Looking to get into my first salt tank

WashedUpWizard

New Member
Hey everyone! I'm a longtime freshwater keeper and looking to get into the reef community. I currently have a 55 gallon African Cichlid tank that I'm very proud of but I'm looking to put a tank in another room of the house. I have an old 40 breeder that's in great condition but very dusty. I was looking to work it into a reef tank. I have some experience and knowledge about saltwater through working at a pet store, but not enough about tank setup. More specifically, sump systems and the different ways to filter saltwater besides just a regular filter. Also I know that reef tanks require very specific lighting. Any advice on starting would be much appreciated. I suppose I just don't know what specific equipment is necessary for a reef tank versus a freshwater tank. Thank you!
 

DaveK

Well-Known Member
Setting up a good SW system is more a question of planning rather that equipment. I have posted this before, but it's worth repeating. It's the best short post on beginning advice I can give you -

DaveK's Standard Lecture #1 – Advice for people new to the hobby

The very first thing you want to do, before you spend any money on equipment or livestock, is get yourself a few good books on state of the art reef systems. Then read and study them, so you have some idea about what your are doing.

Here are two to start with -

The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner
The New Marine Aquarium by Michael Paleta <---This book has an especially good section on fish suited to someone starting off in the hobby.

A note on the books. You can often find used copies at much lower prices at places like Amazon. In most cases these are going to be as good as new copies, especially when your first learning.

This is information that you can not easily obtain from the net. While it's out there, it's all over the place, and there is a massive volume of information. There is also a lot of bad information out there.

Once you get that done, plan or rethink your system. What do you want to keep? Do you have the necessary equipment? Do you have the knowledge to keep the livestock you want? Do you have the time to dedicate to keeping a system and it's livestock?

Many salt water fish, corals and inverts often have very specific requirements. Some are extremely difficult to keep alive, even if you do everything right. Before you get anything, research it, and be sure it will work out in your system.

Lastly, you will find that most LFS people are clueless when it comes to SW systems. Verify their advice, until they prove otherwise.
 

nanoreefing4fun

Well-Known Member
RS STAFF
welcomefish.gif

to ReefSanctuary, a real Sanctuary of reef forums, with lots of very nice members

Start a tank thread & share your tank with us so we can follow along, we love pics :nessie:
 

erick85

New Member
For a reef tank, I say that a protein skimmer is a must. Also, use live sand for your substrate. When I first started i used crushed coral and never was able to get my ammonia and nitrates in check. Lighting is also huge factor in reef tank. t5 would be simplest and probably your best bet. I personally use metal halide and have had good success thus far, but I plan to switch to led to reduce heat and have more customization. I also order most of my livestock from saltwaterfush.com, they give good info on everything they sell and tell if it's reef friendly, aggression, feeding, and acclimation suggestions. this is also a good site for your coral needs: http://successfulreefkeeping.com/learn/about-corals/what-your-coral-needs/

good luck in your new endeavors and hope to see you successful! I've been doing marine tanks for around 16 years and still learn more everyday!
 

mr_tap_water

Well-Known Member
Welcome to RS
Don't be put off by all the technical jargon that you may read,
if you've kept tropical freshwater before when you're halfway there IMO as salt water can be as complicated as you want it to be for a example A fish only system all you need really is A certain amount of live Rock depending on on how big your tank is ,some good flow pumps to create good circulation, as for lighting that doesn't really matter on what you choose until you decide to add corals for a small tank there are lots of Leds on the market to suit most needs Plus a handful of test kits to to keep your water in check,
After this you can add more equipment as you go along i.e. Protein skimmer/reactors and other types of media Will help towards keeping a more complex system, I also do agree with reading up as much as possible before you start, good luck[emoji106]


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