HELP! Don't Know WHERE To Start

[JChamberlain]

Hi everyone ... what a GREAT forum for newbies like me!

My boyfriend and I are taking the plunge with our first fish tank and are VERY excited! We would like saltwater fish (simply because they are so beautiful!) and my only stipulation is I would LOVE a clown fish.

We are looking at the BiOrb 30ltr aquarium (as we dont want something to big with lots os maintenance) but I literally have no idea where to start.

Have people bought second hand tanks or would you recommend buying new?

Would a 30ltr BiOrb aqaurium be good for saltwater fish?
How many?
Breeds/Types?

What else do I need to go with the tank?

Do's and Dont's?

I am a COMPLETE beginner so would appreciate any advice at all!!

Thanks

 

[denwhite16]

People buy used tanks all the time. Craigslist is a good place to look.

As far as size, the bigger the tank, the easier it is to maintain.

Don't use tap water! I made this mistake! Use RO/DI water...either from your lfs, or get your own unit on ebay.

 

[Rosenweiss]

Um...30 ltr is less than 8 US gallons. You could house one Saltwater fish in there. Maybe.

Edit: Depends on the type, though, I don't know if there are a smaller species that you could do a pair with.

 

[carey]

I've purchased 6 of my 8 tanks from CL and only had one loser of a deal.

I also say the bigger the better. SW can be forgiving on larger tanks but when you have a small one every slightest error can be a tragedy.

 

[JChamberlain]

Thanks so much .... so what do you think would be a minimum size tank for 2 saltwater fish? 60ltr??

Thanks

 

[Rosenweiss]

What kinds of fish do you want? =] It all depends on that.

 

[Flake]

I think a 20g long or a 30 would give you some great space to work with. (75 to 113 litres? I stink at metric) Room for a pair of clowns and a a bigger size to make your life really easy.

What about an all in one tank like a biocube? The 29 would be amazing.

 

[carey]

I like the BioCube idea too. Its a simple way to learn SW in my opinion. A 20 or 30 gallon would give you some fish leeway too.

 

[joy13]

The biorb might not be the best choice since the shape will make keeping the glass clear difficult. An AIO is a pretty easy set up for a couple of fish and the larger the better.

Learn about cycling the tank.

Most important equipment for SW is a refractometer and test kits. Something worth looking into is an ATO (auto top off) especially in a smaller tank since it will keep the tank more stable.

The single most important thing is to go slow and enjoy the cycling process also take the time to research during this slow time.