I WANT 1

[zero]

I rely want a marine aquarium but im so worried that im gonna spend loads of money on it and then it will be to much for me and every thing will die


every one i spoke to about was like"dont get a marine aquarium ther to hard to look after" but i wanna move on from fresh water not that i dont enjoy it but i want a bit more variaty if u know what i mean.

What shall i do?

 

[renaldz]

If i was in your position then i would do alot of research in to care of a marine aquarium and if after researching you think you are ready then go for it! But dont just jump straight in! Also you do need time to care for it so if you think you are going to be stuck for time then i wouldnt go for it!
renaldz

 

[ingo_1978]

Learn as much about marine tanks as you can before you decide on anything.

A fish only marine aquarium isn't that much different from a freshwater aquarium. The only extra expense is probably a protein skimmer, marine mix and maybe RO water. But when you start looking at live rock or coral or inverts thing get a bit more complicated.

 

[Chac]

Marine tanks are no where near as difficult to maintain these days as they used to be, as both Scott & Ingo have stated they do cost more & you will need to devote more time to reasearching & learning about how to maintian the water/Livestock etc. & also the job that the extra equipment you will need

Have a read of this Post it may give you some idea of costs & also waht other questions you should be asking

And remember the forum is here for exactly that so dont be shy

What size of tank you got at the mo

 

[steelhealr]

Hi...I'll just weigh in here and add that the difficulty in maintaining a marine tank is also proportional to the size and type of tank you want to keep. A nano tank can be extremely hard with corals and fish and the small volume. However, as above, the same tank with just live rock and a couple of fish may not be too difficult at all.

In general, having come from FW like you, SW tanks DO have more maintenance and DO cost a bit more, but, again, there are SW fish cheaper than FW. The tank, IMO, does blow away a FW tank (well, there are some drop dead gorgeous planted FW tanks) with regards to livestock, colors, diversity and fascination.

My recommendation? Read two books first before you invest:
1) Michael Paletta's book on setting up a marine tank
2) Kurtz's book on starting up a mini reef. You can find both on Amazon.com
3) Buy or get at the library Borneman's book on corals to look thru the pix

Then, attend your local reefers' meeting if you have one...or...stare at the best tank in your local aquarium for awhile and talk to some of the aquarist's there.

Then, come back and let Chac, Renaldz, Ingo and me what you decided. We'll help get you up and running. SH

 

[Def]

1) Michael Paletta's book on setting up a marine tank

Outdated and overrated IMO. It's worth borrowing from someone if you can get it, but don't buy it. It's "somewhat" helpful, but you'll find the stuff you learn from the book is totally outdated/outclassed by the more current info you'll find on forums.

Save your money and buy "The Concientious Marine Aquarist". It's also outdated on setup principles (both books give sound basics but no real up to date advice), but the overviews of tank management, fish and corals is invaluable.

 

[billa_bong]

Well, I would recommend a 60-100 gallon tank to start off with...

 

[zero]

Thanx for all the help i'm realy diggin deep and researching everything and its realy apealing to me.

A bit of saving up and some more reading and i'll be on my way down to my local aquatic shop and buyin some fish i'll keep ya posted


Dan (aka ZERO)

 

[JJ1234567]

I agree on the "The Concientious Marine Aquarist" by fenner. It is the best book Ive bought (also one of the easiest to read) other than my book "clownfishes" by joyce someting or another. lol.

 

[steelhealr]

I have to disagree with Def. Although Paletta's book is outdated with regards to certain methods of marine reefkeeping, it has EXCELLENT drawings on aquascaping, excellent section on fish with color pictures, discussion on stocking order/aggression and excellent 'ideas' for how to stock a tank. Not only that, it is light reading and easy to breeze thru. I have not seen many other books with a good aquascaping section and it is PERFECT for a beginners starter book. In fact, I was reading it AGAIN last night before falling asleep. Some basic tenets just don't expire and I think it is a great book to BUY and keep on your marine shelf. Kurtz's book is recently written and is a good comparison, but, even his book left out good stuff that was in Paletta's. Don't let the copyright date deter you. Always read, digest and then balance buy asking questions. JMO. SH

 

[zero]

So which book should i choose as a begginer?

 

[Chac]

I would say either/both

The Concientious Marine Aquarist by fenner
The Simple Guide to Marine Aquariums by Jeffrey Kurtz

 

[JJ1234567]

I would say both. If I were you I would read every book I could get my hands on that had a good review on the site. The more you know the easier your life is in the long run.

 

[zero]

ok i'll look into it


Thanx for all the help



ZERO