# How to Start a Salt Water Tank?



## benitahigg (May 22, 2011)

I am interested in starting a new salt water tank. But, I have never had one. So I don't even know where to start. I don't know what size, or what kind of filters and equipment it will need. Also what to start putting it in, substrates, rocks, chemicals, etc.! Can anyone give me any advice on how to start?


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## Reefing Madness (Aug 12, 2011)

I would not go with anything less than 20g, as corals and fish are what most want. A 10g is really not big enough for starters as most want a bunch of small fish, that usually don't fit. Also, they do make Bio-Cubes that have what you need, Plug N Play per say.
But, heres a list of what you will need for a Salt Water Tank. If there is anything else you need don't hesitate to ask.


Dry Rock, there are a few hitchhickers on Live Rock that people want to stay away from, so they opt for using Dry Rock, or Dead Rock. Macro Rock is a good place to start looking for that. Either way you go you will need a minimum of 1lb per gallon. Ideally you should put 1.5 to 2 lbs per gallon.

Replacement filter media like filter floss and activated carbon (if you get a filter) Which is really not necessary.

Multiple Powerheads (2 or 3) 10x your water volume for just a Fish Only With Live Rock, and at least 20x your water volume for a Reef Tank. So lets say your going reef, and you have a 100g tank, you would need flow in that tank at minimum of 2000gph, or 2 1000gph powerheads.

Protein Skimmer, rated at 2 times your water volume

Saltwater Test Kits. Reef Test Kit. Tets for Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, Phosphates, Calcium, ALK and Magnesium.

Saltwater fish food. Mysis Shrimp, Squid, Cyclopease, Algae Sheets, Romaine . Flake food is not really a good food to feed your marine fish.

Aquarium vacuum. This one is iffy. Most don't use one, if you have enough flow in the tank you won’t need one

Rubber kitchen gloves, you realy should not stick your bare hands in the water. You can mind you, just shouldn't do it.

Fish net

Two, clean, never used before, 5-gallon buckets

Aquarium thermometer, digital being the best.

Brush with plastic bristles (old tooth brush) - needed for cleaning the live rock if you don't get Fully Cured Live Rock.

Power Strip, possibly GFCI outlets by the tank.

Optional but definitely recommend getting a Reverse Osmosis or RO/Deionization filter for the make-up water, and a barrel for storing the water.

Possibly a Quarantine Tank for your new fish. They sit in here for a few weeks to kill off parasites and bacteria, to keep it from getting in your main tank

Heater rated for your size tank.

Saltwater Mix. Marine Salt. Instant Ocean is usually the Salt for beginners and Advanced alike.

Saltwater Hydrometer or even better a Refractometer, which is more accurate

Aquarium filter (not absolutely necessary if running with adequate amounts of live rock, but nice to have if you need to use a mechanical filter or activated carbon, etc.)

Aquarium substrate such as live sand or crushed cora. Some go bare Bottom, others choose the 2-3" bottom, others, more advanced will try the Deep Sand Bed, which is over 6" deep.


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