First Time saltwwater Aqurium

[cocagirl]

 Start my first tank, need to learn everything I can, would love some advise as to what i should start with. Any feed back to help me start would be great... Oh and I am only 14 so keep in mind that I do not have millions of dollars so i need to keep this average, but do have a great interest in saltwater..

[Rybren]

Try going to www.wetwebmedia.com and read everything you can (it might take a few months  )

I would also visit the sponsors and talk to them.  They'll all be more than willing to discuss getting started.  If you go through wet web first, what they'll tell you will make more sense.

Read everthing you can and go slowly.

[Vincenzo.]

whats your budget? size of tank? sump? fuge? skimmer? lighting? reef tank? FOWLR?

[cocagirl]

I am thinking about doing a biocube. As far as what I would put in it I would like to research more on different fish and coral.

[salvini55]

Ahhh, another smart reefer! Research is key in this hobby. Biocubes are nice but think about starting bigger. More water = easy life. Obviously you are still in school, so time is another factor. Smaller set ups will require closer monitoring. Lots of good cheap deals in the classifieds.

Good luck and keep us posted.

[sdivell]

Welcome to the club!

Research like crazy, read on the net, read on this forum, ask lots of questions.  Also, check out our local libraries.  You'd be they have a few pretty good books available.

Look forward to see what you end up starting!

[Tyler.L]

scary thing i even with a small tank you can drop alot of money onto it lol but yeah an all in one tank is pretty good, christmas is coming ask for the 24g aquapod, 29g biocube, or the 34g solana....solana is expensive but its the best tank out there in my opinion and begging also works parents over pretty good and you can tell them it will help them relax also lol just try to sell them on a tank badly....

[cocagirl]

Thanks i will ask but I would love to start with the smallest tank I can,and work my way into a bigger tanks.I wanted to know if a starfish can go with a blue tang into the same tank ? and what is 24g aquapod? witch one is better? Oh ans what is a  Flatworm?

[winston199]

About a 29 bio cube is a good start, but the fish you want to put in it is a big no no a tang needs a larger home. look at smaller fish to start with.

[bluepointer]

You won't be able to have a tang in any of those tanks (need lots of space, not reef safe), nor most starfish if you wanted any corals (many starfish eat coral or will require a very large sand bed to prevent starving to death). Look into clownfish (like nemo), dartfish, gobies. You should also think only about soft corals that are quite hardy like mushrooms, leathers. You could also get a shrimp, some hermit crab, maybe a porcelain crab. ALWAYS read up on the needs of an animal before buying it. This is exceptionally important in marine tanks, animals can starve or kill each other if you do not make sure your tank is compatible. Also many corals need certain desitance between other corals otherwise they will engage in "chemical/physicla warfare" and sting neighbours to death. That is why I recommend you follow the repeated iterations about reading a LOT before buying. Also intially stick to animals like those mentioned above, I think you will be very happy with them and if you enjoy the hobby and stay in it for a while you can upgrade to a larger more complicated tank.

[sdivell]

Thanks i will ask but I would love to start with the smallest tank I can,and work my way into a bigger tanks.I wanted to know if a starfish can go with a blue tang into the same tank ? and what is 24g aquapod? witch one is better? Oh ans what is a  Flatworm?

Starting small is fine, it will be a challange to keep what water quality up, as very slight changes are multiplied due to the small size.

A blue tang requires a min. 70g tank or bigger, it is really a large fish (up to 1 foot) which requires a lot of space to swim.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=15+43+330&pcatid=330

24g aquapod is an all in one type of tank, it has built in lights, and filtration system.  Pretty close to plug & play.  A lot of the local dealers carry them.
http://www.ecrater.com/product.php?pid=3684552

a flat worm is a reef pest, they sit ontop of corals and deprive them of light... you dont want them
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/general.cfm?general_pagesid=362

[10gnano]

dont listen to these guys. my tank is a 15 gallon and my paramiters are always great and i have lots of corals. and 2 fish

[salvini55]

not trying to discurage anyone. Its your tank, its your hobby, its your plan! so do it your way!

[Vincenzo.]

my 8gal i have never had a problem with. scary thing is ive prolly dropped about a grand in it :/

[cocagirl]

My parents have told me to look at the solana tank or a bio cube. any suggestions on which is better and why

[Tyler.L]

Solana....hands down! its rimless and its just "the" tank that everyone has to have....i would start over with a solana if i had the money but i have a 24g aquapod....the solana stand and the tank its self are just gorgeous so my vote is for the solana 100%

[Dave and Diane]

Another choice is the Red Sea series, the RSM130, RSM130D, or even the RSM250.

It gives the first time a introduction to the salt hobby with a complete all in one set up.

Here is a link to a forum for Red Sea Owners, it list a few modifications that can be done that are not expensive.

http://www.reefsanctuary.com/forums/red-sea-max-owners-club/

Also some of the advantages and some disadvantages, as per all set ups there are pro's and con's.

Best of luck with whatever your choice will be.

Just remember to take it Slow.

[Hookup]

What's the end-result your looking for with your setup?  Any ideas?   Personally, I think this is the most important part... you need to figure out what it is that you want to do, then work within your budget to achieve that, or close.   Check out some of the nano reef tank sites to get an idea what can be achieved in such a small tank...

The Solana tanks are close to a work of art just begging for the bright colors of salt water fish and corals.  If at all possible, that is the tank you want IMHO, though I do not run a nano-system, they are by far the nicest i've seen (for my tastes).

[cocagirl]

although the red sea max is a nice looking tank and all in one system, it does have down falls with some features.

I would like to have bright fish, and be able to keep my elephant ear that is in my parents tank. My parents have alot of hard coral and i know they need special lighting like T5, but that is out of my budget, to start with a tank like there's

[mikerobart]

For sure the solana or biocube is a good way to start imo. True it can be easier in terms of maintaining water quality to have a larger tank, and a sump etc but I assume if you want to set most of this up yourself you want to stay with a pretty much plug and play, all in one system.

The solana is an awesome looking all in one unit but might be pricey as well.

If you are truly dedicated to doing water changes and testing water parameters no reason you can not find a budget friendly set up in the classifieds here. But, as hookup mentioned, you need to know exactly what type of fish and or coral you want to keep and also your budget. These will really be the determining factors in what you purchase!

My first tank was a 29g eclipse that I put a 65w power compact retrofit in and I had 4 or 5 colourful fish, a bunch of softies and lps coral and various inverts with no problems and good water quality. Also, I was running skimmerless and using basically water changes, carbon filtration and the live rock and sand to keep things in check and it worked great! People who mentioned looking in the classifieds here I agree that is a great idea. But, before you jump on a great deal write down what it is you want to keep in your system and think about budget.