marine is it hard???

is marine aquariums hard i dont want much just a couple of nice slatwater fish i dont no them yet so bare with me and i would like to put in some annemoes and coral how much would it be to do this in a 35 gallon like filters heaters becuase i priced it out for fresh and it will cost me 250 bucks so im willing to go about 350-400 would this work thx.

 

A saltwater setup is pretty expensive. You could spend $300 on the fish alone. To really set up a marine tank, you'd have to not only have to set up the saltwater and get the fish, but it would be a good idea for you to have live rock (coral) to help balance your water levels. Live rock can be pretty pricey too.

Hopefully someone here has experience with marine tanks and could give you a rough idea of cost for the essentials.

 

Salt water tanks get pretty expensive. Here's a list of some essentials.

1.)Protein Skimmer:$100.00-$250.00

2.)Power Head:$12.00-$30.00

3.)Saltwater test kit:$17.00-$40.00

4.)Hydrometer:$6.00-$15.00 TOTAL:minimum:$125.00-$335.00

5.)Live Rock:$ Alot of different prices. Allthough Live Rock is not manditory it helps out alot and maks your job easier.

If you wanted to get some Coral and Anemones than you would need to upgrade your lighting. A beginner to saltwater shouldn't get corals or Anemones until they have experience with saltwater fish and the chemistry. Saltwater looks and sounds very difficult, but if you get all the right equitpment and do alot of research its not too difficult and not to mention the enjoyment. Good luck with your saltwater tank('').

 

I would also add that saltwater is EASIER to maintain after about 4 months or so. There is far less cleaning and there are far fewer problems.

However, no one has mentioned that a 35 gallon tank might be just a bit too small to really establish any reef presence as well as adding fish. Most forums/LFS that I've spoken with seem to say 50 gallons minimum to do a reef/fish combo tank.

 

not entirely true, people have done far smaller reef/fish tanks than a 35 gallon. I have a 20 gallon reef myself. But your fish and corals are limited... and I'd opt for not getting an anemone (they just get too big for that tank and will sting corals and kill them) but you could definately do a pair of percs or a firefish cardinalfish combo, or a royal gramma. All are good nano fish. Be prepared to do a lot of reading as reef systems are not the easiest. Also you are looking at 200 dollars for a good lighting system. Research and patients = success. A good reef tank takes about a year and a half to be complete.

 

around here live rock is 6-8 $/lb. if you are going to definitely do reef then yes get the skimmer now. but think about it...corals are very expensive and very difficult to keep. so if this is your first tank then i wouldn't. get a few fish first and learn the ropes. i've been doing this all my life (sw for 2 yrs.) and i'm still not comfortable enough to make the reef jump (aside from that i am a college student and funds are limited). so if you don't do reef then spend the money on a nice canister or power filter instead of the skimmer. there are hardcore naturalists out there who say that with the correct amt. of LR (1.5-2 lbs per gallon) that you don't even need a filter. just a powerhead. this method works but the amount of rock you need would be in the neigborhood of $360. that's all you said you wanted to spend. but again if it is your first tank and your inexperienced...just get a nice filter.

so here it is:

HEATER: 150 watts $15-20

skimmer: $100 for a crappy one

LR: 52 lbs min. @ $7/lb = $370
VS.
Filter: Aquaclear50 = $18

powerhead: $20 got prices on dry goods from Aquariumguys.cum

test kit: $30

hydrometer: $10

Min w/o LR or skimmer= $85 Min w/ LR & skimmer= $550

so you could go the way i have laid out and add live rock as you go (recomended if you don't have the cash now)...and all this is before fish.

 

A 50 gallon tank is not the minimum size tank to have a reef/fish combo. You can have a Nano-reef with as little as 2.5 gallons,but you are limited in such a small tank like maybe 1 Green Clown Goby, a few snails,a few crabs, and a assortment of corals if you have enough light that is.

 

I own a 75 gallon reef setup. It is pretty hard to maintain for the first few months but after that water reading and things like that are your only worries. The minimal tank size is controversial. As previously mentioned nano aquariums are small and great but limit the fish you can own. Most people who intend to set up a 30 gallon dont realize these fish come from the ocean, think about it and your gonig tot ake a fish that had the whole open ocean and put it in a 30 gallon tank? Thtas like a drop of the ocean, and msot novice aquarists think theyre gonigf to set up a 30 and put a nice yellow tang in there becausde they like it and its a beautiful fish, that grows to be 8 inches long and needs MINIMUM 70 gallons. Really in a 30 gallon your extremely limited as far as fish go because most need at the very least 50 gallons at least the bigger more beautiful ones most people get into salt water for. I dont want to sound like I am yelling here but I hate to see people go and spend 50 dollars on a fish to see it die due to tank problems. You really need to research again and again before you make the commitment. My 75 gallon set up cost me over 2 grand just to start thats not counting live rock fish and corals. Anyone feel free to follow me up on my opinions here. -tl

 

THIS IS WHEN IT WAS FIRST SET UP






THIS IS IT NOW. crappy pic I used flash. -tl

 

I totally agree with you tski. Saltwater aquariums take alot of commitment and not to mention money. I tell alot of people who are interested in saltwater aquariums is to research, and then research some more.

 

Yeah actually the pic of the tank I psoted isnt very recent it was the only one on photbucket I had. I will take another to post I jsut recently purchased a breeding marron clown pair and a saddle anemone for them, the cost... 130$!!! Theyre beautiful and the anemone is a good size. I will get a more recent pic I dont like that one I psotedthe tabk is really clean it looks more like the first one. -tl

 

Everything all of you have mentioned is very true. What I haven't heard is the importance of finding a great local fish shop. Look at the shops set ups and you can tell if the owner is good and knows what they are doing.
Once you find a reputable dealer, you can take great advice from the very place that you are spending your money at. My local guy will not hesitate going over to your house, or wherever your tank is, free of charge. Any tank problems that I may have, are also his problems ...and he is glad to help.

 

Hi dude412, While you can set up smaller marine tanks, tanks smaller than 50 gallons are extremely difficult to keep the water balanced. Also a marine tank will keep you tied down pretty much. You can't use weekend feeders in a marine tank, so if you're going on vacation or away for the weekend you'll need to find someone to take care of the tank while you are gone.

 

yeah but i don't think that the 50 gal rule is true. while it is easier, there aren't cosistant troubles with smaller ones. i've got a 30 that is just fine. i don't spend any more time on it than i did when my 55 was marine. and no it's not in worse condition. it is easier for something to go wrong but you just have to be careful any way you go.

 

basically usually nanos are more work. 30 gallons I don't consider Nano... I'd say its a good size to start out with. If you leave for a weekend, most fish won't need to be fed. If you leave for a week, even then its not the worst, fatten them up have someone feed them mid week and then feed them quite a bit when you get home (or just get an automatic feeder). Also liverock/skimmer will settle a lot of your chemistry woes, as will buying di/ro water.

 

i hvae priced out suplys minus fish etc. i found out a skilter lol its a filter and protein skimmer its 150.00 i am going to save up 500$ plus my patents are going to chip in i think i will be olk money wise i was intrested in gobys,crabs,helmet cowfish(not reef safe) i no i have looked really into it any suggestions woulkd be great thx

 

watch out for any type of boxfish. they can be toxic and if they get too stressed will emit a toxin and kill everything. i've never had a akilter but i have heard pretty good things exept that the skimmer can be pretty noisy. the people i know that have them just turn the skimmer on at night or during the day while they are gone.

 

Skilters are not the greatest. Don't invest in one, just go with a good skimmer and live rock instead. Also boxfish aren't the greatest as they are tank nukers. Remember you don't want to get things (such as a filter, or crushed coral) that will trap nitrates. This will ensure long term success and you will avoid "old tank syndrome" :y_the_best: