kiwis Posted August 10, 2014 Report Share Posted August 10, 2014 I'm thinking about starting my first saltwater tank - i was thinking of making it very small 50cm * 50cm * 50cm. With this size do i need a sump or will and external filter work? Do I still need a powerhead and protein skimmer? Is it too small and will I struggle with the "perfect balance"? from experience from freshwater the bigger the aquarium the easier to maintain Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrienne Posted August 10, 2014 Report Share Posted August 10, 2014 Small is harder to maintain the correct parameters. I am new to marines so not the right person to answer the rest of the questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 10, 2014 Report Share Posted August 10, 2014 as Adrienne said on the size. The rest of the questions depend on bio load and what you are going to keep in the tank or how often you will do water changes. There are a few Nano tank threads on here if you look through salt water section The basics of marine keeping still apply, clean water, stable water parameters, temperature, flow, lighting and patience Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgustipated Posted August 10, 2014 Report Share Posted August 10, 2014 As a beginner its gonna be much easier and less painful if you start with a cold water local marine setup. Not to mention waaay cheaper. You will not need to buy all the expensive stuff and won't need a skimmer as long as you can pickup a couple of buckets of seawater every couple weeks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kinnadian Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Except cold water marine isn't anywhere near as interesting as tropical unless you can dive out deep to find decent fish/corals. I'm thinking about starting my first saltwater tank - i was thinking of making it very small 50cm * 50cm * 50cm. With this size do i need a sump or will and external filter work? Do I still need a powerhead and protein skimmer? Is it too small and will I struggle with the "perfect balance"? from experience from freshwater the bigger the aquarium the easier to maintain 125L is a decent starting tank, not THAT small really, however 50cm depth will require a decent light. If you are sensible with your stocking, flow, lighting and water changes and you have diligent husbandry you should be able to have a 125L relatively easily. A sump is ALWAYS recommended, if you have the patience and ability to make one. It increases your water volume and allows you to hide equipment that you normally couldn't fit in your display (reactors, skimmers, etc). An external filter is a definite no-no, they do more harm than good in a marine tank. If you went this route you could put some media such as phosphate removers or carbon in, but you don't put any traditional freshwater media in (bioballs, ceramics, floss, etc) because they trap debris and become nitrate factories (nitrate is much more toxic to marine fish than freshwater because of the near-perfect conditions the sea provides). You most definitely need a powerhead, marine need very high flow rates to simulate their natural environment. For a 50cm cube I would recommend two RW-4 from Fish-street.com Some will say skimmers are essential, but they aren't. If you have a lower bioload (roughly 8" of grown fish in that tank) you can get away without one, but you will probably have ugly algae everywhere and your corals will suffer (if you have any). You can attempt to combat this with aggressive water changes (15% weekly) but it is not guaranteed to work. In the end you will wish you had just bought a protein skimmer in the first place, once algae is everywhere. If you are trying to do a "cheap" marine tank you will probably be dissatisfied with your results, unless you go with a native coldwater marine tank or a FOWLR (fish only with live rock). This is an expensive hobby (even more so in NZ) and you have to accept that before you get in to it. If you try to take shortcuts and buy cheaper equipment you will probably either be unhappy with your results (algae everywhere, no growth, corals/fish dying) or you will end up replacing the equipment with decent stuff down the track anyway, wasting your initial investment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Except cold water marine isn't anywhere near as interesting as tropical unless you can dive out deep to find decent fish/corals. that is not true most of my finds are from high down to low tide mark. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
disgustipated Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 Yep I find all my stuff from rock pools. The only thing I'll admit is that Nz local is not as colorful as tropical. But for the hundreds of dollars I've saved its not a bad option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
livingart Posted August 11, 2014 Report Share Posted August 11, 2014 it is just as colourful, better clean up crew and you get the fun of collecting your own specimens. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
littlesquarefish Posted August 15, 2014 Report Share Posted August 15, 2014 As long as you are diligent with your water changes and you top ups (evaporation on a small tank will really mess with your salinity) and don't overfeed or overstock with fish, you can definitely do a nano. Source: my first reef tank is a 20L Fluval Spec V. Been running almost a year. Weekly 5L water changes and an auto top up system and it is Awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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