Jada P

New Member
I want saltwater really, really bad.
I have 2 freshwater planted betta tanks, and I am currently setting up a 29 gallon planted community tank. I am only 13 so my $$$ is limited, but I want to start a reef tank.
I dont have much room (or enough $$ to buy) a big tank, but i found this awesome 3.7 gallon tank that would be perfect for my space. I just want 1-2 pretty hardy corals that maybe are low light, and I like the soft corals a lot more. (Movement and color would be the best). I probably wouldnt have any fish or anything else in it but the corals to make the water changing and handling easier lol. And there are SO MANY CORALS at my lfs, and i have 3 saltwater stores near me (and only 1 freshwater). So i have a lot of options.
If anyone has recomendations for coral that would be great, or any beginner advice for me.
 

Pat24601

Well-Known Member
I want saltwater really, really bad.
I have 2 freshwater planted betta tanks, and I am currently setting up a 29 gallon planted community tank. I am only 13 so my $$$ is limited, but I want to start a reef tank.
I dont have much room (or enough $$ to buy) a big tank, but i found this awesome 3.7 gallon tank that would be perfect for my space. I just want 1-2 pretty hardy corals that maybe are low light, and I like the soft corals a lot more. (Movement and color would be the best). I probably wouldnt have any fish or anything else in it but the corals to make the water changing and handling easier lol. And there are SO MANY CORALS at my lfs, and i have 3 saltwater stores near me (and only 1 freshwater). So i have a lot of options.
If anyone has recomendations for coral that would be great, or any beginner advice for me.

Really so much of it is what you like, but you can do really pretty soft corals for not a lot of money and they are easy to grow.

Welcome!
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
I can sure understand the desire to have a reef system. I set up my first SW tank when I was 15, and that was more years ago than I care to think about now.

I'm also glad to see that you have a good idea of what you want to do with the tank. So many new people start off with out giving this much thought and then end up with a tank of very dead livestock.

When your keeping most corals, you need high quality water and good lighting. You really can't get good results any other way. However this doesn't mean you need to spend a ton of money.

Trying to maintain high quality water for corals is a 3.7 gal tank is going to be very difficult. You just don't have the water volume. Also that small volume of water is subject to temperature fluctuations.

I would suggest you consider a larger tank for this project, say about 10 gal. That would give you a much more stable environment. Depending upon your stand, it might fit nicely under your 29 gal tank.

Since you don't plan on fish, a hang on tank filter should do well. Lighting can also be done by using LED flood lights or a small fluorescent fixture. You might also be able to fins some things used for this.

Now I see from you profile that your in Florida. This may be a big advantage. If you live on the coast, you might be able to collect natural sea water, thus saving the cost of salt. You also might be able to collect your own livestock. You can often find some very interesting things to keep in tidal pools, and catching them is easy. Do be careful about what you collect. Florida has very strict laws about collecting corals, live rock and shellfish and other stuff you might eat. The plus side is that you get to keep things seldom seen in the aquarium trade. You can also consider collecting some inverts. you should be able to fins some small hermit crabs and snails.

Once you get your tank going, post about it here. You also might find some local people willing to help you out with a few coral frags.

Good luck.
 

Jada P

New Member
I can sure understand the desire to have a reef system. I set up my first SW tank when I was 15, and that was more years ago than I care to think about now.

I'm also glad to see that you have a good idea of what you want to do with the tank. So many new people start off with out giving this much thought and then end up with a tank of very dead livestock.

When your keeping most corals, you need high quality water and good lighting. You really can't get good results any other way. However this doesn't mean you need to spend a ton of money.

Trying to maintain high quality water for corals is a 3.7 gal tank is going to be very difficult. You just don't have the water volume. Also that small volume of water is subject to temperature fluctuations.

I would suggest you consider a larger tank for this project, say about 10 gal. That would give you a much more stable environment. Depending upon your stand, it might fit nicely under your 29 gal tank.

Since you don't plan on fish, a hang on tank filter should do well. Lighting can also be done by using LED flood lights or a small fluorescent fixture. You might also be able to fins some things used for this.

Now I see from you profile that your in Florida. This may be a big advantage. If you live on the coast, you might be able to collect natural sea water, thus saving the cost of salt. You also might be able to collect your own livestock. You can often find some very interesting things to keep in tidal pools, and catching them is easy. Do be careful about what you collect. Florida has very strict laws about collecting corals, live rock and shellfish and other stuff you might eat. The plus side is that you get to keep things seldom seen in the aquarium trade. You can also consider collecting some inverts. you should be able to fins some small hermit crabs and snails.

Once you get your tank going, post about it here. You also might find some local people willing to help you out with a few coral frags.

Good luck.
Thanks, I am starting to think about doing a 10 gallon so it will be easier to keep my water quality from fluctuating too much...
 

Oxylebius

Well-Known Member
Agree with @DaveK on size of tank and collecting in FL. 10g minimum is easier to maintain.

As for collecting in FL, your state agency website has all the information that you need to collect in state waters here: http://myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/aquarium-species/ Follow the rules when collecting b/c enforcement is out and about often.

Another thing you can do is join a local reef forum. They tend to have quarterly meetings and trade/sell corals, which allows you to buy corals at a cheaper rate.

Check it out.

Create a new dedicated thread to the build of your tank and post lots of pics!
:camera:
 

Uncle99

Well-Known Member
Whatever size you pic, remember, corals are photosynthetic so:
-you must have an appropriate light, of good intensity and in the right colour spectrum.
-you must be able to provide great water on a stable and consistent basis which emulates NSW.
-you must have flow, to bring foods to corals and allow for the exchange of gases.


Once you can do this, your corals will not only live, but expand....otherwise they will die.

The reason I mention this is when you keep very small tanks, the water can change quickly and corals are not usually tolerant of poor water conditions. The bigger the water, the less changes happen...
 
I am a beginner too, but I very rarely use corals. Your post encouraged me to use them more often. Thank! But to be honest, it is very difficult to find a quality coral store in my state. Very often I order them online. In principle, if you think about it, I ordered everything except fish in online stores. Starting with various decorations, ending with an aquarium. I find it very convenient. I recently found a great service that helps me find shops that are nearby. So I found some cool stores in my state (yes, it turns out they exist). Although I still do not plan to abandon online stores, as I think it is much more convenient.
 
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