Thinking of attempting 1st SW :)

First topic message reminder :

Okay, so I really know absolutely nothing about sw tanks, nothing. We are thinking about getting a small 45g corner tank and making it sw. My question is, what do we have to do to have a sw tank? What kind of substrate is needed? What are the "must haves" for a sw set up? I don't know what kind of fish we want, definitely the cheaper ones to start out with simply because we are sw stupid. :) Thanks in advance for all the help!

Once you have your tank established, it's no more difficult than fresh water. The only reason I haven't set one up yet is the cost. When I can afford it, I'll be setting one up, too. It's really no more difficult than you want to make it. Just follow the advice given by the folks here, and you won't have any trouble getting one going.

i kept saltwater for 15 yrs fowlr tanks it does cost more money its come a long way since i started u need more water circulation than fresh and keep it simple no coral skimmer would be nice live sand and rock is a must u dont need a sump at first joe is right its not hard u just need to stay on top of it more seat it up let it run for a week add bacterial agent add hardy fish let run for a couple months keep check on cycling then u can add more fish

Not that hard. The main thing is to be patient and let your tank cycle. decide if you want a reef, fish only, or whatever. Lighting is something to think about, fish only is easier. I use sand substrate, it looks better. The crushed coral tends to hold alot of cr@p in it, and can get unsightly. better to start off with hardy fish, until you get used to what your doing. Too much to explain really. If you have any questions, PM me and i'll do my best to answer.