Is a saltwater aquarium right for me?

[yanni]

Hey all,

so I need a bit of advice. I’ve been on the fence for ages about setting up my own 30g clownfish and nem aquarium. I’m a huge lover of the ocean, and especially clownfish and this has always been a dream of mine to do!!

however, I am quite scared.

it sounds silly, but after reading so many people’s amazing stories and so many other tragic ones, it’s left me indecisive. I’ll be starting uni in 7 months which is fine, and I’ll still be able to look after my tank as often as needed, and I’m not too stressed about the costs associated, as it is a pet that needs to be looked after.

I’m worried that for whatever reason I won’t be an adequate carer, and my brain keeps overthinking it. I feel this is more my anxiety keeping me from it, and I’m scared about taking the leap of faith in buying the equipment and potentially hurting some poor clowns (

once again, I really really want to, and have a small freshwater tank, 5G for one betta and some plants which is booming and doing really well, but it’s just scary starting again with saltwater.

I don’t know what sort of answers I’m seeking? Perhaps reassurance that with time and dedication it will all work out? Confused n worfkex

sincerely, an anxious but hopeful aquarist

 

[1guydude]

I think most things are doable if you put your mind to them.

Imo honestly if its your dream and your one and only life. Try it. Worse off you wasted $ and had to return some clownfish and anenome hopefully to the fish store

Likely you will end up with coral and a 300gal fish tank.
Whats uni if you dont mind me asking?
D

 

[4tanks]

I put it off for years I have freshwater tanks and then one day thought I'm going for it
The cycle is the same at the beginning and you know that already from your Betta tank so that's problem one out the way .
All you need to do is read read and read and just take it extremely slowly it's really not that bad once you get into it but you have to take it slow .

 

[mickeysreef <*))))<]

will you be going away because it wouldnt make sense if you had to break it down etc. id say clowns are easy to keep, getting the tank ready for nems is a bit harder

 

[Jedi1199]

Whats uni if you dont mind me asking?

University?

 

[yanni]

University?
Yea university haha

 

[1guydude]

Haha im old
D

 

[yanni]

will you be going away because it wouldnt make sense if you had to break it down etc. id say clowns are easy to keep, getting the tank ready for nems is a bit harder

Nah, I’m waiting until me and my gf move in to put it together so I don’t have to move it at all. And I won’t be going away, only for small weekend trips and stuff like that, which I have a few friends locally who live n breath saltwater aquariums who I could get to help me

 

[PatW]

Freshwater critters are pretty easy to deal with. Bodies of fresh water can vary quite a bit. You can have a drought, a heat wave, a cold snap, or a big rain and the water characteristics can change really quickly. So freshwater fish are pretty tolerant. They can usually survive all sorts of things that people throw at them.

Marine organisms are very different unless they come from tide pools or estuaries.

The ocean is a big place. The parameters are very stable, So marine organisms really like stability. The major thing you have to do is keep the chemistry of the water within pretty narrow bounds and things will go well. Clowns by the way are pretty hardy. So they are doable.

One thing about stability is the bigger the tank, the easier it is to keep things stable. A 55 gallon is a good place to start or a 40 gallon breeder.

Another thing is running a sump. You can put your tank supporting equipment in the sump and that frees up the real estate in the display for just the critters. Also, it is easier to fool with equipment that is in a sump.

 

[Jekyl]

The best thing about this hobby for you is that you have to take it slowly. Usually want to wait around 9 months before adding an anemone. By that time you'll either have a firm grip on water chemistry or you'll decide it's not for you. Either way welcome! Hope you stick around. Good luck!

 

[Jon Fishman]

You say you are ready for the cost..... Out of curiosity, what do you believe the initial startup, as well as maintenance cost of your little 30g slice of the ocean will be?

 

[Imaexpat2]

I always tell folks....Reef tanks aint all that more difficult than a freshwater tank, they are very unforgiving if your lazy, a procrastinator, require instant gratification and dont have a rock solid plan in place before you even start! A properly planned out and set up tank is really pretty easy, but if your stupid, its gonna hurt really bad(at least your wallet anyways)!

 

[CMMorgan]

Hey all,

so I need a bit of advice. I’ve been on the fence for ages about setting up my own 30g clownfish and nem aquarium. I’m a huge lover of the ocean, and especially clownfish and this has always been a dream of mine to do!!

however, I am quite scared.

it sounds silly, but after reading so many people’s amazing stories and so many other tragic ones, it’s left me indecisive. I’ll be starting uni in 7 months which is fine, and I’ll still be able to look after my tank as often as needed, and I’m not too stressed about the costs associated, as it is a pet that needs to be looked after.

I’m worried that for whatever reason I won’t be an adequate carer, and my brain keeps overthinking it. I feel this is more my anxiety keeping me from it, and I’m scared about taking the leap of faith in buying the equipment and potentially hurting some poor clowns (

once again, I really really want to, and have a small freshwater tank, 5G for one betta and some plants which is booming and doing really well, but it’s just scary starting again with saltwater.

I don’t know what sort of answers I’m seeking? Perhaps reassurance that with time and dedication it will all work out? Confused n worfkex

sincerely, an anxious but hopeful aquarist

Have you ever watch coralfish12g? This guy was just a kid when he started with tanks and making videos on You Tube. I feel like I've watched him grow up. He shared his failures, what he learned and his successes.
At one point, he showed how he kept a reef tank in his dorm room.
Take inspiration from others but look within yourself to decide if it will bring you peace or add to your anxiety. Noone can choose that for you. Personally, I do not own a TV. My tank is my TV... perhaps it can give you some peace when you goto study. Food for thought.
Here is the link to the YouTube page I mentioned above...
CoralFish12G

 

[Sebastiancrab]

Hi there! No reason to be scared. The trick is to go slow. I started out with a fish only tank last year - 29 gallons to get my feet wet. I learn something new all the time and that is part of the fun. Now I am slowly upgrading to a 40 breeder with sump. Read Ron Reefman's articles here and also look at Bulk Reef Supply numerous videos on Youtube.

 

[vetteguy53081]

A saltwater aquarium, particularly a reef aquarium, is a wonderful re-creation of the ocean. With that come the vibrant, colourful, delicate creatures, fascinating corals, reef fauna and live rock. Saltwater aquarium in particular can be more expensive. There is plenty to learn but also plenty to discover as you would in an ocean setting. There is such an array of coral, fish and other invertebrate options, with fantastic colors, curious behaviors, and interesting shapes and the landscape is always changing as the landscape matures.
The absolute best feeling is that moment when someone visiting the house sees the tank for the first time, and starts asking questions. I don’t think it’s about showing off but rather, it’s about seeing the budding curiosity and interest.
That sentiment is even sweeter when it’s the unbridled curiosity a kid or guest notices something more subtle, like a fan worm, tube worm or sponge and wants to know what it is.

 

[artieg1]

Clown and nem tank will be fine. Mine are indestructable. It is fancy corals and such that require all the dosing, measuring, hair-pulling, etc. Of course, you might get the bug!

Clowns are very forgiving, hardy fish.

 

[Ippyroy]

The hardest part will be getting a tank ready for the anemone. It's hard to do with dry rock starting from scratch. I think it is best to add the clowns after the anemone, and the tank needs to be mature before you can add it. I would recommend using established rock for sure from a good clean system if at possible.
Reefing is not that hard. You just need to build a solid husbandry system. Clean the sand bed and do regular water changes and test as often as possible. BRS and Melevsreef both built Harems and can give you a good idea of what needs to go into it.

 

[yanni]

S

You say you are ready for the cost..... Out of curiosity, what do you believe the initial startup, as well as maintenance cost of your little 30g slice of the ocean will be?

Sloke to a local person, said it’ll be roughly $1600 AUD

 

[codycolina707]

Hey all,

so I need a bit of advice. I’ve been on the fence for ages about setting up my own 30g clownfish and nem aquarium. I’m a huge lover of the ocean, and especially clownfish and this has always been a dream of mine to do!!

however, I am quite scared.

it sounds silly, but after reading so many people’s amazing stories and so many other tragic ones, it’s left me indecisive. I’ll be starting uni in 7 months which is fine, and I’ll still be able to look after my tank as often as needed, and I’m not too stressed about the costs associated, as it is a pet that needs to be looked after.

I’m worried that for whatever reason I won’t be an adequate carer, and my brain keeps overthinking it. I feel this is more my anxiety keeping me from it, and I’m scared about taking the leap of faith in buying the equipment and potentially hurting some poor clowns (

once again, I really really want to, and have a small freshwater tank, 5G for one betta and some plants which is booming and doing really well, but it’s just scary starting again with saltwater.

I don’t know what sort of answers I’m seeking? Perhaps reassurance that with time and dedication it will all work out? Confused n worfkex

sincerely, an anxious but hopeful aquarist

clowns are really easy to care for especially since most are captive bred they are conditioned for it i'd say go for it just read and learn cycle the tank properly and the clowns will be fine

 

[yanni]

Have you ever watch coralfish12g? This guy was just a kid when he started with tanks and making videos on You Tube. I feel like I've watched him grow up. He shared his failures, what he learned and his successes.
At one point, he showed how he kept a reef tank in his dorm room.
Take inspiration from others but look within yourself to decide if it will bring you peace or add to your anxiety. Noone can choose that for you. Personally, I do not own a TV. My tank is my TV... perhaps it can give you some peace when you goto study. Food for thought.
Here is the link to the YouTube page I mentioned above...
CoralFish12G

I love his YouTube page, it’s amazing. Will have to watch some more of it to gain more of an insight