New Saltwater Aquarist, lots of questions!

Discussion in 'New To The Hobby' started by KatherineM, Dec 28, 2010.

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  1. TheSaltwaterGuy

    TheSaltwaterGuy Banned

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    well start off with like 1 fish a week for about 2 weeks. get those 2 fish and then just let the tank take off. then i'd add the serpent start; this is just wat i would do, but I think you can add it like 2 weeks after the cycle is done. as for the anemone you need to be experienced to keep those; have your tank for maybe like 6-8 months and then you can start thinking about the anemone again. Just saying because you dont want an anemone dying in the first week do you?
     
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  3. Bloodkip

    Bloodkip Ritteri Anemone

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    Anemone in a 14g!?!??!. 30g is min.
     
  4. KatherineM

    KatherineM Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    no I dont :) sounds like a plan to me, Aquarium Adventures , thats my blog, where I plan on keeping track of my fishy stuff :) if any of you are interested. I will be getting a tank sometime this week, so that will probably be my next post. Thank you so much for your help :) Im really glad I got on here
     
  5. TheSaltwaterGuy

    TheSaltwaterGuy Banned

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    i meant the 29 gallon biocube, is she getting 14 or 29?
     
  6. TheSaltwaterGuy

    TheSaltwaterGuy Banned

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    no problem, and im definitely gonna follow along. as for the anemone. remember it needs at least a 30 gallon, but the 29 gallon biocube would suffice ;)
     
  7. KatherineM

    KatherineM Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    I was kinda planning on 14, (ive seen anemones in smaller, i dont know how long they survived but i saw lots of pictures) but i could probably go for bigger..
     
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  9. TheSaltwaterGuy

    TheSaltwaterGuy Banned

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    I personally would go for 29; besides, you coul probably get a few more fish and more corals ;D
     
  10. Guy

    Guy Spaghetti Worm

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    I agree with TheSaltwaterGuy on the 29. A 14 is ehh, but in the future, you'll crave a larger tank. Also, it's easier to keep parameters in check because of greater water volume.

    For substrate, if you have a Petco or any local fish store near you, they should carry it.

    As for the rock, it would be cheaper to seed live rock, which is done by getting a piece of live rock, and having the rest be base rock. Over time, the base rock will turn into live rock. They have great pieces of base rock on ReefCleaners, and my personal favorite is the Carribean rock, which is 2.50/lb, or 85.00/50 lb. Reef cleaners also has great and inexpensive cleanup crews.
    Www.reefcleaners.org

    For livestock(fish, corals, inverts) I'd try www.LiveAquaria.com . The site shows pictures and tells you how to take care of the creature and most of its needs. As well as purchasing.

    After a long time of having the tank running(10+ months) I might consider an inexpensive anemone. The Haitan anemone retails from $5-10 and isn't the worst in looks. There are more attractive species, but those really range from $25+ . I've seen nems for $250. If you bought an expensive one, it'd stink to have it die in a week or so.

    As far as cycling, I'd go for a month of adding nothing(except base and live rock, sand, and of course water), keeping lights off, and having the filter run. There is bacteria that you can purchase that supposedly speeds up the cycling process, too. I've had luck with Turbo Start.

    Hope this helps. :D
     
  11. KatherineM

    KatherineM Spanish Shawl Nudibranch

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    29 gallons sounds so huge. lol im not sure if I want to go that big, just because im not sure I can continue to afford it. the intial purchase is no problem but the maintenence after that might cost to much.... but we will see.
     
  12. Guy

    Guy Spaghetti Worm

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    Maintenance is not hassle for a tank that big. As long as you have a cleanup crew, a syphoning tube, a bucket, and $20 for water every month, you should be good. :D in a 14 gal, you'd be spending money on a little less of water, but that's it. To be honest, a 29 gallon isn't that large. It's about 20x20x18 inches. Weird scenario, but picture an average bath tub. That bathtub is easily 90+ gallons large. Now picture 29 gallons, its not too big. :) also, I would invest in a protein skimmer. Biocube Protein Skimmer retails for $40-50 depending where you buy it. With a skimmer, you never have to use a filter cartridge. 2 biocube cartridges costs $12, replacing it every 3 weeks.. The skimmer pays off in no time. :)