Salt Water Fish Tank?

Question

any advice on starting a salt water fish tank? is it very hard?

Answer 1

I keep both saltwater and freshwater tanks (several of each, actually), and once you get the tank set up, they're not much more difficult than freshwater if you've planned it properly. There is a little more equipment, the water chemistry is a bit more involved, and any of the "specialized" materials (and the fish) for saltwater tend to be more expensive.

I would strongly recommend that you do some research into the different types of tanks (fish-only, which is the easiest and cheapest; fish-only with live rock, which give you added biological filtration; and reef, which is the full-blown marine set-up with corals, anemones, shrimp, etc., which can be the most difficult and IS definitely the most expessive type). That's not to say you can't start with a fish-only, then add other items to the same tank as you get some experience and want to try more organisms.

I would suggest that you start with at least a 29 gallon or 55 gallon tank. This will keep the water temperature and chemistry more stable than something smaller, so you get a little more cushion for error. The marine fish are very intolerant of changes to their environments, poor water quality, and are more territorial and aggressive than freshwater fish, so you can't keep as many in a tank - they don't do well in crowded conditions. And because of their territorial/aggressive nature, it's best not to mix fish with similar colors or body shapes, or members of the same family. So for most groups, this means only one fish per type (tangs, triggers, wrasses, etc.) in the tank. There are a few species that can be kept as mated pairs (clownfish, cardinalfish), and even fewer that can be kept as a school. Also consider that most marine fish get larger than the "community" freshwater fish, so a 29 or 55 will at least allow you a better selection for what you could keep. A good place to start your research is with the types of fish you want, and check their compatibility (aggressive vs peaceful), adult sizes, activity levels, minimum tank sizes, and whether or not they would be reef safe, then figure the tank size you'll need to keep them. Then, you can plan the rest of the tank and equipment from there.

If you need to get a stand for the tank, try to get solid wood. The particleboard stands won't hold up if they get wet and the glue separates, and the iron/metal stands will corrode if any salt gets on them (or, you could get a metal stand, just use a flannel-backed tablecloth under the tank to protect the stand from splashed water).

Some of the other items you'll need:

FILTER: You want to get one that's properly sized (filters 5x-10x the tank volume per hour - check the gallons per hour rating). There are lots of choices, and what you'll need will really depend on budget, what you're trying to keep, and personal preference. I'd consider the best type to be a refugium or wet/dry trickle filter. Next best would be a canister, followed by a biowheel, then a standard hang-on-tank. Unless you're using a fine sand or oolite substrate, you can also use an undergravel filter to supplement filtration, but I'd suggest powering it with a reversible powerhead to blow the water up through the substrate (prevents stuff from building up under the filter and clogging it).

POWERHEAD(S): To provide more water circulation in hard to get to places. This also helps circulate dissolved oxygen to the bottom of the tank.

HEATERS: For a saltwater tank, I'd suggest getting 2 and putting one on each end if you get a tank that's more than 30 gallons. This will provide more even heating, and your tank has a back-up if one heater gives out. Figure the correct size as 5 watts per gallon divided by 2 heaters. If you need to heat the water more than 10 degrees above the room temperature, go one size higher.

LIGHTING: If you never want anything but fish, you can use the standard lighting and hood made for your tank. You might want to upgrade the lamps to a 10,000K tube or a 50/50 actinic. If you're going to try corals, anemones, etc., go with a compact fluorescent, metal halide, or combo system - these will provide more intense light that they'll need for photosynthesis.

SUBSTRATE - you want something made of aragonite to help keep the pH from changing, I like the smaller shell material that Carib-Sea puts out - it doesn't have to be live sand, either. Some folks like crushed coral, but the particle size is bigger than I like, and it tends to have a lot of dust that never rinses completely out. Another very fine grained material is oolitic aragonite (looks like small white balls) and aragonite sand. Here's an idea of the materials available: http://www.caribsea.com/pages/products/dry_aragonite.html While it's possible to keep a marine tank with regular aquarium gravel or no substrate, the aragonite will keep the pH from falling below 7.8 (it should be 8.2-8.4).

SALT MIX: If you're only keeping fish, you can go with one of the less expensive brands of synthetic sea salt. If you get any invertebrates (shrimp, snails, crabs, corals, anemones, etc.), switch to a better quality mix before you add them. These cost a little more, but you won't need to be using additives for the trace elements they need either.

HYDROMETER: This measures the amount of salt that's dissolved inwater. There are two kinds you can get, one made of glass that floats on the surface (more accurate, but easy to break) and a plastic container that has a needle that rises and falls as the amount of salt changes (less accurate, bubbles attaching to the needle gives false readings). For fish only, you want the specific gravity to read 1.020 - 1.026. If you're keeping inverts, you want it to be 1.024 - 1.026.

WATER TESTING KIT: minimum of pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate.

CLEANING SUPPLIES: elbow length gloves, gravel vacuum, 5 gallon bucket, large plastic container and powerhead for mixing the salt (to be done well ahead of water changes), algae scraper, razor blades (for coraline algae and diatoms that like to attach to the glass).

WATER CONDITIONER: for removing chlorine or chloramine from your tap water (unless you plan to use a reverse osmosis filter or buy RO water, which is preferred for a reef tank).

The following are optional, but strongly suggested:

PROTEIN SKIMMER: This removes dissloved and small organic materials that would normally contribute to the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in your tank. Not 100% necessary for fish-only tanks, but will be handy if you have inverts to keep up good water quality by removing organic materials that become nutrients for algae.

GLASS COVER: This reduces evaporation and keeps the fish inside the tank (some are jumpers), although with a metal halide lighting system, it can overheat your tank.

LIVE ROCK: This give the tank a more natural appearance, provides hiding places for the fish and inverts, and increases the biological filtration. Not to mention, you get all kinds of cool critters that hitchhike into your tank (shrimp, snails, sea urchins, sea cucumbers, sea stars, etc.).

CHILLER: If you use metal halide lighting, or the water temperature regularly gets above 85o (for corals or anemones, fish can take a little more heat), you may need to invest in a chiller to keep the tank cool. The water temperature should run 76-80oF.

There may be additional items that you could need, such as kalkwasser to raise your pH if you can't get it to 8.2, but you won't know these until you get the tank set up and running, and test your water.

Before going out and buying all this, I would suggest some reading to see what you're getting into by keeping saltwater. I did research for almost 2 years before I set up my first tank, and I had about 20 years of freshwater aquarium experience already. Rushing into a saltwater setup usually doesn't give you good results, and the equipment and fish are a little too expensive to be finding out in a few weeks you got something that's not appropriate for what you want for your tank. I'd also recommend a good reference book for some research. Either of these would be a good one to start with: 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

Some web sites you can check out for more info on keeping saltwater are the following:
http://www.peteducation.com/index.cfm?cls=16
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/

Good luck with the tank!

Answer 2

Introduction
The pleasure you'll get from your fish makes a saltwater tank worth the trouble involved in setting it up.
Instructions
Difficulty: Easy
Steps
1
Step One
Check the tank for leaks.
2
Step Two
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.
3
Step Three
Install the filtration system. Follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully since models vary in their installation.
4
Step Four
Wash the substrate thoroughly before you put it in the tank. Figure on 1 lb. of gravel per gallon the tank holds.
5
Step Five
Put the plants in, anchoring the bottoms in the substrate.
6
Step Six
Fill a large bucket with clean, dechlorinated water.
7
Step Seven
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.
8
Step Eight
Fill your tank with the saltwater, leaving about an inch at the top.
9
Step Nine
Start the filter system.
10
Step Ten
Add the heater and thermometer. Most marine fish do best between 75 and 80 degrees.
11
Step Eleven
Let everything run for at least 72 hours and get the temperature settings right and the water moving.
12
Step Twelve
Cycle the aquarium. A just-set-up fish tank lacks the bacteria that it needs to form a steady biological cycle.
13
Step Thirteen
Add your fish when the chemical levels are all okay and the tank temperature is within suggested limits.
14
Step Fourteen
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.
15
Step Fifteen
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.
16
Step Sixteen
Keep in mind that you'll also need an external water pump and possibly an air pump for your skimmer.
Tips & Warnings

* 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.

Answer 3

I am now under the impression that with time and effort you can do anything; I am not sure if you just got the tank or the tank with all the supplies; sand, salt, filter, heater, light , piece of live rock about 6.99 a piece or 6.99 a pound depending on type of rock; hydrometer to test the salt level; test kit to test for nitrates etc ; de-chlorinating chemical; water evaporates , salt does not so when you make water changes you don't add new salt; small crab/snail to clean up the sand; protein skimmer; I just bought 2 clown fish(Nemo) for 12.99 each and damsels 3 for 9.99 ; it will be a cost to set up ; if you want it bad enough , give it a try; limit the number of fish to 2 ; I have a 29 gallon tank and have 4 fish , 1 crab and a starfish ; hope this helps ; I love mine !!