Part Two: Buying a Saltwater Fish Tank

You've done your research, found out what kind of tank you want and what fish/creatures you can put in it. Now you get to buy your first item for your new hobby, a fish tank.

You may own one from having a freshwater tank before but if it's less than 30 gallon, don't bother. With that said let me in a way contradict myself. There are now special tanks made out there called Nano cubes. They range from 6 gallon (which are being discontinued) to 24 gallon. They are all in one tanks that can be used for fresh or salt water tanks. These at the exception because they have the filter and light built in.

Now the reason I say no less than 30 gallon is because you can't put much even in a 30 gallon. And it's not use water and your fish in a saltwater tank, you also have rock and sand, so you lose part of your spacing for fish use with that. I actually don't recommend anything less than a 75 gallon for a fish/reef tank and 50 for fish only. Reef only actually could be done to satisfaction in about a 30 gallon tank. I say these sizes because your fish will be small and grow in your tanks. And sometimes they will get bigger than you thought. I personally have a 75 gallon reef/fish tank (usually referred to as a reef tank) and it's really not big enough for all the reef creatures I want. My husband has a 65 gallon fish only. He has a Stars and Stripes Pufferfish in it that started out about 1 inch long and now is about 8 inches long (just imagine how big around he is NOT blown up).

And you don't have to go to the pet store to buy your tank. I really don't recommend it because tanks are expensive and you have to have a solid wood stand (can't use metal stand with saltwater). Look in the paper for people selling them, ask your friends if they know anyone. Check out the local pet stores for used items. Sometimes you can get a stand, tank, and lid for the same priced used as just the tank new. And all you'll have to do is clean it out first. Just remember to NOT use bleach.

Once you get your tank, pick the spot you want it in. You won't be moving it any time soon and if you would have to, you will be draining at least half your water out first. Remember saltwater weight ratio is 1 1/2 to 1 of fresh water. Make sure, if you have a basement, you put in where there is good floor support. Saltwater tanks should go on a first floor only because of how heavy they are. When you put the tank in it's new home, don't push it completely against the wall. You still have the filter to set up and depending on what you get, will depend on how much space you need behind it.

And once you have it set in place, you will need to get water and rock into it. But that's for next time.