Archive for September, 2009

basic’s to a saltwater fish tank?


okay, so my mom and i decided to go and buy some supplies for a saltwater fish tank..

i can done some research and frankly, i understand that there would be some things i’d defintely need for my salt water fish tank..

hydrometer, thermometer, heater, skimmer, and a powerhead

can someone please explain to me what these items are and whether or not i REALLY need them.. my mom and i have a budget and i’m not trying to spend to much buying things that i’d wouldnt need..

also, i have a tall 20 gallon fish tank, i was planing on just getting two orange clown fish ..

again, if theres anything else i didn’t include on the list, please let me know

any advice is welcomed ;]

here is an image of the stuff i already have, from my fresh water fish tank..

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/4196/p1070875jp4.jpg

as you can see, i alreayd have a filter, an air pump and to my guessing a powerhead? i’m not quite sure what is the last one actually haha

You appear to have a filter, power head and aerator, to be frank there are limited options for a 20 gallon tank, you can have fire fish, a few select basslets, a few select dotty backs and a few breeds of goby’s that can live in a 20 as well, and that is about it, saltwater fish need more room to swim, if you can browse craigslist or free cycle, a 30-55 gallon tank is not hard to come by, that 10+ extra gallons will give you a much wider variety like clowns, damsels, mandarins (when the tank is fully mature) dwarf angels,

you will need a 2 inch live sand bed, a filter with dual cartridge and bio wheels rated for saltwater (I recommend anything by marineland), a saltwater rated lighting system and heater, 50-60 pounds of live rock (you buy this slow and after the tank has cycled) you will need a hydrometer and instant ocean sea salt, saltwater testing kits and most importantly a good book and web sight like http://www.wetwebmedia.com/

a hydrometer will measure salinity
a skimmer will take out organic matter
thermometer will help you keep the water at 80-82o
power head gives good water flow

I will have to be honest, saltwater is not a cheap endeavor.

I just gave away a fully mature 75 gallon saltwater setup
all they had to buy was a skimmer, their test kits and fish, they have already spent close to a grand, and they already had the tank, rock, sand, heater, filter…if you are on a budget, this may not be the thing for you…salt you will need every few weeks at 20+ dollars a bag, a master test kit is close to 50 bucks, live rock is 8-15 dollars per pound, you will need at least 1 pound per gallon and the fish start at around 6 dollars, and they are the cheapest, the clowns go anywhere from 20-50 dollars per fish (which need 30 gallons anyways) good luck in what every you decide to do..and
FIY…I am not trying to be Johnny Rain Cloud, I am being realistic.

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2 comments - What do you think?  Posted by admin - September 30, 2009 at 5:58 pm

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What fish can live with a boy betta fish?

I have male betta fish and I was wanting to know if anyone knows what other kind of fish I can put in the tank. It is a one gallon tank, so no big fish.

Nothing can go with your betta in a one gallon tank. That tank is barely big enough for your betta by itself. If you did get a bigger tank, it would depend. You can keep almost anything that doesn’t have long flowing fins with your betta. You have to make sure it doesn’t nip. But if you have a crowntail, I wouldn’t reccemend it. They are really aggressive.

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11 comments - What do you think?  Posted by admin - September 28, 2009 at 2:31 pm

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huge favor? supplies for fish help?

can u help me find a glass 10-15 gallon aquarium (rectangle) for under 100$ that comes with a hood that includes a light? (supply a link please, perferably petco/petsmart)

how should i get a fish tank started? i heard u need zebra danios at first… but i havent had a tank in a while.. so can u give me the starting cycle? i’d like to have mollies and sword tales

Walmart sells a ten gallon kit with filter, light bulbs, hood, sample food and water conditioner for around $45 after tax, and a 20 gallon kit with the same for around $80 after tax. They do not advertise this on their website but they do sell them. They are the cheapest kits I’ve found! Definitely worth the money.

Please do not use fish to cycle your tank. Look into the fishless cycle. You can do this with pure ammonia or fish food … or used substrate or filter media, however if you use old substrate/media you risk introducing unwanted contaminates/diseases.

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