List of Questions...

[ClownKeeper]

First of all let me apologise for whats going to be a list of questions that will probably seem obvious. There's quite a few things I'm not sure about and as I have a tendency to worry about every detail I need to ask these things.

- Will most filters work for saltwater is there a special kind you need to get?

- I plan on having a fish only with live rock tank, what wattage of lights should I use?

- The tank will probably either be 20 or 30 gallons, should I get a protein skimmer for this kind of aquarium?

- I know of the rule of thumb for the amount of fish in an aquarium, I've heard it as 2 inches per gallon and 4 inches per gallon, which is closer? How do you calculate invertebrates like shrimp and urchins?

This is it for now :shock:

 

[mblack]

First of all let me apologise for whats going to be a list of questions that will probably seem obvious. There's quite a few things I'm not sure about and as I have a tendency to worry about every detail I need to ask these things.

- Will most filters work for saltwater is there a special kind you need to get?

Live rock is the most commonly used filter in a marine tank, it sits in your display tank

- I plan on having a fish only with live rock tank, what wattage of lights should I use?

If you're definitely not getting corals then it doesn't really matter. Go for t5s or power compacts

- The tank will probably either be 20 or 30 gallons, should I get a protein skimmer for this kind of aquarium?

You could get something like a Deltec MCE300

- I know of the rule of thumb for the amount of fish in an aquarium, I've heard it as 2 inches per gallon and 4 inches per gallon, which is closer? How do you calculate invertebrates like shrimp and urchins?

The inches per gallon is a very general rule. For example, 6 x 1 inch clownfish would not produce as much waste as a 6 inch tang. You must also consider how much swimming space each fish needs. In a 20-30 gallon you could probably only have about 3 small to medium fish (a dwarf angel being a medium example). For shrimps, you just need to have enough food for them i think.

This is it for now :shock:

HTH, welcome to the site.

 

[dcantucson]

Good information from mblack. I would add in regards to the lighting to get T5's instead of power compacts. That way you could add some coral later. Most feel power compacts just don't cut it.

 

[reice05]

+1 on the T-5 better to get it now incase u wanna upgrade later

 

[yote]

+2 all the above.
You might as well go with a good set of T-5s.That the colors of your fish and the rock will really stand out.

 

[cthegame]

+1 all of the above

In addition to live rock, i would also get a nice skimmer. The combination between LR & Simmer is really all the filtration you will need.

 

[Bifferwine]

I agree with what has been said already. Live rock and a protein skimmer is the way to go for filtration. Other types of filters (wet-dry, canister, power, etc) don't do a very good job in saltwater, and in fact, can worsen your water quality.