Newbie here, wishing to join the hobby

[Frederick Kwek Chiaw Khim]

Hello all !

I've recently been very curious about keeping a marine tank and stumbled upon this forum and have been reading many of the threads.

I'm still waiting for a 100% approval stamp from my dad as he needs to ask the feng shui master where is possible to put the tank....... So in the process I've begun researching and wish to share what I've learnt so far and hope to learn more from you peeps !

Interested in keeping a nano tank on the 2nd floor of my house which doesn't have much airflow unless I turn on the fan, which will be normal cause that's where my dogs hang about when I'm not home.

Made a first stop at Fresh N Marine, only to learn they actually sell equipment there only and was unable to provide me much info. Could only learn that probably prices there are not bad as I was quoted less than $100 for a dymax iq5 tank, with a skimmer costing about $27.

Another set up were separate items which amounted to somewhere about $140, for a slightly larger tank, air pump, filter etc.

Second stop was Sam's Pet & Aquarium.

Managed to learn more there. According to him he's bringing back the selling of marine stock.

I was told a small tank will not be good to keep coral as the nitrate level will easily shoot up and will be hard to maintain. However I see many people with small tanks and keeping wonderful corals. He recommended that I keep fish only with fake coral and all.

For a .. can't rmb if it was 1 or 2 foot tank.

JBJ Tank - $220 + all other stuff like sand, salt, skimmer, it amounted to $380++

Thinking back now, won't I need a skimmer if I'm keeping corals ? If it's fish only there isn't a need for one right ?

He told me to cycle for about a month or I can use water that he sells and cycle for only 1 week. That's about as much I can remember.

My final stop for the day was at AquaMarin

Saw a good deal for . apologies for my poor memory. A 1 foot tank with all the needed accessories for a good deal @ $200++ when originally it was close to $380.

Tank had everything I needed, basic light which I can probably upgrade to a better one. A skimmer was listed but canceled out, however I was told that it is included. And I would probably need a fan too.

Learnt more from there and saw for myself that a tank that size can keep coral and probably maybe 4-5 small size fishes ?

The person told me I only need to cycle for 1 week before introducing fish but from what I read from the forum is that I need to cycle for at least a month ? He too told me corals can be introduced immediately too.

What my plan is, is to have either 1 or 2 feet tank, best is the basics are part of it.

Basic starter corals that can be careful, hardy.

Introduce maybe a starfish, doctor shrimp, some snails. And then add in some clown fish and maybe some tiny tiny crabs.

Is it ideal ? All I have are experience with dogs and I've never handled marine life.

Looking forward to learn from experienced reefers, hope you can share links to articles I may have missed and advises for a newbie.

Recommendations on which shops to check out for better prices and etc.

Sorry for the long post ! Will continue to update on what I've learned and hopefully soon post pics of what I get.

Cheers !

[Frederick Kwek Chiaw Khim]

Oh yeah, I too learnt that, sea urchins, sea cucumbers would be too big for a small tank.. Seahorses would be hard to keep and so are those little puffer fish..wouldn't want the whole tank to die if it goes.. Would a normal octopus be too big as well ?

[tofubox]

Hi andromean, First of all, welcome to SRC. Before u consider getting a marine tank, do check out the main page of this website on FAQ on how to setup a marine tank as well as many other helpful guides like cycling, keeping your aquarium cool, importance of live rock, etc etc.

http://www.sgreefclub.com/forum/page/index.html/_/marine-aquarium-setting-up-resources/faq-for-setting-up-a-new-marine-tank-r41

For any beginner, you need to be patient with this hobby. Cycling may take a long while, but its certainly worth it. U should be safe to keep a paired clownfish, some crab, snails, starfish and maybe a few other nano fishes in a 2ft tank. Start off with some hardy corals, mostly soft corals, like mushrooms.

Before u commit into buying anything, do take a walk around pasir ris farm, lim chu kang farm and other specialised marine shops like our sponsors on the forum to check on the pricing. Different shops can differ largely in pricing especially if your new and not familiar with the equipment needed. Skimmer is important, but its not absolutely necessary if u are willing to change water frequently as the primary means of nutrient export.

I would not recommend keeping any sea cucumbers, puffers, seahorses or octopus for a new hobbies, you can consider these at a later stage when u gain more knowledge about this hobby. U might be fine keep a small sea urchin at the start.

[yq33]

I think you could check out redsea 130D they same like a worthy buy. It provides you with all the equipment. I know the bigger one was selling at 280+? At jireh marine

[domvonn]

TS , u may want to consider to go for a 3 ft tank . U can keep a little more colorful fishes . A smaller tank is more challenging for a start

[woyeng**]

Ya.... Go straight for a bigger tank and save future headaches when u wish to upgrade

[joby553]

Ya.... Go straight for a bigger tank and save future headaches when u wish to upgrade

I can vouch for this

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[A. Quarium]

Why don't you ask Henry at Marine Life Aquarium? He can give you some good advice. As for the octopus thing, keeping octopuses in anything smaller than a 40 gallon (dwarf species) without a powerful protein skimmer rated for three times the tank size is a big no. If you really want an octopus, check out http://www.tonmo.com/community/

[solasido]

One thing important that is often forgotten, carefully plan for electricity safety as well as water overflow from sump. Simulate power trip to ensure that it is all well planned, bro.

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[pcw]

You could drop me a PM if you're interested in DIY-ing your overflow in the event that you're interested in a sump. I can pass you the plan I'm currently using for my overflow. PVC pipes btw.