I'm so new to saltwater aquariums that I don't even have one yet!

[Geo007]

As I said in the title, I don't have a saltwater aquarium, but I am seriously thinking about it.
I want a 20 gal high tank, and I can't get any tank bigger than that because I live in a retirement community and that's their limit.
With that said, I do have a fundamental question.

Which would be easier for a 'newbie' like me to have, a Reef Aquarium or a Fish Only aquarium? Does the size of the tank really matter?

I do realize that a reef aquarium would be better because it holds your attention longer when looking at it, but I also know that there are many consequences to a reef. Like the recent article which asks "How do you know if you are over-filtering your tank?" That truly opened my eyes. I'm not too concerned about the costs involved, but I don't want to spend $3,000 on a 20 gal tank.

FYI, I do have many years of fresh water aquarium experience, including a 50 gal & 75 gal tank, and also a pair of breeding Angel Fish.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

As I said in the title, I don't have a saltwater aquarium, but I am seriously thinking about it.
I want a 20 gal high tank, and I can't get any tank bigger than that because I live in a retirement community and that's their limit.
With that said, I do have a fundamental question.

Which would be easier for a 'newbie' like me to have, a Reef Aquarium or a Fish Only aquarium? Does the size of the tank really matter?

I do realize that a reef aquarium would be better because it holds your attention longer when looking at it, but I also know that there are many consequences to a reef. Like the recent article which asks "How do you know if you are over-filtering your tank?" That truly opened my eyes. I'm not too concerned about the costs involved, but I don't want to spend $3,000 on a 20 gal tank.

FYI, I do have many years of fresh water aquarium experience, including a 50 gal & 75 gal tank, and also a pair of breeding Angel Fish.

Get a 20g used or new, prices vary alot, you mention alot of stuff about filtering etc, don't worry about it. If your close to death and have limits in your surroundings, get a 20g with some cannister filter, your care people will change it as part of your life expectancy package.
I would seriously consider going to Cuba or Jamaica to see these guys in true/ real habitats then another box in my room to keep me entertained

 

[KrisReef]

If you don't fancy the idea of spending 3K on lights, live rock, tank, stand, etc then fish is definitely a less spendee option. But you must know that folks start freshwater with a beta or a goldfish and 2 years later they have a 75+ gallon tank because their appetite for the hobby grew.

Highly suggest you search out tanks and equipment from folks getting out of the hobby, based upon cost savings and opportunity to get great stuff for reefs & fish this way.

Get the 20 gallon set up for fish now, and plan on growing the hobby along the way, its a passion/disease that keeps people engaged for their lifetime, or until they go broke.

Your experience in fresh should serve you well in salt. Happy mixing!

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Obviously click bait but seriously... That's why I don't win any competition...
Spend your money on after care....

 

[Jekyl]

Simple solution to this. Start planning a fish only. If down the line you want coral it's just some equipment away.

 

[Geo007]

I haven't thought about buying used items such as a tank, stand, etc. That may be good, but I'd rather go new.

I guess I better edit my first file as I am not an invalid, need after-care, nor do I have any diseases or 'close to death' as Ricks Reviews said. I'm just a healthy retiree looking to get into a saltwater aquarium.

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

Despite being "in the hobby" for almost a year now, I also don't have a tank yet, so I'm definitely not the end all authority on this. That said, my understanding is as follows:
-Fish are cheaper and easier, but you will be pretty limited on which and how many fish you can keep since you're maxed out at 20 gallons.
-Corals are more expensive and difficult (generally), but you should be able to keep pretty much any coral you want in a 20 gallon.

Personally, I'd say if you're concerned about the difficulty and/or cost involved, then it might be wise to start with just fish. From there, like Jekyl suggested above, if you decide that you want to add corals later, you can pretty easily do so.

 

[Geo007]

Simple solution to this. Start planning a fish only. If down the line you want coral it's just some equipment away.

I'm leaning towards that anyway, I just thought I would ask and see what kind of responses I get.

 

[vetteguy53081]

As I said in the title, I don't have a saltwater aquarium, but I am seriously thinking about it.
I want a 20 gal high tank, and I can't get any tank bigger than that because I live in a retirement community and that's their limit.
With that said, I do have a fundamental question.

Which would be easier for a 'newbie' like me to have, a Reef Aquarium or a Fish Only aquarium? Does the size of the tank really matter?

I do realize that a reef aquarium would be better because it holds your attention longer when looking at it, but I also know that there are many consequences to a reef. Like the recent article which asks "How do you know if you are over-filtering your tank?" That truly opened my eyes. I'm not too concerned about the costs involved, but I don't want to spend $3,000 on a 20 gal tank.

FYI, I do have many years of fresh water aquarium experience, including a 50 gal & 75 gal tank, and also a pair of breeding Angel Fish.

Start fish only allowing tank to mature then add some beginner coral as adding food for fish will help feed coral.
AIO (all in one tanks) make great starters and some of the essential you will need are :

1. Aquarium/Tank
   You need to decide where you want to put your aquarium, determine what size you want or may only have room for, whether you want an acrylic or glass tank, and choose a style that will best fit into the spot you have picked out to display it.
2. Lighting
   The type of lighting you choose will be based on the type of system you have planned to set up, as well as what kind of livestock you will be keeping in it.
3. Skimmers, Filters & Filtration Equipment
   Once again, what type of system you are going to set up will help you determine which kind of filters and filtration system to choose.
4. Powerhead
   Depending on the size of your aquarium, the use of one or several powerheads is an excellent way to provide good water circulation throughout the system.
5. Live Rock & Substrate
   Here you need to decide on what type of material you want on the bottom of the tank, as well as whether you want to start with a live or non-living medium. Live Rock plays an important role in a marine tank. Many marine animals, fish in particular, can be quite territorial. It is important to provide ample shelter or places where the animals can hide, sleep, and avoid potential problems with aggression from other tankmates in the confined space of an aquarium.
6. Sea Salt Mix/Saltwater & Hydrometer
   Sea salts are what make an aquarium a saltwater or marine aquarium. Also referred to as a salinity tester, this item measures the specific gravity or salt content of the water.
7. Heater & Thermometer
   For smaller aquariums one heater works well, but for larger systems the use of multiple units is advised. With stick-on, floating, multi-function remote digital sensor, and many other types of units to pick from, the material a thermometer is made of is an important factor when choosing one as well.
8. Air Pump & Air Stones
   Only needed if you are going to run a piece of equipment that requires these items, Or for quarantining/medicating fish
9. Test Kits, Additives & Supplements
   For live rock and reef tank systems, calcium (a.k.a. limewater/kalkwasser) needs to be added. Other supplemental vitamins or additives that are beneficial to the health of certain marine inhabitants you may be keeping, such a iodine for crustaceans, are important as well.
10. Maintenance Tools & Supplies
    This category includes having items on hand such as a various sized plastic buckets or containers, tank cleaning tools such as a siphon tube/hose, an algae scraper or magnet, as well as nets of different sizes, spare equipment replacements parts, and so on. A good way to keep track of what maintenance tasks you have preformed and when is to keep a log book or record of everything you do.

 

[Rick's Reviews]

Next... You will be asking how to share on Instagram.
On your deathbed

 

[KrisReef]

My wife wouldn't let me put a fish tank in the house, so I set up a 150 gallon (2 tanks + sump) in the garage. She complained because I didnt have any fish, just coral. So I let her pick some fish. I fed them sparingly and the corals and fish thrived together. I am getting old, and the tank grew coralline algae so fast it ended up being top down observation only. My wife could not see her fish. She wanted to see her fish, and said something like the beginning of this thread. I knew a 20 gallon would not hold her fish, so I started watching the local reef board and eventually found a guy who's wife wanted to move their gym equipment out of the living room and the aquarium out of the dinning room. I got a tank, stand, sump, pump, skimmer, + back up pumps, and a bunch of ancillaries for $400. 110 gallon tank, acrylic (i don't trust silicone and this tank had been well cared for) and she liked it. Set it up with live rock I had been collecting for many years (What for, i don't know) and she is so happy to see her fish and I will be rebuilding the garage system in the near future. Plan for succession!

 

[Geo007]

Start fish only allowing tank to mature then add some beginner coral as adding food for fish will help feed coral.
AIO (all in one tanks) make great starters and some of the essential you will need are :

1. Aquarium/Tank
   You need to decide where you want to put your aquarium, determine what size you want or may only have room for, whether you want an acrylic or glass tank, and choose a style that will best fit into the spot you have picked out to display it.
2. Lighting
   The type of lighting you choose will be based on the type of system you have planned to set up, as well as what kind of livestock you will be keeping in it.
3. Skimmers, Filters & Filtration Equipment
   Once again, what type of system you are going to set up will help you determine which kind of filters and filtration system to choose.
4. Powerhead
   Depending on the size of your aquarium, the use of one or several powerheads is an excellent way to provide good water circulation throughout the system.
5. Live Rock & Substrate
   Here you need to decide on what type of material you want on the bottom of the tank, as well as whether you want to start with a live or non-living medium. Live Rock plays an important role in a marine tank. Many marine animals, fish in particular, can be quite territorial. It is important to provide ample shelter or places where the animals can hide, sleep, and avoid potential problems with aggression from other tankmates in the confined space of an aquarium.
6. Sea Salt Mix/Saltwater & Hydrometer
   Sea salts are what make an aquarium a saltwater or marine aquarium. Also referred to as a salinity tester, this item measures the specific gravity or salt content of the water.
7. Heater & Thermometer
   For smaller aquariums one heater works well, but for larger systems the use of multiple units is advised. With stick-on, floating, multi-function remote digital sensor, and many other types of units to pick from, the material a thermometer is made of is an important factor when choosing one as well.
8. Air Pump & Air Stones
   Only needed if you are going to run a piece of equipment that requires these items, Or for quarantining/medicating fish
9. Test Kits, Additives & Supplements
   For live rock and reef tank systems, calcium (a.k.a. limewater/kalkwasser) needs to be added. Other supplemental vitamins or additives that are beneficial to the health of certain marine inhabitants you may be keeping, such a iodine for crustaceans, are important as well.
10. Maintenance Tools & Supplies
    This category includes having items on hand such as a various sized plastic buckets or containers, tank cleaning tools such as a siphon tube/hose, an algae scraper or magnet, as well as nets of different sizes, spare equipment replacements parts, and so on. A good way to keep track of what maintenance tasks you have preformed and when is to keep a log book or record of everything you do.

Thanks! That's a pretty good list, and I'll surely be taking notes on what to get myself so when I do get a 20 gal tank I can start from the list.

 

[Geo007]

My wife wouldn't let me put a fish tank in the house, so I set up a 150 gallon (2 tanks + sump) in the garage. She complained because I didnt have any fish, just coral. So I let her pick some fish. I fed them sparingly and the corals and fish thrived together. I am getting old, and the tank grew coralline algae so fast it ended up being top down observation only. My wife could not see her fish. She wanted to see her fish, and said something like the beginning of this thread. I knew a 20 gallon would not hold her fish, so I started watching the local reef board and eventually found a guy who's wife wanted to move their gym equipment out of the living room and the aquarium out of the dinning room. I got a tank, stand, sump, pump, skimmer, + back up pumps, and a bunch of ancillaries for $400. 110 gallon tank, acrylic (i don't trust silicone and this tank had been well cared for) and she liked it. Set it up with live rock I had been collecting for many years (What for, i don't know) and she is so happy to see her fish and I will be rebuilding the garage system in the near future. Plan for succession!

What's the saying...? "Happy Wife = Happy Life" Good luck with your newly used tank!