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Croaky

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Hi -

I am new to marine tanks and will need advice on how to do this successfully.

I have had success with fresh water tanks up to 6ft but I'm aware that marine tanks are a totally different kettle of fish (sic), and require ALOT more attention to detail.

I have been told by the chap at my LPS that a 4ft tank would be a good starter, is this good advice?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!
 
Welcome Croaky - I'm sure most of the guys here will advise you to go as large as the wallet will allow for the simple reason that when something goes wrong in the water column it takes "less effect" on a larger water volume than a smaller one - bearing that in mind remember we all have "skinny" wallets whether we have small or large systems but enough said .... enjoy your stay here with us - tell us more on what your "wish list" for this tank would be and before you go spend some $$$$$$ let us offer you "free" advice here....
 
Welcome to MASA!!
 
Welcome to MASA, read the beginers forums and all the advice you need is there. There are loads of people who won't mind answering your question and don't be shy, no matter how small it may seem - everything has an answer.

You need to decide on what type of look you want and what type of fish you want to keep, from there, a filtration setup can be advised accordingly to suit your needs and you can then begin taking the necisary progressive steps.

Good luck and keep us posted on your progress.
 
Hi and welcome to MASA. You came to the right place, where you will learn lots.
 
IMO, you can tell the standard of a forum by the response a n00b gets... Wow!!!

I have the idea of a tank with mostly soft corals, I like the idea of quite a few shrimp and only a few fish. Would this work harmoniously?

Also, I have been a tarantula keeper for a long time and one attractive addition to their environment is a backdrop covering the rear wall of the tank. I use polystyrene that I contour myself covered with silicone and then pressed into peat moss to cover the entire surface. Of course, I realise that peat and very possibly polystyrene, are not options in a marine tank but would anybody know if I could do something similar to create a reef wall or dropoff effect?

Another question, what would the implications be pumps, skimmer and sump-wise that upsizing from a 4ft to a 5ft tank be?

Is a 5ft tank really that much better than a 4ft tank?
 
BIGGER is always better .... just not initial setup wise but in the long run even the 5 foot might not be big enough once you're hooked
 
hello croaky and welcome to masa, great to have you join :)

marines are a different ball game to bathwater, but you will soon get used to it all, once yopu have the basics m,astered its a constant enjoyable lerning curve for the rest of your life. in the beginning there really is a massive amount on info to take in, so reading through the beginners discussions really is a good thing before you get any equipment.

very often old bath water tanks are not that suitable for marines. If your tank has been treated with ANY form opf copper based medication in its past its really not advisable to use it for marines as copper in the smallest quantaties is deadly to inverts and shrimps in particular. So check that ok :)


Also its far better to have an overflow going down to a sump. This allows you far better equipment in order to filter the water (many freshwater filtration systems are not advisable in marines), so if your tank isnt drilled for an overflow then i would get an overflow chanber drilled and made.

4ft vs 5ft vs 8 foot, whats the difference. Frankly each tank gives you differences in what you can achieve at a later date. Often the fish people like to keep in marines require a fair amount of swimming space else it results in stress and disease on the fish. If you are willing to live with the constraints that certyain fish are not going to be that applicable then a 4 foot is a fine size to start out woth. You will want a bigger tank later anyway.

welcome and happy posting :)
 
Welcome to MASA Croaky!

What is the water volume of the standard 4' tank and 5' tank? Here in the US we have several different 4' tanks from 33 gallons on up to 120 (or more).
 
Anemone said:
Welcome to MASA Croaky!

What is the water volume of the standard 4' tank and 5' tank? Here in the US we have several different 4' tanks from 33 gallons on up to 120 (or more).
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I don't have a clue! I'll call the chap who is building the tank a little later on (it's almost 8am here...) to ask.
 
crispin said:
...welcome and happy posting :)
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Hi Crispin -

As you can see from my previous post, I am having a tank (and sump) made from scratch so cross pollution won't be an issue.

When you say I'll want a bigger tank one day, what would you say the average size for a 'wish tank' is?
 
Croaky said:
Hi -

I am new to marine tanks and will need advice on how to do this successfully.

I have had success with fresh water tanks up to 6ft but I'm aware that marine tanks are a totally different kettle of fish (sic), and require ALOT more attention to detail.

I have been told by the chap at my LPS that a 4ft tank would be a good starter, is this good advice?

Thanks in advance for any and all help!
Click to expand...
my applogies from trhis post i took it that due to ytour fereshwater days you were taking a 4 foot and converting it over, but that a LFS (lps stands for long polloped stony and referes to a coral in marines....lfs is local fish shop) suggested you take a 4 foot tank to start.


if however are getting a tank buildt why not give us the dimensions you are planning and lets see if we can give you some advice, a tank that is 500 wide for example is too narrow to be able to aquascape properly, while one that is 1m wide is too wide to be able to reach all parts of the base from one side and would need access from both sides.

if the tank is getting buidt then give us the dimensions and we can do all we can to make sure its buildt right :)

it would also be interesting to see what sump is planned?
 
Croaky said:
Hi Crispin -

As you can see from my previous post, I am having a tank (and sump) made from scratch so cross pollution won't be an issue.

When you say I'll want a bigger tank one day, what would you say the average size for a 'wish tank' is?
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Croaky i went for as large a tank i could find second hand which is a 800l system ( 1.8m long) thats been a great starting tank for me, but now i want to build a bigger tank.....simple put in marines your tank is always too small :)
 
Croaky what size space do ytou have available for the tank? is there a specific place you wish to place the tank and if so what are the limiting factors?
 
crispin said:
Croaky what size space do ytou have available for the tank? is there a specific place you wish to place the tank and if so what are the limiting factors?
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I can go as large as a 1.8m tank Crispin, the limitation is that the sump and pumps have to go in the cabinet. Is that possible?
 
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Croaky said:
I can go as large as a 1.8m tank Crispin, the limitation is that the sump and pupms have to go in the cabinet. Is that possible?
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Most of the setup are done like that - even the one for sale by Andreas .... this usually depends on how your tank stand is made to allow for sump and pumps....
 
Thanks Chicka!

I'm probably gonna go for a 1,8m new in that format if I can't find a the same 2nd hand for a decent price.
 
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