Hi! I'm no expert and I realize that I learned alot of things the hard way. However, once you do step into the world of marine, you realize you just can't stop. One tank is not enough lol. Let me warn you though, initial set up will be expensive, even for a small tank. However, setting up well in the beginning will save you money on livestocks so it shouldn't be so bad. 
1) Tank - The larger the tank, the more stable the water parameters, which is all important. However, you do need two kinds of bulbs for your tank, if you ever want corals (and you will, those tempting things...). Best to get a light set that can accomodate two types of bulbs - actinic blue and daylight.
Your filter will also need special media for marine tanks, which can hit $40 for All-zorb. You may also need a protein skimmer which removes dissolved organic substances in your water.
If you're willing to make the investment, get this nifty baby. I use it and it's got everything my tank needs, meaning no experimenting and wasting money on equiptment that don't match and suck (like protein skimmers that release micro bubbles which are bad for fish and corals).
2) Sand - Don't collect from the wild lol. Like what BFG said. Best is to buy - not that expensive and you only need a shallow sand bed, like 3-4 cm.
3) Liverocks - This is the backbone of a marine system. Liverocks can take care of the majority of your biological filtration and without them, your fish die liao. The best kinds of rocks are fiji liverocks, but they are super ex. Any kind wil do, provided you buy them cured. And dude... liverocks for my 2ft tank hit $70, so brace yourself.
4) Livestocks - The hardiest fishes are the damsel fish (super aggressive and not good for nano tanks), false perfula clownfishes and gammas or dottybacks. MANY MARINE FISHES ARE AGGRESSIVE so you need to research the species you want to buy before getting them.
Hardy corals can be put into the tank, provided you don't overstock with fish and liverock. Pulsing Xenia, Zooanthids, Moon Corals or Mushrooms are good for beginners and are the only kinds i dare keep lol. Once again, research on the aggresiveness and potential size of your corals before you buy them. Some corals just do not get along in cramped quarters.
If you get an anemone, do it months after your system is set up. Otherwise, the thing will move all over the tank, zapping corals, before spewing toxic slime that might kill everything in your tank before dieing itself. It would be horrible to be so tormented by a creature with no brain. Despite that, they are damn cool XD They poop through their mouths like some people I know!
Invertibrates can also and should be added to the tank. Basic inverts are hermit crabs and snails for cleaning purposes.
5) Water - You will need to prepare your water before you even bring your liverock home. Some salts take longer than others to dissolve. Also, getting the correct specific gravity for salt water is tricky... even I suck at it after months of keeping a marine tank. As BFG says - reverse osmosis water is the best. However, I use tap water with seachem prime conditioner, because I am poor 
Be warned, there are also alot of other additives that you need to add to the water weekly like magnesium, strotium, iodine, calcium and others. Again, money fly away...
6) Water change - Generally partial changes weekly for nano setups.
7) AOB - Once you start, you just can't stop. Marine tank expenditures might be high, but honestly, marine tanks are beautiful... if well maintained, even more beautiful than planted tanks (don't stone me guys >_<)
Think of the expenditure as the price of madness lol :P
And yes, I am long-winded. <_< Sue me.
~Kristen~
Fish enthusiast is a nice euphemism for manic geekery.
), however, have almost zero knowledge (even after reading up articles on the Net & browsing another local forum) about it & would like to hear advises/ suggestions from all experts in here...
) from the beaches here over the weekends... Will throughly wash it & then boil it before introducing to tank. (is it enough?)
Reply With Quote
Originally Posted by beetlejuice403
Bookmarks