hello living reefs

saltaqariumnoob

saltaqariumnoob

imaginative reefer
hey guys,
i joined this forum before getting anything saltwater because i heard you guys were very helpful and friendly, so with that being said, i am looking to get into saltwater, i have a 29 gallon freshwater tank already with 2 tiger oscar cichlids, and i love them, however i want to get into saltwater because, i work in the aquatics department at the petco near my house, and i have to say taking care of the saltwater fish is the highlight of my day, so ive decided i want my own, when i start i wanna get a 55 gallon, so here are some new person questions:

What are the best fish to start with?

should i start with coral?

are anenomes good for beginners?

i make good money at work, but how much am i looking at for everything?






thanks guys :)
 
Hello and welcome to the site! We're glad you joined us and are asking questions before you start. :)

There are lots of easy fish to start with. But the fish you're able to keep mainly depends on tank size. A 55 gallon is a good size tank to start with, but if you plan on keeping tangs, for example, they are too large for that size tank. Smaller fish like clowns, gobies, blennies, cardinals and dwarf angels will be fine in a 55. Stocking rules for saltwater differ than for freshwater. For saltwater, plan on 1 fish per 10 gallons, give or take a fish.

Unfortunately, Petco doesn't sell a lot of equipment that is appropriate for saltwater. Even their stuff marked for saltwater really isn't -- for example, canister filters and power filters. You'll want to stay away from those.

If you want to keep corals, you will have to have special lights. Petco doesn't sell lights that are sufficient for reef tanks -- you'll have to buy them at a saltwater specialty store (LFS) or order them online. Lights are expensive. For a 55 gallon tank, a new set of lights will cost around $300 or so. You can get good deals by checking Craig's List for used equipment though.

You will also need a protein skimmer. I think the only skimmers that Petco sells are SeaClones and maybe Red Sea Prizms? You will want to stay away from those brands. They are very poor quality. A good brand for protein skimmer is Octopus. You can find them at Aquarium Supplies, Aquarium Supply, Aquarium Equipment, AquaCave.com Offers, Discount Fish Tanks & Fish Tank Supplies for Saltwater, Marine, Coral Reef Guide, Freshwater Aquarium.

Anemones require even higher lighting and better water quality than corals. They also usually don't survive in newly set up tanks. I'd recommend you wait at least a year before considering an anemone.

It's hard to say how much things will cost. If you start out without expensive lights, you can keep fish only at first, and save up and get lights and corals eventually. Live rock is one of the most important components of a saltwater tank, and you should have 1 to 2 lbs per gallon, so in a 55 gallon tank, 50 to 100 lbs of live rock. You can save money by buying part live rock, part dry (base) rock. The base rock will eventually be seeded with the live rock and it will turn live.

Rock is also cheaper to get online than in stores.
 
wow, quick reply, thanks so much for the great advice, im a little dissapointed that tangs are too small for a 55 gal cuz they r my favorite ): but i love dwarf angels and clownfish, so that will be ok, and also are picasso triggerfish too big for a 55 as well? cause we have on at the store and i really love him
 
Yeah, triggers will outgrow a 55 very quickly. If you want to keep tangs and small triggers, you may want to look at something like a 90 gallon tank. They are still 48" long, so the same length as a 55. They are just wider and deeper, so you can keep some bigger fish in them.
 
If you have a large city nearby, you can find great deals on Craig's List. Lots of people are getting out of the hobby and selling off entire systems for a fraction of what they would cost new. A lot of them come with really good quality equipment -- lots of them come with rock, sand and even livestock. And things like skimmers and lights don't work necessarily work better because they are new. Used equipment is just as good, especially if you are on a budget.
 
I started with a 55 and will be upgrading to a 180 just because I really want Tangs and some bigger fish...and to have a HUGE garden of Coral. (Craigslist is where I found my 180)

And I looked at PetCo and PetSmart, they really had nothing for Saltwater.

Best of luck to you!
 

Similar threads

F
New to marine.
Replies
2
Views
1K
kbuser92
kbuser92
Mike
  • Sticky
New Member (Owner 😲)
Replies
0
Views
702
Mike
Mike
R
Reddish brown algae growing on sand
Replies
0
Views
2K
Rayb
R
Mike
We're Back!
Replies
0
Views
625
Mike
Mike
Sper0332
New to Living Reefs
Replies
2
Views
899
Ian
Ian
Back
Top