Marine Aquarium

[andyG44]

I have a stable (touches wood) 180lt / 48 gallon aquarium with tropical fish. They are guppies, neon tetras, galaxy rasboras, dwarf gouramis, mollies, gold barbs, black phantoms, and two small/medium plecs. It is quite busy but overall OK as the fish are mostly tiny.
 
I have just secured the purchase of another tank this time 260 lt/ 68 gallons. My wife (correctly) commented what is the point of having another tank, right next to the previous one, with the same type of fish?
 
So there are two options. A tropical fish different to the ones I already have. Or a marine setup to house live anemones and nemos! How hard is it to set it up as marine? Please advise!

 

[RRaquariums]

IMO it's much like setting up a freshwater aquarium. If you do lots of research take time to do it right and read everything you can on it you will more then likely be successful. Some things to keep in mind is a saltwater aquarium will be more expensive then a freshwater and you will have more time into it. But they are a lot of fun and the fish and corals are stunning.
As for fresh water if you want a colorful fish on par with salwater look into African cichlids they are beautiful fish with amazing color ranges and there habitat is mostly made up of rocks and wood so it's a very different looking aquascape then any other type of freshwater tank which would certanly not make it look like a copy of your old tank.
Whatever you decide to do always feel free to ask more questions and good luck

 

[andyG44]

Large tank aquisition has fallen through - damaged abd patched tank described as "new". Now, looking again for a large tank. I have read a bit about the marine tanks what with surface skimmers, protein removers and all that jazz, sounds very complicated and particular.

 

[RRaquariums]

It dose require some very specific understandings and equipment. So I'd say look into some of the cool freshwater fish there are the choices really are almost endless just with freshwater so probably best to go that direction

 

[Tooombsy]

If you do decide to go for marine, keep us all updated on how its going please.
I've wanted to set a marine tank up for a while now with a finding nemo theme for my nieces lol, but as you said it sounds a bit complicated, that is why i went tropical.

 

[andyG44]

OK so I have failed twice now to procure a good aquarium. The fist case we drove for one hour to get to this guy's house, he had it out in his yard, the glass it was scratched beyond repair, there was green algae so stuck that I could not budge with my fingernail, and apparently someone else must have used a chisel and ruined the glass. On top of all that the aquarium had obviously leaked in the past and there was thick, badly applied black glue all around the bottom, and for an instant I wondered if all Juwels were made like that, so badly. Yesterday we drove again two hours to see a Rio 300 which on the pictures looked perfect, but on getting there, the crook seller (on gum tree), presented us with another one, much older and dirtier than on the pictures, which again must have leaked in the past and had been patched in a very ugly manner.
 
I have now learned to be rude and ask sellers questions like "has it leaked and have you modified it in any way" "is the one in the photos the one you are selling" and finally "are you an outright crook and a liar and make me drive for three hours unnecessarily?"
 
Regarding the marine setup, I believe after I have read the guides, that it is possible, but it does require live rocks which can be expensive (again, beware of crooks selling demolishion recycled stones for "Fiji live rocks"). The guides I have started with are here : http/www.fishlore.com/reeftanksetup.htm

 

[andyG44]

Today I went out to buy a second hand Juwel Rio 240 and when I got it home I discovered that it is the Juwel Rio 300. Hoping it is not leaking. Else it looks good. Will try it tomorrow. I might want to set it up as tropical if I could get hold of some of the very nice tropical fish or I might try to source the live rocks and go for marine. I need to check the costs involved.