100g salt water tank

[leeD]

My dad and I are contemplating setting up a 100g salt water tank... I dont have much knowledge or experience in salt water... as the store i work at only carries fresh... We can pick up a 100g tank, stand and lid for about $300.... pretty good deal..couldnt pass it up. We were woundering how much maintenence would be involved compared to a fresh water tank. Also about what approx it would cost to set the rest of it up. We are not afraid to spend a large sum of money. thx guys.

Lee

[corr]

Hi Lee. Kinda in a hurry but here goes. I've just started a marine tank myself.

The amount of light you'll need depends on what kind of tank you want to set up - fish only, FOWLR (fish only with live rock), or reef. Either way you should get a protein skimmer. It makes water changes minimal (salt is expensive). I don't use one but mine is only 15 gallons. A skimmer and powerheads will probably be your most expensive purchase, next to live rock, if you go that way. You'll want lots of water movement. Also, a couple of high quality heaters.

Some other s/w guys and gals can jump in here. :)

[Shane Tesser]

Hmmmm often big money man....all depending on what you want to do. A reef tank....big money...live rock, live sand....it can add up. Especially with the tank size, like corr stated, a tank that size should really have a protein skimmer.....buy a decent one. As far as maintenace, hmmmm a little more, salt water fish are not as forgiving....start yourself off right and read a good book first...there is alot you have to learn about mixing the water....conditioning....types of species......organisms.....plus you need to know your ph, ammonia, kph, specific gravity, etc etc scales to ensure success. But dont let that deter you...once you understand these scales its all becomes second nature. The big problem with salt tanks is often the fish selection....they are way more territorial then freshwater.....you can't for the most part load the tank up with as many fish as fresh water....and you really have to watch disease.....unlike fresh where one fish can get sick and then die.....often a disease in salt water can wipe out an entire tank in days. So yeah....if you need more specifics...please ask....but most importantly...READ!!!....its your best way of arming yourself against disaster....there is a big cost consideration....shane.

[Shane Tesser]

Lee i responded and then kicked myself and said geeze shane you werent really helpful. So i searched my library and pulled out a good book for you. I got this from the same chain you work in, so im sure you will probably have it at work as well. Its called the Saltwater Aquarium Handbook, by George Blasiola.....i think i paid like ten bucks for it....but its one of the best ive ever read. Lots of good explanations...easy to read (probably why i like it lol), gives a good overview of the hobby, fish etc, etc, i would check it out....read it cover to cover and im sure you will find it will answer all of your questions.....some really cool pics as well.

[Clownfishie]

I'll second everything that Shane said -- saltwater is amazing :) It's well worth the bit of extra effort I think -- and once you've got everything up and running (depending on what you keep of course -- I stuck with the easier stuff), the maintenance really isn't too bad either.

Your initial investment is going to be big though -- be prepared for that. The tank/stand is just the beginning. A good skimmer will run you a couple hundred. If you decide to go with either a FOWLR, or a reef tank, live rock you pay for by the lb, and you should have about 1-2 lbs/gallon... expect to pay sevreal hundred on rocks. Livestock itself is expensive as well... you might be able to find a couple of fish in the $10-15 range, but most of them will run you $25-150... Ditto with corals -- $35-150, depending on the size of the coral, and the the type. Sand can get expensive too -- I've got a 4.5" deep sand bed in my 90 gallon reef (it helps with biological filtration), and that worked out to 200 lbs worth of sand. Each bag is about 30 lbs, and will cost $30-40 ...
That being said, I'm moving at the end of the month (across the country), and I'm not taking my big tank with me -- I've sold all of the fish and the rock that I'm not taking -- but if you were interested in some sand (and live anywhere near Toronto, I don't know if you do), I can definitely sell it to you cheaper than the pet store -- the bonus being that this stuff has been in my tank for 3 years, it's full of useful bacteria/critters etc. It would be called "live sand", and places sell that for at least $3/lb.... I'm taking a bit with me (I do plan on setting up a tank when I get out to Victoria, it just won't be nearly as big so I have no need of so much sand), but I should have around 150-175 lbs of it left -- I could sell it to ya for less than the cost of 2 bags of sand -- which would probably barely cover the bottom of your tank :)

Anyways -- whether you want the sand or not, I think that you should give saltwater a try :) It's just incredible, as long as you don't mind putting the money into it to get off on the right foot. One of my favourite books to read on the topic is The Conscientious Marine Aquarist ... great book, lots of pictures, and it gives a good description of the different fish species etc. I think that the author is Ron something -- I just packed mine up, or I'd check for you ;)
I haven't updated it in a while, but you can also check out my website that I set up when I was first starting up my tank...
http://www.geocities.com/marinehaven

HTH :)
Jen

[Shane Tesser]

Wow, very nice tank. Thanks for sharing the link, Shane.

[Clownfishie]

Thanks Shane :)

Unfortunately it's completely empty right now -- other than the sand *sigh*. It looks so depressing. But, I'm in the process of setting up the stuff that I'm keeping in the 25 gallon -- I'll post a few pics when I'm done, hopefully it turns out ok :) Just wish I could've taken some of the fish with me, but shipping them across the country just didn't seem feasable -- plus I only could've kept a few of them anyways, since the tank is so much smaller...

One day when I've got a house and some extra space, I'm definitely getting another big tank -- they're so amazing :) I'll probably get one a little bit smaller though... maybe a 75... that way I can afford to get a really nice one :) The kind with the wood canopy & stand... it'll be awesome... hehe...

[Syst3m]

I really want to kick my self in the arse for giving up on salt water.
had a tank break on me and just gave up. wasn't worth the trouble at the time.