What do you need to start sw fish tank

[armthehomeless]

Johnsbra, to check your threads, you can go to settings, scroll down to show all subscribed threads and look for yours. Either that our click my profile and click find latest started threads. People don't like duplicate threads. It takes up space on the forum.

Great minds think alike!!!


. . . so do ours!

[Andrew_B]

http://www.houstonfishbox.com/vforums/showthread.php?48913-Slowly-starting-a-salty-tank

Here is my looooong thread from a few months ago when I started a Salty tank for the first time. Go through it, every question you have will be answered there. I had easily a couple dozen different people chime in with their opinions and I researched and considered them all before making my final decisions. Just take your time and read through it, it will have all your answers.

[flipside]

Not trying to be a buzzkill to the great advice I'm reading here, but I didn't start of like that at all.

I had a 10g tank. It started with Walmart purchased Green Spotted Puffers. I read that they would do well in brackish waters... studied that, and converted. Then, when I realized that my puffers would out grow the 10g, I wanted to get something bigger for them... so, I studied some more, and converted them to full marine in a 92g corner bowfront. Then I added stronger lighting, corals, a skimmer/sump, etc... the rest is really history.

With the OP's particular setup, I would run anything in there. Gravel, crushed coral, even bare bottom... it doesn't matter too much as long as you do your water changes. A HOB filter is fine, but maybe run two... one on each side of the tank for added flow. You can use your "bubbler" if you want... it doesn't hurt, and does actually help with oxygen exchange when a powerhead is not handy.

I've turned many FW tanks to marine tanks with nothing but salt and a swing arm hydrometer. However, there is a caveat... you will want to give your livestock the closest thing possible to "a real reef" as you move forward in the hobby... I'm living proof and a byproduct of this (not that I'm ill about it); hence why most folks end up spending 100000000s of dollars on this hobby. We are playing God, for lack of better terms. The better you engineer your system, the better your inhabitants will respond. At least: you hope.

I've seen many phenomenal tanks on this site and my home site (MARSH). Any advice you get, 2nd guess it. The best thing to do is read, and meet with others that are passionate about their FOWLR's and reefs. I'm a firm believer in "seeing is believing," and you would be ignorant not to do the same. (I say "you" generically... not directed at the OP or anyone in particular).

However, you set that reef/FOWLR up correctly, you'll be hooked for life! There's no turning back! "Sicklids, Rams, Trophs" will be "borderline" - a thing of the past! We (reefers) still love FW tanks, though! Don't get it twisted! We just have reputations to uphold.

[MACONBITS]

However, you set that reef/FOWLR up correctly, you'll be hooked for life! There's no turning back! "Sicklids, Rams, Trophs" will be "borderline" - a thing of the past! We (reefers) still love FW tanks, though! Don't get it twisted! We just have reputations to uphold. [/QUOTE]

Amen well said

[Johnsbra123]

Thanks for the advise everyone! I'm getting 55 gallon tank soon from a HFB member. I will try to post up pictures but for now I'm strolling. Any body know where I can get live rock, preferably not 2$ a pound.

[Andrew_B]

2.00/lb is actually really really cheap. It's normally 2-3x as much

[Johnsbra123]

Can I make my own live rock with lime stone? I want to go an eel only tank. I have lava rock and I was thinking that could be a base and then add limestone for live rock? What do you all think about making live rock and what's the best rock to start with.

[flipside]

Re: What do you need to start sw fish tank

I can tell you of several places that aren't $2/lb, but you may not like the direction I go. :-)

Like Andrew said above, that is very cheap for live rock. That's also cheap for dry rock! But the benefits of good live rock helps aid in the costs for it.

[barrettsline]

What do you need to start sw fish tank

Limestone makes a good base rock to pile live rock on top of. Limestone is also a very porus rock that makes a great base for algae to grow. You still need a source first though. Salt water ain't cheap.

[Johnsbra123]

Well I can get dry rock for .59 cents a pound. That's why I was asking if I can make live rock or buy it less than 2$ a pound. What is the direction?

[aesl1982]

What do you need to start sw fish tank

Making live rock is not hard at all. Get a rubber maid tote a put dry rock in it. Put a bacteria population of some sort I. There put a koralia or other circ pump in it and let it cycle for about 4/6 weeks

[johnnymisty]

Well any rock you put in the tank will become live rock eventually once the benificial bacteria grows on it limestone is good for base rock, lava is very porous and can trap detritus in it wich could cause water parameter problems. There's DIY rock made of concrete but that takes some time to cure the rock after being made. If you can find some dead rock cheap that would be a good way to go then just find a few good size pieces of live rock to seed the tank with the bacteria

[Johnsbra123]

How much live rock do I need to seed my 30 pounds of lava rock, I was thinking 10 pounds should do it, and I will leave some open space for the eels to swim in. Maybe throw in a Warsse.

[johnnymisty]

That should do it just make sure its good well established live rock

[Johnsbra123]

I'm against fish gallery but I think I will buy it from them. They have some high quality rock. Do you all think that PVC pipe is recommended for eels?