FishProfiles.com Message Forums

Well, I haven't been on this site in AGES. The 30G fresh water tank my husband and I were keeping is no longer a fish tank. Despite my best efforts my fish didn't make it through some strange illness. I was upset at the snail invasion. I decided not to replace any fish, then I just decided it was best to quit and I emptied the tank of plant pieces and snails, and bought a snake.

We close on our new house tomorrow, and we are going to start moving. This will be a permanant home and it's something I've been waiting for a long time. I would love to set up a large marine tank in the living room. One wall is unoccupied, it has low windows so a couch is out of the question and needs something to take up about 5-7 feet.

I'm worried, however, about the water quality. I will have city water instead of well water now. I'm also worried that a project this big is not something a beginner should try, I've never worked with salt water at all. If I do decide this is too much, or I'm not going to be able to care for it properly, I could put my snake vivariums side by side along the wall. That just isn't going to have the same appeal as a salt water fish tank though. I'm ready to try a large tank now because I know it won't be moved, for a VERY long time at least.

Also, we are going to put tile through the entire first floor, has anyone heard of the weight of a large tank cracking or crushing a tile floor? Is there maybe a certain kind of stand I should avoid? Or just make sure I get one with very broad legs/feet?

I have no idea where to start, I don't know what I need for this, how big everything should be. Links to any helpful sites would be appreciated. I know this isn't the only fish resource site out there. Maybe something with more detailed instructions on starting up for the first time. Should I begin with a small tank, just to see if I can handle it? Then transfer everything to the larger tank if it works out? I'm completely at a loss when I begin to think of where to start.

Hi, and welcome back. Sorry there isn't much activity over on the marine forums here. I use the fantasy reef forums, nano-reef forums, and the reef central forums(if I have to). I really only post on fantasy reef....a little, and the others I just use as a resource. It's impossible to find good info on RC cause the search function is always down and the forums are huge and impersonal. Fantasy reef is pretty much the opposite.

As for tile floors, I'm sure that it would hold if you used a wood stand that supported the tank along the entire length of the stand....no legs. Also, you could easily slide a rug underneath that is trimmed to the correct dimensions.

Windows can be a pain if light shines on the tank, it would be fine if your tank lights are on the same cycle as the sun, but this is hardly ever the case and you end up with an extended light cycle causing algae problems.

As far as where to start..maybe reading my log will help, yours would just have to be sized up, but the concepts remain the same. For a reef tank I always recommend 1 lb per gallon of LR, lots of water flow, and a good skimmer. A sump with a refugium will help keep up the water quality.

I usually recommend starting large, as it is harder to make mistakes with water quality, and there's a better selection of fish too. It is more expensive, the LR alone will be a fortune. You don't have to start it fast. Get the tank and stand, then the sump, salt and sand. Then the RO unit and skimmer. Then you can spread out the LR purchases, get the lights, then finally some sturdy fishes first. With my income it would take me a few years to get the tank ready for fish and corals. I think it would be worth it though.

Good luck whatever your choice is

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I found fantasyreef after seeing the inactivity here. This website was a great resource for me when I had the fw tanks, lol.

Also, I keep reading I would need 1.5-2 pounds per gallon for a reef tank, but that is mostly from the websites that sell it... for $20 a pound...

I've found a place to get a tank, a lot cheaper than I thought. I just have to buy the filtration seperate. I wondered if I could buy LR a few pounds at a time and just slowly add it into the tank, or would this cause the cycle to start over and kill the bacteria already there?

You don't necessarily need that much live rock, 1lb per gallon is kind of the minimum though I'd usually get more myself. 2lbs per gallon is really pushing it IMO. No room for the fish after all that rock.

You can add rock peice by peice, and yes it can cause a mini-cycle every time. I'd never add LR straight from the store into a tank with fish in it. You can however cure the rock in a large bucket or tub for a couple weeks to make sure it's not going to cause any ammonia spikes.

I don't mind waiting though, so I'd just tend to get the rock all in there before ANY fish go in. No matter how long it took. It's just safer and more humane that way. Patience is key in this hobby.

---

Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients