Question:
Saltwater FISH ONLY tank! HELP ME!?
fred2323
2010-09-25 00:11:43 UTC
ok soo... I have been doing a bunch of research for the past two months and I want to start a fish only saltwater tank. Below I will list the items that I have gathered that I believe I will need.


75 Gallon Tank
Lights( Regular Flo)
Filter (probably a canister)
Protein Skimmer
UV sterilizer
Aquarium Salt
Hydrometer
Test Kits
Live Sand
Powerhead(s)?
Mixing bucket
Net
Additives..Buffer for Ph, Water dechlorinator, ammonia remover, nitrate remover.


So... I was wondering If I could get by without any of the above? Perhaps the UV Sterilizer?Powerheads?

If anyone could make a list of the items that I definitely need I would really appreciate it!
Four answers:
Cholly
2010-09-25 01:03:19 UTC
The bigger the tank, the bigger the need for a protein skimmer, keep it in your list, it will save you money on marine salt for water changes.

I've heard both ways on UV sterilizers, I've got one and I'm still undecided, lol.

Ammonia and nitrate removers not necessary if you complete your cycle.(Curing your live sand and rock)

Don't buy aquarium salt, that's for freshwater tanks believe it or not. Marine salt mix is what you'll want.

Powerheads are iffy in a fish only, absolutely necessary for reef. Not too big of an expense though, I'd get one at least.

May be able to go with a good hang-on-back rather than a canister, a lot cheaper. You should put a sponge pre-filter on the intake though, insurance against sand damaging your impeller. Aquaclear and Rena both make good hang-on-backs, there are other good ones, but those are two of the best in my opinion.

You forgot a heater. 250 or 300 watt.

Rest of your list looks pretty good, well thought out.

A little sprinkling of luck never hurt, so good luck, too!
Dan M
2010-09-25 08:49:22 UTC
Let's look over your list.



75 Gallon Tank - Bigger is always better in saltwater. You have more chance to notice bad things since they happen more slowly or not at all due to dilution by the greater water volume and its added stability.



Lights( Regular Flo) - This will not have the moonlight feature of a marine lighting system, something not only a benefit to the aquarist who can see the tank in a transformed personality this way, but it also greatly benefits the animals in the tank, providing a more natural environment. Regular tube lights will not provide the light spectrum to see the colors of your fish at their best, and the fish will begin losing color without proper spectrum lighting.



Filter (probably a canister) - Very 1970! Canisters did work then since there was only one better system at the time, but you had to accept a gradual loss of vitality and the eventual death of more delicate marine fish. A sump with live rock and optionally a refugium with a live sand bed and Chaetomorpha would be much better. The sump and refugium can have an opposite day/night cycle to the display tank, which minimizes the pH drop when the lights go out. Some kinds of marine fish need that refugium because of the zooplankton that reproduces in the live sand and Chaetomorpha plants, and is washed into the display tank to provide a natural food containing substances we can't provide with prepared and frozen foods.



Protein Skimmer - Essential! Pick one that is rated high. Reef Central is a good place to find discussions on this topic.



UV sterilizer - a nice option for a hospital or quarantine tank, but not useful on a display tank.



Aquarium Salt - highly overrated in freshwater aquariums, and absolute Death in a marine tank. Use a quality artificial saltwater mix such as Reef Crystals or Instant Ocean. A RO/DI unit will provide more suitable water for mixing than tap water.



Hydrometer - A refractometer is more accurate and more dependable, but you can use a hydrometer with a little practice and care and learn how to get a higher percentage of good readings from it.



Test Kits - A TDS meter, and other test kits or devices as needed. Or if you belong to some reef/marine aquarium clubs, the club may own some of the more costly testing equipment exclusively for members, making membership in a club near you well worth the dues.



Live Sand - Because live sand can go bad, it should always be in a refugium that can be isolated from the main tank and sump, never in the aquarium except as a thin decorative layer.



Powerhead(s)? - Water movers are essential, but powerheads are a high waste heat source and high energy method to accomplish this. Hydor Koralia water movers and a controller use a small fraction of the electricity powerheads do. I have switched over almost all of my powerheads for the water movers.



Mixing bucket - Essential. this is where you can use one of those powerheads still if you already have them. Aeration does not provide complete circulation, leaving dead spots, and it causes a salt spray that can damage anything near the mixing bucket. A great mixing bucket is a replacement salt tank for a large water softener. They have a nice fitting lid and a floor space saving shape. They look nicer than a new Rubbermaid garbage can but do cost more, unless you luck out.



Net - You will need two or three sizes. Also a fish trap since some marine fish are nearly impossible to catch with a net without first removing every bit of coral and decor in the tank. Don't put the captured fish in the mixing bucket. Have at least one isolation tank, probably more.



Additives - A calcium reactor will be much more effective than a buffer in keeping pH and calcium content of the water high. Live rock and aragonite sand or gravel can help protect against massive pH drops. Kalkwasser is a good product to maintain alkalinity (pH) and calcium, is simple to use, and has some side benefits in discouraging. A carbon block filter would be much better than dechlor. Ammonia and nitrate removers chemically bond or mechanically trap these waste products. They can release them too. Short term in a crisis, they might be handy, but down the road, they will bite you back.



A sump, isolation tanks with sponge filters, water movers, a marine lighting system with a moonlight function and timer, and live rock are things to add to your list. The power heads, freshwater aquarium lights, and canister filter should be deleted. The UV is not essential.



Someone suggested a heater. No way. You are trying to export heat from a marine tank. Lights, pumps, and powerheads or water movers are already adding lots of heat. Sometimes you need a chiller, but never a heater. Skipping regular water changes is also bad. Fish develop hole in the head disease when this is neglected.
Mike
2010-09-25 08:12:03 UTC
you need marine salt not aquarium salt. most importantly is your ammonia remover. any chemical that removes your ammonia will destroy your tank. bacteria that eat ammonia will starve and die or never form at all if you are chemically killing ammonia. in other words, your tank will never cycle. leave the ammonia alone and let the tank cycle properly.



get a submersable type filter system. you don't want anything like one that hangs off the back or any other type that can cause splashing from water pouring back in as this will cause massive salt creep on your top.
matt
2010-09-25 07:26:58 UTC
honesty, for fish only you don't need a protein skinner at all, I don't have one and my tank and fish are fine plus skimmers are outrageously overpriced and fish store owners will tell you that you need one cause they want to sell the things and make money. as far as the powerheads you don't really need, you use poqerheads to move water and create current which is always good but really is used for reef tanks . a canister filter is expensive but I've never had a tank that big so I don't know, is just get some high powered hang on back. you don't need uv unless you geting anenome. a fish only salt water tank really is simple don't let greedy fish store owners try to rip you off and buy their not needed crap. I have a 20 gallon with a underground filter and a hang on back aqueon, my water is crystal clear and I've never had to do a water change for a half year now. but I was told that was a dumb setup and not filter well, and o buy the way plez buy my exspensive protein skimmer


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