Questions about Salt water tank

[headlessblade]

sup guys, I dont currently own a saltwater tank but I was thinking about making one, with a lion fish (since am into aggressive fishes)...
1) Lights? when they say 10k or ?K lights why does does that mean(beside using more electricity)? Is that amount really necessary? or does it have to do with what kind of fishes/other animals/corals you have in the tank?

2) What size tank do you think is optimum for a lion fish/corals? what other kinds of tank mates can he/she have?

3) For my fresh water tanks, when i clean them i literally drain out most of the water and leave the fishes in there... How/what is the proper way to clean a salt water tank and keep it clean?

4) What kind of chemicals would i have to buy to start a brand new salt water tank?(plz list what i need + price if you know)

5) It is my understanding that once u make a tank u cant really move stuff around and rearrange things? is that true?

6) How much money do you think it would cost to start up a salt water tank?

I will definitly have more questions... I know some of these are vague... please try your best to answer if you can and give me details thanks...

 

[noodleman]

hey headless, is this going to be a reef tank with a lion fish or a fish only tank?

 

[headlessblade]

hey headless, is this going to be a reef tank with a lion fish or a fish only tank?

i wanted to put some other stuff in there. I guess a REEF TANK.. but i was just reading about lionfishes and they are poisonous and eat crabs and stuff so, i dont think ill go with a lion fish LOL but i want like 1 big fish, some small ones, some corals... i dont wanna go with "nemo" they seem very boring...

this is mad complex lol *sigh no wonder i only keep freshwater fishes, only one type to lol flowerhorns LOL

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Welcome to MR

 

[jhale]

hey Welcome to Manhattan Reefs, I'm going to move the thread to the reefs for beginners forum, your questions won't get burried there.
By the way you will have a bunch of reading to do

 

[headlessblade]

yea i rather read, than just go in blindly lol

 

[Awibrandy]

Headlessblade, everyone has their own method of keeping saltwater tanks. You are going to find that this is an open ended question. There are the simple ones (like mine LMAO), to the very complicated ones. I understand you may want to keep fish as well as corals. I started with a fish only tank, because like you I had to have that lion (still do), so I have the 3 tanks. Fish with liver rock, reef (fish,corals, inverts), and of course my freshwater (oscars, red parrots, gold placo). I'm telling you this, because this gives you more options. The fwlr tank allows me to keep the aggressive guys that I so much like, and it seems that you also like the aggresive fish. And besides, the fowlr is way much easier to deal with then a reef. Not quite as easy as a fresh water tank, but closer to it then a reef. I see you're in S.O.P., we just moved away last february, we're now in the rockaways. If you'd like to come and see our tanks drop me a PM. Best of luck guy.

 

[crox99]

I have a reef with a lion in it!!!

 

[crox99]

And also good luck with your tanks and welcome to MR.:bagfish:

 

[Chiefmcfuz]

Lion fish in a reef is no problem you are just gonna need a great skimmer cause lions are extremely messy fish and you can't really have any small fish in the tank, at least not fish small enough that the lion can fit them in his mouth.

 

[crox99]

Well my Antennata never touched any of my fishes.

 

[headlessblade]

Headlessblade, everyone has their own method of keeping saltwater tanks. You are going to find that this is an open ended question. There are the simple ones (like mine LMAO), to the very complicated ones. I understand you may want to keep fish as well as corals. I started with a fish only tank, because like you I had to have that lion (still do), so I have the 3 tanks. Fish with liver rock, reef (fish,corals, inverts), and of course my freshwater (oscars, red parrots, gold placo). I'm telling you this, because this gives you more options. The fwlr tank allows me to keep the aggressive guys that I so much like, and it seems that you also like the aggresive fish. And besides, the fowlr is way much easier to deal with then a reef. Not quite as easy as a fresh water tank, but closer to it then a reef. I see you're in S.O.P., we just moved away last february, we're now in the rockaways. If you'd like to come and see our tanks drop me a PM. Best of luck guy.

thanks you use to live around s.o.p.? ill let u know right now am in the READING Stage i like to plan out everything before I do it, took me 1year to even start breeding flowerhorns...

 

[SaltWaterN00b]

Im 5 mins from Ozone Park Id be happy to help out with anything you need bud setting up or have questions. Check the regional reefs Queens thread also I mad a list of Local fish stores (LFS) in Queens.

 

[headlessblade]

thanks man but after reading about it and looking at costs of a salt water tank it is not for me at this moment, thank you all for your responses.