Need help in setting up a salt water aquarium

[vniri.jan]

Hi...

I need help/guidance in setting up a salt water aquarium.
I just want to have one percula clown fish ...so what all bare minimum things i need to buy.I had a freshwater aquarium for 4years, and dont have a clue abt the saltwater.. I did do some research but cant make out the bare minimus...

Thanks
Nick

[Aiptasia]

Thanks for asking. A well cycled 20 gallon tank would be the minimum tank space for a single clownfish. Please don't venture into the world of anemones without first mastering keeping a single fish alive. Anemones are rare, and are very delicate. The average anemone is vastly more delicate than some species of soft corals. Please don't attempt to keep one with a clownfish until you master how to care for other saltwater inverts first. Sorry if it seems harsh but i'm trying to stress the point.

At minimum for a fish only saltwater aquarium, you will need everything that you'd need for a freshwater setup except for a few more accessories. The first is a good hydrometer, which will tell you the salinity level of your aquarium water while you are mixing up fresh batches of synthetic sea salt. The next is a good quality bag of synthetic sea salts. Third, a good master test kit for saltwater tanks. The reagent chemicals are a little different in composition than for freshwater so you'll need a good one for saltwater. I'd recommend liquid test kits. They are a little more expensive but they are vastly more accurate than dry tab, dip sticks or others. There are artificial plants, dead coral skeleton and artificial resin corals and liverock that look amazing in a fish only setup.

A good filter that turns over about ten tank volumes of water per hour is great for a fish only tank. I'd recommend either a canister filter or a simple hang on back type filter. Look at the flow rating on the filter box and select one that turns over 10x the volume of water in the tank you're getting. For example, if it's a 20 gallon tank, get a 200 gph filter.

Other than that, it's basically the same. Cycle the aquarium using a fishless cycle. The ABC's section has information on how to do a fishless cycle on your tank. Have fun!

[vniri.jan]

Thanks so much for the information. I actually went to couple of stores to check the prices and to find how much does it cost.

Do you suggest going in for the all set up Eclipse 12 / JBL Nano 12 , or purchase every thing separately.
Both were costing the same .However the instant Cubes look pretty.

What are the pros and cons..

I initially thought every thing could be done (w/o fish ) for around 125$ , but it seems to be costing me around 175-200$ (excluding the test kit which was not part of the Eclipse / JBL / Oceanic Bio Cube 12)
and 160$ if I purchase them individually.

[Perfectblue]

Hello.

As Aiptasia stated a 20 gallon tank is the minimum tank size for a single Clownfish, especially considering this is your first saltwater tank. With a larger water volume its much easier to maintain stable parameters.

All in one setups are nice but have limitations. The eclipse is more suited for freshwater while the JBJ Nano is aimed towards reef keepers. The particular tanks you mention are only 12 gallons, adding substrate and decorations would decrease the overall volume. Starting with a simple 20 gallon glass tank and gathering other necessary equipment separately is the best option in my opinion.

I would like to recommend a couple books that I think would help you greatly. The New Marine Aquarium by Michael S. Paletta and The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert M. Fenner.

If you have any more questions just ask.

[Mollielover]

Check craigs list for inexpensive salt set ups, some good deals are bound to be found.

[avebell]

Does that mean that there's no way you can built nemo tank like this one?? - http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/startinganaquarium/a/aa_10gminireef.htm

[LittlePuff]

Not a good idea.

[freakzilla726]

In my opinion (and remember this is only my opinion), a 10 gallon glass setup would be just fine for a single clown fish. I have successfully set up hundreds of 10 gallon nano tanks (complete with corals and fish) and have never had a problem .. as long as your filtration is good, you have good live rock and a good sand substrate, I think it would be just fine... but like mentioned before, don't start diving into any corals until you've mastered keeping the clown alive and happy... hope this helps!

[Perfectblue]

This is the first saltwater tank for the original poster. It would be best to start with a larger tank than 10 gallons, not to mention an ocellaris or percula clownfish should in my opinion be kept in a larger tank no matter what skill level. You have to take into account how much water volume there actually is when you add in substrate and structure. When I had my 10 gallon reef it only held 7-8 gallons of water once I added 1-2" of substrate and 10 pounds of live rock.

The article posted isn't accurate as far as the amount of fish that can be kept in a 10 gallon. Three fish for that size tank is not a good idea. Too high of a bioload which could lead to poor water quality and territorial disputes among the fish given such a limited space.

Having the basic understanding and experience of saltwater tanks is needed before jumping into nano and reef setups. Good luck and if you have any more questions just ask.