Quick Beginner Guide! With My Costs

[shibby]

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center]​

This is a beginners guide by me shibby a beginners! im not saying this is the correct way, the only way etc but it was my way of approaching things [/center]


Step 1: decide on a tank size, I started with a 180 litre (40 gal), big enough volume to deal with temp, parameter fluxuations and small enough to maintain and fit in my room. ideal starter size is 20gal-55gal.


Step 2: purchase your tank, check ebay, classifieds etc, make sure no copper has been used could be dangerous to inverts. My rio180 cost 100 pound of ebay with freebies as well.


Step 3: Ensure where you put the tank is secure and level, get a spirit level and see, if its not level this may cause increased tension on parts of the glass when full! Also avoid placing tank near direct sunlight to avoid an algae booom.

Step 4: rip the internal filter out! you don’t have too but you get more space if you do you may want to purchase a external filter, and then take out the media (sponge) and put in carbon, rowaphos and/or live rock.

Step5: purchase heaters preferably 2 encase one breaks, place them in tank tilted from top to bottom at an angle! DO NOT TURN HEATERS ON YET else they will explode!

Step6: purchase power heads you want to create a nice flow just like the ocean and ideal flow for a 180 litre is 900-1000 litres per hour, its best to get at least 2 power heads again just in case one breaks down. The best power heads to get are tunze, seio or hydro koralia which move all water around it instead of firing a stream of water.

Step7: Good ideas to put a background on now either buy a background and cello tape it on or paint the back mainly choose to paint it blue or black.

Step8: little things to buy like a thermometer, and a hydrometer although for a more reliable salinity get a refractometer more expensive but alot more reliable.

Step9: water time! You can either buy RO salt water for about 4.99 per 25 litres, or pure RO water for 2.00 per 25 litres you would also then have to buy salt and mix it yourself in the tank since there’s nothing in it, after you need to mix in a separate container ... correct salinity should be ideally between 1.021 and 1.027, use the hydro/refractormeter to check the level.

Step10: Once your salinity is correct and your tank is full you can turn on the heaters and get the temp to between 24c-27c ideally. Start up your filter if you have one as well!

Step11: Decision time, would you like?
FO - fish only - more choice of fish but no coral or live rock.
FOWLR - fish only with live rock, live rock will act as filtration, food, and shelter and looks nice but expensive!
Reef - live rock and corals and some reef safe fish

Step12: I chose to go FOWLR since I can decide to get corals if wanted and I wanted the beneficial filtration and cycling.

Step13: purchase live rock, usually around 9.99 per kilo for fully cured, doesn’t matter a whole lot what you start with, i went with 12kgs of figi cured LR to begin with (later added another 5kg) you need about 1kg per 10litres to act as filtration.

Step14: put live rock in tank, im not good with science bits yet but all you need to know is that it should start to cycle now the LR is in once you’ve aquascaped your LR you can add the substrate (sand, crushed coral) spread that about inch-inch and a half thick, do it after the LR is in as this will insurer LR is secured. Turn on all power heads to clear dead spots and get the flow between the rocks to act as your filter.

While it’s cycling you can think about and research stocking options! Always check min tank size, and compatibility and don’t be afraid to ask if you’re not sure

Step15: get a master test kit, your need to check your parameters alot during cycling they will fluxoate wildly!

Correct parameters :
Ammonia - 0
Nitrite - 0
Nitrate - 0
PH - 8-8.6

Step 16 - After 2 weeks mine had developed diatoms, brown substance on glass and substrate, now you need to check your parameters and if correct you can add your clean up crew to deal with it! Good starters:

Red-legged hermits (blue may become aggressive)

A variety of snails

ive been told to keep away from urchins, and starfish they may starve in a small unmatured tank like mine, and urchins have the tendency to eat all the lovely coralline algae (green/purple growth on LR)

Step17: 3 weeks into it check you parameters and by that time it was time to add my first fish. Best starter fish are clowns, preferably occerlis or percula ... hardy, eat well, on show alot, and not too aggressive to other fish other then conspecies.

Step18: patience with stocking now is needed, 10% weekly water changes and maintenance is needed now! The hardest main expense is over unless u move into more advanced fields. You can upgrade as you go, lighting, more LR, power heads etc.

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TO SKIM OR NOT TO SKIM
: 55 gal or less you may not need one they’re always beneficial but not necessary unless you want to move into a reef where one would be good.


SUMPS:
Increase water volume, can hide equipment in it, may be hard to wrap your mind round it to begin with, more expenses there have been many successful tanks without sumps, may be a more future idea for someone on a budget, if you can afford/ have the space for it then go for it!

RESEARCH:
It can be fun, and marine is a non-stop learning curb, don’t impulse buy research all livestock before you get it to ensure its right for you.

INTERNET:
Check the Internet for bargain prices and information, ive done most of my shopping/researching on net

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My tank set up as a guide:

ITEM​

PRICE (£)​

PLACE​

Rio180 tank​

100​

ebay​

fluval ex filter​

60​

pets at home (discounted)​

visitherm heater​

10​

pets at home (discounted)​

elite heater​

free​

with tank​

8kg crushed coral​

20​

local fish store​

2 aquaclear powerheads​

10​

ebay​

hydrometer​

8​

ebay​

digi thermometer​

6​

pets at home (discounted)​

4x white bulbs​

free​

with tank​

1x blue bulb​

10.99​

local fish store​

17kg live rock​

9.99 per kil​

local fish store​

200 litres salt RO​

4.99 per 25litres​

local fish store​

master test kit​

20.00​

local fish store​

polyfiter(like rowaphos)​

10.00​

pets at home (discounted)​

external spray bar​

free​

with tank​

clean up crew​

30.00​

local fish store​

fish 2x clowns 1x cb(died)​

50.00​

local fish store​

[20kg live rock​

60.00​

someone breaking down tank​

valentini puffer​

16.00​

marine shop​

butterfly fish died of whitespot grr​

24.00​

marine shop​

strawberry fish​

14.00​

work​

hydor koralia​

36.00​

ebay​

patience​

priceless ​

total cost so far :

£700ish


and this is before light and skimmer upgrade!!!

edit pictures:

with 12kg LR

with 17.5kg LR

blurred threesome

clownies

puffer

il add one of it with 40kg soon when ive rescaped it and got my camera back from pentax remeber: this is how i did it feel free to add comments or items ive missed be great help ​

 

[freerunner416]

Hi,

I would like to thank you for that well set out informative article. Only thing you missed out and i would love to see is some pictures. I have never given thought to doing a Marine tank although my wife does like the idea but you make it sound simplier (even though i realise it won't be a simple as that) and less expensive than everybody else or article i have read on it.

Good writing and the tank sounds lovely!!

C

 

[SkiFletch]

Great guide Shib, you hit some really great points there on a very simple and easy to understand way. I'm sure people will argue details and semantics (of which there are many), but as a basic guide, that's right on .

Freerunner: while the saltwater world can get VERY expensive, it really all depends on how deep down the rabbit hole you want to go. Heck, I've seen high-tech planted tanks with compressed CO2 injection, fertilization, and other gizmos and strange hardware easily get more complex than basic saltwater tanks. Its true that the cost "cieling" in saltwater is MUCH higher, simple systems can be built and enjoyed. Especially Fish Only setups which is nearly identical to a cichlid system, just with marine salt added.

 

[Musho3210]

very nice 4th pic

 

[@ombomb]

Also you've missed the point that a cleaner wrasse isn't an ideal fish to have in an aquarium... let alone a beginner's.

 

[shibby]

not really they eat frozen easy to look after its more the fact there service in the wild is important and the amount we ship in could damage the reef system hence why many people object to it but there still gonna be shipped in no matter how many people stop buying imo. but since my lfs has them in for many months i thought it would prefer a bit bigger tank then it had. but point taken.


alternative solution: a neon goby, cleans parasites and i believe infections. also stays small 1-2 inches.

 

[@ombomb]

it but there still gonna be shipped in no matter how many people stop buying imo.

That's not how supply / demand works

 

[shibby]

well if we want to enter a cleaner wrasse argument then go and make a new thread and il join you there. tbh though i no people arent going to stop bringing them into stores, not many people are bothered about fish health or the reef in the industry, i know first hand the guy i work with has the worst attitude ever, we can advise but we cant refuse so hes happy to sell a tang or aything to a 30gal just to get money! its the way of the world money controls all, fish are just seen as profit margins by store owners, though there are a few that truly car.


anyways this is meant to be a beginers guide the way i did it, just to give a quick idea and costs, also peopel should learn from my mistakes which are a fair few, like picking worng fish at wrong times and trying to skimp on powerheads bad mistake!

 

[bubblesburst80]

it is nice to see a simple breakdown on starting up a marine tank, in time this is something i would love to venture into but for now i'm happy with my FW,
great pics of your tank it looks good

xXx

 

[@ombomb]

anyways this is meant to be a beginers guide the way i did it, just to give a quick idea and costs, also peopel should learn from my mistakes which are a fair few, like picking worng fish at wrong times and trying to skimp on powerheads bad mistake!

Then there's no need for another thread. I am pointing out your mistake, hopefully people will learn from it.