25 Gallon tank setup (newbie)

[Charlie.636]

Hi, new here! Really want to set up a reef tank for my son. He loves clown fish and small crabs and shrimp. I have a 25 gallon tank. Not sure what the heater and filter pump are. (It was given to me) I have hydrometer and few other accessories. Ill post a couple pictures of what I have. Any help would be much appreciated.

[Bectan01]

Have a good read on here about how to set up a saltwater tank and in particular how to cycle it. Best thing to do is plenty of research! will it just be fish only? Or corals? I would suggest fish only to start until you get the hang of things. As a rule saltwater is a little more time consuming and can be expensive so patience is the key. Not sure about that filter but I would say you will need a power head too for water movement. Invest in a good sw test kit and a refractometer for measuring salinity (hydrometers are in accurate) also research where you will get your water from, tap water is a no no I am afraid. You can buy ro-di water or make your own... A single clown will be fine with perhaps another small fish along with your shrimp and crabs... Any other questions just ask!

[Convict2161]

Your gonna want some live rock in there IMO to help with filtration and the cycle process.

http://www.aquaticcommunity.com/ma/s...eraquarium.php

http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterBeginners.htm

http://www.saltwater-aquarium-online...ner-guide.html

What are your plans with it?

[Charlie.636]

Thank you for the links! I am doing a lot of reading. I need a power head for current. I forgot to mention I'm going to use LR. What is your input on live sand?

Then introduce some coral and cleaners.

How can I make my own RO-DI water?

[Convict2161]

Originally Posted by Charlie.636

Thank you for the links! I am doing a lot of reading. I need a power head for current. I forgot to mention I'm going to use LR. What is your input on live sand?

Then introduce some coral and cleaners.

How can I make my own RO-DI water?

You don't "need" live sand. You can use regular sand or crushed coral. I used live sand because well... I wanted to lol and I liked the fact that there was no rinsing involved.

Not sure on how to make a RO/DI unit so I'm of no help there sorry...

[Charlie.636]

Yeah rinsing don't sound fun. Any advice on mixing the salt for a 25 gallon tank??

[Convict2161]

Originally Posted by Charlie.636

Yeah rinsing don't sound fun. Any advice on mixing the salt for a 25 gallon tank??

Get a cheap power head and heater. Mix in a 5 gallon bucket the desired amount for your water change. Check your pH, salinity and try and temp match the best ya can

[Charlie.636]

Thank you very much for your help.

The tank I have is a 24x14x12. Is that a 20g or 25g?

[Michaelbknudsen]

Originally Posted by Charlie.636

Thank you very much for your help.

The tank I have is a 24x14x12. Is that a 20g or 25g?

My tank is 30x12x12 and is 20g, so yours might be a bit less.