Info On The Salty Side :)

[Fraoch]

hey, i would just like to find out about the salty side of aquariums, i would like to give them a go sometime in the future but since ive only been on tropical freshwater for a year i'll give it a miss right now I would just like to know how reefs/salt water tanks work, i mean what equipment extra you need, fish species, corals etc. just anything really im intrigued by how bursting full of colour they are and basically would just like to know how you would go about setting one up and maintaining it
thanks in advance

 

[ben1987]

How long is a piece of sting??


ypu can keep fish, in a set up similar to a trop tank, just with extra salt and something to measure the levels of salt in the tank. So it may cost an exta £50 over a trop set up.

Then again, you could spend £10,000

The best thing for you to do right now is look at marine fish on the internet try liveaquaria and corals. Look at what you like best. Then we can start talking equipment and maintainance.

 

[Fraoch]

How long is a piece of sting??


ypu can keep fish, in a set up similar to a trop tank, just with extra salt and something to measure the levels of salt in the tank. So it may cost an exta £50 over a trop set up.

Then again, you could spend £10,000

The best thing for you to do right now is look at marine fish on the internet try liveaquaria and corals. Look at what you like best. Then we can start talking equipment and maintainance.

haha yeh i was a bit vague...
well if i was too set one up in the fiuture i think i would start with a nano 24gal? Is it easier to maintain a bigger tank than smaller with marine, same as tropicals?

and corals, what are they? are they invertebrates then cause they have stomhachs and eat fish but no bones?
and what is live rock? is it just rock that has lots of little marine bugs and worms living in it?

Do you have to wear gloves when putting your hands in the aquarium?

Can you use sea water from the sea, since i live right beside it?

sorry for soo many quesitons

 

[n3ont3tra]

How long is a piece of sting??


ypu can keep fish, in a set up similar to a trop tank, just with extra salt and something to measure the levels of salt in the tank. So it may cost an exta £50 over a trop set up.

Then again, you could spend £10,000

The best thing for you to do right now is look at marine fish on the internet try liveaquaria and corals. Look at what you like best. Then we can start talking equipment and maintainance.

haha yeh i was a bit vague...
well if i was too set one up in the fiuture i think i would start with a nano 24gal? Is it easier to maintain a bigger tank than smaller with marine, same as tropicals?

and corals, what are they? are they invertebrates then cause they have stomhachs and eat fish but no bones?
and what is live rock? is it just rock that has lots of little marine bugs and worms living in it?

Do you have to wear gloves when putting your hands in the aquarium?

Can you use sea water from the sea, since i live right beside it?

sorry for soo many quesitons

I can answer a few of your questions.
Generally the best size for starters is around 50-100 gallons. 24gallons will be a bit difficult to maintain water quality, and you're pretty limited with fish selection, but it's doable. Larger tanks will be more expensive to set up initially, but you have a bigger margin for error. Lots of people start with 29g, 55g, or 75g's.

You don't have to wear gloves, but if you don't mind it, then it's a good precaution. Bristleworms, paly's(corals) and some fish can be dangerous. But as long as you're careful and not allergic to something you should be totally fine.

Hope this helps.

 

[swampymc8]

hi
am thinking of coming over to salty side.
got a 180 litre tank. is this ok for a starter ?
am thinking of a fish only to start with , is it easy to do
what do you guys suggest to start with. got an internal filter but looking out for an external. do i need a skimmer ?do i need powerheads

thanks in advance

 

[demasonisrule]

To the OP: Live rock is just rock with lots of plankton and bacteria and worms and pods and lots of other things you may find. This is your main source of filtration if you have it.

Corals are animals, most have skeletons, and they get most of their nutrients from a type of algae that lives inside of their skin (zooxanthellae) and gives the coral what energy they don't need, though corals do eat. What they eat depends on the type of coral though.

You can use water from the ocean, but be warned: you can put lots of things in your tank that you wouldn't even notice (I've heard of people finding traces of gasoline from water they used) so if you do use it I would recommend filtering it somehow.

hi
am thinking of coming over to salty side.
got a 180 litre tank. is this ok for a starter ?
am thinking of a fish only to start with , is it easy to do
what do you guys suggest to start with. got an internal filter but looking out for an external. do i need a skimmer ?do i need powerheads

thanks in advance

180 L is about 45 USG, so going from there: it is a decent starting size, though just know that it will limit some of your fish choices somewhat. FO can be actually be more difficult than doing fish only with live rock (FOWLR), so I would recommend adding in some live rock to make things go easier. If you do FO, it is basically a freshwater tank that you have to maintain the salt levels. However, saltwater fish can be more finicky, so you have to be very careful about your water params. If you go FOWLR, you don't need a filter, internal or external, because the live rock acts as your filtration, you just have to maintain constant flow on it to make sure water flows through it (much like you need to make sure water goes through an external filter efficiently), which is where power heads are used. Skimmers aren't really needed, though you will most likely want one, because they are very efficient at keeping your water clean.

 

[swampymc8]

Hi
Thanks for that.
Will prob go FOWLR. Been looking today at lfs.
It is a start and I can grow it gradually
Thanks again