Need help quickly! Setting up new tank

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The reason I was asking is because when I put the maxijet 1200 in my 55 gallon fresh tank it was blowing sand everywhere..... Good to know I will still be able to use it

Yeah it can happen. Play with adjusting the angle of the PH. You'll find the sweet spot
 
How big is the tank? Doesn't quite look big enough for tangs from your pics. Clownfish although they are really common, they are a great fish, very entertaining. The size of the tank will determine who/what you can keep in there. For instance I have 7 small fish in a 55g. Check out liveaquaria.com for suggested fish sizes and compatibility. What type of lighting do you have? That will determine the types of corals you can keep. I would suggest start slow, with fish only. Give it time for the tank to settle in and for you to get used to the maintenance, some people suggest waiting about 6months before adding corals and you will need to start testing our water for a few extra things when you do. Got any powerheads for movement? Thinking about a skimmer in that sump?

Bectan, I've got to do what I can to try to keep the wife happy with my fairly new hobby lol..... She said she wants a puffer fish..... Is there a puffer fish that's small enough to put in a 29 gallon tank?!?!
 
No, not really. The valentini is the smallest I believe. I have a similar puffer fish and they like loads of room to swim and are heavy on the bio load, you should see the amount off poo this guy has!
 
Sorry no advice on the salt, I buy my saltwater premixed from my LFS. The box fish is considered expert only and require massive tanks as they grow to be huge. They also are toxic and if stressed or dies releases a poison that can wipe out our tank! Very awesome fish tho, if I had a 200g would be the first thing I bought ;)
 
Most marine aquarium salts work fine. Instant Ocean is used by many and cheaper than some other brands. Some have marine salt and reef salt. Reef salt has more additives that corals need, but the other is fine for fish only tanks.
 
I buy my salt water pre mixed from my lfs also. Reef crystals has all the trace elements in it so that's what I would use if I was mixing my own water.
 
I was going to get my water from my LFS..... However it's not very local haha, it's 45 minutes away! I did find out the groceries store right around the corner sells RO/DI water.... So I think it's my better option
 
Understandable. I found it cheaper for two reasons: 1) it's my own water so it's penny's on the dollar. 2) I'd go into my lfs for water and leave with coral ;)
 
ff.rice said:
Haha... I hear that..... Eventually I can pull it off, just not right now

You can go a long time on store bought RO water with a 29 gallon tank. If it was a larger tank it would be a lot more trouble hauling all that water. I'd wait on the RO filter until you're really certain that saltwater tanks are going to be a part of your life.

For a regular fish tank Instant Ocean is perfect for salt. Even for a reef it's very popular. Just keep in mind that the fish you've been mentioning are 100% NOT reef or invertebrate safe. Puffers and box fish are large expert level predators. Starting off with clowns, gobies, certain small wrasses and similar reef safe fish will be far easier and cheaper than messy predators that eat corals, shrimp and small fish.
 
You can go a long time on store bought RO water with a 29 gallon tank. If it was a larger tank it would be a lot more trouble hauling all that water. I'd wait on the RO filter until you're really certain that saltwater tanks are going to be a part of your life.

For a regular fish tank Instant Ocean is perfect for salt. Even for a reef it's very popular. Just keep in mind that the fish you've been mentioning are 100% NOT reef or invertebrate safe. Puffers and box fish are large expert level predators. Starting off with clowns, gobies, certain small wrasses and similar reef safe fish will be far easier and cheaper than messy predators that eat corals, shrimp and small fish.

Thanx CorallineAlgae.... What are some good fish to start out with that wouldn't get too big for my 30 gallon tank? I like the ones you mentioned..... Are they all compatible with each other?
 
Would it be beneficial to put some of my bio balls in the canister filter of my freshwater tank just to get some good bacteria on them? I can put them in the canister filter and let them get some good stuff and then put them in my sump tank after a week or two?!?!
 
The only thing that putting bio balls from a freshwater filter into a saltwater tank will do is kill the bacteria on the bio balls. Saltwater reef tanks need different sand, rocks, light, water flow, and filter media and equipment than most freshwater tanks. I don't actually recommend using bio balls in a reef tank. If you want a fish only saltwater tank bio balls may be useful.

The TDS meter mentioned above is a great idea. They're cheap and really do tell you how pure the water is whether you have your own RO/DI filter or buy water from a store.

Again, if you're just starting out, reading a book on saltwater tanks is a great way to get some basic information about what it takes to care for your new tank.
 
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