Thank you to those who answered my last question. This is the list I’ve come up with for a saltwater tank (fish and invertibrates). I already have a 44 gal tank and a canister filter which I previously kept goldfish in.

So, does this equipment list sound right? Am I missing anything? I’m new to saltwater.

Lights – Power compact fluorescent lights
Heater – Submersible heater. Do I need 2 or will 1 be okay?

Canister Filter – I already own one and would like to use it. Trickle would be ideal but I don’t have a cabinet (just a stand) and noise is a big issue. Do I add anything to the canister (where, how?)? It contains wool, sponge (Black 35ppi), Sponge (Blue 15ppi) and BioNood. How often do I need to clean it?

Protein skimmer – I would like to get a good one and larger than what I need so it doesn’t need to work so hard. Brand reccomendations? I saw a big expensive one for 0 (although I can get it cheaper) which says that you don’t need air stones if you use it. I forget what brand or model it is.

Thermometer and hydrometer. Aquarium salt and conditioner. Algae scrubber. Fish net.

Live sand and live rock.

Do I need aerating pumps and air stones?
Also I heard you can get something that automatically tops up evaporated water? What are they?

Does that sound about right? Thanks for your help.
Thanks for reminding me AZZA, a test kit as well.

I have just recently started getting electric shocks at random times when working with my tank. The first time it happened i was wearing a rubber glove (which i thought would block electricity in the first place) i put my hand in the sump and it tore through the glove and shocked my whole arm. The next day i was using the net in the tank itself and got a big shock, then the same thing happend to my brother, my girlfriend and my friend all at different random times. It feels like one of those trick handshake or trick lighters that people have but it hurts way more. Basically the shock runs through my arm and into my chest, leaving my arm numb.

I have a 72 gallon bowfront saltwater set up with live rock, about 15 fish, the whole deal. I have the coralife 260 watt compact fluorescent light hood with moon lights attatched with plastic legs on top of the aquarium over the glass canopy. I have an 850 gph pump in the sump, a 300 watt heater in the pump and a protein skimmer in the sump.
So basically my arm gets better after like half an hour i would say. I have read about ground probes but i don’t know if those are for my purposes or if i just need to locate the faulty device and replace it. How would i locate which it is other than unplugging and testing to see if i get electrocuted? Is there a device that can detect random spurts of voltage? Will my fish start being harmed by this? What should i do? I am afraid to put my hand in the tank while the power is on now…i have been shocked a good 6 or 7 times now and i am terrified! Thanks everyone!

i have a 30 gallon and 90 gallon fish tanks both are SALTWATER
and for the last couple of week the water is turning green

i feed my fish once a day with frozen brine shrimp
i have a regular( fluorescent light) that are only for like 4-5 hours daily
i have a power filter and a corner/box filter ( i need ot get a new filter cuz my powerfilter is not working properly but what kind of filter should i get???? )
i dont have a protein skimmer i was told that for fish only system its not needed

i did some research on my wo nand i even have a UV serilizer cuz i read that it will get rid of my problem but its not working

now i want to buy a bio-wheel filter dont know what the heck that is cuz i heard it work wonders

the fish that i have in my tanks are:
in 30 gallons:
pair of gold maroon clowns
and 2 fire fish

in my 90 gallons
blue tang
fox face
yellow tang

please help me i want ot have a crystal clear water not a green stuff

what can i do???
ohh and i also read somethign about phosphate remover
i have my 30 gallon since august 07 and 90 gallons since januarymy fish tank are in a room without any windows so its cant be from sun light

Where to begin…First off I jumped into a saltwater tank with the wrong advice from a co-worker. I rushed it and completely skipped the bacteria start up. I have a 20 gal tank. He sold me a CRP protein skimmer, and a powerhead jet, about 7-8lbs live rock, and 2 inches of live sand. I only ran that setup for about a week then he ordered fish from an online fish store. This is what I started with:

1 blue hippo tang
1 yellow tang
2 clown
2 sand sifting starfish
5 turbo snails
2 diamond gobies
1 anemone (not sure what kind)

I acclimated them with my tank and put everything in together. 2 days later one of the starfish died. The next day the blue tang died. About a week later one of the clowns died. Currently I have the yellow tang and I purchased another clown. The fish are doing ok but the anemone and starfish are dead or about to die. Since starting the tank and getting fish I done alot of research and now I think I have a better understanding of my problems.

1. No bacteria to break down ammonia. I do 5 gallon water changes every weekend.
2. No heater
3.Not proper lighting for anemone. Was using just 1 fluorescent. Since I have purchased a 50/50 fluorescent. I can’t afford anything more powerful now.

Basically I’m just looking for help and suggestions for what to do in the future and where to go from here. I know my tank is too small to add any fish, but are their other things (equipment) I need to keep my tank happy?

All help and suggestions appreciated.
I forgot to add I have a heater and keep it around 76. Can I keep the clowns, gobies, and snails, and sell the tang? Why do I have to get rid of all the fish then start over? Ammonia won’t drop with water changes and the cycle process going on now?

I’m converting my 30 gallon freshwater to saltwater.

I’m new with saltwater but old with freshwater, and i’m almost done cycling.
I have 40lb of live rocks in there. A powerhead, and a canister filter (just for extra flow and mechanical filtration,–> sponges are often washed to prevent beneficial bacteria building there instead of on the live rocks)

I’m still using my old 2 x 6700 fluorescent light tubes. Are they ok for my Fish-Only-with-Live-Rocks tank? I’m planning to have a pair of clown fish, yellow watchman goby with pilot shrimp, yellow-tail blue damsel and a royal gramma.
No protein skimmer.

And what if I’d like to have purple coralline algea? I heard something about Actinic light. Can I have that running with my fluorescent tube? Since I only have 1 switch in my hood, where you can plug 2 tubes at once.

I don’t know much about lighting. I want something not fancy/expensive, that make my fish/shrimp comfortable and possibly promote coralline algea growth. My tank’s spot has no sun.

Thanks!
Thanks Sarah, but i’ve already read that article before. That’s why i want to get more info about the Actinic light, and whether it makes sense to have it on with my florescent tube at once.
And you’ve given me contradicting info now… while you’re saying 3w/g and more for coralline algae, .. the article you copied says 1.6, which is much less.

Hello!
I have been planning my saltwater tank and would like your opinions on it. I have several points that I’d like to cover. Any information you can offer, I would be grateful for. If you could bear with me while I cover the specifications of my tank. And the population which I plan to place in it.

Firstly, the tank… a 125 gallon tank. 72" x 18" x 22"(L,W,H) It will have a glass top with two fluorescent strip lights. It will have an overflow, and a mega-flow sump filter. Also I will add a Cora-life Super Skimmer Needle Wheel Protein Skimmer and two power heads. Along with that I will also add more filtration with a Marine-land Emperor 280 Filter System. That will do for the hardware.

I will add 120-140 lbs of live sand from the south pacific. In addition I will have 120-140 lbs of live rock.

I will also opt for some live soft corals, polyps and mushrooms. Of these corals, they compose of 3 Assorted Mushroom Corals 3-5", 2 Assorted Leather Coral 3-5" and 3 Green Metallic Star Polyps 3-5". Also to be bought are combination of various soft, polyp, and mushroom corals. In addition to those I may decide to add some more mushroom corals. the reason for the vagueness in some of them is because they will be bought in a package deal so I won’t know exactly what I will get.

Now to the little critters:
6 Cerith snails
6 Nerite snails
1 Sand Sifting Starfish
1 Cleaner Shrimp
3 Blue Leg Hermits
3 Red Leg Hermits
My concern about the little critters is that they feed on detritus. I don’t know how I can keep them fed and still run a protein skimmer. Maybe get a smaller protein skimmer?

Moving on to the fish…
1 Yellow Tang
3 Green Chromis
1 Clownfish
Possibly: 1 Carpenter Flasher Wrasse and/or 1 Filemented Flasher Wrasse and/or 1 McCoser Wrasse.

Now some of my questions….
Would you change my fish arrangement? What wrasse would you get? Do you know how I could keep my crabs and such fed? Would my corals need better lighting? They are begginer coral and only really need photosynthetic food. But not sure what lighting I should have. You think my equipment set up is good? Is the 125 too small for everything I want? Is it too small to have a certain fish?

Anything you could help me with is greatly appreciated.

Thanks!
<3 Curious Aquarist
P.S. I want to be as well planned as possible. But I’d like to know what you think. Please avoid posting many links as your only answer.

if i want to keep coral, anemones, etc. what would i need to add to my saltwater tank?

i am going to buy a light hood with fluorescent light, a Whisper EX 45 gallon filter, a heater, protein skimmer, a power head, AquaSafe, aerator, instant ocean sea salt, hydrometer, a test kit, and live sand…what else do i need to keep coral and stuff

Items Needed For Tank:
Tank
Stand
Glass or Acrylic Hood
Canopy
Reflective Lighting Hood
Lights (combo of Metal Halide, Fluorescent, and Actinic)
Powerheads
Sump Tank
Protein Skimmer
Filter (Berlin style sump works best)
Live Rock
Live Sand
Synthetic Sea Salt Mixes
Heaters
Thermometers
Algae Scrapers
Background (you tape on the back of the tank)
Test Kits and Supplements:
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
pH
Calcium
Hardness
Alkalinity
Phosphates
Iodine

For Fish/Electricity
Foods
Nets
Buckets
Extension Cords
Power Strips
Ground Fault Interrupters

May need:
Reverse osmosis unit
Chiller
UV sterilizer
If there is anything else I need, please state it. It has Live Rock, Sand, Polyps, Anemones, fish, etc, no invertabrates atm.
Thanks Melissa, I really wouldn’t know how to set the timer on the tank tho, I"ll ask my uncle, he’s been using Saltwater tanks for awhile.

I know you need a filter, heater and fluorescent light but you need a protein skimmer.