Getting Started

[Discus]

I want to set-up a small marine tank

What do I need?

how small can I go?

I want to have a Ricordea florida mushroom, acropora and a Sarcophyton, are they sensible for a beginner?

I would like to also have a small clean-up crew and Tomato Clown

And how much is it going to cost me not including fish clean-up crew and coral?

Any info appreciated

Thanks

Ollie

 

[Fish Fingers]

What do I need?

-Tank
-Metal Halide (coz you want to keep acros)
-Skimmer
-Powerheads
-Live Rock
-Sand

how small can I go?

Don't ask how small you can go, but how big can you go!

I want to have a Ricordea florida mushroom, acropora and a Sarcophyton, are they sensible for a beginner?

The ricordea and sarcophyton are great beginner corals, however acros (and all sps in general) are fairly hard to keep and it is probably best you wait a while before attempting these.

And how much is it going to cost me not including fish clean-up crew and coral?

Can't answer this sorry.

 

[Discus]

Thanks now looking at fish only

I'd be grateful of any advice

Ollie

 

[crazyelece]

The cheapest way to go small is to get a nano cube. Everything is built in. I believe the only other piece of equipment you would need is a heater. You could also do FO or sofites.

 

[superman]

A nano cube would NOT be the best tank to start out with. When first starting out I would recommend a 40 gallon as a minimum size for a beginner, more water volume to work with, a little easier to maintain.

 

[RoyalGrammaPrincessHannah]

I think a good beginner size is 55 gallons, the bigger the better. In a nano, any problem will do damage MUCH more rapidly than in a bigger tank.

You need:
tank
salt
reverse osmosis system [for acros, reefs in general]
protein skimmer
powerheads
metal halide lighting [for sure, you can decide about others later]
and I reccommend a filter in addition to the skimmer, some disagree though
LR in about as many pounds as gallons as the tank
aragonite sand with about as many pounds as gallons of the tank
master test kit + calcium, copper, KH
coral food [zooplankton, cyclops]

Acros and SPS corals in general just need established tanks, [think a year+] strong flow, supreme water quality, and NEED to be fed, unlike mushrooms. So when the tank has been running for at least a year and you've studied lots about them and their needs, thats when you can start looking at buying them.

Now cost is a very broad question. In my area, it was hard to find discounts locally, and I wasnt thinking about doing it online. The tank size will also make a huge difference because of the sand, LR, powerheads, and the tank itself. Look online for a tank of the size you want, and just start estimating. There are just to many variables for anyone to tell you a price tag so far.

 

[crazyelece]

The nano cube is by far the best option for a small tank. I didn't say a small tank was the best option for a beginner. IMO a 75 gal is the best starter tank. It is readily available, it is 18" wide so stacking in a bunch of live rock is very easy, 4' width means finding cheaper lighting is still an option, and it has even more water than a 55. I just think that a 55 is too limiting on space once live rock is added.