Making the leap from freswater to Marine

Howdy all. I've been lurking a bit, and reading posts, and my desire for a
marine aquarium is growing ever stronger. I have kept tropical aquariums in
the past, and am planning on creating a "river tank" set up that is half
land and half water to house some fish and amphibians. However, I was in
the local pet store the other day and was, as usual, drawn to the beautiful
marine life for sale. I have two empty aquariums that are currently
suitable for a full aquatic set-up. One is a 20 gallon high (I'm thinking I
don't want to deal with water quality in a marine tank that small) and the
other is a 40 gallon long. Is the 40g tank big enough for a beginner
without being too big? All I have is the tank, what sort of filtration and
lighting do I need? I'm not trying for a reef tank (although I will
someday) since I can't afford live rock, or the lighting coral requires.
Can I set the tank up similarly to a freshwater, but with salt-water and
cycle it similarly? I've heard blue damsels are good fish for cycling the
tank, is this true? Is there a good marine life book for beginners?

Lastly, the two animals that really caught my eye in the shop are a black
and white polkadotted eel (I think the tag said spaghettie eel) and a lion
fish. I'm assuming neither of these animals are suitable for beginners.
(isn't the lion fish poisonous?) Do these animals need a reef tank, or will
they fare o.k. with non-living decorations? What are some good marine fish
for a first tank? Can animals like starfish, octopi, anenomes etc. survive
in a marine tank that is not a reef tank? Is there a faq for this group?
Are marine tanks significantly more difficult than Freshwater tanks?

Thanks for any replies!!

Emily

Emily, the tanks you have are probably too small for a truly enjoyable
marine beginner "swim" tank with a nice variety of fish. The 40g might
be ok for the eel, but will severely limit the species of fish you can
house properly. (P.s. Most eels eat FISH) As a general rule you
probably want a minimum of a 75-100 gallon tank.

I would suggest you buy yourself a couple of books and do lots of
research before proceeding any further.

1. One or two marine aquarium "how-to" guides. Here's one example:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...lance&n=507846

2. PocketGuide to marine fish species to determine what fish you
desire, their compatibility with other fish, and the size of tank they
require.
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg...lance&n=507846

Finally, price out all of the accessories you will require and after
you flip-out at the total price, decide how to proceed.

One tip... the Local Fish Stores (aka LFS), usually always charge
exorbitant prices for marine aquarium related equipment, fish,
accessories, etc. So try to buy as much as possible online.

Some LFS will do "loss-leader" sales on staple items like salt mix
just to get you in the door. Those are great deals to take advantage
of.

Equipment
- www.petco.com (cheapest, but small selection)
- www.drsfostersmith.com ( good prices, awesome selection)

Livestock
- www.liveaquaria.com ( part of drsfostersmith)

Also, you will find tons of information at reefaquariumguide.com... be
sure to check out the Beginner forums.

Hope this helps...
Dave

"Emily" wrote in message ...
Howdy all. I've been lurking a bit, and reading posts, and my desire for a
marine aquarium is growing ever stronger. I have kept tropical aquariums in
the past, and am planning on creating a "river tank" set up that is half
land and half water to house some fish and amphibians. However, I was in
the local pet store the other day and was, as usual, drawn to the beautiful
marine life for sale. I have two empty aquariums that are currently
suitable for a full aquatic set-up. One is a 20 gallon high (I'm thinking I
don't want to deal with water quality in a marine tank that small) and the
other is a 40 gallon long. Is the 40g tank big enough for a beginner
without being too big? All I have is the tank, what sort of filtration and
lighting do I need? I'm not trying for a reef tank (although I will
someday) since I can't afford live rock, or the lighting coral requires.
Can I set the tank up similarly to a freshwater, but with salt-water and
cycle it similarly? I've heard blue damsels are good fish for cycling the
tank, is this true? Is there a good marine life book for beginners?

Lastly, the two animals that really caught my eye in the shop are a black
and white polkadotted eel (I think the tag said spaghettie eel) and a lion
fish. I'm assuming neither of these animals are suitable for beginners.
(isn't the lion fish poisonous?) Do these animals need a reef tank, or will
they fare o.k. with non-living decorations? What are some good marine fish
for a first tank? Can animals like starfish, octopi, anenomes etc. survive
in a marine tank that is not a reef tank? Is there a faq for this group?
Are marine tanks significantly more difficult than Freshwater tanks?

Thanks for any replies!!

Emily

a very worth while book to pick up is "Natural Reef Aquariums" by John
Tullock, and also the 2003 annual issue of "Marine Fish and Reef" about a
$40 investment that you can always use. Both describe viable "small" reef
setups, even for beginners.

plus you could turn your 20H into a sump/refugium for your 40g, essentially
making a 60 gal tank (in regards to bioload) . just one suggestion.

snip
tank, is this true? Is there a good marine life book for beginners?

Emily,

Go to
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/se...917053-1767041 For
starting at $13.85 you can buy the book Sal****er Aquariums For Dummies.
This book is easy to understand and is designed for the beginner. You
shouldn't make this your only source of information but it is a good place
to start.

Lastly, the two animals that really caught my eye in the shop are a black
and white polkadotted eel (I think the tag said spaghettie eel) and a lion
fish. I'm assuming neither of these animals are suitable for beginners.
snip

The above book covers compatability issues as well as what are good fish to
start with and many other topics.

HTH

Thanks for any replies!!

You're welcome

Emily

Ed