what are the First steps to starting a saltwater aquarium?

Question

I know I should ask the petstore and do some research and buy tanks and equipment. And I've done almost all of that. I mean like, how should I begin? Answers only

Answer 1

The first step should be the research, as you've already pointed out. I wouldn't necessarily say asking at a petstore is always a good idea - some employees keep saltwater themselves and are quite knowledgable, but far too many aren't.

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 you like, the bigger of a 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 canister 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. If you live in ana rea with soft water as I do, you may need kalkwasser to keep you pH at a good level, even with the buffers that come in the salt mix. Once you make up a batch, you can test it yourself, or take a sample to your LFS and have them do it for you.

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.

So once the research is out of the way, start buying the equipment and set everything up. Do a trial run with just tapwater to make sure you don't have any leaks in the system. Then you can add salt. At that point, you'll need to make decisions about adding live rock, or doing a fish or fishless (recommended) cycle. From that point, you start adding the things you want.

Most people will suggest cycling with damsels, but I don't care for them, other than the chromis. Damels are too aggressive and can kill fish you try to add later. They may be small and cheap, but are territorial. If I've added fish for cycling, I've used chromis or guppies or mollies that were acclimated to full saltwater (you can do this yourself by adding a group of guppies or a molly to the tank while it's got freshwater and taking a few days to gradually add the salt to bring it up to the correct salinity). Guppies are particularly good if you're using a small tank, or are getting a predatory fish - they become feeders.

I'd also suggest getting 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. And you might want to see if there are any aquarium clubs in your area - there are usually a few members interested in saltwater fish, and these folks can also be a valuable resource!

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
http://www.apapets.com/MarineEcosystem/whatto.htm

Lots of info, 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

I spent approximately $1000 getting began with a 39 gallon reef tank. you will choose suitable sand, lights, a protein skimmer, powerheads for stream, followers, snails and hermit crabs, heater, thermometer, attempt kits, a source for organic water (not the faucet till very organic), saltwater mixture, and that i'm constructive I honestly have forgotten some stuff. do not skimp on the lights. If not correct lit, you've got a ton of algae and a large number. look into the boards. there are a number of with stable suggestion. flow slowly, not too many critters at the start. With stay rock, you're able to as nicely save corals. A saltwater tank may be completed with purely ordinary maintenance, not each and all the "artwork" that some human beings say. it is an extremely cool pastime. stable success.