I want a fish tank with salt water fish really bad!
What are some important things i should know. How much does it cost? What size tank do I need? Please Help!
2007-02-28 08:17:51 · 7 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Fish
Well, first thing first, you need to do a lot of research on what it is you want in your tank. Do you want a FOWLR or do you want a reef tank or corals? FOWLR means Fish Only With Live Rock. i currently have a FOWLR with 1 volital lionfish, 2 true percula clownfish and 1 large Hermit crab in a 55gal tank. You're probably going to want a community tank with cute colorful fish. One myth is to start small and work your way up. That is totally wrong. It's not that simple. you want to start off with the largest tank that you can afford. The larger the tank the easier it is to take care of it. Think of it this way. You have a shot glass and you have a large stock pot. Fill them up with water and then drop 1 drop of food coloring in it. Whis will be mostly affected? The smaller container. Then you need to get filtration. Protein skimmers and live rock will do that for you. You see all of these saltwater tanks with tons of rocks in them, yes they look, good, but they also keep your tank clean. You need 1-1.25 pound of rock per gallon of water in your tank. Then you need lighting depending on what type of tank you are setting up. Stronger lighting for defferent types of specimen living in your tank. Power heads are also needed for water flow. Then you need salt, a hydrometer to measure the salt, a test kit for chemicals, then your fish. Your system needs to cycle for several weeks before adding any fish though. It is a lot of work to set one up, mostly research. But much more rewarding and easier when all said and done. You can e-mail me if you have any further questions at jdecorse25@yahoo.com
2007-02-28 08:29:27 · answer #1 · answered by jdecorse25 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Starting and maintaining a reef aquarium is not as difficult as you may think. Sure, there is some basic information you should learn, if you desire to have a successful reef. Not knowing this information is a recipe for disaster when it comes to starting your aquarium.
A beautiful reef tank is a labor of love that takes time, money, and effort. Your reef can become the center piece of any room it resides in. Visitors and family will examine it and watch it for hours. I know I spend a lot of my relaxing time just watching my reef.
So you want to set up your first Reef aquarium. Great! Basic reef aquarium requirements are not that difficult. Here are some things to consider before you go out and start buying anything.
How much room do you have for your aquarium? You need to plan where the tank is going to fit into your decor.
How much time are you willing to spend looking after your aquarium? As a general rule, the bigger the tank, the more time you will need to look after it.
What is your budget for your Reef? Obviously, the bigger the tank, the more it will cost.
Proper research will be a major factor in the success of your Reef Aquarium. The more knowledge you gain now, the better chance for success you will have later on down the road.
2007-02-28 23:04:07 · answer #2 · answered by John F 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
All I can say is they are beautiful tanks, but they are VERY, VERY expensive to start and the fish are not cheap at all...The water has to be monitored daily for a healthy tank and the tanks are not easy to move if you do.
I had a 55 gallon and a wrass, a lion fish, a clown fish, some turbo snails, a puffer, and a trigger fish...everyday I was checking the water, every five to seven days I was doing a 1/4 tank water change to maintain the salinity, and once a month I was vacuuming the tank and checking my filters...like I said, it was beautiful, but time-consuming and expensive (especially on a college kid budget!!)
Good luck if you do go forward with it!
2007-02-28 09:21:29 · answer #3 · answered by jascott20006 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
buy some distilled water,put your salt,and then let it sit for 24hrs. then warm your tank if you haven;t already let it warm then put your fish. Cause if you dont, all your fish will just die. plus i dont know how big your tank is,so maybe you might want too call a fish store,to see how much salt exactly to put.
2007-02-28 08:28:38 · answer #4 · answered by robert s 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with Marc C
http://saltaquarium.about.com/
Tons of information for the beginner and advanced.
2007-02-28 11:00:51 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Here is a good site that tells you what you need and why and how much it all should cost. Good luck and have fun!
2007-02-28 08:32:01 · answer #6 · answered by Venice Girl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/startinganaquarium/How_to_Start_a_Saltwater_Aquarium.htm
2007-02-28 08:26:42 · answer #7 · answered by Marc C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋