Saltwater Aquarium?

[tcglsu]

Anybody got a saltwater aquarium? I got sum questions .i am a newbie

[longcast]

Pm Jedi lure trick. He has some show tanks.there awsome.

[Mediumheavyaction6'6]

Originally Posted by tcglsu

Anybody got a saltwater aquarium? I got sum questions .i am a newbie

I had tanks for about 7 years I could help.

[tcglsu]

Originally Posted by Mediumheavyaction6'6

I had tanks for about 7 years I could help.

what the best test kit i need for my tank? what live rock would suit me since i am new? salt mix or they all about the same?when i do get my rock is it best to cure it in my new tank or in a container? thanks

[Montauk17]

How big of a tank do you want? The nano cubes are nice,eveything is all in one. I had one a few years ago but sold it due to the apartment I was living in at the time. Now that I have my own place I want another one myself.

[BossHog]

just put live oysters in it, they will filter everything for you

[tcglsu]

Originally Posted by Montauk17

How big of a tank do you want? The nano cubes are nice,eveything is all in one. I had one a few years ago but sold it due to the apartment I was living in at the time. Now that I have my own place I want another one myself.

yea thats what i got a 28gallon nano got it in tuesday

[Woodduck Commander]

For your base, look for a gravel called argonite (don't quote me on spelling) it naturally equalizes your ph. Put it in the tank and bury a frozen or just dead shrimp in it for about 2 weeks, that will start your bacteria that a tank needs and will do wonders for the filtering process, as for live rock, I pulled all mine from a older tank so idk where to get it but once that bacteria starts coralline algy will grow naturally and you will get these little critters call "anthropoids" I think is what they're called, which will clean the tank like crazy. Instant Ocean makes real good mixes for your salt and it's pretty cheap. I think that nano comes with lights and a filter. That's about all I know for starting out. I've had a show tank set up for about two years. I love it but I'm having to shut it down to move next year. Get some peppermint shrimp to clean too and snails for the glass.... Unless you have an extream urge for hermit crabs, try to stay away from them as they destroy more than they clean. Pm with any other questions and I'll try to help you out. I'm not a pro but I have a little experience. Good luck

[speck-chaser]

Ive alway wanted to try a salt water aquarium, at one time, we had 5 freshwater aquariums with 3 being over 40 gallons when I was a kid. I have a spot in the top portion of a corner curio cabinet,I would like to do one in. I fount a pentagon shaped looking one that would fit perfectly with about 50 gal. The only thing that scares me was, I was reading about how the saltwater will sometimes eat up your walls and sheetrock and paint, not sure if thats true,but dont want to mess up my living room.

[tcglsu]

Originally Posted by speck-chaser

Ive alway wanted to try a salt water aquarium, at one time, we had 5 freshwater aquariums with 3 being over 40 gallons when I was a kid. I have a spot in the top portion of a corner curio cabinet,I would like to do one in. I fount a pentagon shaped looking one that would fit perfectly with about 50 gal. The only thing that scares me was, I was reading about how the saltwater will sometimes eat up your walls and sheetrock and paint, not sure if thats true,but dont want to mess up my living room.

yea me to i sold my 55gal freshwater setup .... that would be kool

[Woodduck Commander]

Originally Posted by speck-chaser

The only thing that scares me was, I was reading about how the saltwater will sometimes eat up your walls and sheetrock and paint, not sure if thats true,but dont want to mess up my living room.

I think it would be ok. Mines been right next to my Sheetrock and dark blue paint and hasn't faded or anything

[Dink]

Tropical fish bowl in Lafayette is who you need to talk to.

[Mediumheavyaction6'6]

Originally Posted by Dink

Tropical fish bowl in Lafayette is who you need to talk to.

I agree they do seem to be the most knowledgeable in that area. In Baton Rouge Mark's Marine seems to know the most from what I can tell. I would use a live sand mix for a tank that small since it won't break the bank. They have a bag you can buy that is packaged and sold in saltwater to keep the beneficial bacteria alive. This along with your live rock will eliminate the need to put any dead shrimp in the tank. As far as live rock goes I would stay away from anything that comes from the Gulf as it tends to be high in phosphates and creates an algae problem. I like tonga branch or live rock from Fiji. I would also go with Instant Ocean as far as salt mixes go. If you are going for a reef tank you are going to need to add supplements to the tank such as calcium, magnesium, and trace elements. This is a necessary evil if you want the tank to thrive. As far as setup goes, I would purchase my live rock (about a pound per gallon is a good rule of thumb but the more the better) allowing the tank to cycle for at least a week. This allows all the dead material to fall off the live rock and start the bacterial bloom. After this initial period I would put in the cheapest reef fish you can buy in order to get something in the water producing ammonia. In a tank that small you are going to have to choose wisely when it comes to coral because most species have a tendency to fight with each other chemically. I would talk to an employee at either of the two places I mentioned to get a direction to go in. I think that should do it for a 2:45 in the morning advice post. Any other questions PM me and I will go into as much detail as you can handle. I used to manage a pet store in Tampa where we had over 10,000 different species of coral and saltwater fish.

[tcglsu]

Originally Posted by Mediumheavyaction6'6

I agree they do seem to be the most knowledgeable in that area. In Baton Rouge Mark's Marine seems to know the most from what I can tell. I would use a live sand mix for a tank that small since it won't break the bank. They have a bag you can buy that is packaged and sold in saltwater to keep the beneficial bacteria alive. This along with your live rock will eliminate the need to put any dead shrimp in the tank. As far as live rock goes I would stay away from anything that comes from the Gulf as it tends to be high in phosphates and creates an algae problem. I like tonga branch or live rock from Fiji. I would also go with Instant Ocean as far as salt mixes go. If you are going for a reef tank you are going to need to add supplements to the tank such as calcium, magnesium, and trace elements. This is a necessary evil if you want the tank to thrive. As far as setup goes, I would purchase my live rock (about a pound per gallon is a good rule of thumb but the more the better) allowing the tank to cycle for at least a week. This allows all the dead material to fall off the live rock and start the bacterial bloom. After this initial period I would put in the cheapest reef fish you can buy in order to get something in the water producing ammonia. In a tank that small you are going to have to choose wisely when it comes to coral because most species have a tendency to fight with each other chemically. I would talk to an employee at either of the two places I mentioned to get a direction to go in. I think that should do it for a 2:45 in the morning advice post. Any other questions PM me and I will go into as much detail as you can handle. I used to manage a pet store in Tampa where we had over 10,000 different species of coral and saltwater fish.

thanks man that helps alot!