Hiya everyone! I'm Namirah and I know next to nothing about saltwater, except the names of a few species. I have kept freshwater for a few years now but I would like to try saltwater. What is the minimum tank size for a saltwater aquarium with fish and corals? And what are the basic things that I would need? Sorry for being ao uneducated about the topic but I'd love to dive in and learn about saltwater!
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Good evening! There are 2 schools of thought when weighing the options for the size of SW tanks. To answer your question, minimum size to house fish and corals is a 10 gallon! You will be very limited on your fish options but this is one of the cheapest setups you will find. The two schools of thought are:
A) the smaller tank is better because it's cheaper, which is great for a beginner to avoid spending thousands on a hobby you might not be as interested in as you had hoped. The downside here is, if you make a mistake, it is amplified tenfold in a small aquarium. Because the volume of the tank, one little mistake or fluctuation of water quality could be extremely harmful or deadly to your fish and especially your corals.
B) The pros and cons of the larger tanks is just the opposite of the smaller tanks. The margin for error is greater BUT you will be shelling out for your supplies and equipment.
You asked "what are the basic things I will need?" The VERY FIRST thing is knowledge! You'll want to be best of buds with your saltwater experts at your lfs (if they're truly knowledgeable). The Internet has thousands of articles and we are always more than happy to help here at Aquarium Advice
After that, you'll need of course, a tank. Stand, canopy if you want one, cleaning supplies separate from those you use for your freshwater tanks. The tank size that you choose will dictate what filtration system you will need. Learn which corals you love first and purchase a lighting system adequate enough to house these corals you will be wanting.
To be honest, as a first time SW owner. The biocube 29 is a fantastic setup. These are higher end packages but they are worth the money, offering beautiful rounded edges with adequate lighting and built-in filtration. You can watch for sales at your lfs or check your online garage sales/Craigslist since they are a very common setup.
Please feel free to post anymore questions you may have and be sure to keep us updated on your journey to your first SW setup!
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