saltylilthang
Community Member
Hi everyone!
I am hoping to start my saltwater journey this year. I consider myself a beginner to all things aquariums, even if I have owned multiple fish over the years. I kept 2 goldfish alive for 15 years and I consider that a right of passage.
I currently have 2 freshwater fully planted scapes. 5 Gallon for a female betta named Molly, and a 32.5 Gallon that houses ottocinclus, kuhli loaches, bladder and assassin snails, and a male betta named Steve. I love my tanks and learned a lot and decided after rehoming my third tank to a friend , it's time to set up a new tank but let it be saltwater.
My plan is to get a 20 Gallon AIO Waterbox with stand (if I can find it secondhand I may just cry) and fill with 2 clowns, a few coral, and some invertabretes (rref grazing hermits, nusarias snails, and peppermint shrimp). Nothing too crazy, nothing too fancy.
That being said, I need a little guidance in my intro! Do I truly need a wavemaker or will the outtake flow be enough, even with the standard pump? Do I truly need a top off system or can I hand top off the tank? And how long does the ugly stage last! Thank you everyone!
I am hoping to start my saltwater journey this year. I consider myself a beginner to all things aquariums, even if I have owned multiple fish over the years. I kept 2 goldfish alive for 15 years and I consider that a right of passage.
I currently have 2 freshwater fully planted scapes. 5 Gallon for a female betta named Molly, and a 32.5 Gallon that houses ottocinclus, kuhli loaches, bladder and assassin snails, and a male betta named Steve. I love my tanks and learned a lot and decided after rehoming my third tank to a friend , it's time to set up a new tank but let it be saltwater.
My plan is to get a 20 Gallon AIO Waterbox with stand (if I can find it secondhand I may just cry) and fill with 2 clowns, a few coral, and some invertabretes (rref grazing hermits, nusarias snails, and peppermint shrimp). Nothing too crazy, nothing too fancy.
That being said, I need a little guidance in my intro! Do I truly need a wavemaker or will the outtake flow be enough, even with the standard pump? Do I truly need a top off system or can I hand top off the tank? And how long does the ugly stage last! Thank you everyone!
