jmartineau993
New Member
I am looking for basically everything. from how to startup to how to maintain and then what to put in my tank
thanks!
thanks!
Very new to salt water aquariums 15 gallon
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tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
There's a whole lot of different answers to each of these "questions".
Are you going to do a fishless cycle or bacteria in a bottle?
Live Rock/dry rock?
Live sand/dry sand/no sand (bare bottom)?
How much technology are you going to implement or hand testing/dosing/topping off?
Your own RODI/tap water/buying water from LFS?
Sump/no sump/canister/all-in-one aquarium?
Are you going to do a fishless cycle or bacteria in a bottle?
Live Rock/dry rock?
Live sand/dry sand/no sand (bare bottom)?
How much technology are you going to implement or hand testing/dosing/topping off?
Your own RODI/tap water/buying water from LFS?
Sump/no sump/canister/all-in-one aquarium?
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Welcome to Reef2Reef and to saltwater aquaria; I do hope you enjoy both!
But you're asking a bit of a loaded question. In short, there's many different kinds of tanks to be kept with unique requirements, and even then multiple ways to setup and maintain these tanks. This is not something that someone can just tell you in a few paragraphs, it's the kind of thing that can take years to learn. There is, in my opinion, a much larger learning curve in saltwater than freshwater, and patience is a big part of it. So I would advise that you slow down a bit and start doing some research on what kind of tank you'd like to have, and what you hope to keep, and then we can help you formulate a plan to that end.
If you're very new to reef aquaria I personally suggest you take a look at the BRSTV beginner videos. Yes, at the end of the day they are trying to sell you gear, and often times gear you don't need, but they do a great job otherwise of explaining each aspect of keeping your first reef tank.
I hope that helps and best of luck!
But you're asking a bit of a loaded question. In short, there's many different kinds of tanks to be kept with unique requirements, and even then multiple ways to setup and maintain these tanks. This is not something that someone can just tell you in a few paragraphs, it's the kind of thing that can take years to learn. There is, in my opinion, a much larger learning curve in saltwater than freshwater, and patience is a big part of it. So I would advise that you slow down a bit and start doing some research on what kind of tank you'd like to have, and what you hope to keep, and then we can help you formulate a plan to that end.
If you're very new to reef aquaria I personally suggest you take a look at the BRSTV beginner videos. Yes, at the end of the day they are trying to sell you gear, and often times gear you don't need, but they do a great job otherwise of explaining each aspect of keeping your first reef tank.
I hope that helps and best of luck!
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Welcome Welcome to R2R!
Both the above posts sum it up perfectly.
Best of luck!
Be informed, make good choices and don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions.
Keep us posted and enjoy this awesome hobby!
Both the above posts sum it up perfectly.
Best of luck!
Be informed, make good choices and don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions.
Keep us posted and enjoy this awesome hobby!
That info is already available, below r2r article has almost everything you need to get you started. Suggest to give it a good read and come back with specific questions. Good luck
The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium
Last edited:
OP
OP
jmartineau993
New Member
what would u recommend for all of those?
Watch “Mathew BRS beginner guru” videos on YouTube. He’s great at simplifying things for beginners and experienced people in his videos.
tbrown
Nominated Cronie Intern - Might be failing?
Those are all different ways you can do it. Those are entirely your decision and some will affect how you start and what equipment you need.
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@jmartineau993
All of us would be happy to help you with your tank, that's why we are here. But this is a hobby where you're going to have to do A LOT of research and learning on your own. Again, there's no cookie-cutter recipe for keeping these tanks, and even if there was you're still going to need to understand some of the basic processes that are going on in your system.
But to help get you going, maybe tell us what 15 gallon tank you have for this. Is it an All-In-One (AIO) tank with the filtration built into the back of the tank, or do you have a more traditional type of tank that needs a filter system of some kind? Do you have any other pieces of equipment already, or just the tank?
Do you have any idea what animals you'd like to keep? Do you just want a saltwater tank with maybe just a few small fish and maybe some cool inverts like crabs and shrimp? Or are you hoping to keep corals? If you are hoping to keep corals, I'd suggest doing some research on the care of some of the easier soft corals, such as Zoa's, Xenia, Toadstools, Green Star Polyps (GSP), and Mushrooms to name a few.
Another great idea is to check out other member's tanks here at R2R. Look for tanks about your size, and with the type of fish and corals you want to keep, and get an idea how these members setup and maintain these tanks.
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/member-tanks.52/
One of the first things you'll need to do is to learn how to cycle a SALTWATER aquarium. I emphasize saltwater because a lot of people coming from freshwater think they know everything they need to know to cycle a saltwater tank, but it's just a bit more involved, and typically much longer of a process in saltwater. There is NO END to the threads here on R2R on cycling a tank, so take a look, and post again if you have questions.
And closely related to cycling your tank, one of your first considerations will be the selection of your rock and sand. In short, if you have a decent budget, and want what I think is the fastest, easiest way to get a thriving tank going, then look no further than the aquacultured live ocean rock and sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater. Simply awesome stuff.
https://tbsaltwater.com/
If that's out of the budget, setting up your tank with some to all of a good live rock that you purchase at your Local Fish Store (LFS) and maybe a bag of the CarribSea AragAlive sand, which is a popular and inexpensive option you can find at PetCo, Amazon, Bulk Reef Supply (BRS) and more.
CarribSea Special Grade Live Sand at BRS
If you're on a budget, or if you simply prefer the methodology of starting a "clean" tank, the least expensive way to get your tank going is to use all dry base rock and dry aragonite sand. Although the least expensive, this is the most time consuming and arguably the most difficult way to get your tank going. You'll need to add bottled bacteria and an ammonia source, and give the rocks weeks to months to fully cycle.
If you're going to use dry base rock and sand, we can help you get them pre-cycling in a 5 gallon bucket so that it's working and getting ready while you're still learning and acquiring other pieces of equipment to run your tank. This way, when you setup your tank your rock will be more or less ready to go and you won't have to wait so long to add fish and other livestock.
Patience is the key to this hobby, nothing good happens quickly, but there are some tricks to speeding up the initial cycle however you do it.
And last, but I honestly think this may be the most important consideration - have you given a thought to the cost of all this? If you have a decent budget for this, then fine, but if you're like a lot of us you'll find out very quickly that this can be a nauseatingly expensive hobby. Have you given a thought to your budget with all this?
So my kind of first steps for you would be to:
As always, I hope I'm of some help, and I wish you the best of luck with your 15 gallon build!
All of us would be happy to help you with your tank, that's why we are here. But this is a hobby where you're going to have to do A LOT of research and learning on your own. Again, there's no cookie-cutter recipe for keeping these tanks, and even if there was you're still going to need to understand some of the basic processes that are going on in your system.
But to help get you going, maybe tell us what 15 gallon tank you have for this. Is it an All-In-One (AIO) tank with the filtration built into the back of the tank, or do you have a more traditional type of tank that needs a filter system of some kind? Do you have any other pieces of equipment already, or just the tank?
Do you have any idea what animals you'd like to keep? Do you just want a saltwater tank with maybe just a few small fish and maybe some cool inverts like crabs and shrimp? Or are you hoping to keep corals? If you are hoping to keep corals, I'd suggest doing some research on the care of some of the easier soft corals, such as Zoa's, Xenia, Toadstools, Green Star Polyps (GSP), and Mushrooms to name a few.
Another great idea is to check out other member's tanks here at R2R. Look for tanks about your size, and with the type of fish and corals you want to keep, and get an idea how these members setup and maintain these tanks.
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/member-tanks.52/
One of the first things you'll need to do is to learn how to cycle a SALTWATER aquarium. I emphasize saltwater because a lot of people coming from freshwater think they know everything they need to know to cycle a saltwater tank, but it's just a bit more involved, and typically much longer of a process in saltwater. There is NO END to the threads here on R2R on cycling a tank, so take a look, and post again if you have questions.
And closely related to cycling your tank, one of your first considerations will be the selection of your rock and sand. In short, if you have a decent budget, and want what I think is the fastest, easiest way to get a thriving tank going, then look no further than the aquacultured live ocean rock and sand from Tampa Bay Saltwater. Simply awesome stuff.
https://tbsaltwater.com/
If that's out of the budget, setting up your tank with some to all of a good live rock that you purchase at your Local Fish Store (LFS) and maybe a bag of the CarribSea AragAlive sand, which is a popular and inexpensive option you can find at PetCo, Amazon, Bulk Reef Supply (BRS) and more.
CarribSea Special Grade Live Sand at BRS
If you're on a budget, or if you simply prefer the methodology of starting a "clean" tank, the least expensive way to get your tank going is to use all dry base rock and dry aragonite sand. Although the least expensive, this is the most time consuming and arguably the most difficult way to get your tank going. You'll need to add bottled bacteria and an ammonia source, and give the rocks weeks to months to fully cycle.
If you're going to use dry base rock and sand, we can help you get them pre-cycling in a 5 gallon bucket so that it's working and getting ready while you're still learning and acquiring other pieces of equipment to run your tank. This way, when you setup your tank your rock will be more or less ready to go and you won't have to wait so long to add fish and other livestock.
Patience is the key to this hobby, nothing good happens quickly, but there are some tricks to speeding up the initial cycle however you do it.
And last, but I honestly think this may be the most important consideration - have you given a thought to the cost of all this? If you have a decent budget for this, then fine, but if you're like a lot of us you'll find out very quickly that this can be a nauseatingly expensive hobby. Have you given a thought to your budget with all this?
So my kind of first steps for you would be to:
- Figure out what kind of tank you want to have
- Learn about cycling a saltwater tank (see the BRSTV videos and help here on R2R)
- Research and figure out what kind of rock and sand you want to use
As always, I hope I'm of some help, and I wish you the best of luck with your 15 gallon build!
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Gumbies R Us
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The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium
The Supreme Guide To Setting Up A Saltwater Reef Aquarium This article was sponsored by @MarineDepot at www.marinedepot.com. Introduction The marine environment is one of the most complex systems on the planet. The aquarium you are about to set up is only a tiny sliver of the vast ocean...
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