tropical / salt fish ?

[Mick]

My kids want me to buy them a fish tank and i was thinking about this for a while because i used to keep oscars and piranhas when i was younger...

Lmao do not worry i am not buying them oscars or piranhas lmao.

So i have a tiny experience with fish but i what i wanted to know was, should i go for a small coral tank (and i can only imagine how hard it would be to keep) or should i just go for a small tropical tank and keep some figure 8 puffers (i know feed them snails so they can trim there beaks) with a armoured pleco ?

Here is the main questions:

1) how small is the smallest reef tank ? (tell me in feet, inches, mm, cm, lol but not in gallons or litres please as i am clueless)

2) what tool/instrument can i buy to automatically put salt into the tank ? or can this be done manually like with a tee spoon or something (automatic is preferred)

3) if i wanted coral do they need feeding something ?

4) is there anything else that needs to be put into the tank for a reef tank ?

As you can see i would like to try a reef tank as they are very beautiful fish and corals you can buy but i also have heard they are very difficult to keep which makes a difficult decision

Thanks very much for any help i am a little confused

Regards
Mickie D

 

[Exclusive]

First of all to look after a reef tank you need to be dedicated.

I would say min 3ft x 2ft x2ft would be a good starter size for a tank.

You would need 2 lights tubes, blue and white for the corals and live rock.

you would have to keep measuring the salt levels maybe once a week using this

There isnt a automatic salt machine, you will have to do this your self using a bucket.

Its best to buy a skimmer for the tank as well.

But you must let the tank fully mature before you put live stock in

 

[Mick]

yes just reading about this now exclusive

 

[Exclusive]

Ive got a 6ft x 1 x1 for sale, but its just the tank,

 

[Mick]

This looks like it might get expensive lmao.

Anyway we (i say we lol but me) have decided to make a small brackish tank 10 gallon and keep a few 8 puffers and hopefully some kind of bottom feeder for our kitchen.

I got the go ahead from my mrs to get a large corner tank as i think it would look nice in our living room but i want it plain sanded so i can dark varnish it the same as the other custom made cupboards that we have.

I will go for a sump in the bottom of the cupboard with a refuge section.

Was reading about this all last night lol.... and see where i can go from there. I know i need to leave the tank for a month before i add live stock.

Would that one month also include corals... i take it will be because they are also alive ?

I will look into what kinda setup i will be going for but would really like to get them lion fishes and the propper puffers ?

 

[nara]

There used to be a guy on DW that was into fish tanks in a big way.

Can't remember his name.

 

[Mick]

There used to be a guy on DW that was into fish tanks in a big way.

Can't remember his name.

He was probably a cock

one of your pals lol ?

 

[Firemouth]

This looks like it might get expensive lmao.

Anyway we (i say we lol but me) have decided to make a small brackish tank 10 gallon and keep a few 8 puffers and hopefully some kind of bottom feeder for our kitchen.

I got the go ahead from my mrs to get a large corner tank as i think it would look nice in our living room but i want it plain sanded so i can dark varnish it the same as the other custom made cupboards that we have.

I will go for a sump in the bottom of the cupboard with a refuge section.

Was reading about this all last night lol.... and see where i can go from there. I know i need to leave the tank for a month before i add live stock.

Would that one month also include corals... i take it will be because they are also alive ?

I will look into what kinda setup i will be going for but would really like to get them lion fishes and the propper puffers ?

I've kept fish for some years and frogs, newts, crabs and crayfish. lol only the newts have their own tank!!!!!!!

Figure of 8 Puffers, if the experts and books are to be believed, need a minimum of 30 gallons for the first fish pulse 10 gallons more for each extra fish you have. they are dirty eaters, so need both extra water volume and a Big filter! so a larger tank will be good!

cant really help on the sump, i have never used one, but i am unsure if you can buy one. most i come across are home made.

you will need to do more than just leave the water for a month. the tank needs to be cycled. nowadays this involves adding ammonia to the tank. then testing the water, till you see the first stage bacteria developing. then you wait for the second stage bacteria to develop. when the ammonia is being removed within 12 hours the cycle is said to be complete. 21 to 28 days is a short cycle, they often take longer. please dont get conned by these " cycle in a bottle" products, they really dont work. the cycle is a real pain in the butt. it is though, the most important part of setting up a tank! ( if you live close enough i will give you some mature media. depending on the size of you tank, the filter could be cycled in 5 days max.) let me know if i can help any more!

 

[Exclusive]

dibbers is a big fan of marines

 

[Mick]

dibbers is a big fan of marines

nah someone is talking about an ex-admin lol!

@boboboy yeah i was just reading they need 25 gallons per fish!!!

That idea out the window (we read on another site they need 5 gallon each)

Maybe these gobies will do for a ten gallon, i like the mono's but they can grow 1 foot high ffs lol.

Suggestions for a 10 gallon kitchen tank would be great (fish wise)

I have started to cycle it and have put one table spoon of marine salt water and the pumps are on and the heaters are at 80 which i have read is ideal have the air bubbles going and the filters too.

Will wait now for 2 days.... and check the levels.

Read that the fish will be kept in fresh water (from shops) so its not a good idea to put them straight into brackish water but to get the levels up over a month or so?

Very interesting reading this stuff.

I was looking at getting an acrylic sump made maybe ? and a custom tank 200 gallon i am thinking about

This guy is in america (Melevsreef.com - Welcome!) and makes great sumps and has the guides to making them might ask a local acrylic shop to make me one should get it for a 100 quid or less i reckon ?

 

[Exclusive]

WHATTTTTTT THE HELLL

have you allready actually brought the tank ????

that was quick lol

 

[Mick]

Was at the shop today and bought the 10 gallon tank that fits perfect on the worktop where the mrs wants it

Just the setup - heater - filter - pump head - salt - book (lmao) - tank - thermometer - bits and pieces, has just cost me £170 quid lol its not cheap fooking hell.

Regards
Mickie D

 

[Exclusive]

Wait till you start buying live stock

£20- £30 for a nice fish, then it dies

ouch

lol

i lost roughly around £200 worth of live stock, but i need to set up another one one day,

(ill wait till you get fed up of yours, then you can sell it to me)

one thing i was going to suggest, loads of people sell second hand setups for really cheap. loads on ebay

 

[berley]

you'll find plenty of help n hints here

Fish-Keeping.com

 

[Firemouth]

Wait till you start buying live stock

£20- £30 for a nice fish, then it dies

ouch

lol

i lost roughly around £200 worth of live stock, but i need to set up another one one day,

(ill wait till you get fed up of yours, then you can sell it to me)

one thing i was going to suggest, loads of people sell second hand setups for really cheap. loads on ebay

brackish fish should be around £1-5 for common stock. Marine fish are way more expensive, and all wild caught, oh except perhaps the ubiquitous clown fish. the main reason i dont do Marine.

I have not spent £200 in stock in all the time i have kept fish. if your fish die, its more often you than the LFS(fish shop). but most good shops will refund, after a water test, if they die in the first week. after that, sorry but you killed em!

short cuts in cycling cause more problems than anything else. its hard to look at an empty tank for so long. but you have to do it. you could of course, just spend a fortune on fish. and blame the shops you buy from. you would, however, soon see the truth.

 

[Curly]

I used to have a tank full of coldwater fish.
Even they are nice to look at, shubunkins and lion heads etc.
A lot easier to look after but even I ended up killing them all.
They got some bug and wiped out the entire tank!!

I sold my set-up to Mr Parsnip, not sure what he keeps in it though.

Post a pic when you get it all set up Mickie.

Curly

 

[Exclusive]

brackish fish should be around £1-5 for common stock. Marine fish are way more expensive, and all wild caught, oh except perhaps the ubiquitous clown fish. the main reason i dont do Marine.

I have not spent £200 in stock in all the time i have kept fish. if your fish die, its more often you than the LFS(fish shop). but most good shops will refund, after a water test, if they die in the first week. after that, sorry but you killed em!

short cuts in cycling cause more problems than anything else. its hard to look at an empty tank for so long. but you have to do it. you could of course, just spend a fortune on fish. and blame the shops you buy from. you would, however, soon see the truth.

fish were brought all over a year, but something happened which we still dnt know.

Water was tested in about 3 different shops, and we even had someone come over

no one could pin point what happened.

 

[Seedy_r0m]

My local water supply is deadly to any fish, it was deemed too acidic & high in ammonia by the local pet shop (straight out of the tap).

I have to go to the parents house for some decent H2O.

I'd love to have a tropical marine set-up, but it'd be far too costly.

Hmmm, might go for a cold water marine tank & throw a couple of cod in there.

I'll go for the authentic look & decorate it with a miniature rusty pram, a sanitary towel, and a Richard the Third bobbing about on the surface.

 

[Mick]

I have just gone in another direction now lol because i thought it might get to much to begin with... so i am going for a nano reef i bought a orca tl450 from aquaticwarehouse for £140 it comes with protein skimmer, uv filter, pumps, heater, in a section at the back (like a mini sump) hopefully i get this today lmao but i think monday or tuesday will be more likely.

I also bought a RO filter with DI (50 gallon a day) from ebay but for now i will buy some RO water from my local shop and plumb it in when it comes next week.......

Will try and set it up with live rock (CURED) in the week but will have a play at getting my salt levels right but i was ok with the 10 gallon tank and managed a 30% water change no problem!

I will post up pictures when it comes and also setting it up

It is only 14 gallon so will only get maybe gobies. my daughter really wants a clown fish but i am so against having the same fish that everyone has!!! but puppy eyes might prevail be warned!

Regards
Mickie D

 

[Firemouth]

I have just gone in another direction now lol because i thought it might get to much to begin with... so i am going for a nano reef i bought a orca tl450 from aquaticwarehouse for £140 it comes with protein skimmer, uv filter, pumps, heater, in a section at the back (like a mini sump) hopefully i get this today lmao but i think monday or tuesday will be more likely.

I also bought a RO filter with DI (50 gallon a day) from ebay but for now i will buy some RO water from my local shop and plumb it in when it comes next week.......

Will try and set it up with live rock (CURED) in the week but will have a play at getting my salt levels right but i was ok with the 10 gallon tank and managed a 30% water change no problem!

I will post up pictures when it comes and also setting it up

It is only 14 gallon so will only get maybe gobies. my daughter really wants a clown fish but i am so against having the same fish that everyone has!!! but puppy eyes might prevail be warned!

Regards
Mickie D

sorry to be so negative, but a clown needs a tank of not less than 30 gallons. they live for up to 10 years. for your first tank, i would stick with the gobies. as your knowledge increases you can move to a bigger tank, allowing you to keep Clowns.

best of luck with the RO unit. Ro wastes water at the rate of 5-1. i only hope , for the sake of the rest of us, you have a water meter. Its also not to good for you if you drink it, so has only one use.