Hello all, i'm new to the salt water community!

jesslynn21 · Feb 5, 2012

I've been having some thoughts on starting a salt water aquarium & have done some research(not awhole lot, but some). Seems as there is a lot more involved than I had thought! I am going to be building my bearded dragon a new, custom vivarium; so planned on hopefully taking his old 40 gallon breeder tank and converting it into a saltwater fish tank!!! :angel: But as you see, I am new to the 'salt water life' and want to get all the advice & tips I can to have a beauitful, happy & thriving tank! Already been looking at beautiful, peaceful saltwater fish and some coral as well. Definately don't want any semi-aggressive to aggressive fish at all! Really prefer easy going, bright & different fish & coral as well...so far my absolute favorite find was a mandarin goby! :bigsmile: so beautiful, so different, so me!!! lol. I've started a small list of ideas for fish, crabs & snails, so any feedback on my choices would be greatly appreciated!! So far this is my list: green spotted mandarin goby
green mandarin goby
fire fish
flasher wrasse
pineapple fish
dwarf blue leg hermit
astrae turbo snail
shortspine urchin
electric blue hermit crab
serpant sea star
spiny star astraea
Any ideas on A+ equipment to use, tips, pretty much any ideas would be greatly appreciated! Going to do TONS of researching on everything, before I even start my salt water aquarium, to ensure for the best fishie community I can!!!! Any replies, pointers, suggestions & tips would be awesome!!!! Thanks! :smile:

boxer · Feb 5, 2012

well first welcome to r2r best people and place on the net. You shouldnt use your old reptile tank you should purchase a new or used tank that is for water. I say this because the reptile tank was not designed to hold water and the silicon could release under pressure and cause a big mess. Plus you dont know if the silicone is 100 percent silicone and if it does hold it could leach toxins in the water. As far as the fish and inverts your interested in are a good start.
You should deff. let the tank get well established. i would say close to six months before adding a mandarin. Unlike most other fish in the hobby these guys will only eat live foods. So on top of adding live feeds (live brine shrimp) you can sustain these guys with copods and amphopods that will naturally multiply in your system, but this takes time.

underwaterfirefighter · Feb 5, 2012

Welcome to R2R!

caudill187 · Feb 5, 2012

Welcome to R2R. A 40 breeder is a great size for the first tank, if as mentioned, it was made to hold water. It has plenty of floor space and is easily lit.The livestock you have listed will probably do well together. Nice choices ! I wouldn't get a mandarin goby unless you're sure its eating frozen/thawed food. I have had them come in skinny and starve in my tank that has been up for years....and I culture copepods that they eat. This hobby is responsible for the deaths of thousands of them.

As for substrate, I would use aragonite sand, not the finest grain but one up from that. I wouldn't spend the extra money for "live" sand. Invest is a quality skimmer as it will be your most important piece of equipment over time. I would go with T5's or nice LED's on that size tank, but the T5's will be much cheaper. The fish don't need lights but you will probably eventually want photosynthetic animals such as anemones or corals. I would look into some artificial "live" rock, to prevent unwanted pests. Just set it all up, ask questions, and be patient with the cycle before adding livestock.

Keep using the forums! In my opinion, you've found the best one out there. Happy Reefing !!!

jesslynn21 · Feb 5, 2012

thank you all for your replies!!!! the 40 gallon tank i meantioned i would like to use, was actually supposed to be for fish, so i believe it would be fine for holding water. as you meantioned, boxer, i have also read from many different sources, it is best to set the tank up & get it going before adding any fish. & as for the mandarin, i have also read they are somewhat difficult to keep alive. due to the feeding fact, but i found one on ebay that says it will eat shrimp or frozen food. also read that they like to eat pods & as long as you establish a good amount before adding a mandarin, it should be alright. that will probably be my favorite fish out of all, so i will do anything to ensure it's environment is just right to strive & survive!!!! i've also read live sand is just a waste, so it's better off to get dry sand, because over time it will become live. yes i definately want anemones & corals for sure, figured an LED would be the best choice of lighting...as it's probably better on the electric bill & would help the color of coral & fish stand out better. some of the coral i've found is just amazing & i'm guessing it would be best to set the tank up, make sure everything is stable(get the hang of it)for about a month & than add coral. another question i have, what about colored sand? has anyone ever had problems with it? would i need one of those vaccuums as well? & for the skimmer, do you need a seperate tank for it to sit in? i apologize, not very educated on this yet(which is why i'm trying to get all the correct info before starting)...salt water aquariums are just very intriguing to me & i want to be as well informed as possible to make a killer & healthy aquarium! so say i get all the correct equipment & fill the tank, how long should i let it run before putting the first thing in(live rock)? than after that, how long should i wait to start putting coral in the tank? & how exactly do i get 'pods' going so there's plenty accumulated by the time i get a mandarin later on? sorry for all the questions, like i said, would just like to get as much feedback to be as well informed as possible before even beginning this!!! thanks to all replies, definately appreciate it!!! so happy i found this forum!!!:bigsmile: