Thinking of joining saltwater... Need some help Deciding

Michael W. · Jun 1, 2017

Hello. I am new to this site and to the saltwater hobby. I previously had a couple freshwater tanks but and now looking into changing my focus. Saltwater looks like a great choice but I am worried about the time and effort that I will need to succeed in this hobby. I need some veteran advice on the work behind maintaining a saltwater aquarium. I am currently looking at two different tanks, one is the new Fluval EVO 13.5 gallon. It is labeled as a saltwater aquarium and ready for coral. I am also looking at a much larger 55 gallon tank. I would like to work my way to a reef tank and to be able to enjoy fish as well. With a larger tank I would be looking towards building around a dwarf angel, and in the smaller tank, a few clownfish and corals is my goal. I enjoy tanks that look great and are not requiring my attention 24/7. Any help and ideas on how to get into this hobby would be greatly appreciated.

thaitopher · Jun 1, 2017

I would strongly recommend that 55 gallon. Its much easier to control the parameters of a larger tank than smaller one. Does it have a sump? Definitely takes a lot of time to keep up. I probably spend 4 hours a week on my tank. Start with liverock and live sand - at least 75 total pounds of it. Let it cycle for a month then You can add fish

Tahoe61 · Jun 1, 2017

Welcome to the dark side.

The larger the volume of water the greater the room for error, and the greater the fish choices. Personally I love nanos, equipment set up is greatly reduced, financially wise.

Mal11224 · Jun 1, 2017

I would go with the larger tank. Will likely require less water changes as your system matures. Also, I would recommend doing a good amount of research prior to starting. I have a freshwater tank with discus and a reef tank and there is no comparison between the two when it comes to maintenance. You have to be prepared to dedicate a maintenance plan for the tank. As you grow with your new tank and learn the hobby, it definitely gets easier. It is a great and rewarding hobby. Not sure what type of tank the 55 gal is, but a sump is a good way to go if equipped. Research is key. Will save you money and agony in the long run. Welcome to R2R and reeling.

Michael W. · Jun 1, 2017

Thank you very much for all of your responses.

Tahoe61 said:
Welcome to the dark side.

The larger the volume of water the greater the room for error, and the greater the fish choices. Personally I love nanos, equipment set up is greatly reduced, financially wise.

I also enjoy the idea of a thriving nano tank. The cost and equipment seem much less. The 55 gallon is an Aqueon tank run on LED lighting; definitely not suitable for a reef, but that can be changed. 4 hours a week seems like a reasonable amount of time for me to spend on maintenance so that seems good.
Would I be spending more time on a nano tank, or would it just be that the worry would be greater?
Also I am worried about how to set up and run a sump. That is an unexplored topic for me so I would have to learn more on how those work to commit to a sump for the 55, but if it's crucial, I will be able to make a sump work. Also, the Fluval EVO seems to have a small hefty filtration system in the back; is that going to help my tank more than a HOB filter? Will it make caring for the nano easier? Thank you for any responses.

Tahoe61 · Jun 1, 2017

If you're thinking of a nano I would go with Nuvo or JBJ.

I spend about 3 hours a week on mine. A good automated top off helps, and a decent skimmer.

I am a big nano fan, and if you start slowly and keep researching your more then able to start a nano.

Spend the most money on lighting, flow and skimmer.

We have an AIO forum so look around. Also Marine Depot and Bulk Reef Supply are good places to window shop and to buy from.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/all-in-one-aquariums-aio.388/

pugcrush · Jun 1, 2017

Welcome to R2R!

Have you thought about a 40 breeder? Many hobbyists including myself wish that was our first tank. Great dimensions! A 55 gallon is difficult to aquascape & you might get tired of it fast. You might outgrow the fluval quickly if you start looking at adding coral (great 2nd tank though). You can get by with 1 - 2 hr maintenance a wk. Softies don't need much attention & still look great.

You're on the right track though. Just keep reading. Check out people's build threads.

GrizFyrFyter · Jun 1, 2017

Everyone knows reef tanks are a lot of maintenance. In reality, my 25g AIO takes less time to care for than my dog does. I spend a lot more time each week taking care of and spending time with my dog than my small tank (not counting staring at it).

Obviously more volume gives a larger margin for error but the costs increase is a lot more and when things go wrong it is a lot more work to fix.

Michael W. · Jun 1, 2017

Tahoe61 said:
If you're thinking of a nano I would go with Nuvo or JBJ.

I spend about 3 hours a week on mine. A good automated top off helps, and a decent skimmer.

I am a big nano fan, and if you start slowly and keep researching your more then able to start a nano.

Spend the most money on lighting, flow and skimmer.

We have an AIO forum so look around. Also Marine Depot and Bulk Reef Supply are good places to window shop and to buy from.

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/all-in-one-aquariums-aio.388/

How would you compare the Fluval EVO that I mentioned to the two tanks that you talked about? I know that may be hard because you probably don't have that tank but anything will help. Thank you.

jaws789832 · Jun 1, 2017

To be honest a normal 55 is a bad choice because it isn't very wide. Its hard to get a good rockscape in it and still be able to clean around it. I agree with the more water the easier it is to keep stable but also the more it generally costs to maintain. A reef tank does take maintenance (way more than freshwater), and if you don't think you will enjoy doing maintenance I wouldn't even get into it. To keep a real clean looking, pristine tank 4 hours a week, in my opinion, is being pretty generous. My tank is no where near pristine and I spend probably 2 hours a day on it (but once again a lot of that is because I enjoy it).

thaitopher · Jun 1, 2017

Probably the best way to help you get informed is to watch 54 weeks of BRS TV on YouTube. They take you through the whole process step by step. There is definitely nothing wrong with starting with a nano. I started with a ten gallon 12 years ago. For sure its much cheaper but you just have to stay on top of it much more than a larger tank and yiur parameter swings are much greater which will be an issue for your high maintenance corals.

Tahoe61 · Jun 1, 2017

I think if you invest in a Fluvo you'll be investing in a more popular AIO in a years time.

The compartment is not big enough to do much with.

Everyday I empty the skimmer, use 2 parts as dosing, feeding, clean the glass with a mag float. I add top off water every other day and mix some kalk. I enjoy the maintenance but it is required to keep a aesthetically pleasing tank.

Michael W. · Jun 2, 2017

pugcrush said:
Welcome to R2R!

Have you thought about a 40 breeder? Many hobbyists including myself wish that was our first tank. Great dimensions! A 55 gallon is difficult to aquascape & you might get tired of it fast. You might outgrow the fluval quickly if you start looking at adding coral (great 2nd tank though). You can get by with 1 - 2 hr maintenance a wk. Softies don't need much attention & still look great.

You're on the right track though. Just keep reading. Check out people's build threads.

I never understood what the "Breeder" label on the 40 breeder meant if you could help me out on that. Could I add coral to the Fluval or would that put too much stress on the system? There is another tank that I did look at which is a 32 gal BioCube which looks good for saltwater as well. Both the Fluval and the BioCube share the same type of filtration that is behind the tank. Is the filtration that those come with going to help me more than a normal filter? One big worry I have with saltwater is water changes. Can anyone give some insight on how their water changes go? How do you get your saltwater?

Frop · Jun 2, 2017

Michael W. said:
Hello. I am new to this site and to the saltwater hobby. I previously had a couple freshwater tanks but and now looking into changing my focus. Saltwater looks like a great choice but I am worried about the time and effort that I will need to succeed in this hobby. I need some veteran advice on the work behind maintaining a saltwater aquarium. I am currently looking at two different tanks, one is the new Fluval EVO 13.5 gallon. It is labeled as a saltwater aquarium and ready for coral. I am also looking at a much larger 55 gallon tank. I would like to work my way to a reef tank and to be able to enjoy fish as well. With a larger tank I would be looking towards building around a dwarf angel, and in the smaller tank, a few clownfish and corals is my goal. I enjoy tanks that look great and are not requiring my attention 24/7. Any help and ideas on how to get into this hobby would be greatly appreciated.

My advice? Turn back now while you still have a chance

Jk hehe

You should be fine. I mean stuff happens but main thing I think a person needs is the desire to have the tank. Then it isn't a chore. Just be prepared to spend money and have some losses if you're doing corals. Just saying that because I tell myself that every time I buy something until I feel way comfortable keeping anything.

GrizFyrFyter · Jun 2, 2017

29g biocube with stevesled retrofit, aquatic life skimmer, hydor ATO and a Jebao doser made for a ridiculously amazing tank in my office.

Michael W. · Jun 2, 2017

Tahoe61 said:
I think if you invest in a Fluvo you'll be investing in a more popular AIO in a years time. The compartment is not big enough to do much with.

Everyday I empty the skimmer, use 2 parts as dosing, feeding, clean the glass with a mag float. I add top off water every other day and mix some kalk. I enjoy the maintenance but it is required to keep a aesthetically pleasing tank.

What is an AIO? And I heard that for saltwater the top off water can be normal dechlorinated tap water, is that true?

Michael W. · Jun 2, 2017

GrizFyrFyter said:
29g biocube with stevesled retrofit, aquatic life skimmer, hydor ATO and a Jebao doser made for a ridiculously amazing tank in my office.

What was the maintenance level on your Biocube? It looks like a really good tank.

GrizFyrFyter · Jun 2, 2017

Michael W. said:
What is an AIO? And I heard that for saltwater the top off water can be normal dechlorinated tap water, is that true?

All In One, filtration chambers are built into the tank instead of a sump.

You *can* use dechlorinated tap water but it increases your chances of problems with algae and possible contaminates.

GrizFyrFyter · Jun 2, 2017

Michael W. said:
What was the maintenance level on your Biocube? It looks like a really good tank.

I cleaned the glass twice a week, trimmed the chaeto (forgot that in the equipment list) from the back chamber once a week, emptied the skimmer cup twice a week and topped off dosing and top off jugs as needed. I did all of my maintenance during my 10min breaks during my shifts. I did a 5g water change every two weeks.