# Saltwater tanks



## Innes

OK as many of you have guessed I am an amiture when it comes to saltwater tanks, I do however want to learn more.

I want to know in this post what do you need to do to set up a saltwater tank - I mean:
*tank size
*water conditions
*a step by step guide to setting up
*any other info that is relevant

I am relying on Pack, Garybusey and Nitro for this one, but all other help is appriciated


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## smb

I just gave this link to pcrose. It's all I can do bro. I'll be trying to learn right alongside you.

http://saltwater.8m.com/


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## Innes

Thanks


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## garybusey

Wow. Well What do you want? That will determine the tank Size. AS for the Live rock, try to get 1 pound per gallon OR higher! Basically the Only difference is it takes alot longer to set up with saltwater. You have to make sure the Salt levels are right AND without Mature salt water It will take at LEAST 2 weeks to cycle your tank... Then when all the Levels are right. BAMN You got your tank. Sea Salt is alos quite expensive when you are Setting up a big tank, as it need lots. But hey Man, PM me if you have any questions and If I can't answer it, go higher up and ask the Pack. He'll know!


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## Innes

what would be really great is if you and all of the other PFury saltwater people could make up a tutorial on how to set up a saltwater tank - perhaps in the style of my tutorial on how to set up a piranha tank.

I will add this to the saved topics forum, and if it is needed I will allow you to use the seceret plant forum to do this in - the thing is not that I am starting a saltwater tank, but I want to know about them.

I will oneday set up one, and I want to know what I am doing first and now is as good a time as any to learn as their are more and more saltwater questions here on PFury (yeah, go figure







)

after I have sorted the general how to set up I am going to try to learn about saltwater species, but one step at a time.

In fact if you and Pack and anyone else are interested please say here and I will organise something like chatroom time or something to talk about what we can do to help out PFury in terms of a saltwater FAQ or something.


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## smb

> what would be really great is if you and all of the other PFury saltwater people could make up a tutorial on how to set up a saltwater tank - perhaps in the style of my tutorial on how to set up a piranha tank.












Actually, I think more people might get into the SW hobby with such a tutorial. I haven't ever kept one in the past because I was afraid there was too much to know and I wouldn't understand it w/o losing a bunch of fish that I couldn't afford first.


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## Innes

HawgHunter11 said:


> what would be really great is if you and all of the other PFury saltwater people could make up a tutorial on how to set up a saltwater tank - perhaps in the style of my tutorial on how to set up a piranha tank.
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> Actually, I think more people might get into the SW hobby with such a tutorial. I haven't ever kept one in the past because I was afraid there was too much to know and I wouldn't understand it w/o losing a bunch of fish that I couldn't afford first.
Click to expand...

 well give me enough time with this non-piranha forum and I will hopefully get us maxed up with all sorts of helpfull and usefull stuff









I also want to cover other non-fish tankmates as I am a big fan of these


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## pcrose

Thank you for the link it is appreciated and I got into saltwater because ever since I was wee lass I liked the look of all the different creatures in the water and my fave place is the beach and I love to find creatures and play with them in their habitat. So now I need a bigger tanks since there is so much cool things to have and I can have anemones and clams and the whole works


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## nitrofish

well, my first salt water tank was a 35 gallon hexagon. they say you shouldn't go any lower than a 30 gallon tank.

they say you should have 15x turnover rate, thats 50% more than required with piranha's.

for lighting it really depends on what type of salt water tank you want, for a fish only tank lighting dosen't matter.for a fish only with live rock (this is what I have) lighting play an important role on the growth of plant life on live rock, the more light the better. and for a reef tank it will require major lighting, most likely metal halide.

as for substrate agronite sand is the best but a fish only tank will get away with gravel. I would mix 50% live sand with 50% regular agronite sand.

many people use protien skimmers, but from what I hear you don't need them, I don't use one.

a fish only salt tank is very simular to a fresh water, only you have to mix salt . most everything elese is the same.

to mix salt you need to use a buckett to mix the water and salt. never add salt directly to the tank.adjust the salineity by adding more salt or more water. you test the salt level with a hydrometer.

cycleing a tank is the same as with a freshwater tank, only you can't add goldfish, but you can find hardy salt water fish to cycle a salt tank or belive it or not even black mollys will tolerate salt and can be used for a cycle. a fishless cycle works good on salt water tanks also.

im somewhat new to saltwater tanks still, but I have learned a lot from doing reaserch and asking a lot of questions.doing a saltwater tank isn't all that hard, and is deffinitly a great setup for expericed fish keepers.plus the fish are so colorfull


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