Want To Start A Saltwater Tank

[Cichlidrich]

Hi guys I been keeping tropical fish for years now and been keeping discus but I've always wanted a saltwater tank . At the moment I have a jewel trigon 190 and has an internal filtration system . Would this tank be ok to start out ?

I also have a 3ft tank about 110litres . Would this be better ?

Can anyone suggest what I should start out with as a beginner ? Ie what's the minimum equipment I need to get started . Thanks

 

[Donya]

Bigger is better as a first marine tank. More water volume = more stability. Smaller tanks turn sour faster when something goes wrong. If the 190 part of the model name is liters, then the jewel is definitely the better starting tank for a marine system. 
 
 
 

what's the minimum equipment I need to get started

 
 
What animals are you interested in? Reef tanks can be very different setups than fish-only systems. 
 
 
EDIT: also have a look here if you haven't already: http/www.fishforums.net/index.php?/topic/410541-marine-aquarium-faq/

 

[Cichlidrich]

Erm maybe some clown fish and maybe tangs n stuff like that

 

[Donya]

Clowns would be fine (a pair of one species anyway), but tangs need LOTS of swimming room. While some people do put a yellow tang in tanks around 190L, I have a tank of similar volume to compare and it wouldn't be suitable for a fully grown individual. Most people put the minimum tank size for tangs at twice that. Are there any other fish you're interested in besides those two? Have a look through the journals section for ideas if you haven't already.
 
 
If you're not planning on corals, then the main things you'll need to acquire are extra power heads and live rock. A protein skimmer will help increase the stocking capacity of the tank, and for similar reasons a sump is a good idea if you can accommodate one in terms of space and added weight. 

 

[Cichlidrich]

Clownfish and maybe a flame angel If that would be ok . Not sure what els

 

[stanleo]

Can I jump in here with some experiences I have had. I have a 55gl and am working to make it right. Before that, I was basically buying fish that looked pretty. Flame angels are gorgeous and I got one. 200 bucks for this and it died in a week. I got a bicolored angel and it lasted a month. I got a coral beauty and it lasted 6 months before it died. What I learned through hard experience is that, 1. Don't go into saltwater without a lot of research first. 2. Angels are for experienced keepers I don't care what my LFS employees told me! 3. Don't rush anything about it. Take your time, do your research and research every individual animal (individual corals included) that you want and have a plan for what you want the end result to be. 4. Listen to Donya, she knows her stuff!
 
This is just what I have learned about marine tanks. Now, clowns seemed very forgiving and are a lot of fun. I also have a six line that is hard as nails and just loves to swim everywhere. I have had him for about 2 years. Green chromises are fun too but I have had mixed results, I have the one right now that has been in the tank for 5 years through all the horrible conditions and I have put others in there that have not lasted long. I had a yellow tang for a while about 1.5 years and he seemed fine but in hindsight, I wouldn't get another unless I had more room for him. And I got a juvenile blue hippo tang because I am in love with those. HE got stuff in the filter intake 3 days after I got him and died.
 
That's all the advise I can give I just wanted to put my hard earned lessons in there. I didn't do enough research in the beginning and I paid for it dearly. In my defense though, this is my husbands tank that he had before we met and he neglected it and I am just trying to fix it! LOL But I am the one who kept buying the fish without researching them first.

 

[DrRob]

3. Don't rush anything about it. Take your time, do your research and research every individual animal (individual corals included) that you want and have a plan for what you want the end result to be. 4. Listen to Donya, she knows her stuff!

 
This, to me, is the biggest difference you'll encounter. The closest freshwater tank to a marine system is a high tech planted tank, but the fundamental difference between the two from the care point of view is that high tech planteds give rapid results (like stems hitting the top of the tank in 2 weeks) and the care requirements of the stock tend to be fairly similar. Marine tanks, in contrast, move very slowly, and different critters can need very different environments or tank positions. Although both require the intense maintenance.
 
Otherwise, yes, listen to the advice that's on offer, the nice thing about slow and steady is that it gives you lots of time to share ideas here. Marine journals tend to end up long, and fascinating, reads, and, as you read, you'll see that things never seem to work out the way people intended, which is half the fun.
 
As for your tank, you'll struggle to get a sensible sump into the stand of a juwel trigon, but otherwise they make good marine tanks, the shape lends itself well to live rock structures and it's relatively easy to get a good sense of depth in them. I've seen one with a nice refugium/sump placed to the side of the tank (it was actually a through the wall trick, as the tank backed onto a cupboard through a partition wall, which was great as it kept a lot of noisy kit out of the TV room).