[new salt]

Hi all

We're new to the salt water end of aquariums and had a question does anybody have any recommendations for tank size and set-up for a tank . My 13 year old son would appreciate all input that we could get as he is the one really interested in setting up a salt(reef) tank and I would also like the advise of some exp. ppl


New salt


P.s were reading but would like some advice from others

[Sueet]

Wow, that's a toughie! There are some factors you need to answer questions to before you make any decisions. Like, how big of a tank do you have space for? How much money do you have to spend? Do you want reef (with corals, etc.) or just fish with live rock?

I have to be honest... if it was my son wanting to get into something like this, being as I now know how expensive salt-water tanks can be... I would advise fish only with live rock (FOWLR), a small-ish tank (50 gallons or less)... but .. that's only because I know MY son would lose interest in less than six months

With salt, it seems like the best overall answer is ... The biggest you can afford! But bear in mind that the tank is probably the cheapest part of the setup! (you will also need lighting, mechanical filtration, skimmer, live rock(optional, but serves as a phenomenal biological filter), substrate (optional, sometimes a form of filtration, sometimes for looks only), salt and various other additives (salt is necessary, most other additives are not), filtered water, or a water filtration device, ... I suppose I could go on all day listing the things you COULD get... should is a matter of preference and necessity based upon the intended livestock. ..... And that can be a huge investment too, the animals themselves. One little tip... Don't buy damsels unless you absolutely want cheap, and have no intentions of adding other fishes... They're just MEAN lil buggers!

[new salt]

Well


hes been telling us he wants to be a marine bioligist since he was 5 and has already saved over $100 towards the purchase of the aquarium in about a month hes paying 1/2 the cost. dads just contributing to the purchase and to size and type hes wanting to start a reef with corals lr and fish so were looking at about $550 we've been told by the local pet shop (they carry pretty much aquariums only) for a 29 gallon but hes talking a 55 to 75 gallon tank.

[saltjunkie]

get a drilled 65 gallon tank... a sump(wet/dry) with a built in skimmer....

do a fish only with live rock

"FOWLR"
you wont have to invest in a bunch of lights.... get a few power heads in the tank....
and, it will go againstt ci=onvention.. but crushed coral that you can vacum when you do your water change.... this will be a a pretty simple tank to maintain and up keep...
the 65 is a larger volume tank.. but has a small footprint
36x18

get you 4 or 5 nice fish..
read: not large, but nice.....
good luck..................

[Sueet]

Originally Posted by new salt

Well


hes been telling us he wants to be a marine bioligist since he was 5 and has already saved over $100 towards the purchase of the aquarium in about a month hes paying 1/2 the cost. dads just contributing to the purchase and to size and type hes wanting to start a reef with corals lr and fish so were looking at about $550 we've been told by the local pet shop (they carry pretty much aquariums only) for a 29 gallon but hes talking a 55 to 75 gallon tank.

Yikes, $550 for a 29gal setup? That's a bit outrageous if you ask me... You need to check into finding a local forum, maybe get some used equipment, and find someone local who can help too if needed... Did that 'quote' include a skimmer? If so, what kind? Filter? If so, what kind? If I were you, I would take everything that lfs (local fish store) says with a hearty dose of salt, because unfortunately the majority of them are looking to make money, and nowhere near as knowledgeable as they SHOULD be considering what they do.

[saltjunkie]

Originally Posted by Sueet

Yikes, $550 for a 29gal setup? That's a bit outrageous if you ask me... You need to check into finding a local forum, maybe get some used equipment, and find someone local who can help too if needed... Did that 'quote' include a skimmer? If so, what kind? Filter? If so, what kind? If I were you, I would take everything that lfs (local fish store) says with a hearty dose of salt, because unfortunately the majority of them are looking to make money, and nowhere near as knowledgeable as they SHOULD be considering what they do.

and mostly just highschool kids working to pay for their car......... selling whatever is on the shelf....

[new salt]

We're going back down to the lfs in the morning and I will be sure to find out what make everything is. I do know that price is for tank skimmer coral sand coralight and stand Aquarium is allready set-up and cycled in the store the only thing we're supposed to have to do is buy the livestock . And the man who owns the store opened about 3 months ago becuase he was tired of having to go long distances to purchase his supply for his tanks as we had no salt lfs in the area and has been highly reccomended buy several locals.

[new salt]

no sump or ref though

[Sueet]

Originally Posted by new salt

Aquarium is allready set-up and cycled in the store the only thing we're supposed to have to do is buy the livestock ..

Hmm.... Did this 'nice' man also tell you how you're going to manage to transport this 'already set up and cycled' system? Did he tell you what a pain in the behind it is to transport 5 or six buckets of water? I suppose if you're in that much of a rush..... but I would strongly recommend against it, there is alot of patience needed to be successful in this hobby, and .. well..... he might as well learn it from the beginning? At least that is how I would do things, not trying to tell you how to do anything.

Saltjunkie's recommendation sounds like a good plan to me... You could even keep some low-light corals in a tank with regular (no) lighting (mushrooms, certain leathers, etc.) ... Depending of course on which fish you end up choosing.

[Sueet]

I couldn't sleep so I did a search, and found this site :
http://www.lmas.org/

thought maybe it might help.

[Reefland]

Goodness gracious; recommending the Louisville Marine Aquarium Society over Reefland, who is in Kentucky? Just kidding of course.

Really, the first and most important aspect of this you will want to learn (and your son) is patience. This is a perfect time to teach this discipline as you hav enot yet purchased anything and have the perfect opportunity to research each and every aspect of the hobby before making any purchases.

A couple of questions to ask yourself:
What kind of tank? FO, FOWLR, Reef, SPS/Clams? (Knowing this will answer some equipment questions).
What kind of budget? $500, $1000, $unlimited? (Knowing this will help decide the above).
What is the purpose? Education? House Center Piece? (Knowing this will help decide on the kind and budget).

Whatever you do, do not run out and purchase this "pre-cycled" 29 gal aquarium. The equipment may not be optimum nor the tank size. If you decide on a mixed reef or SPS reef, the tank dimensions are not good. Something with 18" or greater depth would be better; in fact for any marine aquarium 18" or greater is better. You should definitely use a sump on any tank and that means getting one drilled, which is much better than a HOT overflow. There are so many options and you should try to narrow down the above questions before moving forward.

[Sueet]

Originally Posted by Reefland

Goodness gracious; recommending the Louisville Marine Aquarium Society over Reefland, who is in Kentucky? Just kidding of course.

LOL..... uh, sorry, I didn't know that you were in KY for starters..... and even so, I figured they obviously know about this site

Oh..... and I wouldn't recommend ANY site OVER this one, except possibly to local MI reefers, and then only cuz local is better for buying used stuff. Can't beat (most of) the people here

[Reefland]

Well I didn't mean Reefland the site, I meant me, Reefland. Just thought it was a nice way to start my post.

[Sueet]

Originally Posted by Reefland

Well I didn't mean Reefland the site, I meant me, Reefland. Just thought it was a nice way to start my post.

lol Oh.

So are you gonna sell them an old setup you have in the basement or what? lol j/k

[Reefland]

We had a hard enough time getting together all of the equipment we needed for our reef! I'd be happy to mentor and give guidance though.

[Samper]

Here are a few things that I've learned and wish I would have researched a little better, if at all before I literally threw away quite a bit of money. I have learned a lot and the only regrets I have are that some of my little buddies have suffered because of my lack of knowledge. Here is a list off the top of my head that may help you out. It is in no particular order.......

1. Research everything. EVERYTHING!
2. Crushed Coral is bad as is the Under gravel Filter. There are advantages to having a deep sand bed and advantages to having bare bottom. I personally will never have a sand bed unless it's in a refugium where I can change the sand out easily if it fails. I prefer the bare bottom with as much flow as I can afford.
3. The more flow you can have the better.
4. Test your water very regularly for the first couple of months until you get a feel for it and what's goin on. I haven't been in the hobby a year and I test every saturday.
5. Depending on what your going to keep your lighting is very important.
6. Some things you will just have to learn on your own through trial and error. Every system is different and setting it up right the first time will save you some stress.
7. When fiddling with the system wear gloves.
8. This is an expensive hobby, especially at the start. Figure out your budget and the space you have to deal with. A lot of times quality equipment is the key. Not always.
9. Always make sure your LR is cured before putting it into the main.
10. Don't trust your lfs until you determine what they're all about, trust your own knowledge to determine if they are telling you the truth and not just trying to make a buck. Researching will also help you to determine if what your looking at is healthy, happy etc. Find out about your lfs, what their setup is, what lighting they use, what their water params are, and where they get their livestock from if possible.
11. If you're going to be keeping corals you will definately need a quality protein skimmer.....something I'm learning about at the moment.
12. The more water in your system the easier it is to maintain water params.
13. Wages Pickling lime.......very cheap compared to Kalkwasser, little less refined but does the job of keeping Ca and Alk levels where you want them.
14. Have patience.

I could go on and on and on and I know I missed a ton of info, also jumped around everywhere but I hope this small bit of advice helps you, it truly is a rewarding way of life.

[new salt]

thanks for all the advice we think we're gonna wait till october or november to start the tank that way we have plenty of time to study up and look at doing some of it as diy projects

[saltjunkie]

Originally Posted by Sueet

lol Oh.

So are you gonna sell them an old setup you have in the basement or what? lol j/k

dang, i hope not..... cause i have that stuff........

[saltjunkie]

Originally Posted by new salt

thanks for all the advice we think we're gonna wait till october or november to start the tank that way we have plenty of time to study up and look at doing some of it as diy projects

if you are going to start at that date with those ideas as far as DIY....

starting now would be a great thing!!!!!!

Determine the size tank you want......

DIY:
stand and canopy
sump/refuge
lighting system.


at the same time .. you can be studying and gathering up stuff....

dry sand if you so choose
equipment, a lil at a time...
pumps protien skimmer
powerhead
etc...

then all at the same time you will have been researching and learning,


so when November arrives, you will be ready to get started with a hand up.

when you go online, or into the fish stores, you will be armed with knowledge, and that will be your best asset in this hobby!

[new salt]

yeah we're looking at starting to gather stuff with an eye toward setting up the tank in november is american systems a good product does anybody know