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06-13-2008, 12:34 PM

Ok, this is my own opinion so it may vary from person to person, however it has worked for me and some information has come from other keepers as well.

Knowledge and Information - Without some background knowledge of the hobby, you will make many mistakes, and likely fail. Obtain several books on state of the art reef systems. Then take the time to read and understand the information.

Planning - figure out what sort of setup you want and what you are trying to do. You only want to buy equipment once. You only want to get livestock that will do well in your system.

Apply Critical Thinking - No one know it all. Many LFSs don't have a clue. If something does not sound right to you, ask them to explain why. Don't be afraid to post the question on here and get the thoughts of others.

Don't Skimp On Critical Items - SW livestock is expensive. The loss of a few fish or corals will more than pay for the quality equipment you should have bought in the first place. Don't put your tank at risk trying to save small amounts of money.

Understand the Limits of Your System and Yourself - If your system doesn't have the lighting, don't try to keep SPS corals. If your tank isn't big enough to produce pods, don't try to keep a mandarin. If you don't have experience, don't make difficult fish your first ones.

Tank size does matter. Even though you may have found a small fish, it needs room to grow and to roam about. A clownfish can be happy in a 10 gallon tank, but not for very long. A 20 or 29 gallon tank will allow you to keep a clownfish plus maybe a few more creatures in the future, giving you a beautiful piece of the ocean in your home. Tangs are herbivores, and need a lot of room to swim. Bare minimum for this fish, when a juvenile, is a 55 gallon aquarium. Some need a 75 gallon, a 125 gallon or even a 180! Tangs love to swim long distances quickly, and to put them in a smaller environment will cause them stress and they can die from stress-related illnesses (such as “Ich”).

Type of Water. To avoid nuisance algaes growing in your tank, it is recommended to get Reverse Osmosis De-Ionized water. You can often times buy this kind of water at the fish store where you found your saltwater pet. You can also buy RO water at your supermarket, as well as distilled water. What you don’t want to use is tap water from the sink. It contains elements that are detrimental to your saltwater tank. Chlorine, Phosphate, Nitrate, Fluoride and more are readily detectable in tap water, but your saltwater tank needs pure water to keep your fish healthy.

06-13-2008, 12:34 PM	#1 (permalink)
atlantic reefer Guest Posts: n/a	Basic Marine Fish Keeping Ok, this is my own opinion so it may vary from person to person, however it has worked for me and some information has come from other keepers as well. Knowledge and Information - Without some background knowledge of the hobby, you will make many mistakes, and likely fail. Obtain several books on state of the art reef systems. Then take the time to read and understand the information. Planning - figure out what sort of setup you want and what you are trying to do. You only want to buy equipment once. You only want to get livestock that will do well in your system. Apply Critical Thinking - No one know it all. Many LFSs don't have a clue. If something does not sound right to you, ask them to explain why. Don't be afraid to post the question on here and get the thoughts of others. Don't Skimp On Critical Items - SW livestock is expensive. The loss of a few fish or corals will more than pay for the quality equipment you should have bought in the first place. Don't put your tank at risk trying to save small amounts of money. Understand the Limits of Your System and Yourself - If your system doesn't have the lighting, don't try to keep SPS corals. If your tank isn't big enough to produce pods, don't try to keep a mandarin. If you don't have experience, don't make difficult fish your first ones. Tank size does matter. Even though you may have found a small fish, it needs room to grow and to roam about. A clownfish can be happy in a 10 gallon tank, but not for very long. A 20 or 29 gallon tank will allow you to keep a clownfish plus maybe a few more creatures in the future, giving you a beautiful piece of the ocean in your home. Tangs are herbivores, and need a lot of room to swim. Bare minimum for this fish, when a juvenile, is a 55 gallon aquarium. Some need a 75 gallon, a 125 gallon or even a 180! Tangs love to swim long distances quickly, and to put them in a smaller environment will cause them stress and they can die from stress-related illnesses (such as “Ich”). Type of Water. To avoid nuisance algaes growing in your tank, it is recommended to get Reverse Osmosis De-Ionized water. You can often times buy this kind of water at the fish store where you found your saltwater pet. You can also buy RO water at your supermarket, as well as distilled water. What you don’t want to use is tap water from the sink. It contains elements that are detrimental to your saltwater tank. Chlorine, Phosphate, Nitrate, Fluoride and more are readily detectable in tap water, but your saltwater tank needs pure water to keep your fish healthy.