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I've already posted this thread in the Gen Freshwater, but I figured some of you may never go there and I wanted the imput of someone who has actulay kept a marine tank instead of the rest of us who just admire them.

Probably not to many of you will recognize me, but a couple years ago I was on here quite a bit. As life goes, my fish keeping hobby went by the wayside for a bit. But now I have the time, and more imortantly as I'm sure most of you can identify with, the money to spend I am going to get back into it. And that is why I am here, looking for ideas and inspirations.

Right now I have a 29 tall (30"x18"x12" or for our metric friends, approx 76x47x30cm) 250W heater, Penguin 125 filter, Whisper 10-20 (I'm not sure what that translates to in current names since its almost 7 years old now) A homeade hood with two 20W flourescent tubes, but there is room for a tight third, or would easly fit some CF. I have about 4 inches of gravel 75%flourite/25%pea gravel. Also I have a space in the stand that I am contemplateing putting in a 10ish gallon sump mostly for the extra water volume and thus stability.

So here is my real question. What should I do with it? I have had a few thougths each with there pros and cons so I am interested in what you guys think, and think I would need for each.

1. Freshwater comunity tank: probalby more like a species tank with rainbow fish which I have had before and enjoyed. Just fake plants, maybe upgrade the wisper filter but don't wory about the sump or any upgrade to the lighting. Just something easy and reletivly low maintenance to get back into it. However, harder to go to something else later one I have fish established and just a little boring, been there done that sort of thing.

2. Freshwater Ecotype tank: Probably Amazon, full live region specific plants, then eventualy a couple angelfish, maybe Dicsus if I feal lucky, and the filler school of tetras, probably a brislenose or some corys. I would probably want to do the sump for this, expecialy for discus, maybe a reverse flow UGF to go along with it. Would definately need to upgrade to either some VHO or CF lights. I'm a little bit leary about doing plants becuase I tried them once before and ended up with a nice forest of very thick blue/green algae, and alot of dead plants. Again runs into the issue of been there done that sine angle fish are pretty comon, but could still be very cool looking If I can get some pants to thrive.

3. Saltwater: This would be a first for me which makes it exciteing and interesting, but also a little daunting. I would just do fish and live rock. I would need the sump I think, but probably wouldn't need a new light fixture just some diferent bulbs. I would also need all new substrait. I'm probably the most excited by this prospect, but also most unsure based on cost and dificulty, meaning I don't want to flush a couple hundred $$ down the toilet. and end up with an empty tank which I have now, and some salt creep up my wall.

any thoughts?

Big Bear

a fish with Live rock system is not hard at all, just do not over stock and it will be all good....if you can get a skimmer it will be great but if you don't want to that's fine as well..as long as light stock and no over feed...marines is not much harder than freshwater....I guess the main cost will be the live rock, and the continuous purchase of salt mix/sea water.....

making a sump is a good idea, but a good canister filter can also do the job, perhaps have both if you don't mind the little extra cost...it will be a good back up if one or the other fails or u just been doing maintainence on one of them.

other than that...really the procedures to keep a marine tank and a fresh water tank is almost the same

Last edited by Week End at 21-Sep-2005 08:58

You could also try brackish.

Kim