salt water tank

my kids really want nemo and dori. is setting up a saltwater tank expensive. i already have the tank, i'm just still debating whether to put fresh or saltwater fish in it. :confused:

Hi there,
first thing you need to know is about the Dori fish.
This fish is the Pacific Blue Tang or Pacific Surgeonfish.
Its cute and little in the movie, but this fish actually grows
to be a foot in length (12 inches) or more, and needs a tank
minimum of 70-100 gallons.

Nemo is a true percula clownfish, which are peaceful, generally,
and grow to about 2 inches.
A 15 or 20 gallon tank would be suitable for a pair of these fish,
1 male 1 female, with perhaps a few invert friends.
Captive bred percula clowns usually average 20 dollars each.

So, assuming you have a tank a minimum of 15-20 gallons, here is
what else you will need to get:

Sea salt - averages 50 dollars a bucket.
Hydrometer - about 20 dollars
Filter and Protein Skimmer - from 100-350.00 depending on models
Lights - saltwater needs high light - about 150.00 per light.
Live rock - about 7 dollars per pound
Assorted other accessories - 100.00
Fish and other Livestock - 40 - 100 dollars.
So the average 20 gallon salt water tank will cost you in the nature
of about 500-600 dollars in introductory costs.
If you know a good local fish store, you may be able to lessen costs
by buying things in a package deal or all together, ask for discounts
when buying large numbers of items.

Also, saltwater tanks must be checked daily for salinity levels and
the tank MUST be fully cycled prior to adding any fish or critters.
Live rock by itself will cycle the tank over a period of about
3-6 months.

Heres some good websites for more advice:
www.petfish.net
www.fishprofiles.com
www.reefcentral.com
www.reefland.com

well my girls won't be getting Dori, my tank is only 30 gallons. thank you so much, this helped me out a lot. i've decided to go with the saltwater tank i just need to save a little bit more money before i get this project started. once again, thank you very much :)

I would love to have a salt water tank but they are a lot of work. Something my dad said many years ago to me stuck in my head. Don't try a salt water until you can master a fresh water.
Something that you could check out are the cichlids. There are some really nice looking ones that have the same colours.

Hi Dinky,
30 gallons is a very nice size to work with.
A pair of true percula clowns would of course be your
center peice fish.
Then you could add a few nice inverts (like a couple big shrimps,
maybe a couple hermit crabs etc)
A pair of royal gramma would be very very nice there as well,
and I believe they are compatible with the clowns.
here is a great site which lists many fish for "nano tanks" - basically
salt water tanks up to 30 gallons or so. It could help you decide
what fish you want, and with the prices posted on the fish (albeit in
Us dollars) you could determine how much in general your planned
livestock will be.

http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scateg.cfm?pCatId=2124

Don't try a salt water until you can master a fresh water.

all through highschool i took care of the two freshwater tanks we had in our house. they were a cinch...i'm ready :thumbs up

What species did you raise. If you choose to start a salt water make sure you do the research before hand. A mistake can be very expensive. I am sure you are aware but in having a salt water you need to keep the levels of salt stable. The cheap fish will cost aprox 20 a piece and the equipment can be just as costly.

What species did you raise.

honestly, i couldn't tell you (it was back in highschool). i just went to petsmart with my parents and picked the pretty fish :) i know it will be costly. i plan on learning more about the salt water levels before i start buying fish. i also want to save some more money before i start the salt water tank.

It may be a good idea to go to a fish only store that deals in salt water and speak with someone there that has knowledge of keeping salt water tanks.
Pick their brain.

alright, i'll do that. i know of a fish store, i think its called tropical fish haven. its about a 1 1/2 hour drive from my home; i think it only deals with saltwater fish. thats where i would have to go anyway if i wanted to buy fish locally, the store i mentioned earlier, petsmart, only sells freshwater fish

My goal is to one day have a SW tank.I have always wanted Seahorses.Maybe one day.....decades from now LOL.I'm also in love with Blennies for some strange reason I love to watch them.:crazy: