Saltwater Fish tank

[TheMan 45]

Hey whats going on guys n gals? So everytime i take my son to the pet store to buy food and treats for his hamster, hes always running up to the fishtanks and asking me to buy him these little clown fish and some other blue one's that he see's. I ask the employees at petco and petsmart whats the maintenance like and cost of a startup tank; all they can say is it cost alot and its very hard maintenance. I really want to surprise my son by having this set up for him one day when he gets home from school. I only plan on buying a 10-20 gallon tank and all the other needed items. Does anyone have any experience with saltwater fish? Idk anything about them

[StriderTB 10]

Setting up a viable salt water tank takes weeks, and careful monitoring. Plus, the parameters for maintaining a smaller tank are more stringent, because the water's chemistry are magnified in a smaller space.

 

In all honesty, you're looking at $50 or so for a tank, $20 for a heater, $100 for a light, $50-100 for sand and live rock, $50 for a hang on the back filter, $30 for a test kit, $20 for a refractometer, $30 for salt (which you'll need to buy regularly), a spare bucket for mixing saltwater at home, with its own heater and possibly a powerhead to mix the water, plus the cost of fish.

 

All fish tanks go through a process called cycling, where you have to basically allow beneficial bacteria to grow in the water. This involves the creation of ammonia, which is processed into nitrite, and then finally into nitrate. This cycle takes weeks, and if you add fish beforehand, they will become stressed and usually die, as ammonia is toxic. Plus, a tank that size can't hold more than two or three fish before being overstocked.

 

Another matter is maintenance. Salt water requires regular water changes, even more so if they're smaller tanks. That adds to the cost when you factor salt.

 

It's not something you can throw together in a day, unfortunately.

 

If you want to find good information to get you started, head over to www.reefcentral.com

[JimmyAGR 54]

Saltwater tanks are maintenance intensive, and smaller ones are worse. A little change in a small tank is amplified. You can kill everything very easy in a small tank. I had a 90 gallon tank for years and loved just sitting a watching it. Remodeling the house changed the living area and was not able to keep it. There is a great store in Ocean on route 35 called Tropiqaurium if you want to talk to the experts. There are also a bunch of websites that have tons of info. Read a lot before you invest a lot.

[Tom-NJ2AS 31]

exactly what these guys said. My son is 4 and i got him a 20 gallon fresh water setup kit. i always had tanks as a kid along with saltwater tanks. You can get cool looking fresh water fish. i would start with a fresh water setup kit, and then after a week of setup time, introduce a couple fish at a time!

[Babaganoosh 192]

I don't know that much about fish but I do know when I wanted to get a saltwater tank set up my dad's friend who used to own a petstore as well as have multiple tanks in his house said not to get anything less then a 50 gallon tank for saltwater. He said you could do less but it's a royal pain in the a**.

[SkinsFan 2]

Its a big investment but its well worth it. If your serious about it i wouldnt get anything under a 100gal tank.. Like someone said above the smaller the tank the harder it is to keep everything in range..

 

I had a 135 gallon for a few years but had to get rid of it because we moved into a smaller apartment. Your son will get a kick out of all the snails and crabs you can add to the tank

 

The site below has a ton of info to help you start your own tank..Also the members there are extremely helpful

 

 

/Aquarium Central

[Maksim 1,504]

Just get him a freshwater tank with a half moon betta. Just as cool looking, with less hassles.

 

In my office, up to 4 tanks, one 6 gallon edge tank and 3 2 gallon nano tanks with 3 rescued betta fish.

 

Unless you aNy to be cruel, it is a lot of regular work.... Especially with a live salt water setup.

[hd2000fxdl 422]

Hey whats going on guys n gals? So everytime i take my son to the pet store to buy food and treats for his hamster, hes always running up to the fishtanks and asking me to buy him these little clown fish and some other blue one's that he see's. I ask the employees at petco and petsmart whats the maintenance like and cost of a startup tank; all they can say is it cost alot and its very hard maintenance. I really want to surprise my son by having this set up for him one day when he gets home from school. I only plan on buying a 10-20 gallon tank and all the other needed items. Does anyone have any experience with saltwater fish? Idk anything about them

 

Saltwater tanks are close to a full time hobby and not normally the best option for your first tank, Fresh would be a lot better and while the fish may not be as interesting as some saltwater species, that are still fun to have, plus most dead freshwater fish won't cost you an arm and a leg.

 

Harry

[TheMan 45]

Thanks for the input. I think ill just get him a freshwater tank with the little bala sharks. Im familiar with setting everything up, i try to get him to look at other fish but he's stuck on these lol.

[Shawnmoore81 623]

I've always went with piranha. Right now I have a pretty large caribe in a 46 gallon bowfront but I might sell that fish and set up and do a new one when I get to that part of decorating my house.

[TheMan 45]

I've always went with piranha. Right now I have a pretty large caribe in a 46 gallon bowfront but I might sell that fish and set up and do a new one when I get to that part of decorating my house.

 

Theres a pet store near my house that has 1 vampire piranha left; i want it for myself but this setup is for my 3 year old so im outta luck.

[BadBul 0]

Salt water tanks are rather expensive and should be kept by an somewhat experienced hobbyist.

 

You could get into thousands of dollars for a larger tank.

 

One thing to consider is if your home is cold in the winter and hot in the summer. What I mean is in the summer some people will keep there air conditioner off while there not at home. If you do that, the tank can go up a few degrees in temperature. Saltwater fish are very delicate to water and changes. If your water constantly changes in as little as 3 degrees in ether direction all your fish will die. Not only will a saltwater tank need a heater, it will need a chiller too. A small chiller will run you $300 and they go up to over $800 for larger units The chiller along with heaters will keep the tank at a constant temperature and your fish stress free. You will also need 2 heaters at about $30 each. The reason you use 2 heaters is, if 1 heater dies, the second heater will keep the temperature so the fish will live.

 

Fresh water fish aren't as pretty as saltwater fish, but fresh water fish are tanks and hard to kill.

 

If one saltwater fish gets sick, there is a good chance every fish in the tank will die, and saltwater fish aren't cheap.

 

If your still interested in a set up I suggest you shop online for the best prices. My 2 favorite sites are:

 

That Pet Place

 

Big Al's

 

You will not find another place to beat there prices.

[Babyface Finster 45]

Take a peek at Craigslist before you buy new. There are usually plenty of people practically giving away complete setups becuase they are either moving or just got tired of having fish.

 

Start the kid off with the basics, a few neons, tiger barbs, etc. Also throw in a pleco or Chinese algae eater. All are cheap and easy to care for. If his interest doesn't fade after a couple of weeks, you can make a larger investment. Fiddler crabs are pretty tough and hard to beat for entertainment. Get a few males (they have one large claw) and they will sit on the rocks all day long waving their claws at each other. I never had Fiddlers climb out of the tank, but red crabs and crayfish will. Whatever you do, don't mix Fiddlers and red crabs. The fiddlers won't last long.

 

Moving on from community fish, Oscars are fun, particularly if you like to feed live food. African Cichlids are also great and offer among the best coloring in fresh water IMO.

 

I do love marine fish, but the maintenance really became too much for me. As long as you don't overfeed/overcrowd and clean the filter regularly, most freshwater setups are pretty bulletproof.

[NFRs2000NYC 7]

Here are some guidelines you can take to the bank on saltwater fishtanks.

 

 

1)Contrary to popular belief, the smaller the tank, the harder it is to take care of. Minute fluctuations in ANYTHING effect the habitat immediately. I once had $1500 worth of life die overnight due to a malfunctioning heater.

 

2)Assuming you don't have any fancy creatures in your tank, you are looking at a MINIMUM of $2 PER GALLON per month, maybe more.

 

3)They require 10 minutes of attention DAILY, and at LEAST 1 30-45 minute service session a week.

 

4)Saltwater setups can balloon out of control extremely quickly (money wise.)

 

5)Much more care needs to be paid in species/animal selection.

 

6)Initial setup costs far exceed what you THINK you are going to spend. Look at a minimum of $10 per gallon, $15-$20 if you don't want to do everything twice.

 

7)If you can afford it, and have the time for it, saltwater setups can be the most beautiful tanks you will ever see.

 

Any specific questions, just ask.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Setting up a viable salt water tank takes weeks, and careful monitoring. Plus, the parameters for maintaining a smaller tank are more stringent, because the water's chemistry are magnified in a smaller space.

 

In all honesty, you're looking at $50 or so for a tank, $20 for a heater, $100 for a light, $50-100 for sand and live rock, $50 for a hang on the back filter, $30 for a test kit, $20 for a refractometer, $30 for salt (which you'll need to buy regularly), a spare bucket for mixing saltwater at home, with its own heater and possibly a powerhead to mix the water, plus the cost of fish.

 

All fish tanks go through a process called cycling, where you have to basically allow beneficial bacteria to grow in the water. This involves the creation of ammonia, which is processed into nitrite, and then finally into nitrate. This cycle takes weeks, and if you add fish beforehand, they will become stressed and usually die, as ammonia is toxic. Plus, a tank that size can't hold more than two or three fish before being overstocked.

 

Another matter is maintenance. Salt water requires regular water changes, even more so if they're smaller tanks. That adds to the cost when you factor salt.

 

It's not something you can throw together in a day, unfortunately.

 

If you want to find good information to get you started, head over to www.reefcentral.com

 

I found only one issue with your response... a tank cannot cycle with out something living in it.. In order for a tank to cycle you need a constant supply of ammonia. It's perfectly fine to add fish to a tank that has yet to cycle, it takes about 2-3 months to really establish a good cycle, you just have to monitor your water quality more closely and more often during that time period. What separates a fresh from salt water tank in this respect is that it is a lot easier and cheaper to do water changes with a fresh water tank. You can also buy beneficial bacteria and add it to the tank to give it a jump start.

 

Definitely check out Craigs list... i picked up a 75 gallon tank for 80 bucks, built my own stand for around the same using 2x4's and plywood. There is with out a doubt a ton of aquarium stuff on there people are trying to sell, i would check there before going to any retailer.

[Maksim 1,504]

I found nutrafin aqua cycle is really good and helps cycle the tank.

[fishnut 2,358]

I also would not sugest going with a marine tank they are too much work even for adults let alone children and the setup and maintnance can get pricey. As well as you will have to find someone who is able to take care of a marine tank unless you plan on never going on vacation.It is much easyer to find someone who is willing to take care of a fresh tank. I keep african chichlids because i want a marine tank but i do not have the time or money. Chichlids are just as colorful as marine fish and much easyer to keep and much less maitinance. as well as mostly cheeper prices for the fish and the tank setup. Feel free to pm me i have been keeping fresh and or marine fish tanks as well as other exotic animals for about 15 years now as well as i worked in a pet store for 6 years. I would be more than willing to walk you through step by step on how to set up any fish tank you would like.

Adam

[StriderTB 10]

I found only one issue with your response... a tank cannot cycle with out something living in it.. In order for a tank to cycle you need a constant supply of ammonia. It's perfectly fine to add fish to a tank that has yet to cycle, it takes about 2-3 months to really establish a good cycle, you just have to monitor your water quality more closely and more often during that time period. What separates a fresh from salt water tank in this respect is that it is a lot easier and cheaper to do water changes with a fresh water tank. You can also buy beneficial bacteria and add it to the tank to give it a jump start.

 

Definitely check out Craigs list... i picked up a 75 gallon tank for 80 bucks, built my own stand for around the same using 2x4's and plywood. There is with out a doubt a ton of aquarium stuff on there people are trying to sell, i would check there before going to any retailer.

Yeah, I didn't get into the technical aspects of cycling a tank, since it seems like the process of cycling was completely new to him anyway. If he decided to go ahead with a tank, I'd hope he would do the research and find out how to do that properly.

 

Although, I prefer cycling tanks by adding pure ammonia, a few drops per day to get the cycle started. Beats stressing out a fish, or throwing rotting shrimp in your tank.

[MarkWVU02 47]

I'd check out african cichlids for a freshwater tank...they are probably the most colorful freshwater fish around...I agree with what everyone says about getting a bigger tank...I have a 29 gallon and I'd probably say don't buy anything less than 50 gallons...wish I had gone bigger but live in a small apartment...will eventually go bigger. Do your research, as most people have stated the tank requires cycling. Buy a good filter...I have an Aquaclear filter and I really like. PM me if you have any questions...I'm not a pro by any means but I've kept fish alive for a long time.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

cichlids are really cool looking, and offer sooo many variants, however!! keep in mind, some of them are very skittish and hide when you approach the glass. You really need to research the particular species beforehand since so many of them are different. some are very aggressive, some very dominant, some are super shy and will hide all day long. It not uncommon for people to buy cichlids and have them rip each other apart due to lack of living space and they will each pick out their own nitch in the tank, they're very messy to and carry a high bio load.

[JackDaWack 2,895]

Yeah, I didn't get into the technical aspects of cycling a tank, since it seems like the process of cycling was completely new to him anyway. If he decided to go ahead with a tank, I'd hope he would do the research and find out how to do that properly.

 

Although, I prefer cycling tanks by adding pure ammonia, a few drops per day to get the cycle started. Beats stressing out a fish, or throwing rotting shrimp in your tank.

You could always force the tank to cycle, which is less maintenance. I'm very impatient and dont mind the extra work, depending on the tank size, doing 1/2 water changes per week should keep the fish happy while it starts to cycle. It is a great feeling tho when your tank has cycled and you start to do your water tests and never see any ammonia or nitrites in the water.

[mipafox 438]

Way too much work for me.

 

I have four plants and a stray cat I haven't shot yet. The cat drove off all the rats and voles from my property. So I feed it 1/3 of it's nutritional needs every night and pet it and call it a good kitty once or twice a week. Plants and cat seem to be pretty well pleased.

[FLHX 1]

I used to run a company were I maintained all sorts of aquariams. If you really want to do a saltwater setup do it. It really isn't that hard and you can do it inexpensive or over the top whatever your budget can handle. To keep a fish only marine tank will take 5 minutes a day(feeding fish and scraping algae off tank) and then maybe 60mins once a month to do the proper maintenence (depending on size of tank). In my experience keeping fish can be as addicting as gun collecting and shooting. I started with a 10 gallon tank when I was a kid then to a 180 gallon reef tank (corals,anemones,sponges all sorts of marine inverts)and everything in between over the years.

 

If you go with a freshwater tank and you find yourself really enjoying it, you will end up going to a marine tank. I suggest you read everything you can get your hands on before you do either, if you start off wrong you will be setting yourself up for disappointment and having your kid say hey Dad look at Goldie she's floating kind funny, can be traumatizing to him and you both. My kids would never just let me flush a floater!! I recommend always check the tank out each morning before your kid does!! If you do a freshwater tank I recommend at least a 20 gallon tank if you do marine a 55gal is the smallest I would do( I have done a 30gal reef). When things go wrong in a small tank they go wrong much quicker, the more water you have the more time you have to fix the problem. I am not sure were you live but in Ocean twp there is a store called Tropaquarium on Rt.35 near Seaview Mall they have all kinds of setups there so you can see just about every standard size tank made.

 

Setting up a marine tank is much more satisfying and many times nicer to view!! If you want a tank I think I have a ten gallon in my garage or somewhere and I even may have a hanging filter for it and you could have them for free if you would like. I know I said 20 was the smallest but that's if you were buying it you can't beat my price so if you find you like it you can buy a 20 or bigger and move everything into the it. I would have to check the tank to make sure it doesn't leak as when they sit around for awhile they need to be tested before you start to fill it in your house, just in case!!!

 

I could go on for hours on my tank successes and failures and on livestock for either water types and equipment to use and not to use but I won't. So if you are anything like me and you think that maybe just maybe you may want to do a marine tank then don't do fresh water as you will end up with at least two tanks and maybe more. I used to buy a lot of stuff from this site check them out they are very good. They ship all kinds of livestock via fed-ex and I have had a great success rate on both inverts and fish. www.liveaquaria.com/ and this http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/cat/expand/245/category.web

 

I also have a 90 gallon corner tank with everything needed for a high end reef or fish tank for sale if anyone is interested for cheap. I have $3500k in it, will let it go CHEAP!! I have a new hobby now, from fish to guns

[Jersey Joe 4]

I had reef tanks for many years. With enough water volume you can really ease the maintenance. I'm not gonna get going on specifics but here's a great group of local guys that love to share knowledge, equipment, inhabitants, etc...

 

http://www.njreefers.org/

 

It's a great hobby but not for everyone.

[TheMan 45]

Ended up getting him a Dwarf hamster, he told me that he wanted this instead.

[vladtepes 1,060]

Ended up getting him a Dwarf hamster, he told me that he wanted this instead.

 

 

LMFAO.. what a dramatic swing...

[TheMan 45]

True. This kid is too spoiled. Know he wants to get all the little attachments that make the cage bigger.