Help meeeee (so i don't mess it up)

[hibye]

yeah clownfish are omnivore,im a caniviore,and bifferwines a herbivore make sense now

 

[fishbait]

have you considered the nano aquariums? you can get something like a 10 or 20 gallon at most places for under 200 dollars. they come with powerheads, wet/dry type filters and the necessary lighting for most soft and lps corals. a nano type skimmer can even be purchased for 20 to 40 bucks. they are a great starter tank to get your hands salty with. (as opposed to getting your feet wet:) )
be sure and research every fishes needs before purchasing. like biff said tangs need at least a 55 gallon. that's if it's not crowded with rocks, corals and other fish. i personally would go way bigger than that. there are tons of small fish that are beutiful and easy to keep. there are tons of websites that sell them to give you an idea. most will tell you recomended tank size for the fish and such. just don't let the internet prices scare you to death. most lfs's sell them waaay cheaper than what they are online.

 

[bubbasfishinco]

i started with a free tank from my dads friend bc he was movein it was a 55 so it was pretty slow getin started but now im at a 250 and it pretty easy to keep up bot the water changs is what gets me bc i do about a 30-45 gal. water change but otherwise is a pice of cake

 

[jermpool]

You'll be able to use the hood that comes with the walmart tank until you get ready for corals. Just get a 50/50 bulb for it.

If you have a Petsmart close by check out there tanks before you get the walmart one. I don't think the filter that comes with the walmart tank will be big enough. I have experienced better results with oversized power filters than having one rated for the size tank you have. If you can get their 29 tank with hood and order you a power filter and heater from an online store, cause they are cheaper. I recomend this one in the 350 size: Aquarium Power Filters: Marineland Penguin BIO-Wheel Power Filters
I had one on a 20 gal tank and had excellent results.

One last thing PATIENCE IS A MUST in saltwater. No patience=disaster. Most everyone on here will agree with that.

 

[jermpool]

Oh yeah try and find a local reef club to join they can be a real help, and maybe even have members with some equipment and possibly a tank to help you get started.

 

[hibye]

yeah jerm i love those filters i have three of them two 20 gals on my two 10s and a big one on my 30

 

[DesoShade]

Thanks for the help everyone. I'm getting my tank today. Probably from walmart. Now about filling the tank, i probably shouldn't use treated/dechorinated tap water for saltwater fish right? So I'll most likely buy water. Should I get spring or distilled water? Would it be a good idea to get my water from a local spring? Creek/river? Lake?

 

[DesoShade]

Thanks for the link jerm. I might order that one in a few weeks. It's only about 17 bucks.

 

[yote]

Use the distilled water.Or better yet,while your at wal-mart get the water out of the RO machine.Its only 33 cents a gallon.

 

[DesoShade]

Speaking of water, for the cycling process (i'm going fishless), can I use old water from my 10 gal freshwater aquarium to aid in the growth of bacteria?

 

[yote]

Nope.Just drop in a raw table shrimp and let it rot.

 

[DesoShade]

raw table shrimp?

 

[yote]

Yep,The kind you buy to cook.

 

[DesoShade]

hum. Interesting. My first fish will probably be clown fish since they are hardy and damsels are aggressive (i want peaceful fish). will it be ok to ad just one clownfish? or do they need to be kept in groups?

 

[yote]

AFTER your tanks cycled.You can add a couple of clowns.Or add one and a few weeks later add another smaller clown.

 

[Bifferwine]

Definitely don't use water from your freshwater tank! Bacterial colonies that live in saltwater and freshwater are different. Like Yote said, use a piece of shrimp to cycle it. As it decomposes, the tank will cycle. Ammonia will rise, then nitrites will rise. Then nitrates will rise. Once ammonia and nitrites are back at zero, do a water change (nitrates won't drop on their own). Then you can add a clownfish. I would add just one to start. They are usually happier on their own anyways. You can try to add a second one later on if you want, but sometimes they'll fight.

 

[DesoShade]

Nooooo! :( I just went to the store and bought a 30 gallon aquarium. I was going to place it on my dresser, but it won't fit. :( my dresser is 34 inches long and the tank is 36 inches long! :( I don't have enough money OR enough room in my apartment to buy a stand for it. I duno what to do now. They have some taller/deeper 30 gallon aquariums, but i wanted the longer one and I hear it's better for the fish. Drats. I don't know what to do now. the tank is 2 inches longer than my dresser. uugh.

 

[hibye]

hmm idont no about your problem but stop changing your avatar find a good one and keep it for a while

 

[DesoShade]

hey, didn't you just change your avatar too? and what's with the bird? birds eat fish. For shame. :)

 

[hibye]

yeah but thats a like once a month or longer plus cockitiels eat seeds ,fruit,vegitables


biff are all your pets curiuos just curios