Does anyone know specifcally how to start a saltwater fishtank?

Question

i just turned 16, and i told my parents that i wanted to get two clownfish-a male and a female. i dont know what clownfish eat or any of there habits. i dont know how to take care of them and i have no idea what im going to need to get the tank started. i have a 30 gallon tank- do you think that will be big enough? what chemicals do i need?

im really excited to get my fish,

but i want to know how to take care of them before i get them.

the sooner someone can get back to me-the better.

thanks everyone.

Answer 1

make sure u do additional research after reading this please.

keep in mind that u cannot start a salt tank overnight. the tank will have to cycle for around 6-8weeks. here are some things for u to do in the mean time.

get live sand, u will need at lest 30lbs. of it but it wont hurt to get 40lbs.

upgrade ur lighting. u will need a high intensity FULL-SPECTRUM light preferably 10,000K

and get an TRUE ACTINIC bulb. without these, u can forget about supporting life in ur salt tank.

get at least 30lbs. of live rock, doesnt matter if it is cured or not cuz u have a new tank.

get a protein skimmer

get (if u dont already have it) a MARINELAND BIO-WHEEL POWERFILTER. one that is rated for 50gallons would be perfect. DO NOT settle for anything else. lol. these are great filters for ur basic saltwater setup. any other filter is a waste of ur money/time.

um. chemicals i would get the KENT STARTER KIT. has essential elements, PH buffer, and ammonia detox. big o thing of salt and u should be ok for now.

make sure to get a salinity test kit and a master salt water test kit.

and if u can get R/O water(reverse osmosis) best water quality.

wow still interested? lol.

do alot of reading on the types of clown fish u will be getting and their compatibility. and also more importantly look at the types of anenomes they are good with. they are essential to keeping happy and healthy clowns. and it is truly a beautiful thing to watch the clowns and anenomes interact. hypnotizing. lol. cleaner shrimp are cool to have in a tank like that as well. but for future purchases on any other fish/anenome/crab/starfish/ect. make sure to do extensive research on them before putting them in ur tank cuz all it takes is one thing(thats not supposed to be there) to wipe out ur tank. if u can write a report on the fish(or whatever) than u did enough proper research.

make sure to research on ur saltwater fish supplier. ask where they get them. look at their setups. do they offer the proper environment for their fish? the local mom and pops shop is more likely to be better than any petsmart or petco. their associates(most of them anyways) dont know jack about thier saltwater supply. i dont trust them. newho good luck and hope u enjoy ur salt tank

Answer 2

Thank you for taking the time to research before buying the fish, and then wondering why they died.

The specifics are too long for a single post, so I'm going to point you to resources.

The absolute best resource I can recommend is "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Bob Fenner. It discusses everything from filtration to care for different fish species. It provides feeding options, lighting, how to maintain water quality (and what "good water quality" means), and how to aquascape your aquarium to achieve excellent flow and oxygenation. It was a godsend for me when I started out, and it still a resource for many decisions I continue needing to make. It's a pricey book (mine was $44 at a Border's book store), but I have found the book to be worth every penny.

Fenner, and several others involved extensively in the aquarium hobby and business, maintain this site:

http://wetwebmedia.com

Much of the book can be found on the site, as well as other articles on a variety of topics in the hobby by other people.

"The New Marine Aquarium" by Michael Paletta is a similar book. Not quite at the same caliber as the above book (but thinner and cheaper), but still full of all the information you need for starting a tank. I've found this book for sale at 3 different aquarium shops, plus 2 book stores.

Forum systems, such as at 3reef.com can be good places for many issues, but most sites focus on the topics most pertinent to maintaining coral reefs, not fish-only set-ups. The books I listed are, in my opinion, your best asset. You could probably order both off of Amazon.com and have an order large enough to qualify for free shipping.

From my personal thoughts:

You can't really s*x clownfish. They're all born as males, but a dominant fish in a group will become a female. Your best bet is to get 2 clownfish and *hope* they get along (there's no guarantees that they will). 30 gallons is kind of a small environment for two fish, but if they get along and you keep the filtration strong, you can probably pull it off.

Also, this is a small tank for beginning to learn saltwater aquaria; changes in water chemistry propogate through small systems faster than big systems, so you really need to stay on top of things and provide heavy filtration.

And, despite what others may tell you, you do not need an anemone to keep them content. Don't get me wrong...it's beautiful to watch them in an anemone, but anemones require more advanced lighting and excellent water quality; more than I'd recommend for a beginner. And, the fish live perfectly fine without them anyway.

Answer 3

Don't ask in here! The Internet is full of sites that can tell you how to start saltwater tank and all about clown fish.  Do alot of research before u buy anything Please ,for the health of the fish. Saltwater fish are more expensive and require different things than fresh.

Answer 4

Buy the book Saltwater Aquariums for Dummies. It is WELL worth the money invested! It is one of the best salt water books I have read out there. I know petsmart sells it.

http://www.amazon.com/Saltwater-Aquarium...

A thirty gallon would be fine for 2 clownfish, although it would be what most people call a "nano" tank, and nano saltwaters can be hard to establish.

I have learned that saltwater tanks aren't really hard to set up and maintain, they are just EXPENSIVE. Then again, I have a 120 gallon saltwater, so water levels are a lot easier to maintain.

To go through and tell you everything on here would take too much. Go out, buy or rent that book and others, and just read read read. After you have the main idea down, you can come back on here and ask and specific questions you may still have :)

Answer 5

When you go to buy your fish, the person that works there will give you all the information you need to take care of your fish, or you can just ask them.

check out this site it can help : http://www.ehow.com/how_2073666_raise-cl...