# Salt water info



## Guest (Jul 14, 2005)

My birthday is coming up this Saturday and I think my husband is going to get me a Fish Tank/Starter Kit. I have had fish tanks before, but all were fresh water. My husband loves salt water fish and he's hoping we can have a salt water tank. I would like to have salt water fish too, but I'm not sure how to take care of them. Are they as easy to take care of as fresh water fish? Is a salt water tank harder to maintain? The starter kit I think he is getting is a 10 gallon. Are there any salt water fish that can live in a 10 gallon? What do I need to know before I get a salt water tank and fish? Please help, I would really like any information I can get. Thanks in advance!

Melissa :fish: :help:


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

A ten gallon tank is a terrible choice for a saltwater tank. They're tempting, of course, but they aren't useful or practical. Saltwater fish have greater needs than freshwater ones, and a 10-gallon tank can't meet those needs very well.
In larger tanks, saltwater fish are pretty easy to keep if you follow the rules of saltwater.


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## Damon (Jan 18, 2005)

Agreed, 30 gallons is the minimum (and I mean bare minimum) for starting a saltwater tank, especially since you have no salt experience. I have a lfs around here (top notch one) that specializes in saltwater. They frowned when I told them I wanted a 30 gallon salt tank.


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## Osiris (Jan 18, 2005)

$500 roughly get ya going good. for 20-30L


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

10 gallons are extremely unstable, so that is why my freshwater community took a back seat when I started out and went 55 gallon... haven't looked back since, now up to a 125 reef and planning one 10X that large once I get the $$$. You'll love saltwater if you go bigger, trust me. You do about the same amount of maintenance on a large tank you would on a small tank.


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## TheOldSalt (Jan 28, 2005)

Now that you're good and worried, I'll tell you that a 10 gallon salt tank CAN be done. It's just a royal pain, since you'd have to do a lot more work on it. We can of course teach you what to do and how to do it, but we can't MAKE you do it. If you're not able to work on your tank a few hours each week, consider sticking with freshwater until you can get a bigger tank.


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## bsautococker (Aug 3, 2005)

fishfirst does have a point... the bigger tank you go the more le way you have with it.... being as this is going to be your first tank i would recommend at least a 55... its not too big but its big enough to let you get use to the cleanin of it and the water changes and what not. plus you will be able to add more fish that youll want in the 55 over a 10.a new 55 setup will run you $500 - $700 dunno the prices where your at. you can get a used 55 for around $200 just look in the classifieds of your local papers or any local websites. thats what i did with my 140. i got everything for $700.... also saltwater - i think - isnt any harder than fresh and its alot more enjoyable.....


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## Fishfirst (Jan 24, 2005)

definately what bsautococker said! More fun and interesting in my opinion.


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## bsautococker (Aug 3, 2005)

lol you can get all those purty colored fishes, fresh water just cant stand up to that- except for maybe cichlides - ahh messed up on the spellin sry its late lol


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