Well thinking about starting up a saltwater fish tank since I can't ride the 10. Anyone here have one setup? Looks to be a bit hard to setup and keep water level at the right place. But looks alot better over a fresh water thank.

Yeap, Been there done that. Alot of money but they are very nice. How much room do you have to work with?

Looking to stay somewhat small with a 46 gallon bow front I found of criags list. Still up in the air with it though just might want to make it a tropical tank but salt water looks a million times better.

Salt water is worlds better. I have never owned one but I've done a decent amount of research. I think the biggest thing is finding someone local to you that's into it... getting some of their water and rocks will go a long towards getting your tank up, running, and healthy. From there it's just all a bunch of research. The interesting thing about salt are all the nuances, the various fish that serve a different purpose, and the million different anemone and corral you can get.

my fiance has done this for 21 years. we have a 115 gallon right now. once you get them set up, they are EASY to maintain. we had it set up as a rock coral tank, but after we moved we decided to set it up with just sand and have it as a shark tank with triggers, a ray, and a shark or 2.

Coral looks crazy hard to keep that in the right levels. Looking to do just salt water fish with live rocks so I can get some inverts in there too. Sand bottoms look very nice too! Right now my problem at hand is building a stand for it. Needs to support at least 500lbs

Love my saltwater tank. The one piece of advice I can give is TAKE YOUR TIME!!!! If you rush ANYTHING it will come back to bite you. My wife could never understand why the tank sat empty for two months. She would tell me it was so ugly with just rocks in it.

Love my saltwater tank. The one piece of advice I can give is TAKE YOUR TIME!!!! If you rush ANYTHING it will come back to bite you. My wife could never understand why the tank sat empty for two months. She would tell me it was so ugly with just rocks in it. It really takes that long to cycle? I know my little 10 gallon trypical planted tank took 3 days before I started stocking.

Yea salt water tanks take awhile to get it into a live environment but the end result is awesome. WOrd to the wise the bigger the easier it is to care for. Find a good way to remove the protein and a good calcium reactor and your golden

Go salt water....it's not nearly as hard as some people think. I've got a 12 gallon mini tank in my room now. No corals, i've only got a clown fish and plenty of inverts in the bottom. Since i've got more "cleaners" than fish, the tank is almost completely self sufficient. I let it go 3 months or so between water changes without any issues. Not that i'm recommending it...... I've tried corals in the past with my bigger tanks but never quite had enough lights. They're pretty difficult and tempermental. If you just want fish and a couple of crabs though, it's no harder than freshwater. Just add salt.

I have a 40 gallon reef tank thats been running for 7 years now. I got into reef tanks about 12 years ago... The only thing i bitch about is how expensive it is now a days. If you want corals then you will have to work on your lighting, which means you might have to build your own canopy or use a hanging pendalent halide of some sort. If you want a protein skimmer than you will most likely need a sump. No need for a calcium reactor unless you have sps coral. The other bitch might be you having to go out and get reverse osmosis water for your water changes. Bigger is better but cost alot more to maintain. Just plan out which tank your going to get because it gets involved depending on what you plan to do with the tank.

I have a 180 (30g sump) and a 200 (50g sump) reef setups. If you go reef, be sure to read as much on them as you can, I recommend 'Natural Reef Aquariums' by Tullock and 'The Reef Aquarium' Vol. 1&2 by Delbeek and Sprung. There are many others out there too. The best advice I can give you is for you to read and find out what you want before you start, it will save you a ton of money in the long run, as you wont be re-buying stuff that you needed in the first place. And take your time, a reef takes a while to mature and grow. If you need any more advice just send me a PM, I'd be happy to help.

It really takes that long to cycle? I know my little 10 gallon trypical planted tank took 3 days before I started stocking. It may not necessarily take that long. It just all depends on your levels. I took my time because I still wasnt sure what I wanted and was doing tons of research. By the time I had a game plan it had been about 2 months.

A reef system is looks to crazy for me at the moment. I am leaning more torwards fish only with live rocks. From what I read is its not as intense as reef but you get some good looking tanks.

Come on guys...............:ttiwwop:

i got a tropical. a mate has a saltwater. tropical is easier. saltwater is more exotic - crabs, shrimp, urchins, coral, etc.

A reef system is looks to crazy for me at the moment. I am leaning more torwards fish only with live rocks. From what I read is its not as intense as reef but you get some good looking tanks. If you go that route I would suggest you get a Reef Ready tank, i.e. a tank with a built-in overflow box and run a sump. It's easier to maintain, add fresh top off water, do water changes, and add equipment to the tank without having them be an eyesore in the tank. It's also for peace of mind- A hang-on overflow box is a disaster waiting to happen. (siphon breaks causing overflows and pouring salt water all over the floor, etc.) You can also go reef later if you so choose. It's win/win in that regard. I was gonna get another tank and go FO w/ LR as well, as I want some triggers and full sized angels and they can't be put in my coral tanks. Come on guys...............:ttiwwop: Don't have any recent ones, I'll try to get some up later.:mrgreen:

Sorry these pictures suck I had to take them with my iPhone First, my planted 55g community tank. This includes Albino Corys, Red Tail Shark, Betta, Hatch Fish, Molly, Dwarf Puffer, Coolie Loaches, Rasboras, Neon Tetras, Upside Down Catfish, Golden Barbs, Cherry Barbs, and some Black Skirt Tetras. http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/planted.jpg Second is GOING to be my 55g Discus tank as soon as money frees up (all is being spent on the bike) http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/discus.jpg And last is my 75g reef ready tank. Unfortunately I had a outbreak and lost some fish. Have no idea what happened (didnt add anything new). All that survived are a Yellow Watchman, Pistol Shrimp, 2 Peppermint Shrimps, a Tuxedo Urchin, 1 Clown, and a assortment of crabs and snails. Last summer I started going into corals. I currently have some Kenyas, Button Polyps, Star Polyps, a donut, and some Green Blue Mushrooms. http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/saltwater.jpg Clown and Button Polyps http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/clown.jpg Kenya Tree http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/kenya.jpg Star Polyps http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/polyps.jpg Yellow Watchman (best pic I could get, he's kinda shy) http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/yellowwatchman.jpg Tuxedo Urchin http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/urchin.jpg Peppermint Shrimp (for some reason they love to climb on my hands and arms, especially when Im cleaning the tank!) http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/shrimp.jpg

thats very nice.

Peppermint Shrimp (for some reason they love to climb on my hands and arms, especially when Im cleaning the tank!) http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/shrimp.jpg lol....exactly! you know why they love to climb your hands and arms? they are a cleaner shrimp! it's their "job" to clean! if you sit still long enough and pay close attention, you can feel them cleaning your nails and cuticles! Finding Nemo shows how they clean the fish too....and in the Ocean they have "cleaning stations." we had one once....but my damn trigger ate him! it's soooooo cute when men are a tad clueless :wink:

lol....exactly! you know why they love to climb your hands and arms? they are a cleaner shrimp! it's their "job" to clean! if you sit still long enough and pay close attention, you can feel them cleaning your nails and cuticles! Finding Nemo shows how they clean the fish too....and in the Ocean they have "cleaning stations." we had one once....but my damn trigger ate him! it's soooooo cute when men are a tad clueless :wink: man and I thought they were called peppermint shrimp because they ate peppermints :smile:

More and more I think about it I think I just going to stick with a freshwater tank. From doing my research alot more $$$ is evolved then I care to put towards this new hobby at the moment plus the 10 needs new tires and stuff ^_^ For the mean time I can decided between a 50 gallon long or a 45 gallon cube. Both look awesome but don't know which one would be better off for fish. Any input?

More and more I think about it I think I just going to stick with a freshwater tank. From doing my research alot more $$$ is evolved then I care to put towards this new hobby at the moment plus the 10 needs new tires and stuff ^_^ For the mean time I can decided between a 50 gallon long or a 45 gallon cube. Both look awesome but don't know which one would be better off for fish. Any input? I personally like long tanks. I think its really cool to watch a school of fish swimming down the tank. Plus it depends on what kind of fish you get. Some fish sit still while others like to have a a large area to swim in.

Dont know that much about freshwater stuff, but know that they are generally hardier fish, but don't usually have as long a general lifespan. (My tangs have a lifespan up to 20 years) But I like cubes since they can be used as an island tank moreso than the long versions, but they can be done that way as well. My 200 is an island tank and can be seen on all sides. Down side is you have to clean all the sides as opposed to just two or three. But the main issue is how tall the sides of the tank are. That is my main problem with my 180, it is a tall (34in sides) and the stand being 4 feet I have a chore when I clean it and move things around in it.

Well got my new tank last friday and this is where I am at now. http://hphotos-snc3.fbcdn.net/hs217.snc3/22432_321977938501_774508501_4928193_8036771_n.jpg Decided to go fresh water cause salt water is way to crazy for me right now. Going to get some more plants and such before I add plants. I will post up some new pics when I get more plants. Cheers

Need bigger pics! I really love fish tanks. I've never done salt before and I think I'm going to take my chances on one next time and then compound the risk by doing a small one... wish me luck

I have a 75 gallon reef tank...LOVE IT. and get tons of compliments. Maintence is easy, if you buy the right equipment and do things right the first time. After that, its a peice of cake and actually less hassle then a freshwater tank. But it all depends on what you wana keep. Make sure you figure out what you want at first, cause if not your mind will change and youll wind up wasting alot of money.Meaning, if you want some coral, go ahead and get the right lights, good protein skimmer, etc. to maintain anything cause youll grow on it.

Sorry these pictures suck I had to take them with my iPhone First, my planted 55g community tank. This includes Albino Corys, Red Tail Shark, Betta, Hatch Fish, Molly, Dwarf Puffer, Coolie Loaches, Rasboras, Neon Tetras, Upside Down Catfish, Golden Barbs, Cherry Barbs, and some Black Skirt Tetras. http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/planted.jpg Second is GOING to be my 55g Discus tank as soon as money frees up (all is being spent on the bike) http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/discus.jpg And last is my 75g reef ready tank. Unfortunately I had a outbreak and lost some fish. Have no idea what happened (didnt add anything new). All that survived are a Yellow Watchman, Pistol Shrimp, 2 Peppermint Shrimps, a Tuxedo Urchin, 1 Clown, and a assortment of crabs and snails. Last summer I started going into corals. I currently have some Kenyas, Button Polyps, Star Polyps, a donut, and some Green Blue Mushrooms. http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/saltwater.jpg Clown and Button Polyps http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/clown.jpg Kenya Tree http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/kenya.jpg Star Polyps http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/polyps.jpg Yellow Watchman (best pic I could get, he's kinda shy) http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/yellowwatchman.jpg Tuxedo Urchin http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/urchin.jpg Peppermint Shrimp (for some reason they love to climb on my hands and arms, especially when Im cleaning the tank!) http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s227/evallarta/Fish%20Tanks/shrimp.jpg about how many pounds of live rock do you have in there? i have the same tank, 75 reef ready, with over hanging T5s, and i have about 90 lbs of live rock..and it seems empy in some spots so i was thinking of adding more

No clue where my camera is at the moment all I have is my driod >_< I will post up some tomorrow when I add some more plants. Just spent 50 bucks on the plants and driftwood you see in there now. Also tip i just picked up this magnet cleaner and the things works like a champ. Never put my hand in my tank to clean the glass. Awesome!

evallarta1, Why do you have a lifted light on your planted tank? Do I need to do the same for mine for the live plants? Always wonder about that never researched that part yet. Thanks

about how many pounds of live rock do you have in there? i have the same tank, 75 reef ready, with over hanging T5s, and i have about 90 lbs of live rock..and it seems empy in some spots so i was thinking of adding more I have about 80 lb. in there right now. Mine seems empty too sometimes. I've just been too lazy to get more and cure it. Plus I dont want to put too much in and then not have enough room for corals.

evallarta1, Why do you have a lifted light on your planted tank? Do I need to do the same for mine for the live plants? Always wonder about that never researched that part yet. Thanks My specific light is a 130w light. With a light that kicks off that much wattage it also kicks out a lot of heat. So a lot of lights are built to sit a couple inches off the tank to keep that heat from transferring to the water. Plus it makes the water shimmer which is just cool in itself. As to your other question what kind of tank are you going to do, low tech or hi tech?

I have about 80 lb. in there right now. Mine seems empty too sometimes. I've just been too lazy to get more and cure it. Plus I dont want to put too much in and then not have enough room for corals. yea same here. My concern is I have a zebra moray eel, thats quite large...and if i add more liverock im afraid he will run out of room to roam..

My specific light is a 130w light. With a light that kicks off that much wattage it also kicks out a lot of heat. So a lot of lights are built to sit a couple inches off the tank to keep that heat from transferring to the water. Plus it makes the water shimmer which is just cool in itself. As to your other question what kind of tank are you going to do, low tech or hi tech? I guess low tech cause I am really not srue wtf I am doing yet lol. What is the deffrence?

Plants need 3 things to grow in a tank, Heat, C02, and Lighting. In order to get maximum growth you need all 3 equally. Out of the 3 usually CO2 is lacking in a tank. So if you have a lot of light and heat and very little CO2 your plants wont utilize the all nutrients in the tank to grow. And then you get really bad algae blooms that wont go away. Now if you lower you lighting intensity you dont need your CO2 to be as high. And your plants will grow to they're full potential. Usually if the light intensity is low enough (the stock light/hood that comes with a tank would work) then the fish will provide enough CO2 to let the plants grow. This is known as a low tech tank. BUT you have to make sure you put plants in your tank that don't need a lot of light. If you get a light that has higher intensity then you need to provide CO2 from a outside source. This is usually done in two ways. Either by dosing with a liquid or powder carbon daily. OR hook up a CO2 canister to pump CO2 into the tank. This is considered a high tech tank. As a side note when I talk about intensity I am talking about watts per gallon and par. Don't confuse this with the amount of time the light is on during the day. You can not substitute the lack of a light's intensity by leaving the light on for longer periods of time. Hope this helps and I didn't confuse you more.

I guess low tech cause I am really not srue wtf I am doing yet lol. What is the deffrence? High tech IMHO is using a calcium reactor in combination with an aqua controller with PH, ORP, and other probes to tell you what is going on in the tank. A controller can also be programmed to simulate wave action with your pumps, (turning them off and on) and control your lights simulating dawn/dusk. It can also regulate the temp by either turning on the chiller or heater. I dont use heaters but I do have chillers. I am gonna get an aquacontroller one day but just use digital timers on my lights and run squids on my pumps. A squid is a water diverter that makes the water flow to one side then the other. I don't have a complete reactor but am in the process of getting it finished. They are not required but do help keep things in check, and you do away with the two part calcium/alkalinity regimen I do everyday. Water topoff is done with a 8 gallon bucket tapped with a hose and with a water trough valve. It is very low tech, but has been working flawlessly for me for 10 years now.

cool thanks for the info in that case I am going to stay low tech. Not to many plants (at least I think) so I shouldn't have to worry about plants getting enough co plus I am only running stock light about 8 hours a day. Need to get it on a timer though. I just added some more plants and I already forget what they are called. Going to post up some more pics when I get home. Cheers :occasion1