I need advice for setting up saltwater aquariums. I've joined a new Aquarium Club at high school, and while I have experience keeping and maintaining my own freshwater tanks at home, I have never before kept a saltwater tank. Any suggestions? The tanks are most likely going to be around 30 gallons, and I need some budget-friendly equipment suggestions for a saltwater setup, how to set it up, and basic care for saltwater tanks in general. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Need advice for setting up tanks
- Thread starter Fisheroo
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In general you can start off with most of the same equipment that you would use in a freshwater setup, (hang on back filter, heater, thermometer, etc). However you will probably want to use live rock or dry rock, this is the main biofilter in most saltwater tanks. A powerhead would be good to use as well to keep the water moving and oxygenated. A sandbed isn’t required but I prefer them over bare bottom tanks. A protein skimmer would be helpful but isn’t entirely necessary as long as you’re careful with stocking and feeding.
If you want corals a decent light is necessary, but there are affordable options if you plan on only keeping “easy” corals.
When you set up the tank you’ll have to let it cycle like with a freshwater tank, I’d recommend using a bottled bacteria product to speed up the cycle. I prefer instant oceans biospira.
As far as stocking goes, I’d start out with small hardy fish. Clownfish would probably be ideal but there are plenty of other hardy choices.
I’m not sure what your source of water will be, but assuming you will be making saltwater at school you’ll need an RODI system and some kind of container to mix the saltwater in. Brute trash cans are popular, you’ll need a powerhead and heater to mix the salt properly. There are a lot of salt choices out there but in my experience instant ocean is the best inexpensive one.
If you want corals a decent light is necessary, but there are affordable options if you plan on only keeping “easy” corals.
When you set up the tank you’ll have to let it cycle like with a freshwater tank, I’d recommend using a bottled bacteria product to speed up the cycle. I prefer instant oceans biospira.
As far as stocking goes, I’d start out with small hardy fish. Clownfish would probably be ideal but there are plenty of other hardy choices.
I’m not sure what your source of water will be, but assuming you will be making saltwater at school you’ll need an RODI system and some kind of container to mix the saltwater in. Brute trash cans are popular, you’ll need a powerhead and heater to mix the salt properly. There are a lot of salt choices out there but in my experience instant ocean is the best inexpensive one.
As far as hang on back filters go aqua clear seems to be the most popular brand, although I don’t have any personal experience with them. Eheim or cobalt heaters are good, for a powerhead Id recommend a tunze nanostream. I’m not really familiar with protein skimmers for small tanks, but there are several hang on back and internal ones that could work.
Double monti 61
Well-Known Member
Hi I maintain a 15 gallon tank using 2 aqua clear 30 filters filled with 1/2 inch ceramic tubes a coarse size sand bed and a power head and heater nothing more.
Rubblereefer
Active Member
search on youtube: innapropriate reefer 10g budget nano reef
You'll be able to grow pretty much anything with that setup, I believe he was all in for less than $150
Thats awesome your school has an aquarium club btw!
You'll be able to grow pretty much anything with that setup, I believe he was all in for less than $150
Thats awesome your school has an aquarium club btw!
Thank you, I'll be sure to watch it.
I agree, I actually discussed it with one of my teachers a month or so ago suggesting it, and here it is-aquarium club. Unfortunately there's not too many people interested yet, but hoping to get more soon.
Daddy-o
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Here is a link to a school program out here in California:
There is a whole list of sponsors. Perhaps you could contact them (the sponsors) for donations to your school reef?
SEQUOIA REEF AQUARIUM PROJECT
Our coral reef aquarium provides dynamic examples of biology, chemistry and physics to students, as well as an avenue toward understanding a complex ecological system and the impact humans have on...
sequoiareef.weebly.com
I've started setting up the tank earlier today, but I need some help identifying equipment. This is an old tank, about 30gal I believe, plucked some dead asterina starfish and snails and the like off it and its equipment. Based on these pictures I took, does anyone know what these are? I know that 2 of the things are a heater and light controller. How should this be set up? The tank is going to be a non-reef, crustacean-only one and the rocks, gravel, equipment, and rock are old btw.
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