

Heater:2 150watt or 1 250 watt tronic or ehiem jager

Lighting: not sure of the demands of coral I use about 2.5 watts per gal for plants

Protien Skimmer: don't know about them. looking for quality that is resonably priced but I value quality over price

UV Sterilizer: don't know about them. same as protien skimmer

Substrate: live sand and live rock

This will be a reef tank housing inverts and small fish and lots of corals and anemones. I have seen the new nano tanks and I love the fish they have for them so I am going for a large-scale nano tank look (oxymoron).

 

[lando]

the first thing I would suggest is for you to go out and buy the a good book on SW tanks. I really like "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Fenner. Its a good place to start. Sounds like you are going to eventually have a reef tank so you have some direction. Nest decide on what type of filtration you are going to use. LS, 75-90lbs of LR with a good skimmer should be great filtration. Check out the articles sections on this site for great info on how to get started. Good luck...Lando

 

[PiscesLou]

I would look into getting a couple PH

 

[Nels22]

you will probably want more watts per gallon for lighting, and if you are going to spend the money on a lighting system, you might as well buy the right one the first time around. What are you interests for the tank, you will probably need 4-5+ per gallon. The aquac remora protein skimmer is very well liked on the forum, and i love mine with the mag 3, does a wonderful job, are you planning on having a sump??

 

[Rsquared333]

will i need a sump? It seems I would, if i do i will make one, I have found some good plans online but any other anyone knows of would help. would i need a refugium? i am planning to have mostly coral and anemones and such with inverts and small fish. but I want a lavish coral/anemone "garden" (to reflect my love of aquarium plant gardens but a saltwater version). so would 4-5 watts per gal be ok I was thinking coral life or trition bulbs.

 

[Rsquared333]

any reccomendations on protein skimmers, light bulbs, or other equipment. any comments, questions , or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Salttanker]

Hi Phoenix neighbor! I second that with Lando. Bob Fenner's book is awesome. A sump is handy for storing equipment, and adding more volume to the water. You can even build in a refugium. Anemones mostly require some intense lighting. If you are going this route, I would spring for MH. There are usually 2 protein skimmers that most people use here: Aqua remora, and Bakpak 2. Definitely want good flow 10x gph, so I would recommend a couple of Maxijet 1200's. Sand and LR is the best way to go IMO. HTH

Mike

 

[gfishguy56]

All i can add to the responses to help is to A. visit this site regularly B. read, read, read everything you can get your hands on about this hobby and C. go slow -- your future fish and your wallet would greatly appreciate it.

 

[Rsquared333]

It's nice to see a fellow Arizonan. Thanks for the info. Those have been the two skimmers that seem to be the most recommended. any major differences between the two?

 

[Rsquared333]

would the XP3 be fine for this tank? no one has commented on it and I wasn't sure if that was because it is ok.

 

[Salttanker]

Patience is definitely an absolute necessity in this hobby. Without it, most will fail. The first investment I made was the "Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Bob Fenner. $40.00 was the smartest investment I made, even though I have been doing this for years. Products and technology change all the time, so it's good to stay on top of it.

Mike

 

[Salttanker]

It is ironic keeping marine fish in the desert, isn't it?

It seems more favor the Remora here only from what I have seen. Although, a Bakpak would be good for a tank your size. I am not familiar with the XP3. Someone else here might be able to chime in on that one.

Mike

 

[Rsquared333]

I hear ya fishguy, I've learned through experience with freshwater that patience is key in fishkeeping. I don't plan to even put water in for a few months. I want to get as much info as possible first.

 

[Rsquared333]

yeah ya don't find a lot of people keeping tanks out here

 

[Rsquared333]

where did you go for equipment, salttanker? know of any good lfs that aren't as expensive as the ocean floor. I usually go to Phoenix Tropical Fish but they only do freshwater

 

[Salttanker]

Which lfs do you use out here? The best one I have found is Aquarium Arts and the Ocean Floor as far as knowledge is concerned. Pricing is a little steep on live goods though.

Mike

 

[Rsquared333]

I usually buy equipment from Bigalsonline.com and fish from Phoenix Tropical Fish

 

[Salttanker]

Most of the equipment and live goods I have I ordered online since it is cheaper. The lfs out here are too expensive. I think it was Ocean Floor/Aquarium Arts that was selling Maxijet 1200's for $48.00 a piece. I got two for that price online. LR around here is about $8.00 a pound unless you buy 100lbs or better than it is $5.00a lb. I suppose everything has to be imported here in the desert.

Mike

 

[Rsquared333]

good point we dont have much access to anything. would a sump replace the need for a canister filter?

 

[Rsquared333]

or would a canister filter replace the need for a sump?