New Aqua

[Juice]

Hey I got a new aquarium today, and I want to try something different. Currently I have a 5 gal freshwater setup with 2 tinfoilbarbs, 1 scizzor tail, and 1 blackfin.

The tank I got is a 15 gal. I already have the small freshwater tank, and I was thinking maybe saltwater for the new tank?

Is having a saltwater tank a large responsibility, I do know how to take care of my fish, but the fish I have arent very valuble. I was wondering if salt are more stable, as in will they last a long time? I dont want to spend 100 dollars on a fish and it has only a 50 % survival rate like my freshwater fish do (recently I bought 2 blackfins, one of them was killed by the 2 tinfoil barbs who are fin nippers another situation I started out with 4 tinfoil barbs and 2 of them died with in a week. Also had about 5 or 6 scizzortails, most of them died within a year and only one is left who is 4 years old) so if I went and got 2 (uhh what are they called? Orange Nemo...) they are 50 i think in my fish shop, would they be more stable then the tropicals I had, or would it be alot of money wasted?

What do I need to have a salt setup?
I already know i'm going to buy an aquaclear 200 and a small 25w or 50w heater. What temp should I set it to?
My 5 gal has a lid and a florescent light on top, do I need some special light or do I just buy the same type of light?
WHERE DO I GET LIDS lol. I can't find the right sized lid for this tank... and I don't want to go with a screen.
Do I need special rocks/pebbles? Or should I use sand?
What salt do I buy just a bucket of salt from the aquarium store?
Should I get plants?
What kind of food?
Water conditioners?

Anything else I need?

Are the nemo fishes good? Will they breed? Or should I look for something else.

 

[Larissa]

Before you start a salt water tank you need to do A LOT of reading and research. 15g is considered a nano tank and usually it is not recomended to start out with a small tank as your first salt water because the water parameters can quickly go from fine to disaster - they are difficult to keep stable and stability is very important in salt water aquariums. This means the do require more care, more time and more resopsibility. They also are more expensive so be prepared for it to cost more than freshwater. My suggestion would be: before you buy anything you need to do some serious research into marine tanks to see what it involves and then you can decide if you are up to the challenge. Good luck. HTH.
-Larissa

 

[Juice]

Hmm I was pondering about the costs and I pretty much figured out that saltwater is a pain in the as.

Should I transfer my current fish to the new tank as well as add new ones?

 

[Larissa]

Hmm I was pondering about the costs and I pretty much figured out that saltwater is a pain in the as.

Should I transfer my current fish to the new tank as well as add new ones?

I think that would be a good idea. Create your dream freshwater tank with your 15g and while your at it you can read up on marines if you are still interested. Take a look at the saltwater section of this forum and peruse the pinned topics. There you will find a wealth of information. If you still feel like doing a reef tank then you can get another tank and go for it!
-Larissa

 

[Juice]

This is of course not my dream tank, I will be upgrading to a 30 gal bowfront once I have the proper space to do so. The reason I got this tank is beacuse I think that the tank is too small for these fish and they need a bigger home + a few more fish to accompany them.

Uh also will regular sand work? I am too lazy to go to the fish store to buy gravel

 

[Larissa]

You mean like sand-box sand - that should be fine. Just make sure you wash it really thoroughly or else you will have a cloudy tank for days. Also, don't make it too deep - 3cm max so you don't get anaerobic pockets building up.