i think i am ready to start my own slat water aquarium!?

Question

So, i have 3 aquariums. right now i am working on my 55 gallon tank. in my 55 gallon tank is freshwater tropical community fish. i love taking care of fish so far and i was wonder-ing how much harder it would be for me to start a slat water aquarium. i have a 55gallon tank. 20 gallon tank. and a 10 gallon tank. i would like to use one aquarium that i already have to start off with. although, all my aquariums have fresh water fish in them, so i could go get another tank but i already have 3 and there relly is no more room! lol. but i was thinking, how hard- and how much time -and everything that i would need to start a 20 gallon or a 29 gallon salt water aquarium. i need every little detaile, like filter's for the reef's what rock's to put in there what rock's you can put togather what different types of salt water aquqriums are there, everything starting from beging to end, PLEASE. i heard there were some small salt water fish you could put in the tank after 30 day's, unlike 2 mounths

Answer 1

The first words I will give you are time and patience. Salt water is different than fresh even the bacteria forms more slowly in salt water.

Below is what I tell newbee's to salt water and by the way, welcome!
First step for your tank is figuring out where you are going to put it. Remember with a salt water tank, you are going to have to leave room behind the tank for access, filters etc. About 8-12 inches. (This will also help to protect walls from salt evaporation. I'll explain later) Once you have that, we are ready to start.

Do you have a local fish store to trust? One that relies on good fish keeping and good advice to stay in business. Find one even if you have to drive a few miles out of your way. They can be a large asset when it comes to fish.

Do you have any ideas on what you might want to keep? Or is this a "we'll start with a blank canvas and see where it goes?" thing?

To start, a regular hood, no special lights will suffice for now. (until you see if this is what you really want to advance to)

To start, you do not NEED a skimmer. They are preferred and a great asset but, my 30 gallon has never had a skimmer or power heads and still doesn't. I hate to use the word cheap, just less expensive. And you can still have a healthy tank.

A rear whisper filter designed for a 75 gallon tank will suffice for now. This will run around $45 at walmart of all places. Your best bet is to shop around. You can if you choose to go with a back pack filter which come preequiped with a protein skimmer for around $150.00. This could save time and money later when upgrading.

For a beginner, I would suggest dolomite (Crushed coral) for the bottom of your tank (Easier to care for). If you are not going to be running a protein skimmer, this will make cleaning much easier. You will also want to get a gravel siphon for cleaning (these can range from a couple of bucks to upwards of $50. You don't need anything fancy, just a siphon). A heater is a must $10-15), thermometer $1.95 In the tank only a floater of one that attaches doesn't matter. It should be placed the farthest from your heater as possible.) A hydrometer These can run from a few dollars and up. Just a floating hydrometer is fine. around $4.00. Some packages of salt you will purchase sometimes come with a hydrometer, so this may help. Instant Ocean makes a quality synthetic salt. ($22.00). (When you start moving up in the salt water I would suggest switching to Red Sea Salt.) Power heads are beneficial, but at this point not necessary. They can be added on at any time. Get a quality Dechlorinator. (DO NOT USE start right or stress coat in your marine tank) AquaNova + is a good dechlor and it also adds back trace minerals to the water. One or two 5 gallon buckets. $2.29 each at home depot.

Ok I think we are ready to start. Be sure your tank is clean. You can use a salt water mix to clean your tank. There is also an aquarium cleaner you can buy but for your tank, a mix of 1/2 cup of salt dissolved in a gallon of water will do. (no specifics here.) Clean the tank rinse and let's get started.

If you chose to use the dolomite you do not want to use more than will cover 1 1/2 - 2 inches across the bottom. (Sand will require the same) Use a kitchen sive and clean the gravel by rinsing it. Dump the gravel into the bucket and swish the heck out of it. Drain and rinse again.

(You will only do this if you are using dry dolomite. LIVE dolomite and live sand do not get rinsed)

Pour the gravel into the bottom of your tank. Doesn't need to be flattened yet since you are going to be dumping water into your tank and this is going to dislocate it anyway. Using your 5 gallon buckets, fill just about 4 gallons or 4 1/5 depending on how much you can lift. Add the required amount of Dechlor and then the salt. (Usually 1.5 pounds or 24 oz per 5 gallons, however I have never used that much to obtain a 1.022 gravity in my tank.) I start by adding a cup mixing to disolve (and I use warm tap water here) I will check the hydrometer to see how far off I am and either add more salt or more fresh water. Since you are setting up your tank, obtaining an exact 1.022 is not that important right now, getting close is. Continue dissolving salt and new water until your tank is about 3-4 inches from the top. Attach your filter (be sure it is rinsed well as well as the filters) if you choose to use a rear filter. Even so a back pack filter also needs rinsed. Now we have water movement.

I did not mention anything about live rock or any other items for your tank yet. At this stage since you REALLY should not try to cycle your salt water this early with live rock. If you only knew what things grow on and in the rock, don't waste your money now. It really isn't needed. Now that your tank is running. Check the water with the hydrometer. you should be pretty close to your 1.022 range. Slightly higher or lower isn't going to matter. Turn your heater on and set it for around 78. Finish topping off your tank with salt mixed water. Don't forget to add dechlor to every bucket. Congratulations, your tank is now set up. Now comes the waiting. And you will wait. To aid in the tanks cycling, but does not replace cycling, take a few pieces of raw fish or shrimp, chop them up and toss them intothe tank. This will help the bacteria establish more quickly leading to a healther tank later. Get a notebook. Markdown the day you set your tank up and what you did and what you used. Do this with water changes and tests. This way you have a record of what was done.

Let it run. Continue to run the lights during the day and off at night. After about a week, check your water quality. I would suggest a really good test kit, and strips. I use the strips (I call them dummy strips since they are very broad ranged and are not accurate enough for fishkeeping) to initially test. Then I compair them with what I get from my water tests. I mark the results down in my note book with the day. If you don't trust yourself enough to read the water, take it to your LFS. They will do it for you. Your tank will have to run a minimum of 6 weeks with nothing in it. Do not try to rush this process. Salt water is not the same as fresh water. Shrimp, anemone or even fish are less tolorent of water conditions.

If you really MUST have something swimming around, after 3 weeks, you can buy a black mollie or a couple of guppies. They will live fine in your tank at this time. They are the only fish to attempt. Placing damsels would kill the damsels since they are not the same kind of fish mollies and guppies are. You really do not need to do any water changes during the break in time. If you are showing spiking of nitrates, you may want to do a 20% water change. After your 6 week break in period, test your water. If all the parmiters are ok, you can begin with the lower end fish. Damsels. DO NOT TRY to place triggers or tangs or puffers into your tank. The bacteria is present, but not established and it will kill these fish. If your damsels are doing fine in two weeks, you can start adding live rock to build up your substraight. You can buy as little as pound or ten pounds. You can buy dead corals, fake corals, or whatever you want to decorate your tank. Your tank will need to sit for a minimum of 6 months before you can attempt the higher end fish.

I test my tanks every three days. I only do a water change of 25% once every three to four weeks. My tanks are established however and are pretty much on their own.

A few rules of thumb when dealing with salt fish. Keep your hands out! The more your hands remain out of the tank, the better your fish will be.

DO not spray anything in the room your tank is in.

Now you can start thinking about breeding brine shrimp, and what other fish you are interested in getting. Remember to do your research, since fish require different lighting, water paramiters and are or are not compatable with reef, invertabreas etc.

Answer 2

your goona convert one to saltwater i'd use the 55 and maybe put the tropical fresh water in a 20/29
ill walk you threw step by step

Check the tank for leaks.
Clean the tank with a solution of 1 tsp. pure bleach for every 5 gallons of water. Scrub the tank, plastic plants, decorations and rocks. Rinse everything thoroughly several times with clean water.
Install the filtration system. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully since models vary in their installation.
Wash the substrate thoroughly before you put it in the tank. Figure on 1 lb. of gravel per gallon the tank holds.
Put the plants in, anchoring the bottoms in the substrate
a large bucket with clean, dechlorinated water.
Using a hydrometer (a device used to read how much salt is dissolved in the water), add salt. 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.
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.
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.
Keep in mind that you'll also need an external water pump and possibly an air pump for your skimmer
just some tips ill throw in :)

Remember that the tank will need to be positioned near an electrical outlet and away from direct sunlight or drafts.
Never use soap or detergent to clean anything that will go into your tank
Avoid using any equipment made of metal. Saltwater will cause it to rust
Put a 1/4-inch sheet of Styrofoam under the tank to help distribute the weight more evenly. If a tank isn't level, stress will be put on the seams and could cause an eventual leak
things you'll need

stuff you need
Three Buckets
Hydrometer And Testing Jar
Dechlorinated water
Thermometers
Plants
Mildewcide Or Bleach
Heater
Distilled Water
Decorations
Tank
anything else you might need try

http://fins.actwin.com/mirror/sbegin-fish.html

Answer 3

If you do the research beforehand, so you get the proper equipment and select fish based on tank size and compatability, I don't think they're that much harder than freshwater. I have several of each type.

I started with a 29 myself, and moved into a 55 in six months (I also kept the 29 as a saltwater tank, and now I'm up to three, plus some quarantine tanks). There really aren't tanks or filters that are "freshwater" or "saltwater", as you can use just about anything for either.

There are some differences between maintaining them, though. The obvious one is that you need to mix up saltwater for water changes, which requires a container, salt mix and a hydrometer. The hydrometer measures the amount of salt in the water by measuring the density/specific gravity. You can mix the water in the tank the first time, but after you add fish or other animals, you need to mix and adjust the amount of salt and other chemicals you might use before you add it.

Since you already have freshwater, you may have a couple of tank choices, plus the filter and probably a heater for them. It's a good idea to go with as large a tank as possible at first, since the extra volume will keep the temperature and water chemistry more stable, and will give you more room for what you want to keep.

You should get a marine substrate, rather than using aquarium gravel. This would be either an aragonite substrate or crushed coral - these will help buffer the pH, which should be 8.2-8.4. I like the CaribSea aragonite substrates. Live rock is recommended, since this will provide bacteria to cycle the tank, and additional area for bacterial colonization (not to mention all the shrimp, snails, algae, sponges, coral, or other things you might find on it). You aren't required to use live rock, but it does help with water quality. The recommended amount is 1 pound per gallon if the rock is drom Pacific origin or 1 1/2 to 2 pounds per gallon if it's Atlantic or Carribean. The difference is because the Pacific rock is more porous (but I think the Atlantic/Carribean is more colorful earlier).

A protein skimmer is another recommended piece of equipment. This uses bubbles to remove dissolved organic material from the water before it contributes to the ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate to any great degree. This isn't a 100% necessity, especially when first starting the tank, so you can put off getting it if you decide to use one.

A saltwater testing kit is a must! You'll need to keep track of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH at a minimum.

The fish tend to be more territorial and aggressive in saltwater - consider it like keeping a mixed groups of cichlids for personality. Because of their behavior and their intolerance of poor water quality, stocking is much lighter than in a freshwater tank. Most species you'll be limitied to a single member of the family, although there are some that can be kept as pairs, and even fewer that school. It's best not to get fish that are related, have the same coloration, or the same body shape to try and reduce the amount of conflict between fish.

It's a good idea to cycle your tank before you add fish, since they are intolerant of poor water quality. If you use live rock, this will help cycle the tank more quickly, because it already has the bacteria living on it that you need. Some people will reccomend using damsels to cycle, because they cheap and hardy, but these will harrass any fish you try to put in after. I prefer not to use them, other than the green reef chromis, wich is one of the few peaceful species. Just realize, that the earlier you add any fish, the more stress it will be under if the tank hasn't cycled.

A good place to start is by looking through a book on marine fishkeeping. I would suggest The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1or The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5 as a reference.

Here are some websites you can look at for more information:
http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterBeginners.htm
http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cls=16
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/

Just don't try to be in too much of a hurry, research what fish you'll be trying to keep and the conditions they need, and enjoy the tank!

Answer 4

I'm not gonna say what tank you should use for your 1st salt as all the tanks you have except the 10 I've done as a reef! I started in a 20 then went to a 55 and my current is 125.
In between I've had a 29g FOWLR (that's Fish Only With Live Rock not a tank with coral as posted earlier) a 15g reef and a 6g reef.
Here is what I think..
1.Start with the biggest you can afford to set up RIGHT! A bigger tank is more forgiving when it comes to mistakes.. and you'll make them we all did/do!
2. Read everything! the book posted is a great book but there are tons more. check them out!
3 Ask questions! no question is stupid in IMHO.. and don't be afraid that it's a newbie question.. We love them! Anything to help you helps us save our reefs!
4. Check out the forums here are some others for you
http://www.reefaquariumguide.com
http://www.reef-visions.com
http://www.captivereefing.com
5. garbage in -garbage out.. take al the info and use what works for you! There a hundred different ways to set up and not all might work for you! find some one you can trust and listen carefully to what they say!
6 send me a note.. I'm always willing to help!

Answer 5

Salt water tanks boil down to basically three different types
FO - Fish Only
FOWLR - Fish Only with Live Rock
Reef - FOWLR with Corals.

The types of systems are listed in their increasing difficulty to maintain and upkeep. First thing you need to start doing is really read. And read a lot. SW is nothing Like FW. The filtration is different, the lighting needs are different and the water maintenance is different.

1st and foremost, Tap Water ... Don't use it.. Tap water, even city tap water normally contains chemicals that are toxic to marine life. You'll need to purchase an RO/DI unit, or plan on buying from your LPS. Water changes are a must, most fish rely on the trace minerals that are in the salt in order to maintain a healthy system. With this you'll need a hydrometer to test salinity.. I personally prefer a refractometer as it is more accurate.

2nd - Live Stock with this small of a tank you are not going to be able to even look at anything like a Tang, or large fish. The 1 inch of fish per gallon doesn't even equate to SW tanks. And anyone who says so doesn't know what they are talking about. The bioload of a SW tank is more fragile than a FW tank and Nitrates are an enemy.

Be prepared to spend money.. A good SW setup in the 29 gallon range can cost you as little as 500.00 if you look for deals and as much or more than 1700.00 if you don't. But knowing what you’re getting depends on your level of knowledge.

You asked about Filtration.. Well a good SW tank is going to use Live Rock for its biological filtration. Canister filters with Carbon Media in my opinion are not for SW tanks. There is a lot of debate on this one issue, but I personally think it boils down to people not correctly taking care of their carbon system. If anything, they should only be used for chemical filtration only, and then only when needed.

Be prepared to move slowly. SW tanks are not add salt and then fish in a few days. Cycling a tank takes time, you can speed the process up with Uncured Live Rock and cure it in your system to begin the cycle. But it is imperative that you don't add fish until your cycle is complete. SW fish are more sensitive to impurities and the bad elements of the nitrogen cycle. It isn't fair to put a live animal into a polluted environment. Think of it like this, would you like to bathe in dirty water? Why would you want to put a fish into dirty (or uncycled) water?

Next find a local reef club in your area and join. There are going to be people there who have a wealth of information that can help you out in the beginning stages, as well as it is a good place to find cheap stuff. People upgrading have a tendency to get rid of their other stuff..

You’re going to need a GOOD SW test kit. If you plan on doing more than a FO or FOWLR tank you'll need to look into additional test kits like Calcium, Magnesium, Iodine, etc etc etc. The key here is to READ.

Of course you are going to need a heater, etc.. Most of the other basics.

I have also added some links below to get you started on the reading process. All of these sites are an excellent resource for the home aquarist.