What do you need for a SW tank?

[MedicalRower]

Hello.

I am entirely new to SW fish tanks, though there is an 89G SW tank in my house (my roommate is also a new SW enthusiast) and I grew up around FW tanks.

I am looking to start a small SW tank, beginning with fish and leaving open the option of reefing later. What equipment is needed to maintain a smaller tank, beyond the sand and rocks (talking skimmers, sump - is one really needed on a tank this small, etc.)? I am making a leap of faith in thinking that it is going to be different from what my roommate has on his 89G tank.

A little assistance would be appreciated!

Thanks,

[Bens_Reef]

welcome and here is the skinny, read the stickys at the top of this forum but especially this one http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1031074 you will want to read as much of this as possible to eliminate some easy beginner and costly mistakes

next to answer some of your questions you probably dont have to use a skimmer if you are not keeping corals but you will ne to do more water changes without one.

a sump would make it much easier to recover from mistakes and water quality issues that may arise. the more water volume the better. you can keep a smaller DT and have a larger sump to add to water volume.

research the type of fish you want first before you decide on what size tank you want, there are many fish that you cant keep in a small tank. (less than 55 gallons)

everyone here is very helpful and have very informative opinions of this hobby.

[MedicalRower]

Fantastic, thanks! I was also wondering what the differences were in equipment needs between large and small tanks. When I say small, I mean about 30 gallons.

[Bens_Reef]

well, you can pretty much use the same equipment just make sure its rated for the size water volume you are dealing with. it get a bit more dificult when you dont use a sump as all your equipment has to hang off the tank somewhere. it really limits you when you dont use a sump. there really isnt a downside to having one and if your gonna keep alot of corals you most definatley will want one.

this is my 26 with a skimmer and stuff hanging off it.

[Bens_Reef]

i am accually cycling a 40g with a sump because of how limited that one is, dont know if im gonna combine the 2 yet or keep the 26 with minimal coral and fish

[genxbigboy]

Well when I ran a tank with no sump I found it much harder to pick out the right equipment especially a skimmer. You will find a thin film on top of the water and also maybe micro bubbles. You can try a in tank overflow box and some polyfilter to try to solve that. I tried that and it worked out but that was for a small 15 gallon tank. You might also think of adding an ATO system because the more volume of water you have the more water evaporates. A "DJ power strip" would be nice because you can control electrical items individually or you can splurge and buy a controller. Another item to invest in is a brute trash can with dolly and a cheap pump. That would be great for water changes.

[Doc's_reef09]

Like everyone else is saying try to do as much research as possible. But u dont need a sump. I had a 55 gallon with fish only and 2 bio wheel filters and i did 20 gallon water change a month. It ultimitly is up to u. Haveing a sump takes alot more equipment but will be easyier to take car of

[Starfishhater]

Read, read, and read some more before you decide on anything. Utilize RC as much as possible, it will save you a lot of $ and time in the long run. Also water testing and water changes are key when starting out.

[blt]

Originally Posted by MedicalRower

I was also wondering what the differences were in equipment needs between large and small tanks.

Only real difference is scale and availability. The basic "needs" are the same.

[Uncle Salty 05]

The bigger a tank is the easier it is to keep your parameters stable.
An oops on a 180 can have little or no impact, whereas that same oops could wipe out a 29 gallon tank.
Go with the biggest tank you can afford to maintain.