# salt water fish tanks



## Raddy318 (Mar 19, 2012)

heey everyone, so ive started my quest on hunting for a salt water fish tank
but in the mean time, im keen to know the ins and outs of owning salt water fish, i have only ever owned snakes.
i know its a fair bit to look after, but im willing to take it on

feel free to share pics of your tanks and fish etc

thankss,


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## Monitor Madness (Mar 19, 2012)

If you havent had fish before maybe start out with a fish only style tank and once you learn more through experience start to venture into corals if thats what your after. Some corals are easy and some arent so with anything just ask lots of questions and read.
With a fish only tank there are less parameters to keep an eye on. Its just the basic filtration, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite. once you get into corals theres a whole lot more to check and keep and eye and thats when things can get expensive and time consuming.
With a fish only tank if you do regular water changes, like 20% a week or fortnight and check your salinity its not to different to a fresh water tank.
Some fish can get big so choose wisely.

Thats just my opinion from experience im sure other people will have some too. 
I cant get any photos to load at the moment i will try again later


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## Grogshla (Mar 19, 2012)

my mate started off with salt water tanks and every week some of his fish die from water changes etc. Start off with some beautiful tropical fishies much easier to take care of


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## Monitor Madness (Mar 19, 2012)

They wouldn't have been dying from the water changes. Was he checking the levels and maintaining everything, adding water conditioning, maintain salinity?
As I said I think a fish only salt water tank is as easy as a tropical tank if maintained correctly.


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## Raddy318 (Mar 19, 2012)

thankss! turns out my brother in law knows a ****** load about salt water fish tanks etc etc, and he is gunna help me out alot


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## Grogshla (Mar 19, 2012)

yeah at first he was adding all the needed salt and maintaining all the levels and all was well he was only loosing a few. Then he started buying sea water from his aquarium supply shop and heaps of his fish have been dying.


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## Fanden (Mar 19, 2012)

I have had marine tanks for a while. I have 2 running at the moment 1 sea horse tank and one with fish and corals .
The best and easiest way of maintaining the tank is having good equipment if you dont its loads more work .
Skimmer is heart of the tank if you cheap out on that. it will be alot more work keeping it together


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## Grogshla (Mar 19, 2012)

the thing I would imagine is that people listen to the petshops and get fed the wrong info much like reptiles from pet shops. My mate takes his aquarium dudes word and I think he should join a forum and get proper advice.


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## Monitor Madness (Mar 19, 2012)

Grogshla said:


> the thing I would imagine is that people listen to the petshops and get fed the wrong info much like reptiles from pet shops. My mate takes his aquarium dudes word and I think he should join a forum and get proper advice.


Forums are the way to go i think, lots of people lots of different opinions and different ways of doing things. If one way isn't working try something different. If your mates having that much trouble he should be going else where. Not real fair to the fish that they are dying like that.


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## timmy82 (Mar 20, 2012)

here a few pics of my old tank


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## hughesy (Mar 20, 2012)

I'll sell you mine!!! Lol


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## Justdragons (Mar 20, 2012)

timmy82 said:


> here a few pics of my old tank


OMG amazing


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## waruikazi (Mar 20, 2012)

Anyone tried brackish water aquariums?


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## Venomous1111 (Mar 20, 2012)

waruikazi said:


> Anyone tried brackish water aquariums?



Not brackish but still pretty cool this is a mates old saltwater setup.. 

8ft Marine Tank with Bream & Snapper - YouTube


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## HerperBaz (Mar 20, 2012)

View attachment 243519


I know this doesn't compare to Timmy's wonder but this is a quick photo of my very basic coral (My Bikini Bottom). 

I had a much more significant tank prior but as mentioned above maintenance is a bit more than looking after a gold fish. Besides reptiles are my new love


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## butters (Mar 20, 2012)

Yep had a number of marine tanks over the years as well as brackish water aquariums. What did you want to know about them warazuki?

In most cases just treat as you would a full marine water aquarium with a lower specific gravity. Most brackish water species will live in either a full marine or freshwater setup with a few added handfuls of marine salt depending on species so most people go one way or the other.


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## waruikazi (Mar 20, 2012)

Cheers Butters. I'm looking to set one up soon, hoping to grow mangroves in a muddish substrate. I've bought a couple books on salt and brackish aquariums but i'm getting really lost on protein skimmers and filters and anaerobic pockets... 

I've heard they are easier (ish) to maintain than full marine because the specific gravity, temp and Ph naturally changes in a brackish environment. Any pictures and advice would rock my socks off!


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## HerperBaz (Mar 20, 2012)




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## Fanden (Mar 21, 2012)

some pics from my tank 

































And my pair of hippocampus comes in seahorse tank 
Female





male





and a female hippocampus kuda


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