Hello, I've got a couple questions that I'm sure a few of you will find stupid haha so me and my roommates have only kept freshwater fish before, and we're considering starting a 90 gallons saltwater, still have to get everything including tank. What all will I need, how do I set it up, and how do i maintain
Only had freshwater, what do I do different
- Thread starter Tamerd
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the time it takes to get a tank well established is longer with saltwater then fresh , there are filtration needs that are different from fresh water
It is most often recommended to use a protein skimmer, you have to make sure the salinity is correct and make sure you top of for evaporation so there is not a flux in salinity .
what are some specific things you would like assistance with, what are you familiar with at this point ? ?
It is most often recommended to use a protein skimmer, you have to make sure the salinity is correct and make sure you top of for evaporation so there is not a flux in salinity .
what are some specific things you would like assistance with, what are you familiar with at this point ? ?
SynDen
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That is a VERY broad range of questions there. There is a lot more involved in keeping salt and what you plan on keeping can dramatically change how you need to setup and maintain the tank.
I also did freshwater for many years, when I decided to go salt I spent a year researching it and trying to figure out what I wanted and how to get it setup. Even with a year of prep and planning I still had no idea what I was in for. For one I knew it was going to be quite a bit more expensive then fresh but until I actually started buying things I had no idea how expensive it would be.
If I was you I would start by doing a ton of research and try and figure out exactly what kind of tank you want to keep. This can determine a lot of what kind of system you will need to setup. Almost all fish in saltwater have very specific requirements that have to be met, like size of tank, how well established the tank is, hiding spot, depth of sand in the tank ect... The well established tank part of it is a hard one for most because you have to be very patient and it can take a year or more for a tank to reach a well established point.
You also need to decide if you want to keep corals and what kind, inverts or just a fowlr system. You also need to figure out exactly what your budget range is because more then anything that can really limit how big of a system you want to setup.
I would start but reading up on any saltwater books you can find
Here are many books that we have all read that helped us get started and that we continue to use as references.
http://www.marinecolorado.org/forums/showthread.php?24630-Marine-Aquarium-Books&highlight=books
Oh and in the world of saltwater and with this club, there a NO stupid questions. Better to ask then assume because in saltwater assumption can lead to a nuked tank and thousands of dollars down the drain. So ask away.
I also did freshwater for many years, when I decided to go salt I spent a year researching it and trying to figure out what I wanted and how to get it setup. Even with a year of prep and planning I still had no idea what I was in for. For one I knew it was going to be quite a bit more expensive then fresh but until I actually started buying things I had no idea how expensive it would be.
If I was you I would start by doing a ton of research and try and figure out exactly what kind of tank you want to keep. This can determine a lot of what kind of system you will need to setup. Almost all fish in saltwater have very specific requirements that have to be met, like size of tank, how well established the tank is, hiding spot, depth of sand in the tank ect... The well established tank part of it is a hard one for most because you have to be very patient and it can take a year or more for a tank to reach a well established point.
You also need to decide if you want to keep corals and what kind, inverts or just a fowlr system. You also need to figure out exactly what your budget range is because more then anything that can really limit how big of a system you want to setup.
I would start but reading up on any saltwater books you can find
Here are many books that we have all read that helped us get started and that we continue to use as references.
http://www.marinecolorado.org/forums/showthread.php?24630-Marine-Aquarium-Books&highlight=books
Oh and in the world of saltwater and with this club, there a NO stupid questions. Better to ask then assume because in saltwater assumption can lead to a nuked tank and thousands of dollars down the drain. So ask away.
SynDen
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Elite reef is not that far and they are very knowledgeable
http://elitereef.com/
There is also Great White in fort collins who are also very awesome.
http://www.greatwhiteaquatics.com/
and a bunch of others around town. Check our sponsors tab for a list of most of them. Many of the stores (with a few exceptions) that specialize in freshwater, wont really be able to help you with saltwater questions. You will be best to go pros in salt who know their stuff, and most of those pros are club sponsors so check them out
http://elitereef.com/
There is also Great White in fort collins who are also very awesome.
http://www.greatwhiteaquatics.com/
and a bunch of others around town. Check our sponsors tab for a list of most of them. Many of the stores (with a few exceptions) that specialize in freshwater, wont really be able to help you with saltwater questions. You will be best to go pros in salt who know their stuff, and most of those pros are club sponsors so check them out
Like already mentioned, do a LOT of research. Below is a list of all the equipment and supplies that I believe are necessary for any type of saltwater tank so you can at least start pricing things.
- 90 gallon tank (get a reef ready one. External overflows suck)
- stand
- canopy or diy mesh top (not required, but some fish will carpet surf without one)
- lighting (do your research between metal halide, T5, and LED. Pick the one that suits you best)
- Sump/refugium (get the biggest one that will fit under your stand. You want a chamber that your skimmer can fit in, a chamber for growing macroalgae, and a section to put your return pump in)
- Protien skimmer (get one rated for at least 120 gallons with a 150 gallon rating ideal)
- Heater (two 150W heaters is plenty for that size tank)
- Circulation pumps (hydor korelia and jebao wp25 are good entry level, but go with tunze or vortech os you have the cash)
- Return pump (decide between submersible or external. You will need around 1200 gph for that size tank)
- Sand (make sure it is aragonite. Home depot sand or freshwater fish sand will not work)
- live rock (should be purchased only when the entire tank is set up, leak tested, and filled with heated saltwater. You will want between 60-100 lbs depending on how you want to aquascape)
- testing equipment (at minimum you will need a refractometer, and test solutions for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH, alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium)
These are optional things that will make your life a lot easier.
- auto top off system (automatically replaces evaporated water with fresh water from a reservoir)
- RODI system (reverse osmosis system. Will save you tons of money in the long run and save you from hauling jugs of rodi water from the fish store)
- aquarium controller (used to automate and monitor the system)
- chiller (can sometimes be necessary in summer if your house gets hot in the summer and fans cant keep up)
If you ever want to talk in person and see how everything works, feel free to send me a PM. I live in westminster, so Im not too far away from ya.
- 90 gallon tank (get a reef ready one. External overflows suck)
- stand
- canopy or diy mesh top (not required, but some fish will carpet surf without one)
- lighting (do your research between metal halide, T5, and LED. Pick the one that suits you best)
- Sump/refugium (get the biggest one that will fit under your stand. You want a chamber that your skimmer can fit in, a chamber for growing macroalgae, and a section to put your return pump in)
- Protien skimmer (get one rated for at least 120 gallons with a 150 gallon rating ideal)
- Heater (two 150W heaters is plenty for that size tank)
- Circulation pumps (hydor korelia and jebao wp25 are good entry level, but go with tunze or vortech os you have the cash)
- Return pump (decide between submersible or external. You will need around 1200 gph for that size tank)
- Sand (make sure it is aragonite. Home depot sand or freshwater fish sand will not work)
- live rock (should be purchased only when the entire tank is set up, leak tested, and filled with heated saltwater. You will want between 60-100 lbs depending on how you want to aquascape)
- testing equipment (at minimum you will need a refractometer, and test solutions for ammonia, nitrate, nitrite, pH, alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium)
These are optional things that will make your life a lot easier.
- auto top off system (automatically replaces evaporated water with fresh water from a reservoir)
- RODI system (reverse osmosis system. Will save you tons of money in the long run and save you from hauling jugs of rodi water from the fish store)
- aquarium controller (used to automate and monitor the system)
- chiller (can sometimes be necessary in summer if your house gets hot in the summer and fans cant keep up)
If you ever want to talk in person and see how everything works, feel free to send me a PM. I live in westminster, so Im not too far away from ya.
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I too just started a tank a few months ago and am still going through the cycling process and steep learning curve with little advance knowledge. If you have any questions, please feel free to pm me and I will be glad to help out any way I can.
With that being said, these guys are the greatest group and will help out however they can without complaint. They definitely want to see you succeed! What they have stated so far is the majority of what you are looking at so read and heed.
On another note, there is a tank and some other stuff on sale here on the forums under the equip for sale section for only $375 AND it's a 90g like you are looking for. Keep an eye out in there. There are always good deals
Have fun and good luck! :eyebrows:
With that being said, these guys are the greatest group and will help out however they can without complaint. They definitely want to see you succeed! What they have stated so far is the majority of what you are looking at so read and heed.
On another note, there is a tank and some other stuff on sale here on the forums under the equip for sale section for only $375 AND it's a 90g like you are looking for. Keep an eye out in there. There are always good deals
Have fun and good luck! :eyebrows:
Here is some reading material for you so it can fill in the blanks for you:
http://www.thereeftank.com/blog/setting-up-your-saltwater-aquarium/
http://www.tfhmagazine.com/saltwate...etting-started-in-the-reef-aquarium-hobby.htm
and one of the best sources of information out there http://reefkeeping.com/
I would start by reading those and then asking questions after that to fill in some blank areas.
http://www.thereeftank.com/blog/setting-up-your-saltwater-aquarium/
http://www.tfhmagazine.com/saltwate...etting-started-in-the-reef-aquarium-hobby.htm
and one of the best sources of information out there http://reefkeeping.com/
I would start by reading those and then asking questions after that to fill in some blank areas.
First of all, welcome! There are many different types of systems to consider, do you want a fish only system, hard coral, soft coral, mixed reef, or a run amok algae system. There are a lot of similarities in salt water systems, and many different ways to run them, and many reasons we use the equipment we use. Salt water systems are generally unique to the people that run them, the inhabitants we keep, and the means available, including knowledge and budget. There is a wealth of knowledge in this club, and as many opinions as members. You've already taken the most important step, opening a dialog, now it is a matter of pinpointing what you want out of "salt water". Do a little research, ask some questions, and find out if this addicting hobby is what your looking for.
Welcome to the hobby! I started a saltwater tank after only doing freshwater and I can say it is immensely different. Granted, I only ever did a 10 gallon with some tetras.
Main advice I have is do research, lots and lots of research. Visit stores to see their displays and take note about what you like. You may start thinking you just want to have some fish. I encourage you to check out Elite Reef to see some of their corals and setups. While you can modify a tank to handle corals, it's a lot easier to set it up with that in mind.
I think I bought my tank and it sat for about 2 months before I finally bought equipment. There is a lot to know and a lot you won't really understand until you jump in.
If there is a way to buy a pre-drilled tank or have it drilled, do it. Setting up an overflow after the fact is a bit of a pain.
Main advice I have is do research, lots and lots of research. Visit stores to see their displays and take note about what you like. You may start thinking you just want to have some fish. I encourage you to check out Elite Reef to see some of their corals and setups. While you can modify a tank to handle corals, it's a lot easier to set it up with that in mind.
I think I bought my tank and it sat for about 2 months before I finally bought equipment. There is a lot to know and a lot you won't really understand until you jump in.
If there is a way to buy a pre-drilled tank or have it drilled, do it. Setting up an overflow after the fact is a bit of a pain.
SynDen
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+100 When I made the switch from fresh to salt, I knew that salt was going to be more expensive. I figured it would be about 10x more expensive, but the further you get in the more you realize it is more like 100x more expensive. None the less saltwater is also 100x more addictive and fascinating. There is an endless amount of information to learn and it is worth every penny, but be prepared for some sticker shock. Every time you need something for the tank it will be 200-500
Research, Research, Research! When I first started, I did no research. Everything and I mean everything died... Fast forward 6 years and a ton of research, my newly started 40B (upgrade from my 14Biocube) is running like a champ.
Oh you'll need a lot of money initially. However, after all the major items are purchased the expenses level out.
Let me know if you have any questions, I haven't been around too long, but these guys and gals are awesome and have a lot of experience.
Oh you'll need a lot of money initially. However, after all the major items are purchased the expenses level out.
Let me know if you have any questions, I haven't been around too long, but these guys and gals are awesome and have a lot of experience.