thinking of getting a marine aquarium anyone got tips for me?

Question

i have a tropical aquarium at the moment ive had it around two years now and i would like to try and get a marine one going. Ihave been told that it is a lot of trouble getting it set up and keeping it right, can anyone help me please

Answer 1

SW tanks do require more monitoring than FW ones do, and the SW fish are less tolerant of fluxuations in their environment. They are built for a HUGE body of water (ocean) and so a change in the ocean isn't going to be all that major in the scheme of things (put a drop of poison in a lake, probably wouldn't affect much. Put a drop of poison in a cup of water, it's going to be a lot more concentrated and problematic)

You will need to be very diligent in your testing and maintenance. Read every book you can get your hands on and ask a lot of questions. SW is more expensive to maintain (testing supplies, salt mixes and certain vitamin supplements depending on what sort of SW tank you set up, etc.) The fish are also more costly, but very beautiful. Generally, I recommend figuring out which fish you want more than any other fish, research his needs and what can go with him and build the tank from the fish out so to speak.

You may also want to start with 'cheep' fish. A lot of people use Damsels as starter fish because they cost a few dollars apiece, so if they die during the cycling process, people tend not to freak out as much (sad, but true). Anyway, start with the inexpensive fish and take care of them. Once they've been in there for a few months and doing well and you've gotten the hang of how to do your water changes and such (you'll need buckets to mix the water and salt together before putting into the tank) then maybe look at adding another fish or two.

Patience is important. I've seen a lot of tanks wipe out because the people wanted all the fish RIGHT NOW. Add one or two (unless it's a school, then go ahead and do the school at the same time) and then wait several months, making sure your tank is remaining stable.

SW fish require more water to support them than most FW fish do. The general rule of thumb is two gallons for every inch (adult size) of SW fish. There are fish that need more room though. Large tanks are a must for SW (and yes, the larger, the easier, going back to the poison in a cup of water analogy)

Once it is fully established (probably six months after you add your last fish) it is likely to be just as easy to maintain as your FW (+ adding salt) just make sure you keep up on your testing so that if something starts to go wrong, you can fix it before it gets critical.

I would also recommend setting up a "hospital tank" which would be a place to put your new fish so you have a chance to observe them and make sure that they don't have parasites or anything, or, to put sick fish so you can treat it without doing your whole tank (particularly important if you want to have invertebrates [crabs, shrimp, snails-- things without back bones] Most medications cannot be used with invertebrates in the tank)

Good luck with your tank.

Answer 2

Read lots of books and get advice from someone who knows what they are doing, Marines are very hard to setup and maintain, and they are too expensive to get wrong. You can only have a few fish in a marine tank as there is not as much oxygen in the water for the fish, but again, the person in the shop can probabky advise you best on that depending on the tank you choos. Marine taks need daily maintenance especially in the beginning before it balnces itself and I would only have one or two fish to start with as the fish themselves are a lot more expensive. The thing to rmember is that it is completely different from a normal tropical tank and even if you are an expert in this, you will still need to know what you are doing to move to a marine setup. don't cut corners either, its worth doing properly. Its a lote easier now than it used to be, the days of lead poisoning and the likes are gone thankfully, but also note that marine fish are rare and expensive because it is virtually impossible to breed them, as even the best marine tank does not recreate their natural habitat enough for them to breed, so most of the fish that are available for sale have been imported, hence why they are so expensive and susceptible to ill health and shock, thats why you need to put hard work into looking after them. hope this helps, if you go ahead with it, hard work and care will result in a beautiful tank :)

Answer 3

generally and even more in saltwater, the smaller the aquarium the harder it is, as the water parameters will change daily in a small tank. 20 is in the intermediate level but can be done. Your going to want to get live sand and live rock around 1 pound per gallon, set up the HOB filter, heater, and then mix the saltwater. any mix plus water and use the hydrometer to measure the salinity, should be around 1.020-1.025 specific gravity or 33PPT Allow everything to run for 2-4 weeks until the tank is fully cycled and then you can add fish. Dont do corals until you upgrade the ligthing system and know alot about water chemistry and parameters like calcium etc.. For fish a pair of ocellaris clownfish will be fine, tangs will outgrow the 20 and need at least 75 gallons for most. Dwarf lionfish are not beginner fish, they can be touch to feed as well and they need at least 55 gallons.

Answer 4

First rule of thumb for SW tanks, the bigger the tank, the easier it is to maintain. Most will recommend nothing less than a 55 gallon, though it is possible with smaller tanks. A lot of people will say once it's up it's actually easier to maintain then a FW tank. They are pricey to start up though. I think once you know what you're doing, and know you're water parameter for the fish you have, it'll be a piece of cake. Here's a few links for forums, just search around the SW sections, and do a search for starting a SW tank. Good luck!

http://search.about.com/fullsearch.htm?terms=starting%20a%20salt%20water%20fish%20tank

http://www.aquariacentral.com/

http://www.aquariumboard.com/forums/home.php

http://www.fishforums.com/forum/

Answer 5

Be prepared to pull you hair out. NO really, I would go to a pet store that specializes in nothing but fish and start asking questions. Spend as much time talking with a store rep as possible.

Take Care

Answer 6

my suggestion is do your research on it like you are doing by asking question look on the internet at diffrent sites good luck!

Answer 7

Salt water tanks are a big commitment, and a hassle to upkeep.
Start with freshwater.