So I have been dealing with freshwater aquariums for a while and they aren’t satisfying me lately. I am sure now that I want to start a saltwater tank. But first I have a few questions. (I have been doing endless research and can’t find these anywhere)
1 - at my home we have well water. Could that be used in the tank or do I still need an RODI unit? I use the well water for my fresh water tanks but I am aware saltwater is more sensitive.
2 - I really want a tank with corals. Do you think I should start with that and add fish after or vice versa?
3 - is 30g a good starting point?
4 - I’ve watched videos on this one and read articles but it still confuses me, what lights do I need to have for the tank?
I think that’s it – if fish related questions are not allowed on this site please let me know. Thanks!
1 - at my home we have well water. Could that be used in the tank or do I still need an RODI unit? I use the well water for my fresh water tanks but I am aware saltwater is more sensitive. I am biased to RODI. So I would say RODI is the way to go, plus you are planning on keeping corals. So it will just be beneficial down the road. Again, I am biased towards RODI.
2 - I really want a tank with corals. Do you think I should start with that and add fish after or vice versa? It does not really matter. Personally I'd start with Fish, let the tank go through it's uglies and then add corals. Plus you can figure out your parameters and dial them in the way you like.
3 - is 30g a good starting point? Sure it is. Only challenge with small water volume is, changes happen fast. If you stay on top of maintenance you'll be fine. I'd highly recommend an ATO.
4 - I’ve watched videos on this one and read articles but it still confuses me, what lights do I need to have for the tank? Can I confuse you even more? You can chose from MH to T5 to LED. Take your pick. LOL. Research lights, but go for something that's going to grow coral. For my next build I am thinking T5 + LED. Currently I am using all LED. But LEDs can be pricey.