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Considering A Marine Tank...?


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#1 aajvcad

aajvcad
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  • Joined: 15-April 14
  • Location: Stirling

Posted 07 June 2014 - 05:27 PM

Hi guys,

 

I would like to attempt and start a small reef tank.

So let’s put it this way. I have allot of research and learn

 

I would like to try small like a NANO tank 30-40 L – any suggestions what tank to get? Preferably with built in sump, filter and lights. The “Yasha Nano Reeftank” looks good but costs a bit more than I would like to pay on this experiment: http://www.amazingamazon.com.au/nano-reef-tank.html

 

Ideally I would love to have a LionFish – I know that lion fish need big tanks but was wondering if dwarf lion fish are available to buy? If so could I start with a small one and maybe work on a larger tank if all goes well.

 

LionFish is properly the main reason I’m thinking about a salt water tank.

 

However, if the small LionFish option is not possible, what other fish can I put into a smaller tank that looks cool and won’t die on me if I make a small mistake..(hopefully not)?

 

Thank you



#2 Redevilz

Redevilz
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  • Location:Perth
  • Location: Scarborough

Posted 07 June 2014 - 06:00 PM

Great! More people getting into marine, that's good to hear as I thoroughly enjoyed keeping marine aquariums. I hope you have a great experience with keeping saltwater tanks too! They are very interesting and the amount of variations in coral and the diversity of marine life you can keep in a saltwater aquarium is amazing.

If my response does not answer all of your questions then let me know and I can try to help you as best I can with anything you need to know.

If you have kept cichlids there is no reason whatsoever why you would not be able to successfully keep and maintain a marine aquarium. They are really not as difficult as some people say they are. As long as you keep up regular water changes and do not overstock your tank they are just as easy as a freshwater tank to keep! To ensure you do not have dead fish or ammonia problems, I would have no fish in the tank for 2 months, add fish slowly and same with corals.

The first and one of the most important ways to ensure your marine tank is successful is by buying quality live rock and cycling your tank. The recommended period for cycling your aquarium is 1-2 months. The duration of the cycle is based on the size of the aquarium. The larger the tank the longer the cycling period should be.

With sumps, they are beneficial to have as you can store your equipment within them, making sure that your tank is attractive to look at. The best thing about sumps though is that they add water to your system, making the water parameters stabler and also you can add more stock to your tank.

Some of the easier corals to keep include Xenia, Hammer coral, torch coral, scolymia and toadstools.

The larger your aquarium the easier it will be to keep. The smaller, the cheaper but they are more difficult to keep because in small tanks temperature can fluctuate rapidly and conditions can change quicker than larger tanks because of the small quantity of water. The only problem with large marine tanks is that they are very expensive!!

I began with a 34 litre all in one ocean free brand unit. These tanks are great for beginners because they come with all the equipment you need for a low price! Although being a small tank I had problems with algae.

Another problem with small tanks is that the water evaporates quicker than a large tank. This can cause problems with the salinity levels because when the water evaporates there becomes less water in the tank. (Because some water evaporated). However, this helps algae grow because salt does not evaporate so when there is less water in the tank due to evaporation there is still the same ammount of salt, making the salinity levels higher. Algae thrives in High salinity levels.

Ideally, you want a balance in between a cheap little tank and a an easy to keep, large but expensive aquarium. Tanks that are around 200l are great for beginners.

In a marine tank there are more parameters that you must be careful of and keep at a certain level. In a marine tank you need to measure pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and if you are keeping SPS corals (short polyp stony corals) then you need to test calcium and kH.

What the parameters should be:

pH: 8.0-8.4
Phosphate: 0
Ammonia 0-0.25
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0-10
Calcium: 400
kH: 8

A great way to test these is by purchasing the API saltwater master test kit.

Lighting: The intensity and amount of Lighting is dependent on the type of corals you would like to keep. LPS and Soft corals require low-medium light. SPS corals are more difficult to keep, these require strong flow, high calcium and very bright lighting.

I would not reccomended lion fish for a tank any smaller than 100L. Even for dwarfs.

Also, dwarf lion fish can be very fussy and are not recommended for the beginner marine aquarium keeper.

Some good fish for a tank 30-40L include:
Bangaii cardinal fish
Pyjama Cardinal fish
Clownfish
Six line wrasse
Bicolour blennies

Hope that helped.

#3 aajvcad

aajvcad
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  • Joined: 15-April 14
  • Location: Stirling

Posted 07 June 2014 - 06:13 PM

That did help. Thank you.

I'm at least a month away before even starting which gives me enough time to research.

Have to finish 2 other projects first.

Cheers

#4 MrLeifBeaver

MrLeifBeaver
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  • Joined: 08-January 13
  • Location:Langford
  • Location: "Ruby Gardens Estate"

Posted 09 June 2014 - 12:31 PM

Hello Aajvcad,

 

Congratulations on the decision! Reddevilz info is perfectly worded, I don't have much to add.

 

If you have a look at my post in this section. I started a 34L Nano Ocean Free tank too. Excellent little setup.

http://www.perthcich...showtopic=57112

 

Just a word of warning on costs, a nano tank is cheap to run (25L of salt water monthly), but it still does cost a bit to setup.

Here is a very basic break down on my costs so far.

 

New Tank & Gear all included (sump, etc.) - $240

Small heater -$

3kg to 5kg of Live Rock ($17/kg) - $51

Argonite Substrate (or variant) - $30

Fish Food - $20

Chemicals (calcium, coral feeders) - $25

2x Perculiar Clownfish - $80

1x Yellow Banded Shrimp - $50

Cleanup Crew - $50

Corals x6 - $300 (basically $50 a coral)

 

Total Costs - $846

Oh my god I spent nearly $1000!! Arrgghhh! ha ha ha. Nah, it was well worth it :)

Just looking into getting a chiller for super hot summer months too, which will be about $250

 

P.S. Scroll to the bottom of the topic for the latest photos.






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