Marine, Give Me The Facts

[cheeky chappie]

okay i'm going to hold my hands up, one of the things i like about my current tropical set up is the lack of regular maintenance that's required and the relatively low costs. i do a 50% water change once per week, wipe the glass inside, maybe change the layout a bit (it's barebottom) add dechlorinator and do any filter maintenance that's required. all of this takes me roughly 90 mins once per week, inbetween i don't need to do anything other than feed (once daily) and admire my fish.

however with no disrepect to my tropical pets, something that i've always admired about marine fish is the greater diversity looks wise. i know tropical and marine will both have their fans (a bit like computer OS debates/arguements!) but that's my view. what has always put me off though isn't so much the cost of the fish themselves but the potential cost to run a marine set up compared to tropical.

so, can the marine advocates amongst you answer this. based on my current regime, would i be in for a shock if moving to marine in terms of month to month costs and time required to maintain the set up? i would be opting for fish only or fish only with live rock and don't expect you to comment on the initial set up costs as they will be whatever they will be. what i'm wondering is thereafter would i be (unpleasantly) surprised at the ongoing costs and maintenance times? i'd be going for a 400 - 450 litre size aquarium.

oh and can the salty nature of the set up be potentially harmful to things like furniture/furnishings/electrical devices?

 

[seffieuk]

Mmmmm, thats a good question - sounds to me like you are good at routine maintanance, so marine would suit you, its pretty much the same really - however on a tank that size you wouldnt be doing weekly water changes, which is a bonus

You would be cleaning glass every day or every other day
Cleaning skimmer each week
Topping up daily, Summer months in particular. So in a tank that size, also making your own ro water.
Monthly, testing and changing out things like phosphate remover that may have become extinguished.
Or daily dosing with such things as vit c or redsea plan.
Cleaning powerheads approx every six weeks or so
Rearranging rocks, because you are never satisfied (we are all the same!)
Spendinng hours just staring into tank, sometimes making you late for work!

Cost, well if you are running a high tech planted tank at the moment, might be similar, anything else and I expect the costs might make you gulp!

Anyways, why not visit us over in the salty side of the forum, have a nosey around, ask some questions, throw in a bit of banter and you will be away in no time

 

[fishy55599]

maintence wise it isnt so much.

all you need to do is 25% weekly water change, with salty RO water (NOT TAP WATER)

you dont need a filter as live rock is your filter.

if you want a skimmer you can but you dont need one.

it will cost more than tropical, as you need to buy salt and ro water (unless you have a ro unit)

the initial set-up will be more, but after it is set up it wont cost too much, you dont need to dechlorinate as your using ro.

it will probally take you about 1 hour for marine maintanance. but you get a lot more out of it, like beautiful fish and stunning corals.

(for more info you may wish to come to the salty side forum and read some journals as this helps you get a good idea)



seffie beat me

 

[StandbySetting]

Have you ever considered a planted set up? Similar to a marine set up in terms of volume of maintenance.

 

[cheeky chappie]

thanks for replies so far guys. i have to be honest i'm not really interested in tanks that are heavily loaded in terms of decor whether real or artifical. for example my current tank (180 litre) has 6 pieces of mopani wood, 1 artifical mopani wood style cave, 1 artifical plant and 6 small pieces of smooth rock. and as i say it's barebottom. even if i go marine i wouldn't be looking to load it up with stuff. the thing for me (being a tight fifer ) is whilst i'm happy enough to accept the upfront set up costs it's the monthly costs that might not rest easy with me. it's mainly the ongoing cost thing that's putting me off i think. not that i'm scrooge or anything

yeah i'll pop into the marine section and read up in there.

 

[fishy55599]

ro water from LFS is=around £3.00 per 25l
salt 4kg=around £15

 

[StandbySetting]

For every Litre of salt water you make up, it'll cost you about 25p, that is providing you buy your RO water, on an aquarium of 400 Litres doing 10% per week it's going to cost you £10 per week on water changes, obviously if you bulk buy salt you can reduce the cost.

 

[seffieuk]

For every Litre of salt water you make up, it'll cost you about 25p, that is providing you buy your RO water, on an aquarium of 400 Litres doing 10% per week it's going to cost you £10 per week on water changes, obviously if you bulk buy salt you can reduce the cost.

Ahhh, but you wouldnt be doing water changes every week on a 400 litre tank - you would however be doing a lot of topping off and a bigger water change, say every couple of months (which I suppose would probably work out the same as SBS said )

 

[cheeky chappie]

ah emmm, feel free to laugh in my cyber face, but can one not be cheeky and 'procure' water from ones local sea facility ... or is this madness due to no control over quality and level of saltiness?

 

[StandbySetting]

Generally not a good idea due to contaminants etc.

 

[seffieuk]

ah emmm, feel free to laugh in my cyber face, but can one not be cheeky and 'procure' water from ones local sea facility ... or is this madness due to no control over quality and level of saltiness?

Well, unless you live in the outer hebrides or the like - its not a good idea, we pump sewage into our waters

 

[cheeky chappie]

okay point taken. okay i 'think' i might be sold on the idea of moving over to marine, one last question ... noise. if i'm right in thinking increased water flow etc is required, does a marine set up create more noise than a tropical set up and if yes to what extent? again i appreciate something like noise is subjective but if i go for the 400+ litre i'd actually be moving it closer to my tv (so i can sit and admire it more) and it would be unfortunate if the noise created detracted from my televisual enjoyment, especially when watching quiet, atmospheric movies with my lady friend

 

[seffieuk]

especially when watching quiet, atmospheric movies with my lady friend

they are louder than a trop tank, I actually turn off my skimmer in the evenings when watching the tv - turn it on again when I go to bed! But suspect, your ladyfriend/s will be more interested in looking in your tank........and what a great chat-up line you will have..........

Seffie x

 

[fishy55599]

mine is actually quiteter than my trop, but i dont have a skimmer

and what a great chat-up line you will have..........

Seffie x

what, do you want to see my tank?