How to set up a saltwater aquarium?

Question

I want to know how to set up a good saltwater aquarium. I need a realy, really, really good website to be sure. I also wonder, I have a tank that I used for freshwater can I clean it really good and make it into a saltwater tank. I would also like to know which are the best saltwater fish that are compatible with each other.

Answer 1

here you go...

Answer 2

The following sites are good wetwebmedia.com, reefs.org, atlanta-smas.org. Be careful of the forums,saltwater tanks aren't like fresh water in the sense that no one way is right, what works for some might not work for others, it is quite litterally a science. Make sure you really research it because I have learned that a lot of people in fish stores aren't really educated in saltwater tanks so it pays to know it before you go.

Answer 3

I agree with magicman here - there's too much info to get from any website! Some books I'd recommend are "The New Marine Aquarium" – Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1 and/or "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" – Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5. Both are also recommended by http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterBeginners.htm.

You can look up fish profiles on the fishlore site or http://www.marinedepotlive.com/fish.html (commercial site).

Answer 4

Guti, I would really suggest you go out and buy a good saltwater book or two. Check Amazon for offerings as well as your local bookstore and pet store. Websites can be a great source of information, but in reality for a major undertaking mike this, nothing beats a few good books on the subject as your main source of information. Then you will be armed with enough info to tell the good sites from the bad one's on the web.

Best of luck with the salt tank!

Answer 5

wetwebmedia.com is a good reference for most info about aquariums and setting up new tanks. You can also ask questions via email. Read as much as you can about all the steps required before making any decisions. Good luck.

Answer 6

do alot of reasearch before you take large steps... stick with what you can afford and research EVERY purchase...

and here are some links for reading many hours of info and help..

http://www.reefcentral.com
(check the forums for the clubs there might be one near you.. it helps to have local friends
http://www.reefs.org
top notch info and a great "what is it" section

and by all means enjoy yourself.. reefs are great.. i love my 180 gallon reef
oh and the last bit of info.. look into some sort of power backup for your reef if you have power problems... salt water doesnt like changes to much

Answer 7

Yes, you can use your fresh water tank for salt water. Just be sure to clean it properly. They have a new chemical out called aquaclean. It is a cleaner made for cleaning tanks of all kinds.

As far as fish, you should decide that before you set up your tank. Ocean fish are different and require different feeding methods than fresh water. Tangs are plant eaters, while puffers are meat eaters. There is a number of combinations for your salt water, and even meat eaters and plant eaters can live happily together. You have to decide a few things, do you want to have a LIVE tank meaning, a living reef? or nanoreef? You can have a salt tank without live rock or corals. It is a matter of preference, as well as fish choice. Some fish such as the dogface puffer may start taking chunks off your rocks and coral to keep their teeth filed down. how about invertabreas?
Depending on the size of the tank you choose will eliminate certain fish. Lighting, heating etc are many things to consider when dealing with Fish choice.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Saltwater-Aquarium-Maintenance&id=72855
http://saltaquarium.about.com/cs/bcorsettingup/a/blqachklist_2.htm

You can get away with a 30 gallon. I have fish in one of mine. If you search the want ads and papers, you can probably pick up a 30 with hood, tank and stand for around $100 or less. I actually find them left at the side of the road on garbage day. People who thought they wanted a tank buy it then toss it. My gain. (last one I picked up, a 150 gal w/stand and lights and filter. Don't want to get your hopes up. Right now, walmart of all places has a 55 gallon tank with hood and filter for $99.00 Stand is $69.00 Just what you need.

Patience is the key to a salt water tank. The whisper filter that comes with the tank at walmart is fine for the size. (Until you get the fish bug, it will do its job.) Now before you begin, find a local reputable pet store, Not necessarily PETCO or PETSMART. These are too commercial, won't deal and the 16 year olds that work there don't care. A local small shop that relies on good information and good fish keeping to stay in business. They will help you more than you could imagine.

First you must choose where you are going to put your tank. You want to steer clear of windows and heat registers or it could cause a problem in the future. Be sure you have a powersource close. Word of advie, salt water has a habit of "eating paint". Walls behind your salt water tank should also be part of your cleaning ritule (I have large mirrors to protect my walls from salt residue, it also reflects the corals back into the tank making it seem bigger than it is). With that said, we start the process.

If you choose to go with a 30 gallon tank, I would highly recomend an under gravel filter. These can be purchased for a 30 gallon for $10-$15. They aren't needed, but in a smaller tank, makes clean up a breeze.

You are going to have to decide what you want in your tank. Clowns (nemo's) are great social fish. If at all possiable, get one male and two females. You will have to purchase a few items for your salt water.
Red Sea Salt $15 (You can go with instant ocean, an artificial salt, which is less expensive, and works for what it is needed to)
Which bottom would you wish? Crushed coral/dolamite or live sand. Clowns do not need sand I would recomend dolamite. It is much easier to clean.
An aquarium gravel syphon (gravity fed) depending on size from $5.99 $9.99.
Heater for the size of your tank. These can run from $9.00 for a 30 gallon and up
Chemical Test kit for Salt water This will range with what you get. Choose a better test kit.
Hydrometer for a beginner, I would suggest a level set rather than a floating. $3.99
A clean 5 gallon bucket actually two, used only or your salt tank. $2.99 at Home Depot
Novaqua + (water conditioner) $5.49
If you are using dolamite, you will need to rinse the dolomite (I use a strainer) to remove debris. Clean your tank with clean fresh water and a soft cloth.

Piece of advice, before you fill your tank, put your filter on the rear of the tank and adjust the distance from the wall. Be sure you leave enough room to move the filter or add pieces as your experience grows with your tank.

I do not sugest using a hose to fill your tank. Most hoses are not for drinking water and contain chemical residues. If you must, use a water drinking hose which can be found in the RV section of Walmart. Using a hose for a salt water tank will be rough since you need to disolve salt into it.

I prefer to use a 5 gallon bucket since the salt measuring is more accurate.

Once your dolamite/sand is rinsed (mind you don't rinse live sand) if you have an undergravel filter, now is the time to put it in. Pour your dolamite over the undergravel filter Don't worry about making it even or sloped since your water isn't in yet. Begin disolving salt into your 5 gallon buckets of water. Add your novaqua +. Check your salt levels Using a hydrometer Your goal is a specific gravity between 1.020 and 1.023. Fill your tank with the saltwater, leaving about an inch at the top. Start the filter system. Add the heater and thermometer. Most marine fish do best between 75 and 80 degrees. Let everything run for at least 72 hours and get the temperature settings right and the water moving. Cycle the aquarium. A just-set-up fish tank lacks the bacteria that it needs to form a steady biological cycle. After two weeks to help cycle your tank faster, buy a black mollie $.99. (Yes they live in salt water) Mollies will help cycle the water quickly plus gives you something to look at besides an empty tank. After about 6 weeks, if your water is testing within the right ranges, purchase a damsel. $3.99-$4.99. After another week if he is still doing fine and the water is testing out, go buy your clowns. They will run you around $12.99-15.99 depending on where you buy them. (This is where your pal at the smaller shop comes in. They will work deals with you, especiallyif you take fish when they come in. I purchased my snowflake eel for $19.00, my dog faced puffer for $22.00, and my Hawaiian Trigger for $25.00. If you aren't into the "Fancy fish" don't worry. There are many fish that are not expensive. Also, steer clear of sea horses. Not only are most endangered, their requirements and life span in an aquarium is only around 2 years. Reputable dealers will not sell sea horses. (They are for money making only) If you can find a sea squirt, get him.

When ever you can, when you visit the ocean, bring home a gallon or two of sea water. Rarely will you bring home parasites, mostly you will be suprised at what is in the water you don't see. It will also recharge your tank.

I know this isn't every last detail but I am tired of typing.

If and when you become a serious aquarist

Add your fish when the chemical levels are all okay and the tank temperature is within suggested limits.

Buy a powerhead. In saltwater aquariums, water movement is an absolute must. Be careful not to get one so big that it causes a whirlpool effect.

Later Get a protein skimmer, which is a necessity for marine tanks. This removes organic debris from the water before it has time to convert to nitrates.

In short: You DON"T need a protein skimmer, you DON"T need two heaters, you DON'T need special lighting if you don't have coral, you DON"T need a 50-100 gallon tank a 30 is the smallest you should go, but I have friends with smaller that do just fine, you DON"T need live sand, or Live rock to have a salt water tank. Your sand if you so choose to use it, you do not want to go deeper than 1.5 inches. 1 toward the front and 1.5 towards the rear. I just hate when people give advice on things they don't know.

Also, a protein skimmer is a protein skimmer is a protein skimmer. Doesn't matter what you pay. They are even inexpensive to put together. No expensive lights are necessary, however know the lighting requirements for any corals or anemone's your may get.

Good luck and you can IM me if you have any other questions.