Want to know about saltwater aquariums

[fishfreak77]

I was wanting to know more about saltwater aquariums. I probably won't get into the hobby right away but when I get better at freshwater then I want a saltwater.

I just want to know the basics: feeding, salt, water, fish, and all that stuff.

I have a 29 gallon. I LOVE yellow tangs but I heard they can get ich easily?

I wanted to know how many fish and what types I could have in a 29 gallon. It's probably not a lot huh?

Also I would like to know how much it costs to set up a saltwater in a 29gal.

THANKS!

[flamingonhot]

Tangs definitely can't be kept in a 29 gallon. What you can keep is somewhat limited. Only a couple smallish fish can be kept.

For cost it depends on what type of tank your getting..fo, fowlr, semi-reef, or full blown reef. I really recommend starting out wiht the fowlr set-up.

Sorry about the lack of answers but it would help out a great deal if you said exactly what you want to know. What was already said is a little vague and I could type forever answering it.

[fishfreak77]

oh sorry about that! I would not want this big reef thing with a million live things in it. It will be hard enough to keep the fish alive!

Just a fish only..and what is live rock? how can a rock be alive? does it mean like a corral or a rock with plants? Sorry I sound so stupid.

What about clown fish? lol

[flamingonhot]

Clownfish can definitely be kept ina 29 gallon. I highly recommend false percula clownfish. A very good beginner fish with a big personality.

Live rock is called...wel live rock because it has a a lot of bacteria and critters on it. Critters can be anywhere from small starfish to shrimp. Once I even heard of some guy getting an eel with his lol. Highly unlikely it'll happen to anyone though lol. He bought it fro his lfs, they put it in the tank and forgot about it.
Mainly it's called live rock because of the bacteria though.

Sometimes live rock has "plants". Actually almost 99 percent of the plant like things in the ocean are actually algae. Mainly there are two types, one micro algae which are usually pests, and the other are macro algae. Macro meaning 'huge". Most macro is actually single celled. They usually look like little plants or have big feathery fronds. Even the 100 feet species of kelp are a type of algae.

[clownface]

research, do alot of reading get any books you can, and good luck and take it slow

[flamingonhot]

exactly.

Search on google and go to this and other forum's facts. I highly recommend the concientist marine aquarist or whatver it's called lol. Never read it but ive heard it really good.

Something to keep in mind is the amount of work and money you have to put into a sw tnak. Hours and hours of research, careful planning, spendiing hundreds of dollars evem om 5 gallons , and a whole lot more.

[TeenReefer]

I have a 29 gallon set up too, so I will try to answer as many of you questions as I can. 1st of all, give us some information about what kind of heater, filter, and lighting you have (wattage is usually on the back of the fixture, most likely a 24 inch 20 watt bulb). As for the saltwater, you can buy a bag for 50 gallons that runs about $20-$30, with mixing instruction on the back. There are a wide variety of feeds to choose from, but i would suggest really small pellets, that you may even have to crush to feed small fish. Then, for fish, i would suggest a clown or two for starters, since they are relativly hardy. Other choices may include damsels or chromis. I would stay away from damsels though because they tend to be very aggressive fish. Finally, for substrate, I would suggest getting live sand right away (about $20-$25 bucks a bag, and is basically sand from the ocean) rather than the cheaper crushed coral wich is like a fine gravel.

Just a fish only..and what is live rock?

To answer that question, live rock is rock from the ocean that has tons of bacteria and other organisms on it, as well as coraline algea and if your lucky, small corals. This is VERY expensive and it usually costs $6 - $10 a pound. I would suggest starting with a Fish Only tank, with a little live rock if possible, or dead coral rock (u can ask your pet store if the have this) .
You will also want to purchase a hydometer that check the salt level of your tank, which is very important. These are fairly cheap and come with instructions.
If you have a Hang on the back type power filter, that will work for a fish only tank with a little live rock. If you have any other questions, ask away because there is an enormous amount of knowledge to be found on this site! Good luck!

[fishfreak77]

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ok..I'm fine now...WOW that's expensive!!! maybe I should just stick with the freshwater until I have money!!!! Wow...I am still in shock 8O 8O

wow..i love saltwater tanks though SOOOOOOO much!!!! Someday though..someday I will have one with a yellow tang in it!!..I can hope!!

wow....

P.S. Thanks for ALL the info! It was GREAT!!!!!!

[TeenReefer]

Dont be too discourged, I am thinking you are a student or of younger age like myself. I acquired and bought all my stuff over a long period of time (3 years ). A freshwater set up can easily be converted into a saltwater set-up, as long as you tank the fish only approach. You can just purchase salt, hydometer, crushed coral gravel, and some rocks with the total comming in at around $50-$70. That is the simplest way to go, and is what my setup was for basically a year. Many people here say you need and elaborate setup (no offense) with a protien skimmer, and tons of live rock, which would be nice if the money was available. You can still enjoy the hobby even though you dont have the most expensive tank or setup. I would suggest sticking with freshwater for a while untill you get the hang of it, just educate yourself about saltwater more. I would suggest picking up several good books from the library or book store, or joing forums like this one.

[theatrus]

Originally Posted by fishfreak77

ok..I'm fine now...WOW that's expensive!!! maybe I should just stick with the freshwater until I have money!!!! Wow...I am still in shock 8O 8O

wow..i love saltwater tanks though SOOOOOOO much!!!! Someday though..someday I will have one with a yellow tang in it!!..I can hope!!

wow....

P.S. Thanks for ALL the info! It was GREAT!!!!!!

Maybe I should have too.

But my 2x250W MH retrofit looks great, and at the lowlow price of $400 :-/

[Alvarez]

Do you have to have the live rock? Can you have just live sand? A HOB filter works good but if you want messy fish such as puffers you will need a protein skimmer.

SW fish also need water movement don't they? Don't you need something to create a fauz current?

I will be starting a SW tank soon and need info on getting it started... I was told roughly it tanks a month after you have the tank setup before you can add starter fish also.... And patience is key to a SW tank.

Please keep the information coming... I am learning

[Alvarez]

Also what is a serpent shark? I see that in some peoples signatures but when I googled it I found mostly loch ness fantasy stuff.

[Alvarez]

anybody?