I am about to purchase a frag tank which I plan to fill with invertebrates and other interesting bottom dwellers. What do I need to get a salt water tank running. I would love it if you could tell me what I need and what they do thankyou!!!
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what you need – http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t…
what you need to know – http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=103…
edit: well hunter your entitled to you opinion. here is mine, the problem with your method of answering is that the info required to start and understand a saltwater tank takes more room than Y/A has available. you will usually end up giving a nearly unintelligible, hodgepodge answer with bad info like telling a noob to start a nano without ro/di and asking an lfs what snake oils to buy. or missing info you forgot to mention like a protein skimmer, power heads for water flow, 3 buckets for mixing and storing fresh and salt water, vinyl tubing for water changes, and gfci and ground probes so you don’t kill yourself reaching into salt water with live current from a broken pump or heater. you forgot to mention water tests or even the most basic piece of equipment, the hydrometer. your answer gives no mention of even basic water chemistry or tank husbandry. no mention of pests critters or nuisance algae.
starting a saltwater tank takes weeks if not months of research. so i would rather give a link to an already established and comprehensive list good enough to be stickied at the top of the new to the hobby section on the worlds largest saltwater forum, rather than trying and type out a wrong and incomplete list.
but hey, to each their own.
Ok, I’m going to give you MY answer. Not a link. This site should be about sharing YOUR knowledge, not a websites.
Ok, it’s kinda general what you’re saying. Be more specific.
-How big are we talking? A nice 40 Gal breeder, large top with plenty of space for frag racks and lighting? or a small 10 gal, with limited room, but cheap to start.
-What kinda frags? Softies, SPS or even LPS? This determines the lighting you need. Do you want to spend 3 bucks on a light that does it’s job well and opens you up to many different possible critters.
-What’s your budget to start, 1? 2? 5? This determines your system.
-How much time are you spending on this? Is it your main hobby? Or just something you kinda maybe sorta wanna try?
-Are you planning to make it a frag tank? To grow and sell for a profit, with not much show? Or a very nice display tank?
Well, let’s say you want to do a nice 20 gal tank, a display tank you want to do, to have awesome corals and has a few cool critters in it. Ok, first you’re gonna need the tank, 20’s usually run around 30 bucks new. Then get a filter, nothing big, try an emperor 150 hang on the back. Invest in some good lights, perhaps Florescent HO’s, good, solid lights. This’ll do more than enough. Grab a low wattage heater, enough to get tank temp up to about 76F. Buy probably 1 bag of live sand, and a few pounds (14 maybe? ) of live rock. Get some salt, bring your SG up to about 1.023,1.024. For water, I’m a BA, I’ve always used tap. Untreated, but no aquarist WILL EVER tell you do that. It’s usually considered a sin, but my tap water’s good, with little minerals in it, and no fish of mine have ever died due to water quality. Ask your local fish store about additives you need for the corals you want. After about 3-4 weeks of cycling, throw in something. An emerald crab, a cleaner shrimp, something along those lines. When they’ve lived, and you think you’re ready for corals, get your water checked, and start, little by little, putting them in. Zoo’s, leathers, soft stuff. It looks good. Then pray.,
very confusing issue. look into over yahoo and bing. that will may help!