New to Reefs, currently running freshwater

[padres1234]

Hello everyone, I'm both new here and to reef tanks!

I was wondering if I could get some basic questions answered. I might be switching to a saltwater tank.

I have both a spare 10g and 20g. A heater, and a nice light.

Now what other important pieces of equipment am I looking at? And what do you think the startup price would be for the rest.

Of you guys could help get me a breakdown of the costs per item I need that would be greatly appreciated. I know I can find guides, but I trust and experiencedwarf community on where to get equipment and the best bang for your buck.

I look forward to seeing your responses, thanks guys!

[NS Mike D]

Where to start. The tanks mentioned would be considered nano tanks. Check out that forum as nanos have some unique needs. The water chemistry can fluctuate much more than say a 100+gal tank due to the small water volume.

To determine price, you first have to determine what type of tank you want and how much time you are willing to dedicate to maintenance.

There is a sticky at the top of this forum entitled: SETTING UP: HOW TO! Comprehensive list of articles for the newbie aquarist!!!***

Spend some time reading the threads, peruse the nano forum and look at the build threads.

These will help you decide what type of tank you want and what equipment you need v want. That in turn will help you with setting a budget.

[SFish]

Do you want a reef or a fish only tank? If you decide to go with a bigger tank petco has a $/gallon sale you could pick up a 40 breeder for $40 and use the 20 gallon tank for a sump but that's just one of many options.

[BlueMoonFox]

It definitely depends on what you want out of it. I did the same thing, started with many freshwater and thought why not. I had a spare ten gal and outgrew that inside of a month. Fortunately I had a 29gal that needed broken down. Start as big as you can. It gives you the best choice in fish and more forgiving parameters.

[CStrickland]

I was wondering if I could get some basic questions answered. I might be switching to a saltwater tank.

This thread is a great place to start http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1031074

I think the biggest issue with starting off with such a small tank is reaslistic stocking. I wouldn't put more than 2-3 very very small fish in a 20. For the ten it would be a coral tank and maybe burrowing goby. That can seem very empty to folks coming from fresh water where you can really fill up a tank. Also, smaller ranks can be difficult to regulate parameters in because there isn't much wiggle room. Especially since it's mostly housing coral so you need good control.

If I were starting today, I would get a 40 breeder tank. You can find them for like $50 and use the spares for quarentine. I would budget $500 as a ballpark, but there's a lot of variation if you get stuff used or find a sale, so be willing to go over that if you like nice toys.

Welcome to the forum :)

[Hal]

+1 to all above. As said above, first thing you need to tell us if you are going fish only, or reef (I.e., corals). They are two very different setups. In either case, I strongly recommend you use live rock for your primary filtration. You also need to decide what you want as a substrate. Most go bare bottom or sand.

Also plan to have some decent flow in the tank. The fish love it and will be healthier. At least 5x the volume of the tank per hour for flow as minimum. A small power head will handle this.

[Fissues]

With nano tanks, always keep a gallon of topoff water ready. I top my 10 gallon off 2-3 times a day. And remember to top off with freshwater, because salt does not evaporate, and we want to keep salinity stable.

[Animagus]

If you have had success with freshwater it's all the same IME, only there's some salt involved.... Not doing nothing will give you a "baseline" so to say. Go from that. GL