Out Of Intrest....

[millie1]

to set up a marine tank -


i hhave no intention of doig this btw lol! too expensive atm with buy a horse lol1

ihave a tank, external filter/heater etc etc...

if i was starting from scratch again could i just set up a saltwater tank with just using these??

or do you need other things like a sump (what is this?)

can you not just use a freshwater setup but ising salt water?

sorry if you think its adaft question but im just intrested lol

 

[Truck]

no you cant you need a protien skimmer and chiller etc its not as simple as just adding salt there is a lot more involved. time and money

 

[millie1]

thought so lol!!

whats a protein skimmer?

 

[Lynden]

You do not need a chiller, and you do not need a protein skimmer. You don't need a sump either.

In fact, you can use FW equipment for a saltwater tank, especially if the SW tank will only house fish and tougher invertebrates. In this type of setup, only a little more money and equal or less time is needed than one would put into a FW tank.

SW only gets expensive when you venture into reefkeeping.

 

[xxBarneyxx]

Yep for a Fish only system all you would need to add is a couple of powerheads and some liverock.

 

[millie1]

so i could keep a nemo and some crabs???



not planning on it for afew years cos i do like the freshwater fish!!!

probs when i have my own place i shall have a tank that you can use as a divider - love those


another question - my little 17 litre tank - can i put anything init???

even a hermit crab? lol

+ for marine do you still need a heater?

 

[shibby]

Yep for a Fish only system all you would need to add is a couple of powerheads and some liverock.

infact you dont even need that! all you need is i think a canister filter since fish dont care about nitrates, live rock is just much better though !

yep marines do need a heater, unless your going for a coldwater one

 

[millie1]

lol

what about my little tank - can i put anythingi in that

 

[CageUK]

17 ltrs would be classed as a pico tank.

Google or search for this in the forums to see what would be suitable but a hermit would be fine. Yes you do need a heater for tropical marine tanks but not for coldwater marine.
Cold water setups are much rarer and depending on where you live you would probably need a chiller (expensive bit of kit).

In the pico you would also need some kind of filtration or live rock and a powerhead. Again check out these forums before you come to do this because they are a goldmine of information.

And I agree with the others, in a fish only system you can get away with surprisingly basic equipment and it's only when you dip your toe into keeping corals that you need to upgrade the equipment you use.

A lot of people though that start out with just fish inevitably venture into reef keeping and it's much easier to do this if you start off correctly from the outset.

 

[millie1]

thank guys

ive actually managed to convince my mum to go marine! so if i can sell my now fish in a couple of years then brilliant!!!!



questions though - how many fish could i have in my tank??? (almost 200 litres)

also whats a protein skimmer - out of intrest??


and does my cycling have to start over??

thanks

 

[xxBarneyxx]

thank guys

ive actually managed to convince my mum to go marine! so if i can sell my now fish in a couple of years then brilliant!!!!



questions though - how many fish could i have in my tank??? (almost 200 litres)

also whats a protein skimmer - out of intrest??


and does my cycling have to start over??

thanks

Just to correct my earlier post Shibby is completely right and yes you dont have to use Liverock (I just think its one of the best things in a marine tank though so the thought never even crossed my mind ).

How many fish you can have is a hard question to answer. It depends on the dimensions of the tank, what kind of fish you want and what other livestock you are planning to keep. For example that tank might be suitable for a quiet a few smaller, carefully selected peaceful fish or one or to very large predators. Best bet is to look through lots of sites that sell marine fish and get an idea of what you like. Then read up on them and come back here and ask questions about them and their compatibility.

Marine fish in general need much more water volume then freshwater fish. Also quiet a few of them can be very territorial and others have specific requirements (such as not being kept with similar species or having to be kept in groups) which can change how suitable they would be.

A 17l tank could be used but to be honest it will be a nightmare to keep due to the small water volume. Personally I wouldnt recommend it unless you know what your doing. I dont think I would want to do it and I have had a marine tank for a year and was looking into them for about 6 months before I got it.

Edit: Oh yes a protein skimmer. Basically think of it as kind of a filter. i wont go into exactly how it works (unless you want me to) but it removes organic wastes from the water (things like fish wastes, excess food, etc) and helps keep the water quality a LOT better. You can run without one but you need to then do more water changes (and it is much better to have one if you can).

 

[millie1]

the fish i would want is something colourful and bright - afew big ones would be nice instead of little ones (i know this means no nemo but lol)

pink n yellow would be ace

as for the 17 litre - anythin you could say woudl fit???

 

[millie1]

as for the 17 litre - anythin you could say woudl fit???

anyone???

just to have ago with really.......

 

[SkiFletch]

In a tank that small, the only fish I'd put in would be a clown goby

 

[millie1]

thanks

i probs wont - but just wondering

in a ayear or 2 im switching to marine though