# Might start a saltwater...need help!



## direlime (Jul 17, 2008)

Hey,
Thx for viewing. I am planning on starting a FOWLR saltwater aquarium. I know i need a skimmer, heater, powerhead, Live rock, fish(not till later), test kits for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, water hardness, and Ph, marine salt, and well a aquarium. I thought I would go with a 30 - 50 gallon aquarium. Am I missing anything. Is there any suggestions on specific brands? Also I wanted more info on a sump. Can someone update me on what a sump is. 

Thx,
Direlime :fish:


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## MaelStrom (Jun 24, 2007)

Looks good except for sand ( live or regular?), lighting, and a device for measuring specific gravity( a refractometer is recommended for this).
You can try looking for my thread for some brand recommendations( I was planning a very similar setup).
This is a good article, and also briefly explains what a sump is
http://www.reefcentral.com/modules.php?s=&name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=1


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## direlime (Jul 17, 2008)

Thx alot
:fish: :fish: :fish:


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## nvsbandit (Jan 14, 2008)

get a 40g breeder. that would be an awesome fowlr IMO.

a sump is a place to put your heater and skimmer and chemical filtration out of sight so it doesnt take away from the display tank ( and it adds water volume making the system that much more)


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## MaelStrom (Jun 24, 2007)

A sump allows you to also build a refuguim, which is a place for you to grow things that will help you filter your water, such as certain macroalgae, plants( mangrove is popular), and provides a place for smaller organisms( inverts) to grow which would be eaten in your display tank. Othres would be more knowledgeable about that though...


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## direlime (Jul 17, 2008)

I did some research last night and found out that a fowlr is not really what i want. I want a reef tank. Is that not a good idea for a beginner?


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## s13 (Aug 17, 2007)

It can be done, just do your research. My first SW tank was a 10 gallon reef tank.


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## direlime (Jul 17, 2008)

thanks,
I have read alittle bt and i have heard so many different things. It is hard to get a grip on what is real and what is fake!

:fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: :fish: <-- I like this smiley


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

I recently just started my first SW as well, and I'm going against a lot of people here's advice and I'm going with a 2.5G Nano-Reef. It's been going smooth for a week or so with no major problems. Biggest problem is keeping the temperature steady


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## direlime (Jul 17, 2008)

2.5G? Is that as small as i think it is or did you mean something else?
:fish: :fish:


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

two and a half gallon. I have a Red Sea Nano-Filter on it, about 20 lbs of live rock, 10 pounds of live sand, and a powerhead 301 to create a LOT of current.

Also two 30W lights on it, one blue and one clear


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## MaelStrom (Jun 24, 2007)

2.5G 
Pretty gutsy... Good luck!


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## direlime (Jul 17, 2008)

Ya have fun with that!
:fish:


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## Suzy Z & J (Jul 28, 2008)

hope ok to ask this:
To nvsbandit, 
you state you have:
10g Salt
2 clowns (1 black and white one oc)
1 yellow watchman goby
CUC

Is this a 10 gal? and you have 2 different colored clowns?

Sorry, but pet store told me NO to both of what you are doing?

ok, whats CUC....
do you have a picture?
love to see?

Thanks!!!


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## Guest (Jul 30, 2008)

CUC stands for clean up crew. Scavenging hermits, algae and detritus eating snails, brittle stars, etc.

The pet store said you couldn't have two different colored clowns together? Sounds like some intelligent employees. :roll:
Some different species of clownfish may not get along, but say you have a black percula and a regular orange percula, you probably won't see problems...

In a 10 gallon, two clowns is pushing it. I personally think a pair of clowns should have at least a 20 gallon.

By the way, most pet stores don't have a damn clue about how to properly care for fish. You have to remember that all they want is to sell you stuff, so take all of their advice with a grain of salt.


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## Kurtfr0 (Nov 2, 2008)

nice how much is a 2.5G tank like with coral n stuff


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

TOO MUCH. If you think that an insanely small tank like that is a good way to save money, then think again. Oh, sure, you can save a few bucks up front, but you'll wind up wasting more to run it than you would have spent on a normal sized one. Most of the stuff you need doesn't come in small sizes, and those things that do don't come with small prices to match. A 2.5 gallon tank that actually works right will cost over 150 bucks, which is only a little cheaper than a 20 gallon would have cost. That sounds crazy, but the lights & skimmers and supplements & such still cost the same. You can cheap-out and use cheaper equipment, but you'll wish you hadn't.
Can you make a tank that small, make it cheap, and make it work? Sure. Is it worth it? Hardly. Still, people do it every day just to see if they can, and sometimes it works out for them okay. Maybe you can be one of the lucky ones, yes?

You know, I keep thinking that the nano-craze will result in the development and marketing of truly nano-sized equipment, but it hasn't happened after around a decade of nanoreefing. I wonder why. It seems to me that it would be a lucrative market, selling microskimmers and tiny lights ( of the proper spectrum & intensity ) and itty-bitty ( but still strong ) pumps and such.
I also wonder why archimedes screw pumps aren't common in the hobby yet. A 100% plankton-friendly pump that is quiet and uses very little electricity? What's not to love?


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## justintrask (Jun 29, 2008)

The 2.5G ended up costing me over $600 total, and a lot of DIY work, and in the end I had to break it down because I didnt have the money to keep funding it. It was fun, but took too much of my time away from my other tanks. I really don't recommend a tank that size for anyone but an expert. I was one of the lucky ones I guess


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## petlovingfreak (May 8, 2009)

a 2.5g seems like a waste of time to me to be honest...


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Yep, sure is; it's kinda like making useless posts in seven month old threads.


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## petlovingfreak (May 8, 2009)

sorry, my bad, i didn't look at the date, OH NO!


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## connor123 (Mar 22, 2010)

i agree with 'justintrack' its harder in a small tank because the tempture goes all over the place


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## bmlbytes (Aug 1, 2009)

Connor this is bugging me. Especially since the previous 2 posts on this thread actually said something about posting in old threads.


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