New to Saltwater Help!

[Hyde2406]

Couldn't think of any websites that where more for learning than discussing. I had a bunch when I first started that I loved but can't remember them now

 

[wherenext]

Bottom line is, you don't need to get all these things to start, like he said above, nothing good happens fast in saltwater...so as you go along slowly adding fish you can always add more things as your bio load gets heavier. You can just start off with a hob filter and later on down the road you can add a skimmer when your bio load gets heavier, you can find some reef octopus hob skimmers for the $150 range. But for a fish only set up you just really need a filter, some cheap led lighting will do the trick as there only purpose is to light up the fish, you don't have to worry about par strength and what not for photosynthetic organisms, the tank, heater, and a source of good quality water and salt.

 

[wherenext]

All I did when setting up my first reef tank was to google...how to set up a reef aquarium and read through everything. I would suggest just doing the same with how to set up a fish only saltwater aquarium...and see the different advice and suggested set ups. I keep brackish aquariums with moray eels and puffers at a salinity of 1.015...and the only thing i really do different from keeping a freshwater aquarium is adding salt to the water...I haven't kept a fish only saltwater aquarium, but it pretty much sounds like the same thing just a higher salinity. I mean, my salinity is high enough in my brackish that I could use a skimmer, but I dont, and my hob filter does a good job...I just looked for a hob filter that had a 10x turnover rate for the tank volume.

And yes, you will probably never stop learning new things about the hobby.

 

[Hyde2406]

Wherenext do you have 8 spot puffers? I've been thinking about setting up a small system in my son's room with then they are so cute

 

[wherenext]

Even with a predator tank unless that .005 salinity jump from my brackish tank to a saltwater makes that big a difference, isn't really that hard...10x turnover rate on your filter and I do a 15% wc weekly instead of 10%, and a 25% wc once a month instead of a 20%. That's with 2 small puffers and a gold dust moray. A few other fish In their as well that are too big for either to eat. Now full salt versions of these fish might be dirtier, I don't know, but these versions are pretty dirty fish.

 

[wherenext]

Hyde2406 Yeah, I have 2 figure 8 puffers. They are really awesome. They are even more personalable though if kept solitary, they will interact with you at the glass and beg for food. Best piece of advice for keeping them is to set up a second tank, a 5 gallon is fine, to raise snails for them. They need the hard foods to keep their beaks down. I raise pond snails and Malaysian trumpet snails...most fish stores will give them to you for free as they are considered pests. But the trumpet snails you need to crush first, as the shells are too hard for the puffers to bite through.

 

[wherenext]

Recommend a 15 gallon tank for a single puffer, and 10 gallons for each additional if keeping more than one. But they really shine the most when kept solitary.


(Lol is their a brackish section I should post this stuff under?)

 

[wherenext]

But back on topic though lol...a fish only set up shouldn't be that hard, you can always start off basic and add or improve later on.

 

[TerriBryant]

So I am always a little skeptical when one store tells me I was given bad advice from a competitor. The fact that you walked in looking for a 50+ gallon tank and walked out with a 5 gal is odd as well. A FOWLR tank is probably easier to maintain than most freshwater planted tanks. With that said, you should thank them for letting you jump into this hobby on the cheap. In this hobby, the tank and stand are the cheapest things. The 5 gal is most likely an all in one. Right? One thing that you may want to think about is water changes and top off. Are you proficient in making a .20 or so salinity salt mix on a consistent basis or do you currently buy your wc water? Do you have an RODI system for top off? There will be a huge difference in cost if you plan to purchase wc water for a 50gal. I am positive that the lighting will also be more expensive. You will probably have a sump as well? Skimmer? These will run you more on a larger system. You should thank the first store and be skeptical of those that told you you got a bad shake. Especially if its a competitor. Now if you were trying to start a reef tank, my advice would be the opposite. Once you mentioned fish only, it became a no brainer for me.

Thanks, yes, the 5 gallon is an all in one and we currently buy our water but I am looking into making my own after I have the test kits. I went in expecting to make a much larger investment than I did, so yes I jumped in on the cheap but would have rather put that money toward a bigger tank. The competition I went to directed me to do my research here as well as other sites, so I do feel they had my intentions in mind. They also don't sell tanks, etc. and have to order most items so they weren't trying to sell me anything either. Thank you so much for your input, I am on the beginning of my journey here

 

[Surfandturf]

Thanks, yes, the 5 gallon is an all in one and we currently buy our water but I am looking into making my own after I have the test kits. I went in expecting to make a much larger investment than I did, so yes I jumped in on the cheap but would have rather put that money toward a bigger tank. The competition I went to directed me to do my research here as well as other sites, so I do feel they had my intentions in mind. They also don't sell tanks, etc. and have to order most items so they weren't trying to sell me anything either. Thank you so much for your input, I am on the beginning of my journey here

Thats good to hear! I run a 10gal reef tank and I have seen some places give people entering the hobby questionable advise at best. They gave you great advice to come here. There is a ton of knowledge. Another silver lining with the small tank is that if you decide to add corals, you can start in the 5 gal.

 

[40B Knasty]

I never did the sump or canister. The FLUVAL C4 HOB and Reef Octopus BH2000 HOB is easy to clean. I have the BH1000. wish I spent the extra few bucks for the BH2000. Every 2 1/2 months I pull them off and really clean it.