beginner salt water fish owner, any tips?

Answer 1

I just answered another question on the same topic earlier. Glad to see more people giving a saltwater tank a try. There's really a lot of info to cover on this subject, so I'll just hit some of the main points and give you some links where you can get more information.

Everything you get should be based on the fish you want to keep, so that's a good starting point. There so many kinds you can choose from! Three things you need to consider early - adult size of the fish, temperment, and activity level. Obviously, the bigger the fish ,the bigger the tank you'll need. Some fish don't get that big, but they're active swimmers and need a lot of space to swim (fast!). And saltwater fish aren't as peaceful as most of the freshwater types (not that there aren't some), but many are territorial and will be aggressive to any fish that invades their "space". You can reduce some aggression by your choices for fish. Try to avoid getting different fish from the same family, of the same color, or that have the same body shape. The less fish look alike, the less the chance that one fish will consider another a "rival".

Saltwater fish are also less tolerant of poor water quality, so the larger the tank, the more water to spread out any wastes, so water quality and temperature are more stable. A 30 gallon tank is usually the smallest you'll see recommended for a beginner, and even larger is better, but the larger you go, the more expensive it will be.

Another thing for you to think about is if you want to try keeping animals other than fish (snails, shrimp, anemones, corals, crabs, seastars, etc.). Some fish aren't considered "reef safe", meaning they'll eat these. If you plan to keep any of the corals, anemones, or clams (not a good idea at the start, but you may want to try them in the future), you'll need special lighting that's more intense than the usual aquarium hood. Look into compact fluorescent or metal halides.

Once you have an idea what animals you intend to keep, you can start figuring out the size tank you'll need. Your tank size will determine things like the size of your filter (and maybe the type - wet/dry and cannister types are the best, but if your tank is small, you might just need a hang-on type). A protein skimmer is highly recommended, but not absolutly required for fish. You should use one for a reef tank, as they'll help with water quality. I'd also include a few powerheads to maintain good water movement throughout the tank so stuff gets picked up by your filter/skimmer.

Live rock can also be a part of your filtration. The "live" refers to bacteria that break down the waste and convert it from toxic products to non-toxic ones. You usually get a lot of other cool organisms on it, too. You can get some cheaper dry reef rock to use as the base, then put better quality live rock on top to cut your costs - you can stack it into caves so your fish have places to hide, which is a more natural environment to them. Don't bother with live sand if you use live rock. Get an aragonite shell material to use as your substrate - this will help keep your pH raised.

You should also plan on a heater or two unless you can keep the water temperature a consistent 76-80o with room temperature. If you're keeping a reef tank and the temperature will go over 85o frequently, you'll need to invest in a chiller to keep corals, anemones, and clams alive. For fish-only, it's not as critical.

A hydrometer (to mix saltwater to the correct salinity) and water test kit (you want to be able to test for pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate at the very minimum) are a must.

Get a good book on the subject. I highly recommend either of these: The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1 or The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5 There are several books by Julian Sprung as well. These will always be availble to you for future questions.

Here are some websites you can look at for additional advice on equipment, fish, and saltwater aquariums in general:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/
http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cls=16
http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterBeginners.htm

Lots of info, and your head may be spinning, but that's why it's better to research now than after you get a tank and fish - you'll find that the more you know and plan in advance, the fewer problems you'll have in the long run.

Good luck, and welcome to the saltwater hobby!

Answer 2

Let the tank establish itself. Get it up and running for at least 2 weeks before adding any fish. A larger tank is always easier to maintain plus it's easier to add fish considering how big the fish is and how many gallons of water you have. Don't keep it by windows/doors for sunlight (algae creater) and because of drafts. Make sure the salinity is correct for your fish. Pet stores have testers. Start with small heartier fish, if memory serves me correct, Damsels are a good starter fish. Don't start with crazy expensive fish until your tank is established. You need fish in the tank to have a fully established environment. There are certain chemicals that aide in the establishing of the enviornment too. Salt water fish are easier to take care of then fresh water or brackish water fish. In my opinion anyway. It's all about upkeep of the tank and your fish and cleaner crabs etc. Good luck :)

Answer 3

Start out with inexpensive fish like damsels. That way if they die your not out a lot of money. Try to keep the tank away from sunlight or your tank will be covered in algae before you know it.

If saltwater fish are too difficult to care for, try brackish water fish. There are many beautiful varieties and they are not as expensive. Brackish is so much easier because brackish water naturally varies in saltyness. Hope you are successfull!

Answer 4

invest in the Marine Atlas series. Best marine help in print. Kept me from mixing wrasse with damsels and I found out why my anenomes kept dieing, water was to warm.

Make sure you have a sump!

Answer 5

Yeah, If you get an octupus, put it into a little plastic cage (like for little lizards or something) inside of the tank. Otherwise, it might try to escape. That happened to my brother. He found it trying to run down his hallway and it died.

Answer 6

dont use normal water.