Anyone know about salt water reef tanks?

royr · 09-15-2007, 10:45 AM

Does anyone have experience - positive or negative - with taking care of a salt water reef tank? My neigbor is moving long distance - and has a 140 gallon Oceanic tank with all the stuff you need to keep it going. My daughter often goes over the house to play with his girls and really likes to feed those fish - they come right up and take food from her hand - especially the big puffer fish and the marine anglefish seem very freindly - . If I take this off his hands - He wants $1500 for everything - how much of a PIA is it to maintain - and how expensive is it to keep this type of thing going? I have had a betta fish in a gallon bowl that lasted us 5 1/2 years for $3.49 at the time from super wallmart - but don't have any experience with this type of thing. It looks really cool - but was worried it may get too involved / expensive in the long run. Any help is apreciated. Thanks!

Seerex · 09-15-2007, 11:55 AM

I have had several smaller salt tanks and my friend has a larger one , yes it will take alot more time than a freshwater, You have to control the ph in the water the nitrates as well. If you are not familar with a salt tank starting with a 140 is quite a task but can be done. There a quite a few books out on it and the best thing you can do is find a local fishstore and get advice from them, most are very helpful and can steer you in the right direction. I will say it isn't too expensive but there are costs , salt , water changes and chemicals. The most expensive thing are the fish.
I would plan out the movement of the tank carefully and where it will be going to , tank stand and water can weigh close to between 1200 to 1600 lbs maybe more depending on the setup . So where you put it is where it will stay. If it is a glass tank be very carefull when moving as when it is moved for the first time after being set up and full of water for awhile, they have a tendency to want to stick and the seals can leak after wards . If it is a acrylic tanks be sure of what you use on the tank itself as they scratch easily but look great. A good ideal when moving is setting up a temporary tank to store the fish when moving the bigger tank, one to make sure the fish do die of the shock of being moved too much and two so that you can set up the tank where you move it to an let it settle and get the water right and tested. Good Luck

my2006titan · 09-15-2007, 12:38 PM

its not that hard to keep a saltwater tank going as long as the tank is stabilized and established. i have a 75 gallon tank and if your getting a 140 gallon it will be easier to work with because the fluctuation of the ph, ammonia and all those other things will be less likely to stress the fish out. i have had my saltwater tank for over a year now and in the last 4 months i dont even check for ph, salinity, or anything else. i just change the water once a month with about 20% of saltwater and when the water evaporates and the water level goes down I just fill the tank with ro water until i have to do a water change again. just make sure that if you buy the tank and move it to your house to keep all the water that is currently in the 140 gallon tank and use the same water so that the fishes will not stress out too much when you move the tank to your house...good luck and I enjoy having my saltwater tank

quikslvr7 · 09-15-2007, 03:28 PM

yes save the water cuz it takes awhile to get new water stabilized and the fish will die before the water gets stabilized

baseballfanz · 09-15-2007, 03:34 PM

Technology has improve over the years to where it's not as hard to maintained it. You still have to take care of it but it's not as hard as it use to be. If the tank come with all the fish corals and equipment $1500 is a good price IMO.

stlblues · 09-17-2007, 08:39 PM

I've found the Deep sand bed filtration is the easiest, but it still requires maintainance and some expense. I converted back to fresh because of the work required, I've got two businesses, two kids active in sports, so I switched back, at least till the kids are in college. $1500 isn't bad, my tank was $800 by itself for a 65 gal reef drilled, protein skimmer $156, live rock $400, pumps lights etc $600, then livestock.............not a bad deal.

Justintoxicated · 09-17-2007, 11:17 PM

I know a little but I have not made the move to saltwater, I keep freshwater planted tanks and they keep me very buisy! Hardly ever do I NOT have something to maintaine.

I don't know if you have to change 1/2 the water from the tank every week on a saltwater or not, I like to change 50% every week in ALL of my freshwater tanks. This keeps the tankwater closer to the PH that is coming out of the tap and ensures I am removing nitrates and fishwaste.

I think you need a calcium reactor to stimulate coral growth, and most LFS's will sell saltwater by the gallon for changes.

I do not think a saltwater REEF is a good idea for a beginner.

Puffers are awesome fish, unfortunately all of them are slatwater or brackish water other than the Dwarf puffer (I have 3 and they are a blast to watch even though they are so small). (Although many fish stores sell them as freshwater fish, they wille ventualy die if not in brackish).

stlblues · 09-18-2007, 06:14 PM

Its a long process, but most fish can be aclimated to either salt or brackish. I've done it with puffers before, it just takes a lot of time and very slow changes to get them fully fresh. Generally around here, we do a 10 to 20% water change per month. I kept a trash can with a circulation pump and heater in the storage room where I would put the salt in a couple of days before the change, get it to the optimum salinity and temp, then do the water change. Pour the old water on the neighbors lawn, they'll love it. There are plenty of supliments to add to the tank for healthy coarl. Get a good test kit and check your nitrates and amonia levels, weekly. Cycling the tank is the worst, waiting for it to hit its amonia spike sucks. I usually used gold fish, they can be aclimated to salt and are cheap. I actually know a couple of people that have pissed in the tank to speed up the cycling, I wouldn't try it though. You can also use damsels, but then you have to get them out, and try to get damsels out of your rock.....not easy.

ReefJones · 09-18-2007, 08:47 PM

If it is a Mini-Reef Tank (corals) don't try it. Fish only setup, I say go for it as long as you are willing to be religious with your water changes and up keep. A good book for beginners is called THE MARINE AQUARIUM PROBLEM SOLVER. Smaller tanks are much harder to balance and keep balanced. Bigger tanks = more stability but more resources such as water, salt ect... The tank should to be set up on a solid ground floor Saltwater roughly weighs 9lbs per gallon. people who put tanks than big on second floors usually get them braced. Anywho this stuff is right up my alley. Now live plant tanks... Thats where it's at!
Reef

*TitanTailGator* · 09-18-2007, 08:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stlblues

I actually know a couple of people that have pissed in the tank to speed up the cycling, I wouldn't try it though.

I knew a guy that had a couple of the sweetest salt water coral tanks I'd ever seen and that's how he started is cycle. He was a little crazy, but he knew his stuff when in came to salt water tanks.