How expensive are saltwater tanks (including the fish, equipment, and upkeep)?

[Gixxer]

I have had freshwater tanks but I really want a saltwater tank. What is an ideal size for a beginner? Is it a good idea to buy a used one? If I bought it new (say like a 40 gallon), how much would the tank and equipment be? What equipment do you need? How do you get the "salt" in the water? Most private saltwater tanks I see are filthy! How often would I have to clean it to keep it clean and how do you clean it?

I would want maybe 3 different fish. What kinds of saltwater fish get along with each other? I also heard it is nearly impossible to keep seahorses alive in a tank. Is it possible? What are some of the average prices of fish? Are there special cleaning fish to help cut down on algae and what kind of live plants and coral can I add? Overall, with the tank and equipment and fish about what price range could I expect to pay (if I got used stuff and got 3 of the lesser expensive fish)? Sorry about all the questions. Even if you answer only one, it'll help!

[deadeye]

They are a lot of work to get going. I would start with at least a 55 galon tank any smaller and its hard to get the salt and other levels in balance. Don't use tap water use, distlilled. Your fist fish should be cheap damsel fish (about $5) because there hardy and can start bioregulating your tank. Let the damsels stay in the tank for at least 3 months while you get your nitrates, nitrites, ammonia levels safe.

Equipment is pretty much the same as freshwater except if you want a protein skimmer or light for corals. Lighting for corals is very expensive $150 and up. Sea horses I've never had any but everyone tells be they are very delicate and should only be in a tank by themselves beacause they can't really fight for food. Most fish will cost you $20 and up (petco has good deals, but usually limited selection).

Check the website Dr.Foster & Smith its got good tips and fish for sale. You can find good deals on craigslist for set up tanks ~$500 and up or so.

Hope this helps

[deadeye]

Its a money pit...but a pretty cool looking money pit.

[Sleepy]

Its a money pit...but a pretty cool looking money pit.

This^^

Saltwater tanks are actually a lot easier than freshwater ONCE THE TANK HAS MATURED, which can take up to 8 months or so. I agree with starting no less than 55g, the bigger the tank, the more stable it will be with its nitrates, nitrites, and ammonia levels. Crabs and snails are your clean up crew and they really keep you from cleaning much. You will want "live rock" which will run you $10-$12/lb at your local fish store. It is cheaper online though, however, you will run into a lot of die off when the rock is shipped and you will have to deal with high ammonia counts for a bit. The rule of thumb is number of gallons your tank is X2 in lbs of live rock. So 55g tank, you want 110 lbs of live rock. The live rock serves as your biofilter as well as a 2"-4" sand bed. You will also want a protien skimmer, powerheads, heater, thermometer, timers for lights and one of the most important thing IMO is a sump, which is a smaller tank set up under your display tank that keeps water in circulation and helps filter your display tank...yes, there is plumbing involved. I could go on forever with this, but to answer your main question, if you want to do it right, its going to cost some bucks. Saltwater fish are a lot less hardy than freshwater and you will waste a lot of money on fish if your system is not done right with good equipment.

This is an example of how a saltwater tank should look like. This is a project my buddy and I have been working on for a couple of months. This is a 300 gallon tank, and what you see in the picture alone, without any fish or corals, is rounded to $5500. Thats with some pretty good deals on some stuff. Good luck with it all, it is very fun and very rewarding when its done.

[Gixxer]

^
what kind of fish does he plan on getting?

[Luck_of_the_Draw]

This is my 156.

[Ol Thumper]

I had a 400 gallon tank while I was in Oklahoma. I love them and I loved working/playing with them. My new house will be built with another 400 gallon tank in the wall with the operations room behind it to maintain it. I have a ton of used equipment if you get ready to go for it. I have numbers skimmers, RO/DI filter systems, pumps, etc etc etc. If your interested.
They are very expensive to start up and maintain though, I had close to $18k in mine

[Ol Thumper]

I wouldn't go less than 50 gallons starting out, really hard to maintain the water at first on small tanks. I had sea horses and a Morish Idol for over a year before it passed on, takes an old LARGE stable established tank to raise the really exotic species.

[hellbndr23]

No matter how much money you estimate, you will spend more. Once you jump in you will be hooked. It is possible to run a smaller tank but its a TON of work. I have a 30 gallon tall. You have to do something to the tank EVERY day. I ended up buying an RO/DI system and now make my own water. In the beginning its easier to buy your water from a local pet shop. Now I just buy salt and mix my own.

There are animals that will eat algae but its nothing like your fresh tank. You can use plants to take nutrients out of the water to help slow the growth of algae. If you have good lights and you water is right and clean you wont have to worry with it. When you start to slip on your maintenance the tank will look bad.

[hellbndr23]

Also I dont run a sump with this small of a tank. I use a canister filter sized for a 150 gallon tank. Turns the water over alot.

[Atfulldraw]

I'll tell you you can get started and do it all for $2,000.00 ..........






I'll also tell you to find a reliable place to double your money before you get started.


find someone who is going through a divorce, moving, etc. and buy alot of your stuff used.
I started over twice, and it costs a ton of money.

[Cajun Blake]

nothing cheap about fish tanks

if you don't want to invest the $$$$ into a salt setup, consider a fresh water reef with African cichlids

you'll still need to invest $$$$ yet considerably less


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fF5x9wEJK0"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-fF5x9wEJK0[/ame]

[boomer453]

my .O2 worth. I've been running saltwater tanks for 24 years and have had as many as 6 set up at a time. To do this on a budget-although still expensive on start up- here's what i recommend.
-get at least a 7O gallon tank

-forget about a complete reef set up

-set up the tank with 3- 3 1/2" of sand on the bottom

-look for a company called marco rocks. they sell dry, dead "live rock" for MUCH cheaper than actual live rock. Plan on having roughly 1 1/2# of live rock per gallon of tank capacity

-seed your tank with about 1O pounds of quality live rock

-get a protein skimmer and a pair of koralia water pumps for circulation.

here's the hard part-do nothing for the next 3 months, let the live rock colonize the old rock with all the good bacteria and stuff you need to make a tank work.

Obviously there's more to it but thats really it in a nutshell. not letting a tank mature and stabilize is the #1 reason new tank owners fail, along with thinking they can put 2 fish in a 5O gallon tank.

This kind of set-up is called a FOWLR tank (fish only with live rock. It's not for most corals but some types will do fine. these kind of tanks are not hyper critical on maintenance or lighting-i'm currently running VHO's on my fowler and have leather, mushroom, and ricordia's doing fine along with a bunch of zoanthids. i use minimal fish and load up on invertebrates.

PM if there's anything specific i can help with.

I just re-read your post- as far as maintenance goes, if you don't overstock your tank i find that my FOWLR set up takes much less maintenance than any of the freshwater tanks i ever had.

[boomer453]

snails and crabs will take care of algae for the most part. any online reef store will sell a "clean up crew" based on tank size. My 7O gal tank has over 15O different snails, crabs, starfish for cleanup.
Seahorses are hard for even experienced tank owners as they only do well on live food and a very sensitive to water quality-usually they get kept in a separate, smaller species tank.

[Nova]

I have two questions.I have had a bunch of fresh water tanks so I know a little about it but nothing about salt water. The first is about salt water and may be a stupid question , but here goes. If you live near the gulf or are planning a trip there, why couldn't you scoop up a bunch of sand and water from the ocean. Wouldn't it be just right and already have all of the good bacteria, ect....

CB, I have had cichlids before, but it seems like all they do is fight. Assuming that is your tank, do they not fight all the time? I have seen huge tanks at zoos and casinos they were full of cichlids that seemed to be happy.

nothing cheap about fish tanks

if you don't want to invest the $$$$ into a salt setup, consider a fresh water reef with African cichlids

you'll still need to invest $$$$ yet considerably less