My daughter loves Nemo. What is the cost?

Question

I would like to buy her a clownfish and saltwater aquarium for her birthday. Does anyone know what all I would need to buy, how much it is, and how much does it cost to maintain? I read that I need at least a 30 gal. tank, any cost saving tips would be greatly appreciated.

what equipment do i need for a saltwater aquarium?

Answer 1

You can try to get the tank used - try freecycle or craigslist for your area, and watch yard sales, auctions, classifieds, etc. This would help cut down on your overall cost. If you're a bit limited on space, look for a 29 gallon. These take up less floorspace, but are taller.

You'll also need:
a heater - ($25-$35 depending on type and brand) - I would suggest one that is fully submersible and has an adjustable temperature. You want a heater with wattage 5 times the volume of your tank, so for a 30 gallon, plan to get a 150W.

a filter - ($25+ depending on type and brand) - you want one that will turn over at least 10 times the volume of water in the tank per hour, so check the GPH rating. There are a number of types you can buy, from a regular hang-on-tank like an Aquaclear (cheapest) to a biowheel (more expensive), or canister filters (most expensive). There are larger and more expensive types, but these would be excessive for a 20-30 gallon tank.

salt mix - ($15-25 depending on brand) If you only plant to keep fish, Instant Ocean is economical and good. If you plan to keep invertebrates, you may need to use supplements, or go with a higher-end brand.

hydrometer - ($8-10) This is used for mixing salt to the proper concentration. There are no easy # cups per # gallons because the salt will compact as it absorbs moisture from the air. You'll need a specific gravity of 1.020-1.026 for fish, 1.024-1.026 if you keep inverts.

substrate - (~$25) This should be aragonite or crushed coral to help raise the tank's pH. Saltwater should be maintained at 8.2-8.4.

live rock - (~$8 per pound) While not strictly required, it's strongly recommended to use. The live rock has bacteria to help break down the wastes from your fish, some of which are toxic to them. You can make "caves" for them to swim in and out of, and these give the tank a more natural appearance.

glass cover - ($15-20) This keeps the water from evaporating too quickly or from splashing the lights, and keeps fish from jumping out of the tank.

lighting - ($25+) depending on what you intend to keep. For $25, you can get a basic lighting set-up that can be used if you only keep fish and non-photosynthetic inverts. If you want to keep corals or anemones, you'd need a minimum of a compact fluorescent system and these will run about $150. I would NOT recommend that you get an anemone - clownfish are perfectly fine in your tank without one, and these are next to impossible to keep alive without the proper lighting. Anemones and clownfish are specific to each other, so you'd need to research which anemones will host the clownfish species you buy or they may not even use it!

fish - (~$20-25 per fish) The clownfish in Nemo are ocellaris clowns - there are also other species. Try to buy captive bred clowns if possible.

food - Clowns need to have both meat (fish, shrimp) protein and vegetable matter in their diets. You can use marine pellets or flakes as a staple, but you should supplement this with frozen plankton, enriched brine shrimp, Marine Cuisine, or Emerald Entree.

Cleaning supplies - 5 gallon buckets (one for mixing replacement water, one for dirty water), siphon, long-sleeved gloves (you shouldn't put your hands in the tank), algae scraper.

Saltwater test kit - for testing your water quality - API Saltwater Master kit is a good one.

A reference book - I highly recommend 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 lots of other things you could get or may need (protein skimmer, kalkwasser to adjust the pH if needed), but the list above will give you a good idea of what you should have on hand to start.

For maintenance, you should first set up the tank with freshwater and make sre everything is operational, then add the salt to the proper concentration. I would recommend that you do a fishless cycle (explained in a link I'll add at the end) to prepare the tank before you add any fish. Take time to acclimate the fish to the tank correctly (also explained in the Fishlore link). Once you add fish, do 25% water changes once a week. Tubes for the lighting should be replaced every year, especially if you're keeping invertebrates or using a compact fluorescent. Even though the light will still work, it loses the intensity at the wavelengths needed for photosynthesis in 10-12 months.

I can't emphasize enough the research that should be put into a marine tank before going and and buying the equipment. There's a lot that's involved, and the fish are rather expensive compared to a freshwater tank.

Some additional reading on keeping saltwater:
http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterBeginners.htm
http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cls=16
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/
http://www.bestfish.com/tips/032698.html

Answer 2

Maintaining salt water aquariums requires a lot of work. You must clean the water bi-weekly and make sure that the glass stays algae free. The fish are pretty expensive. A clown fish usually runs about $25-$35 depending on which species you get. They are very delicate fish, goes for all salt water fish. Even the slightest temperature change could lead to death. Not to mention the actual tank set up you would need, including pumps, filters and other requirements to keep the tank running. You may want to visit a local PetCo. They have care sheets and lists for all the necessary things you need to get started. Good luck!

Answer 3

worest plan, and thats the one common negative thing from that movie.

Saltwater is not something you can rush into, and you need to do alot of research and spend a couple hundred on supplies.

While nemo(false peloicula clownfish) are only 7 dollars, you must need to get a big tank, crushed coral, live coral, hydrometers, heaters, protein skimmer, salt water mix, filters etc.. This can be a expensive gift, and if you arent 100 % sure of what your doing, can cost you alot more.

Answer 4

For a saltwater 30 gallon setup, you are looking at about $150. The Clownfish is going to be about $20. You also have to have knowledge of saltwater to keep the conditions stable enough so that Nemo doesn't die. Your daughter wouldn't be happy if she found out Nemo was a floater...

Nosoop4u

Answer 5

Saltwater is much more expensive than freshwater. Let's assume that you buy a 30 gallon starter kit for $49.99. You buy sea salt for $9.99. Hydrometer for $5.99. Live rock and sand for $49.99. Protein Skimmer for $59.99. It's already $175! The fish is going to cost around $20, depending on where you live. If you really want to spend $200+ on your daughter, then you can if you want to.

~ZTM

Answer 6

Saltwater is expensive but with a little patience you can probably find everything you need USED.
I set up my wife's 30gal. tall Seahorse tank complete with live rock, sand, pumps, tank, good lighting... for a little over $300.00 by looking in the on line classified adds and Aquarium clubs in my area.
I have been doing saltwater tanks for over 20 years and they are EASY to set up and maintain (with a little research)
A 30 gal. tank would be perfect for 2 Percula clownfish (Nemo) and an Anemone (you need good lights for the Anemone to live)
The fish itself is not that expensive.
True Percula Clownfish (Amphiprion percula) are about $30.00 and False Percula clownfish (Amphiprion ocellaris) are about $20.00
Check for some aquarium clubs in your area and I'm sure they will be glad to help you out and get you started.
Good luck and enjoy.

Answer 7

I just converted my fresh water to salt. Here is what I learned...

You need at least a 55 gallon (majority seems to agree from all my research)

I already had my tank and just to get salt, live rock, live crushed coral and it cycling cost me $200.

You can't move your salt water fish! They are more sensitive and the tank requires so much time to cycle. You happen to relocate and you might loose your fish.

A nemo here in Texas cost $70 to $80 per fish! It seems like all the major fish are in that range if not higher. Partly because I think they are caught in the wild more often than not and they are harder to breed.

I am just now getting to the point of being able to by my clown fish after a month of cycling. So far I have no killed anything (knock on wood)

Answer 8

Not a good idea to get a pet based on seeing a movie. What happens when the next movie comes out? Will you get your daughter a dolphin? Or a lion?

Just ask anybody in breed rescue: 101 Dalmatians, Snow Dogs, Beethoven. People run right out and get one then dump it when it becomes actual work.

Research saltwater tanks and make sure YOU have the time needed to the maintenance and upkeep of one. Don't expect your child to be responsible for it. most kids lose interest pretty quickly.

Answer 9

Saltwater is a very delicate operation, and requires a lot of expensive equipment and supplies - never mind the fact the fish are often collected illegally from threatened reefs, and frequently die in captivity due to inexperience and equipment failure.

If your daughter *really* loves Nemo, get her an annual membership at the nearest municipal aquarium.

If you are determined, expect to spend several hundred dollars.

Answer 10

u do know that the tank has to be cycled for about 4 weeks before you put in fish lets see u need filter, salt ,hydrometer to check gravity of water, substrate a hood lighting live rock and live sand if u want too this will cost u in the hundreds get here a freshwater tank instead its easier and cheaper