Hello, freshwater geek taking the plunge further... =)

Musicmanmoses

Freshwater gone rogue
Hello! I've been keeping freshwater planted tanks for a number of years and have finally decided to jump further into the hobby with a salt water setup! My current 40b will soon be emptied into a 75 and I'm looking to start of the 40 as a fowlr and slowly work my way up the system. I have a 10g sw that I set up a month ago just to get my feet wet and start (so to speak) and to start seeding some live rock! I really just set up the 10 to get a feel for sw before I took the plunge with the 40.

I've been skulking around the site, reading what I could, but I think I'd still like to run my base plan by all the wonderfully knowledgeable people I've seen posting around this site! I'm absolutely entranced by the symbiotic relationships that form in nature. The two goals I have so far for this tank are to keep a pair of clowns / anemone and a pistol shrimp / goby. Anything else is up in the air.

For lighting, I was thinking about getting a pair of ecoxotic par38 bulbs and using them as the main lights. I actually like the spot light-like look that they seem to make. (Makes me think of sunrays beaming down into deeper water!)

So far, that seems to be where I'm at! Thanks sooooo much for any help anyone can offer! :D
 
Hello and welcome to the site...glad to have you aboard. Fyi, anemones need very mature, stable water conditions, so I'd hold off getting one for awhile. :)
 
Welcome to the site. I would just like to add that a lot of equipment for fresh water doesnt transfer over to salt. It is a completely different beast. It is best to start slow and ask questions.
 
Hello and Welcome!

+1 Everyone, especially about the nem/clowns. Plus there is no guarantee the clowns will even be hosted by the nem. Clownfish have a well deserved name, they are funny creatures.

If you can find a shrimp and goby that are already paired up that is actually a pretty good starting combo. They dont often pair up if you just add them to the tank at separate times
 
Thanks everyone! As for equipment, what all would I need to start out? I don't think I'll be able to have a sump right away. (possibly in the future). I know I need to invest in a decent protein skimmer and I would like to get a pair of par38's to start off with for the lights. Is there anything else I need initially? I'm still in the planning stages for this 40b, so I thought it would be best if I just ask now! =)
 
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I would look into octopus brand skimmers, they are one of the best for a good price. Avoid sea clone skimmers. They aren't worth the plastic they are made of. As for other equipment, a 40 gallon tank would run fine with just a skimmer, and 60-80 pounds of live rock. Canister filters aren't really beneficial to salt water tanks. They tend to collect waste and cause nitrate problems. Which aren't that horrible in fish only systems, but corals can be very succeptable to bad water levels.

Also, avoid crushed coral as a substrate, look for aragonite sand. Crushed coral collects uneaten food and :pooh: which causes nitrate problems.

Look into an RO/DI unit. This make pure water for your tank. You can get a good one for about 150 or so. Tap water has all kinds of nasty stuff in it.
 
HI there! This site is great. I got into the hobby about 9 months ago and the forums have helped me A LOT. +1 on waiting for the nem. I got one WAY to fast and it almost died before I was able to get him back the LFS so they could save him. When you do get the clownfish and nem, look for one that is already paired up at the fish store. usually this will carry over. If you are starting out small, you really only need some power head for current and the heater. Your live rock should do most of the filtering. Also, I came from a FW background too so this is what I noticed right off the bat. You are going to need a Clean Up Crew (CUC). This is a bunch of snails and crabs. They do what your pleco does in you FW tank. As for your PAR lights, they are a great option for a FOWLR tanks but you will probably need to upgrade to something stronger if you want to do corals. Check out Bulk Reef Supply, they have a really good video series on how to setup a reef tank. Go slow, ask tons of questions, have fun!

Casey

(Oh and pics when you can, we all like to see tanks!)
 
As for your PAR lights, they are a great option for a FOWLR tanks but you will probably need to upgrade to something stronger if you want to do corals.

Par38 LED bulbs, when used correctly are more than capable of supporting corals. I dont know the dimensions of a 40 breeder, so its possible that more than two would be needed for proper coverage, but they are definitely a viable choice

To the OP - welcome to the site!
 
Thanks everyone for all the warm welcomes and great info!!! I'll start a tank thread when I get this tank up and underway. (and it's current contents into the 75, lol)
 
Par38 LED bulbs, when used correctly are more than capable of supporting corals. I dont know the dimensions of a 40 breeder, so its possible that more than two would be needed for proper coverage, but they are definitely a viable choice

I was planning on having two main islands (possibly with an arch between the two) and having each of the par 38 led's shining down on each island. I don't mind if there are dark spots, as I actually like how that looks. Most of the corals that I seem to be attracted are zoa's and soft coral, but I will cross the coral keeping side once I get the hang of keeping fish alive in a fowlr! :sfish:
 
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