51 replies to this topic

[Bowdy]

Mate your better of just looking on the Maswa site and asking there. There is a world of knowledge on there about marine. Do you realise the set up cost and maintenance costs on a big tank. Isn't cheap.

[aussiemcgee]

Nothing good happens fast with marine tanks

If you have never kept marine tanks before it can be a pretty steep learning curve even for the most competant of freshie keepers. It is all well and good wanting and liking all the exotic fish that you've listed but if you don't understand the nuts and bolts of marines then you will kill alot of fish and coral - not to mention kill off alot of cash!

If you've got your tank - great! thats a start, now you have a base line for your equipment choice and if you haven't got a sump for it, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you get one. Sumps not only add volume to your system but its also a place for all the equipment to live - skimmers, heaters, live rock, refugium, deep sand bed, dosing pumps, reactors etc etc etc

If you don't have a tank I recommend a moderate sized 200 - 500ish L tank - this hobby is all about stability. Smaller tank water perameters flutuate very quickly, and the stability you get with a large 1000L+ tank is offset by the sheer price of equipment .

As a general rule for skimmers you want one rated for at least 2 -3 times the volume of your tank and in tank water flow you want 10 - 20 times the tank volume circulating constantly around your live rock. Lighting is T5 minimum.

Maintenance is another thing; you want salt water in storage for water changes - the blue220L drums or IBC's are ideal just make sure they are brand spanking new or at the very least ex- food grade.
Delivery of natural salt water is not that expensive, I collect my own thru work now, but I used to get 500L at a time for $50 - it used to last me 6 - 8 weeks doing ~50% changes each fortnight. You can mix your own with the proper Red Sea style salts but they work out similar.

Also, you can't top up the water from evaporation with normal tap water - you need reverse osmosis (RO) water. Buy you own system or fills from a LFS.

It has been posted heaps already but look at the MASA website the have a whole newbie step by step section and heaps of people all over Aust who will help with any questions - you can also type it into their search bar and look it up your self. Meeting on this Sunday if you keen?

Good Luck

[Redevilz]

Thanks guys I will:

1. Go on to MASA and do some research.
2. Talk to seaview and vebas.
3. Choose tank size due to price, maintenance and difficulty.
4. Choose fish, equipment, corals, fish, filters, heaters etc etc.
5. Get the tank and stand.
6. Add water, filter and heater.
7. Get everything perfect like pH, temperature etc etc.
8. Add live rock and coral.
9. Very slowly add small easy to keep fish like clown fish.

I have been looking on liveaquaria.com for tank sizes, prices and how hard they are to keep and I am thinking if getting clowns a coral beauty angel, blue chromis and maybe some others.

I will definitely get a sump.

Thanks

Ben

Edited by big red terror, 25 September 2012 - 08:33 PM.

[K.v]

Natural sea water, live rock, ph will work out on it own with water changes

[Neakit]

Angels are coral eaters so be very careful of fish selection.

[Redevilz]

Okay thanks, I signed up on MASA and researching.

[Neakit]

3 pages of people saying sign up and then they finally sign up >_>

[Redevilz]

Hey all,

My apologies for being so dopey before.

I've made an account on masa and doing lots of research.

The equipment I have bought is.

1x 3x18x18 Glass tank
1x Aqua One G216 Protein Skimmer
1x Sicce Stream pump 4 (6000l/h)
1x Heto 300W Heater
1x Digital Themometer

And also heading towards

1x 2x12x12 Sump
1x pump for sump-to tank circulation.
1x hailea 250 Chiller
1x Heto 3 Foot 4 bulb light
1x tank stand
1x Ro/Di filter

For fish I am looking at

2x cinnamon clowns
2x carpenters flasher wrasse
1x Royal Gramma
And maybe once I have large population of Copepods, 1x Mandarin Dragonet

Thanks all

Edited by big red terror, 12 May 2013 - 10:27 AM.

[Red Empress12]

Ben since when are u going to get a 9 foot?

[slink]

Be a lot of work and money for a 9 foot tank downsizing is a good idea

Edited by slink, 14 May 2013 - 12:57 PM.

[Neakit]

good to see hard work and research being done, patience is something you have to have in the marine world.

[Redevilz]

Thanks all, also purchased an aqua nano 34 litre tank which will house

1x yellow coral goby
1x court jester goby

Cheers