60 Gallon Saltwater Tank Idea

[Jace Dreyer]

So I am looking at getting a 60 gallon aquarium to start a saltwater fish tank. I have always wanted a saltwater tank, but here is the problem, I have never dipped my toes in saltwater before (besides the beach). I have heard that smaller tanks are harder for saltwater because it is easier to mess up. I want everyone's opinion if I should try saltwater with this tank or if I should stick to freshwater.

Here is my background with fish knowledge. I am currently 17 and have had a tank ever since I was 10. The fish i have kept range from goldfish to African Cichlids, and some South American Cichlids. Right now I have a simple tank set up with a Red Zebra Cichlid and an Electric blue, but never mind that. I can keep fish alive very well (kept a Kenyi Cichlid alive for 5 years, till we had to move and we had to depart.

I am very anticipated to see what you guys have to say about this. I want your full ideas. Don't hold anything back. Let me know what to do and what not to do. Thanks!

 

[ReefQueen]

What to do:read until you think you know it all, and then keep reading because you can never stop learning in this hobby. Then stockpile a bunch of money lol
What not to do: jump right in without doing your research, that's how many people fail and then leave the hobby frustrated.
I think a 60 would be a great starter tank. I started with a 55, a few weeks later I upgraded to a 120. Once you have that baby set up and going you will want a bigger tank, trust me lol. But a 60 will definitely get you by for a while if you can resist the urge it seem like you have a great start with fishkeeping. So I would definitely start out as fish only after the tank is cycled and get used to upkeep and letting everything stabalize before starting corals. There is a lot of great people and info here so don't be afraid to ask questions. Oh and welcome to R2R

 

[cmcoker]

Welcome! Agree that research is key. Check out the stickies in the new to the hobby forum and ask questions! This is a very welcoming community and you will find many people happy to help get you going on the right path.

 

[michellejy]

The main thing I would suggest is to figure out the fish (or corals) you want the most and plan your tank around it. Then you don't end up trying to put a tang in a nano cube

 

[Jace Dreyer]

Thank you all for the responses. I have been researching a lot (and still am researching) on saltwater and am very interested to start my tank as soon as possible!