New to saltwater... so, so, lost

[slk93]

I'm deciding to "make the switch" over to saltwater finally!

I really don't have any idea how to get started but have the motivation, determination, and patience to get it going.

Reading pages on the internet don't really help either, it just makes me even more confused. :shock:

All I currently have is a 29 gallon tank 30"L x 12½"W x 17"H (no hood, filters, bubbles, etc.)

soooo... I need to know:

A) EXACTLY EVERYTHING I NEED - please be very specific

B) HOW TO GET STARTED - again... specific

be aware... i'm on a fairly tight budget... so I'm not looking for an extravagent copy of the barrier reef. I'm mainly just looking for a little tank that gets the job done, to hold the residences of 2-3 Ocellaris Clownfish


Many Thanks in Advance!!

 

[cgoodman381]

I would start here
http://forum.marinedepot.com/Topic23945-9-1.aspx

 

[Bifferwine]

Hi and welcome. You will need:

- sand (one to two inches deep on the bottom of your tank)
- live rock (1 to 2 lbs per gallon, so 30 to 60 lbs for your tank)
- salt -- the best brans, IMO, are Oceanic, Kent Marine and SeaChem Reef
- RODI water (not tap!!!). You can buy RODI water from a fish store, grocery store or Walmart
- lights (if you want corals, you will need special lights. If you want fish only, no special lights are needed, a regular old fluorescent strip light will be fine)
- filtration (protein skimmer is preferable, but for a small tank like yours, a hang on back filter will work okay too)
- test kits (most important ones: pH, alkalinity, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate)
- a hydrometer or refractometer (for measuring salinity of the water)
- a heater (need to keep your tank at 76 to 80 degrees)
- 1 or 2 powerheads (saltwater tanks need a lot of flow. The MaxiJet brand is reliable and cheap)

I think that's about it. Others will chime in.

 

[dustin_P74]

we have a thread going right now on this exact subject on a 20g tank here

 

[yote]

You can save money by using base rock to start.It cost about a 3rd of what live rock does.Then you'd just need a decent sized live rock to seed the base.

 

[hibye]

Here is what you need if you want corals and fish imo
http://www.aquatraders.com/hang-onrefugiumwithproteinskimmer14smallwo.aspx
http://www.aquatraders.com/1324wcompactfluorescentlightfixture.aspx
http://www.aquatraders.com/ex250pspowerheadcomeswspongeandstrainerkit.aspx
http://www.aquatraders.com/30130w2-65wattdualstripcompactfluorescentlightfixture.aspx

Fish only
GEt the skileter it is a skimer and a filter combined I have it on my 29 gallon and RgioSharon told me a mod and it works great.
http://pet-supplies.drsfostersmith....hod=and&af=cat1:fish type:product&isort=score
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3733+13612&pcatid=13612

 

[daugherty]

i am just going to say you get what you pay for in this hobby if you go cheap on everything you are going to be replacint it down the road because it was cheap crap before you buy anything research it first. sorry hibye but those lights are not even UL listed

 

[hibye]

what is UL?

 

[daugherty]

ul listed means that is has been tested safe for electrical things such as starting fires if you go and buy lights of wall sockets that are not ul listed it very well could start a fire.

 

[dustin_P74]

also hibye why did you link to two different light fixture

 

[kosmo]

i am just going to say you get what you pay for in this hobby if you go cheap on everything you are going to be replacint it down the road because it was cheap crap before you buy anything research it first. sorry hibye but those lights are not even UL listed

Daugherty is right in this regard, money dictates a great deal what you will or will not be able to do with your tank. I think it should be said however that there are ways to save money and to still create something you’re proud of and looks great. Firstly if you’re handy with a saw and glue I’d suggest doing a fair bit of DIY (do it yourself) work. When you make something you get exactly what you want and the feeling of knowing you actually made something functional on your own… and you save money! Prime examples of this would be a sump, easy to make inexpensively, lots of how-to’s on the net and its tons of fun!

When I first came into the game I made the mistake (and I’ve made plenty since) to try and get everything at once, spend spend spend and expect to have a perfect tank in a matter of months. It doesn’t work like that, building a successful reef is something that will take a lot of time and patience. To that end, although you do very much get what you pay for, in order to start (and are willing to invest in the long run) save some money and buy less expensive equipment and upgrade over time. A reef tank is always a work in progress and is a learning experience.

I’ll be honest, one thing that bugs me about this hobby (however, I must say this community is outstanding and I have yet to see this apply here) is that you must own the biggest and best of everything if you want it to work which is simply not the case. The cheaper products work, there are very few that downright don’t work. If you spend more money the equipment gets better and is more effective… but it all works.

My suggestion to anyone is to take the time to read a lot and figure out what you want before you spend I dime. Create an overview of what you want in your tank, equipment, size, space requirements, lights, sumps, filters, plumbing, etc. You will learn more doing research then you will through trial and error… it’s cheaper too. Everyone has an opinion and you will hear different things no matter where you go and what you read. Take it slow and follow one simple rule. K.I.S.S…. KEEP IT SIMPLE STOOPID!

Good luck and we’re all here to help.

Kosmo