Considering A Saltwater Tank, Please Help!

[Molasses]

Hey everybody!

This is my first time posting on this forum, and that's because I recently won a 55g Marineland tank kit from Petsmart and have decided to move on from freshwater to the saltwater world! Unfortunately, saltwater concepts aren't sticking as well with me as freshwater does and I'm being given mixed answers, but I was told this site is a great place to be for saltwater questions, so hopefully you guys can help me out.

I'm concerned about whether or not I can actually keep this tank for multiple reasons, and by the way I plan on doing just a standard saltwater system, NOT a reef. I'm gonna break all my concerns/questions up so it's easier to read because tbh this might be a loaded post. (sorry in advance, I just want to make sure I'm not making a mistake doing this.

1. I have the 55g tank and stand ready and set up, as well as lights and a 200W heater.

2. I can NOT install a sump for numerous reasons. The main reason being I simply don't have space for it. I've gotten advice that I don't need mechanical filtration but I don't know if I believe that as much. The tank kit came with a Marineland Emperor 400 HOB bio wheel filter... which I'm sure is optimized for freshwater setups, and I've heard about the "nitrate factories" in HOB and canister filters. So do I need either of these on my setup? What would you recommend?

3. I plan on getting a protein skimmer but have no idea how to use it or which to get. This is something my LFS will help me with though.

4. I will be getting 2 bags of live sand and getting live rock. The expenses for 1 pound per gallon of water scares me money-wise, but I'm willing to get as much as I need. My LFS said I could start with 10-20 pounds of live rock and start adding in dry rock or live rock over time to spread out the cost. Let me know what you think about this please.

5. I plan on buying RODI saltwater from my LFS as well as RODI freshwater for top offs. I know you can buy RODI machines and mix salt yourself but I would think about that down the line. I'm thinking about buying a lot of the water and storing it for when I need to top off or water change after heating it up. Let me know if you think this is smart or if you have any other ideas. Also, do I need a hydrometer if I'm buying water from the same LFS?

6. My most important concern is the fact I'm a college student who only visits home every 2 weeks usually. I have family who feed and top off my tanks when I'm gone but going back to the whole nitrate factory thing in filters, I don't know if I will be able to clean them enough on this schedule. What are your thoughts on a saltwater system running with me only being there for maintenance every 2 weeks? Is it destined to fail or is there a decent chance it works?

7. Finally the enjoyable part, this is what I wanted to keep if I do this:
2x Ocellaris Clownfish
1x Royal Gramma
2x Bangai Cardinals
1x Flame Angelfish
1x Watchman Goby or Firefish
I was also considering growing out a blue tang and rehoming it when it gets too big, not sure about this though. Would take other recommendations that you have.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to help me. I'm sure a lot of these are dumb questions but I don't know a whole lot about this side of the hobby. If I forgot any equipment please let me know.

 

[Peace River]

Welcome to R2R and congratulations on the tank! All of the issues that you mentioned can be dealt with, however I am the most concerned with #6. Saltwater takes patience and consistency and I'm not sure if the tank and its inhabitants would get that if you're rarely there. Others will jump in soon with additional thoughts on your list of questions - good luck with the tank and, more importantly, good luck with school!

#WelcometoR2R

 

[Hemmdog]

Welcome to reef2reef!

 

[joseserrano]

Welcome. I think you should come back to the hobby after school

 

[Sako338]

Welcome aboard, glad to have you!

 

[Westoncase]

Biggest mistake in sw is overthinking

 

[Blitheran]

Hello! Way back in the day. I used to have an old 55 gallon aquarium, that I used as reef aquarium. I used all dry rock and seeded with a little live rock. I wanted to create my own unique rockscape. For filtration I used the BH-1000 this skimmer was awesome! It worked perfectly and allowed me to keep 8ish fish?? I cant remember it has been 5 years since I have had it. I also made a DIY algae scrubber to act as a “refugium”. My last part of filtration was a aqua clear 70. It acted as a mechanical filter. Filtering out all of the detritus.
For lights I used a 4 bulb, 48 t5 fixture. It grew every coral even sps! I also used a jebao wp-25 for flow idk if they are even sold anymore? Well thats all here are some old photos from it hope this helps.

 

[Blitheran]

Hello! Way back in the day. I used to have an old 55 gallon aquarium, that I used as reef aquarium. I used all dry rock and seeded with a little live rock. I wanted to create my own unique rockscape. For filtration I used the BH-1000 this skimmer was awesome! It worked perfectly and allowed me to keep 8ish fish?? I cant remember it has been 5 years since I have had it. I also made a DIY algae scrubber to act as a “refugium”. My last part of filtration was a aqua clear 70. It acted as a mechanical filter. Filtering out all of the detritus.
For lights I used a 4 bulb, 48 t5 fixture. It grew every coral even sps! I also used a jebao wp-25 for flow idk if they are even sold anymore? Well thats all here are some old photos from it hope this helps.

Sps growth from back in the day

 

[Stege_saurus]

Patience is a HUGE factor in this hobby. If I were you, I wouldn't be too worried about getting it set up immediately. I would get everything I need for it throughout a period of time, then take a weekend or so and set it up (even if that means after you're done with school). Canister and HOB filters can work just fine, you just need to do the research and get the correct filter media that will help you in the long run. Good luck with everything!

P.s. This forum is by far the best resource when it comes to saltwater and reef tanks. The community is very supportive and informative on any topics. Use this to your advantage as much as possible! You won't regret it.

 

[seahorse_man]

Hey everybody!

This is my first time posting on this forum, and that's because I recently won a 55g Marineland tank kit from Petsmart and have decided to move on from freshwater to the saltwater world! Unfortunately, saltwater concepts aren't sticking as well with me as freshwater does and I'm being given mixed answers, but I was told this site is a great place to be for saltwater questions, so hopefully you guys can help me out.

I'm concerned about whether or not I can actually keep this tank for multiple reasons, and by the way I plan on doing just a standard saltwater system, NOT a reef. I'm gonna break all my concerns/questions up so it's easier to read because tbh this might be a loaded post. (sorry in advance, I just want to make sure I'm not making a mistake doing this.

1. I have the 55g tank and stand ready and set up, as well as lights and a 200W heater.

2. I can NOT install a sump for numerous reasons. The main reason being I simply don't have space for it. I've gotten advice that I don't need mechanical filtration but I don't know if I believe that as much. The tank kit came with a Marineland Emperor 400 HOB bio wheel filter... which I'm sure is optimized for freshwater setups, and I've heard about the "nitrate factories" in HOB and canister filters. So do I need either of these on my setup? What would you recommend?

3. I plan on getting a protein skimmer but have no idea how to use it or which to get. This is something my LFS will help me with though.

4. I will be getting 2 bags of live sand and getting live rock. The expenses for 1 pound per gallon of water scares me money-wise, but I'm willing to get as much as I need. My LFS said I could start with 10-20 pounds of live rock and start adding in dry rock or live rock over time to spread out the cost. Let me know what you think about this please.

5. I plan on buying RODI saltwater from my LFS as well as RODI freshwater for top offs. I know you can buy RODI machines and mix salt yourself but I would think about that down the line. I'm thinking about buying a lot of the water and storing it for when I need to top off or water change after heating it up. Let me know if you think this is smart or if you have any other ideas. Also, do I need a hydrometer if I'm buying water from the same LFS?

6. My most important concern is the fact I'm a college student who only visits home every 2 weeks usually. I have family who feed and top off my tanks when I'm gone but going back to the whole nitrate factory thing in filters, I don't know if I will be able to clean them enough on this schedule. What are your thoughts on a saltwater system running with me only being there for maintenance every 2 weeks? Is it destined to fail or is there a decent chance it works?

7. Finally the enjoyable part, this is what I wanted to keep if I do this:
2x Ocellaris Clownfish
1x Royal Gramma
2x Bangai Cardinals
1x Flame Angelfish
1x Watchman Goby or Firefish
I was also considering growing out a blue tang and rehoming it when it gets too big, not sure about this though. Would take other recommendations that you have.

Thank you in advance for taking the time to help me. I'm sure a lot of these are dumb questions but I don't know a whole lot about this side of the hobby. If I forgot any equipment please let me know.

1. Nothing to really say here.

2. Ditch the wheel part and you could use the filter for various things such as extra bio filtration (marinepure gems for example) or for bagged media such as carbon.

3. I would suggest a nice HOB (hang on back) skimmer if you can't do a sump. Depends on your budget, but an example of one of the better choices would be the AquaMaxx HOB-1.5. Tons of good options out there though.

4. Best to start all rock at once, it's just easier to get it all done. Not only for setting up your rockwork which is easier to do before the tank is filled, but adding too much new rock to an established tank can cause a mini cycle or ammonia spike. Just easier, safer, and more efficient to do it all at once....if you can afford it. If not, I would wait and save.

5. I would invest in a RO/DI unit. If you do insist on using LFS water yes you will still need to test the salinity. Also, it's something you will need to do from time to time when not changing water. Hydromteres are very inaccurate, you want a refractometer. This is a decent quality one for cheap, very popular: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/refractometer-for-reading-salinity-with-calibration-fluid.html

6. This is tricky. Might be best to hold off, however it is possible. Just make sure whoever is watching your tank knows everything about the tank and how to run it, just knowing how to top off and feed is not enough.

7. Not much to say here, not fish I would generally keep. Should be fine together. I would stay away from the blue tang though...especially if you're not around as much, plus you don't want to get something and care for it just to have to catch and get rid of it.

Take it slow. Research, plan, then research some more, revise your plan, then research again, rinse/repeat a few times and then maybe buy some stuff.

 

[Molasses]

Patience is a HUGE factor in this hobby. If I were you, I wouldn't be too worried about getting it set up immediately. I would get everything I need for it throughout a period of time, then take a weekend or so and set it up (even if that means after you're done with school). Canister and HOB filters can work just fine, you just need to do the research and get the correct filter media that will help you in the long run. Good luck with everything!

P.s. This forum is by far the best resource when it comes to saltwater and reef tanks. The community is very supportive and informative on any topics. Use this to your advantage as much as possible! You won't regret it.

Thanks and sorry I forgot to mention, I have about 3 weeks of summer left to get everything rolling. That's why I guess you could say I'm in a hurry. So realistically I could get the start up done before leaving, but it's the stability I'm worried about. You're probably right about waiting though.

 

[Stege_saurus]

Thanks and sorry I forgot to mention, I have about 3 weeks of summer left to get everything rolling. That's why I guess you could say I'm in a hurry. So realistically I could get the start up done before leaving, but it's the stability I'm worried about. You're probably right about waiting though.

It's possible to get it started and cycling in that amount of time. I wouldn't be in a huge hurry to stock it right away though. The easiest way to cycle a tank is to use Dr Tim's Nitrifying Bacteria, you can buy it on Amazon for $20-$30. Make sure you do your testing to make sure your cycle is completely finished. After that, you could put a couple clownfish in it and let them have fun. Clowns are very easy to take care of and are a very tough species. Before I rekindled my excitement for the hobby, I had a clownfish that lived alone in my 55g tank for 3 years. As long as you keep them fed, you'll be fine. As you get more time and money you can add other inhabitants, but like I said, don't be in a huge rush. Especially since you won't be able to be around it consistently.

 

[Molasses]

1. Nothing to really say here.

2. Ditch the wheel part and you could use the filter for various things such as extra bio filtration (marinepure gems for example) or for bagged media such as carbon.

3. I would suggest a nice HOB (hang on back) skimmer if you can't do a sump. Depends on your budget, but an example of one of the better choices would be the AquaMaxx HOB-1.5. Tons of good options out there though.

4. Best to start all rock at once, it's just easier to get it all done. Not only for setting up your rockwork which is easier to do before the tank is filled, but adding too much new rock to an established tank can cause a mini cycle or ammonia spike. Just easier, safer, and more efficient to do it all at once....if you can afford it. If not, I would wait and save.

5. I would invest in a RO/DI unit. If you do insist on using LFS water yes you will still need to test the salinity. Also, it's something you will need to do from time to time when not changing water. Hydromteres are very inaccurate, you want a refractometer. This is a decent quality one for cheap, very popular: https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/refractometer-for-reading-salinity-with-calibration-fluid.html

6. This is tricky. Might be best to hold off, however it is possible. Just make sure whoever is watching your tank knows everything about the tank and how to run it, just knowing how to top off and feed is not enough.

7. Not much to say here, not fish I would generally keep. Should be fine together. I would stay away from the blue tang though...especially if you're not around as much, plus you don't want to get something and care for it just to have to catch and get rid of it.

Take it slow. Research, plan, then research some more, revise your plan, then research again, rinse/repeat a few times and then maybe buy some stuff.

This helped a lot, I appreciate it. For #6, what would you recommend I tell them about that's important. Of course I'm new to some of the equipment and concepts as well, but with my freshwater experience I should be able to catch on fast.

 

[Molasses]

It's possible to get it started and cycling in that amount of time. I wouldn't be in a huge hurry to stock it right away though. The easiest way to cycle a tank is to use Dr Tim's Nitrifying Bacteria, you can buy it on Amazon for $20-$30. Make sure you do your testing to make sure your cycle is completely finished. After that, you could put a couple clownfish in it and let them have fun. Clowns are very easy to take care of and are a very tough species. Before I rekindled my excitement for the hobby, I had a clownfish that lived alone in my 55g tank for 3 years. As long as you keep them fed, you'll be fine. As you get more time and money you can add other inhabitants, but like I said, don't be in a huge rush. Especially since you won't be able to be around it consistently.

Thanks again. Do you believe with a pair of clowns that maintenance would be easy enough for me to maintain it with my school restrictions? I'm more than content with keeping just the pair for the entire school year.

 

[Stege_saurus]

This helped a lot, I appreciate it. For #6, what would you recommend I tell them about that's important. Of course I'm new to some of the equipment and concepts as well, but with my freshwater experience I should be able to catch on fast.

#6 - if you have access to a printer, I would print off a small instructions sheet or check list for the other person to use. Include things such as feeding schedule, maintenance schedule, and how to perform said maintenance.

 

[Molasses]

Thank you to everybody who's welcomed/helped me. This is already the most helpful and welcoming fish forum I've ever used, and I've used plenty for my freshwater beginnings lol.

 

[Stege_saurus]

Thanks again. Do you believe with a pair of clowns that maintenance would be easy enough for me to maintain it with my school restrictions? I'm more than content with keeping just the pair for the entire school year.

Yes the clowns will be fairly easy to care for. They don't require any special care, and are always entertaining to watch.

 

[Molasses]

#6 - if you have access to a printer, I would print off a small instructions sheet or check list for the other person to use. Include things such as feeding schedule, maintenance schedule, and how to perform said maintenance.

Ah yes. I've made similar lists for my other tanks. Unfortunately they're unwilling to do any heavy cleaning like filter cleaning or water changes, which is why I'm still debating even doing this right now. The alternative is me waiting 3 YEARS to finish school and start, but that's so long.

 

[seahorse_man]

This helped a lot, I appreciate it. For #6, what would you recommend I tell them about that's important. Of course I'm new to some of the equipment and concepts as well, but with my freshwater experience I should be able to catch on fast.

Pretty much whatever you learn, teach them. I'm going out of town for 2 weeks (super nervous!) and teaching my tank sitter every little detail. How to correct temp swings, test salinity, test other parameters, what should everything look like healthy? What are first signs of something wrong/stressed fish. What if the skimmer pump gets jammed? Do they know how to take it apart and clean it? How to do emergency water changes if needed and everything that goes along with that.

I think you get the point, pretty much the more you teach them...the better of you'll be.

I just saw your last post that said they are unwilling to do water changes and heavy maintenance. Big red flag. Hold off.

 

[Stege_saurus]

Ah yes. I've made similar lists for my other tanks. Unfortunately they're unwilling to do any heavy cleaning like filter cleaning or water changes, which is why I'm still debating even doing this right now. The alternative is me waiting 3 YEARS to finish school and start, but that's so long.

Understandable. It's up to you how you decide to handle this, but keep in mind we are all here to help when you need it!