Setup questions

[never done salt]

Ok i have wanted to do a SW tank for along time and i wanted to do a reef tank the proablem is i dont have the $$$$ to get all the equipment and corals i need, want. The other thing is i would like to try my hand with the fish to make sure I can handle it. So my question is, is there going to be a big price difference in doing a FOWLR than a reef tank?

Its mostly the lights that are killing me in the price, is the lighting the same? I also want to know if it will be price efficent to upgrade to a reef tank later? My tank is a 30gallon, not drilled. My equipment is just basic stuff because it was setup for fresh water. Sorry if this is confusing, I kinda confused my self but cant figure out how to word it different.

[Woodstock]

You could get a few hardy saltwater fish first. Get about 50# of live rock for the biological filter and either go bare bottom (no substrate) or fine aragonite sand. You can always get a PC light fixture later on and add a few hardy soft corals or LPS corals Just make sure you get a skimmer and/or do frequent water changes. The skimmer/water changes help to keep the nitrAtes low (keep them less than 10 ppm). Whatever you do, either get a ro/di water filter system or buy it from a LFS to reduce algae outbreaks.

[never done salt]

ok so all i need to get is a skimmer and ro/di unit and the live rock?
I had planed on getting some kind of sand.
There is some fish at my LFS that are $5.00 that i was looking at i dont remember what they were but i thought it would be good to get some fish that i wasnt going to spend all my $$$ on and then kill them, ill go back in a few days or so and see what kind of fish they. Thanks for the help especially with the lighting question cause if i was still gonna have to get a PC or MH i was just gonna save a little more to do full reef. But eventually i hope to go full reef.

Thanks again for your input.

[Woodstock]

They were probably damsels. Great starter fish but they are aggressive and can be a PITA to catch when you're ready for another type. I don't think you have to worry about either issue since you have a small tank and can catch them relatively easy. Get a few then trade them back into the LFS when you're ready to upgrade fish

[never done salt]

ok sounds good, ill have to ask the pet store lady about trading them cause there stock always changes, but shes nice so it shouldnt be a problem.

[never done salt]

ok so ive looked at some skimmers and some RO/DI units and here are the skimmer and RO/DI ive picked. Will these work?

http://www.championlighting.com/prod...cat=455&page=1

http://www.championlighting.com/prod...cat=635&page=1


I hope these turn out as links and not just the letters and #s, sorry if they do

[Yarr]

Have a look at some of our Site sponsors and see if they have some lighting/skimmer/ro units in your prive range. if there is a single things ive learnt in this hobby it is this..
DONT SKIMP ON A SKIMMER If you way over engineer then u are most likely to be standing on a good base to work with.Even if a Skimmers says it can do up to 50 Gal.. 7 time sout of 10 it probably wont. This is just my opinion of course.

[never done salt]

ok so if i get one that says itll do 80 that would cover a 30 pretty good right?

[Splendid]

you could start out with a small non reef tank in till u get enough cha-ching!