I have been going through so much stress trying to do research on setting up a successful tank in the middle of a heavy work life. But this video is spot on and on the point with everything. I know exactly what I need to order now and what I need to do, thank you. And ignore the weirdos bro, your fish look healthy and their thriving, so you're obviously doing it right.
+Allan Nicholo Villanueva Thanks. Of course there are some amazing tanks with more equipment then NASA but just wanted to show you can also have a nice saltwater tank with not much at all. Also, the less equipment you have the less equipment you have that can fail on you.
I used to have a reef tank some years ago. A friend of mine went all out and had a nice setup...but I did the research before I jumped in. His tank was what motivated me. My friend had a very large tank and a wet sump setup with a protein skimmer. I bought a 55 and only had two Fluval canister filters with Chemi Pure. I did spend a good amount of money on my lighting however. I only had four small fish in the tank, and cured my live rock before introducing them. Yes...I put the time in. Water changes and all that. My friend could not believe how beautiful my tank was. I had a few corals, nothing crazy, but I had a goniorpora that was amazing. It actually reproduced and I gave my friend that piece. He was happy to get it, but crazy over the fact that my tank was better than his....LOL. My clown fish used to live in the anemone I had as well. This didn't happen overnight, but almost a year into it...things were looking great. I told him he was spinning his wheels with all the chemicals, not maintaining his filters, lighting, etc. His pride got the best of him. Once he went on vacation and asked me to watch his fish. I did so, but could not stand seeing his tank the way it was when I could do something about it. So I spent an entire day, and rolled the dice. I broke his tank down, and scrubbed all of the algae (bad algae and diatoms) out. Scrubbed most of his rock, and rinsed it all well. I did this because the goniorpora I gave him was not doing too well. My tank was a bare bottom tank until the pink corriline algae started to grow. I tossed 75 percent of the sand substrate he had. I left it in two buckets just in case he wanted to put it back in. The tank looked awesome when I finished. I was a little nervous when he got back, but he was elated. He basically began listening to my suggestions, and his tank continued to look better and better. I plan on getting back into the hobby soon, but my wife and I have a Yellow Bellied Slider turtle, and believe me....a reef tank requires much less attention than a turtle tank....LOL. It also helps to educate yourself on the hobby. There are rules, but each of us have our different way of doing things. Bottom line is do what works for you, but the basics never change. Balance...Balance...Balance. Proper filtration, maintain the water quality, plenty of live rock, not too many fish, and proper lighting. It really worked for me. If I had kept up with this hobby, there is no telling what my tank would have become.
🙂 Thanks. If your thinking about starting a tank just make sure to research water and cycling a tank correctly. This video didn't touch on the finer details like that but was more of high level overview.
Good video. Some fish shops seem to want to put you off starting a saltwater aquarium, and talk like you need a masters degree in rocket science to run one. This is what helps to cause the intimidation of saltwater aquariums. However, your video shows a simple setup and clearly explained. Keep up the good work!
Thanks! A lot of people don't realize how simple it can be. Of course keeping it simple will limit you in some ways. If you want a tank fully stocked with corals you will want to look into a more complicated setup, more equipment and maybe dosing your tank but if you want all that this video isn't really for you. If you want a simple mantained tank with fish and some corals that won't cost an arm and a leg, I tried to show how easy it can be. If you do start a tank, just look into how to cycle your tank. Takes a few weeks before you can put fish in. Also, use RO/DI water or distilled. Get a test kit and a refractometer to test your salt. And if you are going to put your money into anything, put it into a good skimmer. Good luck!
+Capturing Nature Productions Thanks, glad you found out helpful. Of course you can build a setup much more complicated then this but I wanted to show the simplest way to have a setup. Also, make sure to not use tap water. RO/DI water or distilled will work as well but RO/DI with maintained filters are you best option.
This video helped a lot. Now I have a Saltwater Tank but at first I thought it would be difficult to have but it's really not as long as you do your research and don't rush the process.
Nice simple setup. I used to have hang on equipment like that and I finally bit the bullet to upgrade to a sump. I will say if you’re here to stay in the hobby for a long time a sump is the way to go. You will be amazed at the result, control, and flexibility with it. I used to have a canister filter and it was just a nitrate factory. This guy has it right with that, they do hardly anything.and if you use them just be sure to remove the sponge material from them otherwise you’ll be cleaning them every other day just to lower your nitrite and ammonia levels. I highly reccomend not going cheap on a protein skimmer though if anything. They can be real life savers when your tank gets a bit unstable. I reccomend if you are going sumpless to get something like the aqua c remora. I had that and it worked just fine with no sump removing waste. Of course we all have to start somewhere, and I started smaller too with hang on equipment and really not into corals. You can certainly get away with this setup if you do it right and STAY ON TOP OF IT. But if you stick to the hobby one day you’ll say I want all that luxury of having to service my tank less lol.
Good stuff. Yeah, a canister filter can be a nightmare. I actually upgraded my 55 to a 75 over a year ago and added a nice HOB skimmer. I don't really do much maintenance on the tank at all expect for cleaning the glass and water changes about once a month, although I usually end up going longer then that.
😁 Good luck! Just be patient and take it slow. A lot of people fail in the beginning because they want to do to much, to fast. Also, one thing I really recommend putting money towards a good skimmer if you can. If you can't at the beginning, definitely something to think about in the future.
This is amazing. After seeing this was blown away. Why did I️ ever go with freshwater well it helped me understand what it takes to be a fish keeper but after seeing this video I️ went straight to my fish store and I’m starting a saltwater setup. Awesome video man
+Baseballreviews 24 Thanks. I think most people start out with freshwater because they (including myself) are pretty intimidated by saltwater and think it's impossible to do. You probably have the knowledge already, but just make sure you know about cycling your new tank correctly. Also, using RO/DI water or distilled instead of tap and the biggest mistake people make at the beginning is going to fast. After your tank cycles, add 1 fish every few weeks to give your tank time to continue to stabilize. Also, if you have the money, spend it on a good protein skimmer. Good luck!
SIR THANK YOU SO MUCH... I was scared to start a Saltwater/Reef aquarium because I was looking at the prices which went to up to 600 bucks for a 20 gallon!!! I have a Planted tank in which I spent about 200 so yeah I am cheap. I will soon start a reef tank thanks to you... Will buy the protein skimmer just to be safe :)
+Daniel Barrios Romero Awesome, good luck! I just upgraded my tank to a 75g. Pet Smart had a great deal on a tank and stand. Paid around $315 after tax! I recently posted a pic on our Instagram page of it. Our IG name is funwiththebugs I did upgrade my skimmer with the new tank to a Reef Octupus HB-1000 which is an awesome HOB skimmer if you have the money for it. Runs around $200.
+Life's Adventures Thanks, small tanks are okay for freshwater, not for salt and another reason for that, a lot of salt water fish require larger tanks so you are very limited in what you can put in small tanks.
You have a beautiful fish tank! I think I have commented about it before - I am glad that you made a how to video about it! It's great! Keep doing what you're doing - mix it up! You have such a fun channel! The fish are beautiful! That shrimp is awesome!
What I've learned about this whole process that your channel will evolve--that's what playlists are for! Haha! People may want to see you play cars with your son, husband and wife ranking on each other, toots being cute, or a how to video about your fish!! You had a lot of good tips!
Great video. Two weeks ago i saw a video about a saltwater reef tank... And now im very excited to start my own tank. Im watching a lot of videos to upgrade my "reef knoledge". In februari 2019 im gonna start bying things. Till then research. Subbed. 👍
I highly suggest Craigslist and to check often. You will be surprised what amazing deals from other reefers you will find. I spent two months checking Craigslist and one day I found a 90 gallon tank with overflow and a stand for $200. This also included a protein skimmer, standard lighting (not for corals), wavemakers, return pump and a 20 gallon sump already setup with baffles. This was a crazy deal as everything new could of costed about $1000! The tank has now been running for about 6-7 months. Of course I have spent more such as on lighting and extra equipment for better filteration. Same thing for live rock, I bought in sets building up towards for 90 pounds over that time buying from a local reefer who sells them for $4 per pound.
I loved this! My ex got me into salt water tanks. I still love them. I've never had one but they are so awesome. all I have are guppys now. keep up the awesome videos!!!
Awesome video I'm trying to do a salt water tank soon and thought I needed a bunch of filters so the tank will cycle with just a protein skimmer and live rock wait about a month and add fish and some corel?
Thanks. The protein skimmer doesn't have anything to do with the cycle and shouldn't be used during that time. Your bacteria will build on your rock during the cycle process. Make sure you research how to cycle a tank. Also water, you don't want to use tap. Once you correctly cycle your tank you are going to want and add fish slowly, very slowly. Like 1 and then wait. Also for coral, don't start with anything that requires very strict parameters as your tank can be all over the place in the beginning. As for filters you can always add things to help with algea buildup, nitrates, etc but for your fishes survival your live rock is what they need plus weekly water change making sure to remove waste. A good skimmer will remove some waste too. Good luck!
+Deo Laoang Your half way there! Just take it slow and you will be fine. Make sure to do some research on water and cycling a saltwater tank. Then just make sure you add fish slowly when your tank is ready.
This video was so interesting I use to have a fish tank growing up but I didn't have to deal with it of course so I don't remember what my brother use to do to clean it but yeah that's a really nice fish tank and some great information to know for the future if we ever want our own thanks for the information
Marine tanks are simple to keep once you've had a bit of experience and yours is OK. But it's the same old dichotomy of time versus money - lots of cash allows for an automated tank with minimal maintenance. To do a marine tank cheaply you need to be dedicated and spend at least 3 hours a week on maintaining it. Another point is the ongoing expenses. Regular water changes are vital if you dont have high filtration like a sump or canister filter. To keep your livestock thriving a 20% water change once a week is recommended. If you have tapwater that is highly chemicalised you'll need a RDI filter to have chemical free water for your salt mix. Salt mix isn't cheap if you want a very good quality one that will keep corals alive. If you live in a place where summers are very hot you'll need a chiller to keep the water at a constant temperature. Test kits are vital to make sure your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, alkalinity and phosphates are manageable. If you have corals there are chemicals to dose the water to keep them alive. There is a lot of electrical equipment to run too so expect higher energy bills. I think you should have given the total costs of your set up (I figure about $450 - $600 + live rock and livestock) plus the monthly expenses of saltwater, electricity and sundries. Because a person with a limited income and time may get overwhelmed financially and with the responsibility of a reef tank.
Thanks for the comment. Being a simple, inexpensive tank means don't go crazy with corals. The more corals, the more maintenance you really will need. Right now I upgraded my tank top a 75g. Wasn't really interested in adding now corals as my goal was to keep things easy and maintenance free. I added a HOB skimmer and right now do 1 water change a month or so of about 20-25 gallons of water. The cost per month for that is $25. Distilled water is pretty cheap and I use it for top offs. I don't spend much time at all on it anymore. It pretty much maintains itself. In the beginning, water changes were weekly and I was crazy about everything. Now, I no longer test anything anymore. If you understand the basics and want to keep things simple, it can easily work. I have seen tanks with millions of gadgets crash. The more you spend doesn't necessarily mean you are any safer. As a matter of fact, the more equipment you rely on, the more chances you have for something to fail.
@@FunWithTheBugs Yeah the big problem I've seen is over stocking when people get all excited after 6 months and then add too many fish or a couple of hard to keep coral. I know what you mean about the reefer techheads too! One electrical glitch and you can crash a tank via multitude of accessory fails. My most successful tank was a 60 gallon using the Eco technique - Best possible lighting Best possible sea salt Best possible water movement Change 70% water weekly No filter, protein skimmer etc etc. I only had 3 fish (small ones) but I had over 22 types of coral both SPS and LPS and even a few non photosynthetic organisms. Basically it works on the premise that the massive water changes keep the coral dosed with essential elements and removal of excess phosphate + nitrate. It worked TOO well. My corals grew very quickly and some overwhelmed others by over shadowing and stinging. I dialed back the water changes to 40% and then to 3 × 10% weekly. By putting in a timer and water reservoir I had it automated. Occasionally I would siphon the bottom or put in a cheap protein skimmer for a few hours a week. The fish needed minimal feeding because I had huge numbers of plankton ( they weren't being filtered out). I guess I spent about an hour a month maintenance. It was a great aquarium but it crashed when we had a week of extremely hot weather and i was away.
Sorry to hear that it crashed. You hit it on the head though, especially at the beginning - water changes and siphoning! Nothing filters better than us! And patience!!! Lots of it. Waiting a couple of weeks or a month between purchasing new fish can save you a lot of trouble!
That's really easy to understand, thanks. I just have some questions, when open a new tank at the beginning, do we need the light on? and how about the skimmer, when start running the skimmer?
Alan Quan Do not run the skimmer when cycling your tank. You want ammonia levels to rise and nothing to slow it down. Once your tank is fully cycled you can add a fish and turn your skimmer on. Don't cycle with a live fish. Use a piece of fresh shrimp or if you want to research pure ammonia to cycle a tank that is another way as well. No need for a light at this time.
Alan Quan No, look up a video on how to cycle a reef tank. You are basically going to add a piece of fresh shrimp in your tank and let it rot which is going to add levels of ammonia to your tank. Your tank will then develop nintrites, and then the less harmful nitrates. When ammonia rises and disappears, then nitrites rise and disappears and you are only left with nitrites is when your tank is ready. It can take a a few weeks to a month for this to happen depending on if you are using dry rock or good live rock. There are some cycling chemicals to speed up the process but never used them so can't vouch for them. Also, make sure you get a test kit that measures for these 3 things so you know that each step has taken place.
If you don't want to go with the shrimp you can also pick up a small bottle of Aqua Vitro Seed for around $5. I know things will purify, I just think it's better than sticking a piece of shrimp in the tank and letting it rot.
Awesome tank, but another thing i wanted to mention is you can find stuff cheap on craigslist or local fish forums. You can find a used biocube 30 gallon for like $150 bucks that includes lighting and filtration.
simply the best explanation i will say... wow thank you so much... it was pleasure to view ur video. good job. keep it up.... 😊😊😊😊😊lots of wishes from another reefer.
could you post some links to the items needed for your tank build? im really trying to build this on a budget identicle to yours looks awesome, great video best one ive seen you broke it down step by step in a very encouraging way. Thank you
Thanks, below are some of the items I use. Not by my tank right now so can't remember the exact heater I have in there but here are some of the other items: Top Off: www.amazon.com/Tunze-USA-3152-000-Automatic-Osmolator/dp/B00AR1A7ZU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1499736486&sr=8-3&keywords=tunze+top+off This a cheap protein skimmer but if you are going to splurge on anything, do it on a better skimmer: www.amazon.com/Protein-Skimmer-Counter-Current-Medium/dp/B0002APZ8U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499736635&sr=8-1&keywords=lee%27s+protein+skimmer There are a bunch of different Wavemakers you can buy but I use this one: www.amazon.com/dp/B00XRDWKNC/ref=twister_B00RIO4ET4?_encoding=UTF8&th=1 Hang on filter. I will sometimes run it and sometimes take it off. www.amazon.com/AquaClear-70-Power-Filter-Listed/dp/B000260FUW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1499736938&sr=1-1&keywords=aquaclear+70 Things I run in it: www.amazon.com/Poly-Bio-Marine-APMPF-9-0200-POLYBIO-POLY-FILTER/dp/B00025664C/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1499737026&sr=1-2&keywords=poly+filter www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00029PO6O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 To test salinity: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ES6MOQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 To Clean: www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011DDJZ9Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1 www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006JM0K8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1 Test kit: www.amazon.com/API-Freshwater-Stabilizer-7-05-Ounce-Container/dp/B001EUE808/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1499737279&sr=1-1&keywords=saltwater+test+kit Not the lights I have but an example of what you can get for a 55g tank if you want corals. Of course you can spend more and there might some for less that are similar. If you are going to do fish only, any light will do it. www.ebay.com/itm/2PCS-Dimmable-165W-LED-Aquarium-Light-lamp-Full-Spectrum-fish-tank-Reef-Coral-/381105651046?epid=1439710696&hash=item58bbaabd66:g:BT0AAOSwjL5ZMNKW
very nice video for sure, just one question, if you didn't have the skimmer or hanging filter what would you have used to keep tank clean??? and how many times do you test the water a month??
+MARIA TAVAREZ The best thing to clean your tank is you. So if I didn't have a skimmer or other things I would just do water changes more often, like weekly and siphon all the junk out blow out the rocks. I don't test my water anymore. The tank pretty much is in auto mode and if my fish and corals are looking good then I don't worry about it. When I setup the tank I was testing a few times a week.
I got my 55 gallon tank at petsmart around 4th of July for $99. Came with heater, tank, hood(some fish jump), net, & hob filter. Hope that helps some. I'm just learning about saltwater tanks so I can't help with much.
+Jamesax Depends on what you want to add in it. You do not need it on for the cycle but you can always add some carbon, phosguard, Matrix or something like that. Just make sure to keep it clean and not let waste build up in it because then you have a high flow water area always passing by waste.
+Delkim Dan Those are very popular and will support corals with no problem. I have posted a couple of picks of the 75g on our Instagram page. Good luck with your tank!
So awesome. You have a beautiful tank. Love how simple your setup is. You probably have seen our aquarium build with the two side by side 55 gallon tanks. As newbies i think we ended up getting a lot more than we actually need ha. Your wave maker is awesome gonna so some research on that one. We have 2 hydro 1150's and found that our anemones got sucked up in them I think it was to much flow to be honest. Thanks so much for sharing love it. Great info.
+Bubbas Garage Vlogs Totally recommend these wavemakers. They are other brands they charge about $300 for these features. These are a great value. I like to keep things simple. It also means the less things that can fail on you. There is definitely lots of cool stuff you can buy though.
Fun With The Bugs I'm taking your recommendation brim I have over 200 in flow pumps and over 500 in a pair of skimmers I like the simple approach :) my flow pump just murdered my cleaner shrimp this morning ugh.
+Delkim Dan I actually upgraded my tank to a 75g and got the Current Orbit Marine LED for it. It's not the strongest LED in the bunch but it will handle less demanding corals which I am okay with. On my 55g tank I was using a programmable 3W (per bulb) led that I picked up from eBay a few years back.
sir your tank is truly amazing! I absolutely love it! just a couple of questions though. why the need for a heater? do the fishes thrive better at a particular range of temperature? please advise!
+Kelvin Lim Thank you. Yes, a saltwater aquarium should be kept somewhere between 77 and 79 degrees F. These are tropical fish that come from warm climates. If you live somewhere really, really hot a cooler might be needed to keep the temps from getting to warm.
+blank3d Thank you. I use a programmable LED light that can be programmed to change every 30 minutes but that's not really necessary. You can buy two of the 165 watt LEDs they have on eBay for less then $200. Just make sure they say for Reefs so it's the correct spectrum.
thank god someone who has actually made it clear and simple, thank you
I have been going through so much stress trying to do research on setting up a successful tank in the middle of a heavy work life. But this video is spot on and on the point with everything. I know exactly what I need to order now and what I need to do, thank you. And ignore the weirdos bro, your fish look healthy and their thriving, so you're obviously doing it right.
Thank you
very practical way of keeping saltwater fish. like it! unlike other hobbiest who do things in a very complicated way haha
+Allan Nicholo Villanueva Thanks. Of course there are some amazing tanks with more equipment then NASA but just wanted to show you can also have a nice saltwater tank with not much at all. Also, the less equipment you have the less equipment you have that can fail on you.
I used to have a reef tank some years ago. A friend of mine went all out and had a nice setup...but I did the research before I jumped in. His tank was what motivated me. My friend had a very large tank and a wet sump setup with a protein skimmer. I bought a 55 and only had two Fluval canister filters with Chemi Pure. I did spend a good amount of money on my lighting however. I only had four small fish in the tank, and cured my live rock before introducing them. Yes...I put the time in. Water changes and all that. My friend could not believe how beautiful my tank was. I had a few corals, nothing crazy, but I had a goniorpora that was amazing. It actually reproduced and I gave my friend that piece. He was happy to get it, but crazy over the fact that my tank was better than his....LOL. My clown fish used to live in the anemone I had as well.
This didn't happen overnight, but almost a year into it...things were looking great.
I told him he was spinning his wheels with all the chemicals, not maintaining his filters, lighting, etc. His pride got the best of him. Once he went on vacation and asked me to watch his fish. I did so, but could not stand seeing his tank the way it was when I could do something about it. So I spent an entire day, and rolled the dice. I broke his tank down, and scrubbed all of the algae
(bad algae and diatoms) out. Scrubbed most of his rock, and rinsed it all well. I did this because the goniorpora I gave him was not doing too well.
My tank was a bare bottom tank until the pink corriline algae started to grow. I tossed 75 percent of the sand substrate he had. I left it in two buckets just in case he wanted to put it back in.
The tank looked awesome when I finished. I was a little nervous when he got back, but he was elated. He basically began listening to my suggestions, and his tank continued to look better and better.
I plan on getting back into the hobby soon, but my wife and I have a Yellow Bellied Slider turtle, and believe me....a reef tank requires much less attention than a turtle tank....LOL.
It also helps to educate yourself on the hobby.
There are rules, but each of us have our different way of doing things. Bottom line is do what works for you, but the basics never change. Balance...Balance...Balance. Proper filtration, maintain the water quality, plenty of live rock, not too many fish, and proper lighting. It really worked for me. If I had kept up with this hobby, there is no telling what my tank would have become.
He is the most helpful person on TH-cam thanks for the information
🙂 Thanks. If your thinking about starting a tank just make sure to research water and cycling a tank correctly. This video didn't touch on the finer details like that but was more of high level overview.
Thanks for telling me I’m about to start my first saltwater tank
Good video. Some fish shops seem to want to put you off starting a saltwater aquarium, and talk like you need a masters degree in rocket science to run one. This is what helps to cause the intimidation of saltwater aquariums. However, your video shows a simple setup and clearly explained.
Keep up the good work!
Thanks! A lot of people don't realize how simple it can be. Of course keeping it simple will limit you in some ways. If you want a tank fully stocked with corals you will want to look into a more complicated setup, more equipment and maybe dosing your tank but if you want all that this video isn't really for you.
If you want a simple mantained tank with fish and some corals that won't cost an arm and a leg, I tried to show how easy it can be.
If you do start a tank, just look into how to cycle your tank. Takes a few weeks before you can put fish in. Also, use RO/DI water or distilled. Get a test kit and a refractometer to test your salt.
And if you are going to put your money into anything, put it into a good skimmer.
Good luck!
thank you for telling me everything I am new to saltwater but experienced with fresh water
+Capturing Nature Productions Thanks, glad you found out helpful. Of course you can build a setup much more complicated then this but I wanted to show the simplest way to have a setup. Also, make sure to not use tap water. RO/DI water or distilled will work as well but RO/DI with maintained filters are you best option.
Cheers for help
This video helped a lot. Now I have a Saltwater Tank but at first I thought it would be difficult to have but it's really not as long as you do your research and don't rush the process.
Nice simple setup. I used to have hang on equipment like that and I finally bit the bullet to upgrade to a sump. I will say if you’re here to stay in the hobby for a long time a sump is the way to go. You will be amazed at the result, control, and flexibility with it. I used to have a canister filter and it was just a nitrate factory. This guy has it right with that, they do hardly anything.and if you use them just be sure to remove the sponge material from them otherwise you’ll be cleaning them every other day just to lower your nitrite and ammonia levels. I highly reccomend not going cheap on a protein skimmer though if anything. They can be real life savers when your tank gets a bit unstable. I reccomend if you are going sumpless to get something like the aqua c remora. I had that and it worked just fine with no sump removing waste. Of course we all have to start somewhere, and I started smaller too with hang on equipment and really not into corals. You can certainly get away with this setup if you do it right and STAY ON TOP OF IT. But if you stick to the hobby one day you’ll say I want all that luxury of having to service my tank less lol.
Good stuff. Yeah, a canister filter can be a nightmare. I actually upgraded my 55 to a 75 over a year ago and added a nice HOB skimmer. I don't really do much maintenance on the tank at all expect for cleaning the glass and water changes about once a month, although I usually end up going longer then that.
Finally someone who will let us know the basics. 👍
Very nice your decoration rocks reef tank
+awalludin ismail Thank you.
Thanks to you I have now set up a 55 gallon fowlr with basic equipment!
Awesome!
I dont see any problem the way you do your thing. seems to be working out nicely. I would do things a little different but what works works. Good job.
+Wousley Thanks, appreciate that. I always say there are so many different ways you can setup a reef tank and each way can work just fine.
Fun With The Bugs and thats the way it is🖒
You just talked me into doing it! Thanks.
😁 Good luck! Just be patient and take it slow. A lot of people fail in the beginning because they want to do to much, to fast.
Also, one thing I really recommend putting money towards a good skimmer if you can. If you can't at the beginning, definitely something to think about in the future.
The opposite of what some people will tell you. others will say you need every gadget there is, great video the tank looks great.
Thanks, appreciate it.
This is amazing. After seeing this was blown away. Why did I️ ever go with freshwater well it helped me understand what it takes to be a fish keeper but after seeing this video I️ went straight to my fish store and I’m starting a saltwater setup. Awesome video man
+Baseballreviews 24 Thanks. I think most people start out with freshwater because they (including myself) are pretty intimidated by saltwater and think it's impossible to do.
You probably have the knowledge already, but just make sure you know about cycling your new tank correctly. Also, using RO/DI water or distilled instead of tap and the biggest mistake people make at the beginning is going to fast. After your tank cycles, add 1 fish every few weeks to give your tank time to continue to stabilize.
Also, if you have the money, spend it on a good protein skimmer.
Good luck!
Is there any way you could make a list of the equipment used in the tank?
SIR THANK YOU SO MUCH... I was scared to start a Saltwater/Reef aquarium because I was looking at the prices which went to up to 600 bucks for a 20 gallon!!! I have a Planted tank in which I spent about 200 so yeah I am cheap. I will soon start a reef tank thanks to you... Will buy the protein skimmer just to be safe :)
+Daniel Barrios Romero Awesome, good luck! I just upgraded my tank to a 75g. Pet Smart had a great deal on a tank and stand. Paid around $315 after tax! I recently posted a pic on our Instagram page of it. Our IG name is funwiththebugs
I did upgrade my skimmer with the new tank to a Reef Octupus HB-1000 which is an awesome HOB skimmer if you have the money for it. Runs around $200.
Awesome video love it hope you and your tank are well
Good to know about the small tanks... that explains - in part - why we were not successful with our small tank. Great video!
+Life's Adventures Thanks, small tanks are okay for freshwater, not for salt and another reason for that, a lot of salt water fish require larger tanks so you are very limited in what you can put in small tanks.
most informative video on how to setup a saltwater tank unlike the other ones that do nothing but blabbering
+knottykid Thank you!
This is so beautiful reef tank! Awesome video my friend. Big like from us! Have a fantastic weekend :-)
Thank you.
Very cool fish tank!
+Annalisa's Awesome Adventures!!! Thank you.
Good advice and information. Awesome tank. Thumbs up!
Thanks a lot guys!
Very inspiring to an aspiring aquarium starter!
+MyNameIsBob3389 Thank you.
Great video. Thanks for the info 👏🏻
You have a beautiful fish tank! I think I have commented about it before - I am glad that you made a how to video about it! It's great! Keep doing what you're doing - mix it up! You have such a fun channel! The fish are beautiful! That shrimp is awesome!
Thank you so much! This video was so out of left field. LOL
What I've learned about this whole process that your channel will evolve--that's what playlists are for! Haha! People may want to see you play cars with your son, husband and wife ranking on each other, toots being cute, or a how to video about your fish!! You had a lot of good tips!
very beautiful aquarium !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+Hi Toys Thank you
The best aquarium I have ever seen!1
+My life channel Thank you.
That’s a damn lie.. the best ever!? Have you been to public aquariums!? 😂
Thank you for the video. I'm thinking about staying my own tank
+fondoo No problem, good luck.
Nice work!! I've always wanted a salt water aquarium, your video has inspired me to try it.
Thanks
+Ren Johnson Thank you.
Thanks for sharing mate 👍🐠
This was actually one of if not the best salt setup reference. Well done
Thanks, appreciate that!
@@FunWithTheBugs I'm in the process of salt, 2 aquaclear 70 bare bottom three foot tank
Nice tank. Our kids have always wanted one but we just don't have the room! Plus our little one might try to touch the fish!! Thanks for sharing!
+THE FUN CHANNEL Thanks for watching!
Nice vid... Simple and easy..
this is a great video I was wondering how to set up my 55 gallon take that really helped
+Mike Paulson Thank you
Amazing video, great work my friend !!!!
+ABCKinder Than you
such a motivation i got from you thanks alot sir
I'm definitely one of those that are intimidated by the big tanks 😳 I would love to get one though.
You can make such cute bows for the fishes! Imagine Nemo with a bow on his head!
Fun With The Bugs Haha !
Very cool! It is really nice looking!
+Color Smiles Thank you
Great video!
+Kaitlyn and Leah Thank you
Great video. Two weeks ago i saw a video about a saltwater reef tank... And now im very excited to start my own tank. Im watching a lot of videos to upgrade my "reef knoledge". In februari 2019 im gonna start bying things. Till then research. Subbed. 👍
Thanks and good luck!
I highly suggest Craigslist and to check often. You will be surprised what amazing deals from other reefers you will find. I spent two months checking Craigslist and one day I found a 90 gallon tank with overflow and a stand for $200. This also included a protein skimmer, standard lighting (not for corals), wavemakers, return pump and a 20 gallon sump already setup with baffles. This was a crazy deal as everything new could of costed about $1000! The tank has now been running for about 6-7 months. Of course I have spent more such as on lighting and extra equipment for better filteration. Same thing for live rock, I bought in sets building up towards for 90 pounds over that time buying from a local reefer who sells them for $4 per pound.
Great info. Definitely good deals to be had on Craigslist.
Excellent video!!
Great tank! Awesome video
Thanks
Nice video my Friend!!! Thumb up!! Nemo is so cute
Very good video! Loved it!! 🎅
So Rad looking ! Like from Nixon and Toys !
+Nixon and Toys Thanks
Thank you for an awesome video
👍
Love your fish tank!
Thanks
I loved this! My ex got me into salt water tanks. I still love them. I've never had one but they are so awesome. all I have are guppys now. keep up the awesome videos!!!
Thanks so much. Guppies are fish too! LOL
+Fun With The Bugs Guppy lives matter lol
Smashing Trash Yes, my clown fish agrees.
Thank you for this video! I appreciate it a lot and it has helped me. Have a great week!
Nicky Bee Awesome! Glad to hear it.
cool fish tank and good explanation on how to build one.
Thanks.
very nice fish tank!
Thanks
Awesome video I'm trying to do a salt water tank soon and thought I needed a bunch of filters so the tank will cycle with just a protein skimmer and live rock wait about a month and add fish and some corel?
Thanks. The protein skimmer doesn't have anything to do with the cycle and shouldn't be used during that time. Your bacteria will build on your rock during the cycle process. Make sure you research how to cycle a tank. Also water, you don't want to use tap.
Once you correctly cycle your tank you are going to want and add fish slowly, very slowly. Like 1 and then wait. Also for coral, don't start with anything that requires very strict parameters as your tank can be all over the place in the beginning.
As for filters you can always add things to help with algea buildup, nitrates, etc but for your fishes survival your live rock is what they need plus weekly water change making sure to remove waste. A good skimmer will remove some waste too. Good luck!
I am very keen in starting a salt water tank. I've been keeping freshwater for a while now. I just need to make that frist step!
+Deo Laoang Your half way there! Just take it slow and you will be fine. Make sure to do some research on water and cycling a saltwater tank. Then just make sure you add fish slowly when your tank is ready.
I love your video
Very nice tank i own no fish currently still just watching videos and reading, will probably start with freshwater. Maybe later on. Good job.
+Nine fingers Thanks, good luck with whichever way you choose to start out!
Really like ur tank man. Thinkin bout going salt myself.
+emori wright Thank you!
It looks amazing! :-D thanks for the tips 💖💖💖
Thanks!
Beautiful video :)
+Happy Kids FunTV Thanks
beautiful aquarium . very well presented. thanks for sharing it
Great sharing!
nice job and subbed your channel.
+Scott021467 Thank you very much.
It looks so nice.
+Charlie the Cat Thank you.
Great Video
Very nice, super awesome!
We subscribe!
Thanks
This video was so interesting I use to have a fish tank growing up but I didn't have to deal with it of course so I don't remember what my brother use to do to clean it but yeah that's a really nice fish tank and some great information to know for the future if we ever want our own thanks for the information
Thank so much for watching and your comments! Really appreciate it.
That's a really awesome tank. It looks very beautiful.
Thank you!
Corals are beautiful
Thanks, very helpful!
Great video! :) This is so cool!
Thank you so much
Marine tanks are simple to keep once you've had a bit of experience and yours is OK.
But it's the same old dichotomy of time versus money - lots of cash allows for an automated tank with minimal maintenance. To do a marine tank cheaply you need to be dedicated and spend at least 3 hours a week on maintaining it.
Another point is the ongoing expenses.
Regular water changes are vital if you dont have high filtration like a sump or canister filter. To keep your livestock thriving a 20% water change once a week is recommended.
If you have tapwater that is highly chemicalised you'll need a RDI filter to have chemical free water for your salt mix.
Salt mix isn't cheap if you want a very good quality one that will keep corals alive.
If you live in a place where summers are very hot you'll need a chiller to keep the water at a constant temperature.
Test kits are vital to make sure your ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, alkalinity and phosphates are manageable. If you have corals there are chemicals to dose the water to keep them alive. There is a lot of electrical equipment to run too so expect higher energy bills.
I think you should have given the total costs of your set up (I figure about $450 - $600 + live rock and livestock) plus the monthly expenses of saltwater, electricity and sundries. Because a person with a limited income and time may get overwhelmed financially and with the responsibility of a reef tank.
Thanks for the comment. Being a simple, inexpensive tank means don't go crazy with corals. The more corals, the more maintenance you really will need.
Right now I upgraded my tank top a 75g. Wasn't really interested in adding now corals as my goal was to keep things easy and maintenance free. I added a HOB skimmer and right now do 1 water change a month or so of about 20-25 gallons of water. The cost per month for that is $25. Distilled water is pretty cheap and I use it for top offs. I don't spend much time at all on it anymore. It pretty much maintains itself.
In the beginning, water changes were weekly and I was crazy about everything. Now, I no longer test anything anymore. If you understand the basics and want to keep things simple, it can easily work.
I have seen tanks with millions of gadgets crash. The more you spend doesn't necessarily mean you are any safer. As a matter of fact, the more equipment you rely on, the more chances you have for something to fail.
@@FunWithTheBugs Yeah the big problem I've seen is over stocking when people get all excited after 6 months and then add too many fish or a couple of hard to keep coral. I know what you mean about the reefer techheads too! One electrical glitch and you can crash a tank via multitude of accessory fails.
My most successful tank was a 60 gallon using the Eco technique -
Best possible lighting
Best possible sea salt
Best possible water movement
Change 70% water weekly
No filter, protein skimmer etc etc.
I only had 3 fish (small ones) but I had over 22 types of coral both SPS and LPS and even a few non photosynthetic organisms.
Basically it works on the premise that the massive water changes keep the coral dosed with essential elements and removal of excess phosphate + nitrate.
It worked TOO well. My corals grew very quickly and some overwhelmed others by over shadowing and stinging. I dialed back the water changes to 40% and then to 3 × 10% weekly. By putting in a timer and water reservoir I had it automated.
Occasionally I would siphon the bottom or put in a cheap protein skimmer for a few hours a week. The fish needed minimal feeding because I had huge numbers of plankton ( they weren't being filtered out). I guess I spent about an hour a month maintenance. It was a great aquarium but it crashed when we had a week of extremely hot weather and i was away.
Sorry to hear that it crashed. You hit it on the head though, especially at the beginning - water changes and siphoning! Nothing filters better than us!
And patience!!! Lots of it. Waiting a couple of weeks or a month between purchasing new fish can save you a lot of trouble!
Awesome! Thank you for sharing!
That's really easy to understand, thanks. I just have some questions, when open a new tank at the beginning, do we need the light on? and how about the skimmer, when start running the skimmer?
Alan Quan Do not run the skimmer when cycling your tank. You want ammonia levels to rise and nothing to slow it down. Once your tank is fully cycled you can add a fish and turn your skimmer on. Don't cycle with a live fish. Use a piece of fresh shrimp or if you want to research pure ammonia to cycle a tank that is another way as well.
No need for a light at this time.
Thanks bro, good guy
So, at the beggining, I just add bacteria every day and that's it, is it?
Alan Quan No, look up a video on how to cycle a reef tank. You are basically going to add a piece of fresh shrimp in your tank and let it rot which is going to add levels of ammonia to your tank. Your tank will then develop nintrites, and then the less harmful nitrates. When ammonia rises and disappears, then nitrites rise and disappears and you are only left with nitrites is when your tank is ready. It can take a a few weeks to a month for this to happen depending on if you are using dry rock or good live rock.
There are some cycling chemicals to speed up the process but never used them so can't vouch for them. Also, make sure you get a test kit that measures for these 3 things so you know that each step has taken place.
If you don't want to go with the shrimp you can also pick up a small bottle of Aqua Vitro Seed for around $5. I know things will purify, I just think it's better than sticking a piece of shrimp in the tank and letting it rot.
You explained everything very well thanks
Awesome tank, but another thing i wanted to mention is you can find stuff cheap on craigslist or local fish forums. You can find a used biocube 30 gallon for like $150 bucks that includes lighting and filtration.
+matt workman Definitely, people are always selling used equipment!
simply the best explanation i will say... wow thank you so much... it was pleasure to view ur video. good job. keep it up.... 😊😊😊😊😊lots of wishes from another reefer.
+Abhijeet Dutta Thank you, appreciate that.
Awensome video!!!TXS))
could you post some links to the items needed for your tank build? im really trying to build this on a budget identicle to yours looks awesome, great video best one ive seen you broke it down step by step in a very encouraging way. Thank you
Thanks, below are some of the items I use. Not by my tank right now so can't remember the exact heater I have in there but here are some of the other items:
Top Off:
www.amazon.com/Tunze-USA-3152-000-Automatic-Osmolator/dp/B00AR1A7ZU/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1499736486&sr=8-3&keywords=tunze+top+off
This a cheap protein skimmer but if you are going to splurge on anything, do it on a better skimmer:
www.amazon.com/Protein-Skimmer-Counter-Current-Medium/dp/B0002APZ8U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1499736635&sr=8-1&keywords=lee%27s+protein+skimmer
There are a bunch of different Wavemakers you can buy but I use this one:
www.amazon.com/dp/B00XRDWKNC/ref=twister_B00RIO4ET4?_encoding=UTF8&th=1
Hang on filter. I will sometimes run it and sometimes take it off.
www.amazon.com/AquaClear-70-Power-Filter-Listed/dp/B000260FUW/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1499736938&sr=1-1&keywords=aquaclear+70
Things I run in it:
www.amazon.com/Poly-Bio-Marine-APMPF-9-0200-POLYBIO-POLY-FILTER/dp/B00025664C/ref=sr_1_2?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1499737026&sr=1-2&keywords=poly+filter
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00029PO6O/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
To test salinity:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005ES6MOQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
To Clean:
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B011DDJZ9Y/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0006JM0K8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Test kit:
www.amazon.com/API-Freshwater-Stabilizer-7-05-Ounce-Container/dp/B001EUE808/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1499737279&sr=1-1&keywords=saltwater+test+kit
Not the lights I have but an example of what you can get for a 55g tank if you want corals. Of course you can spend more and there might some for less that are similar. If you are going to do fish only, any light will do it.
www.ebay.com/itm/2PCS-Dimmable-165W-LED-Aquarium-Light-lamp-Full-Spectrum-fish-tank-Reef-Coral-/381105651046?epid=1439710696&hash=item58bbaabd66:g:BT0AAOSwjL5ZMNKW
thanks so much!
what do you think about acrylic tanks vs glass? I see some on craigslist that seem like a good deal
+Jimmy A Don't really have any experience with acrylic tanks but they look real nice!
Superb! like#92
very nice video for sure, just one question, if you didn't have the skimmer or hanging filter what would you have used to keep tank clean??? and how many times do you test the water a month??
+MARIA TAVAREZ The best thing to clean your tank is you. So if I didn't have a skimmer or other things I would just do water changes more often, like weekly and siphon all the junk out blow out the rocks.
I don't test my water anymore. The tank pretty much is in auto mode and if my fish and corals are looking good then I don't worry about it. When I setup the tank I was testing a few times a week.
thanks so much for your answer :)
MARIA TAVAREZ You're welcome. When it comes to reef tanks, there are so many different ways you can have a successful tank.
What price em I looking at to start my own saltwater tank with corrals n clownfish, ur video the only one that makes sense for rookies
I got my 55 gallon tank at petsmart around 4th of July for $99. Came with heater, tank, hood(some fish jump), net, & hob filter. Hope that helps some. I'm just learning about saltwater tanks so I can't help with much.
Get video and very helpfull. How many pounds of live rock would I need for a 55 gallon tank.
They say like a pound or two per gallon but you can get away with less then that even.
@@FunWithTheBugs Awsome thank you
Definitely good content but I was wondering if you could share the link for the products you have.!
Good info. I have subbed to your channel.
+Jeff Gilbreath Thank you very much, appreciate that.
I would love to have a fish tank... thanks for sharing.
+DenisePlus4 So funny, I was just finishing up watching your Oreo video!
I saw that... That was funny
Thanks!
Informative and to the point!👍
Awesome video, whats the name of the skimmer?
Thanks for the video I am converting from fresh to salt and I clean my hang on should I still leave it off when I start or put in on
+Jamesax Depends on what you want to add in it. You do not need it on for the cycle but you can always add some carbon, phosguard, Matrix or something like that. Just make sure to keep it clean and not let waste build up in it because then you have a high flow water area always passing by waste.
Fun With The Bugs ok thanks for the info man
+Jamesax You're welcome.
Like your clear explanation... btw you need chiller and how often you change water?
thank you for this video! very informative.
funwiththebugs thanks for your reply:) im goin with a pair of mars aqua 165w for my new 55.g. hope to see your new 75g soon.
+Delkim Dan Those are very popular and will support corals with no problem. I have posted a couple of picks of the 75g on our Instagram page.
Good luck with your tank!
Thanks leared a loto
Welcome!
So do you not need any filtration or sump or protein skimmer?
What type of lighting ?
*Soooo cuuute! Great Channel. We likes and subscribed*
So awesome. You have a beautiful tank. Love how simple your setup is. You probably have seen our aquarium build with the two side by side 55 gallon tanks. As newbies i think we ended up getting a lot more than we actually need ha. Your wave maker is awesome gonna so some research on that one. We have 2 hydro 1150's and found that our anemones got sucked up in them I think it was to much flow to be honest. Thanks so much for sharing love it. Great info.
+Bubbas Garage Vlogs Totally recommend these wavemakers. They are other brands they charge about $300 for these features. These are a great value. I like to keep things simple. It also means the less things that can fail on you. There is definitely lots of cool stuff you can buy though.
Fun With The Bugs I'm taking your recommendation brim I have over 200 in flow pumps and over 500 in a pair of skimmers I like the simple approach :) my flow pump just murdered my cleaner shrimp this morning ugh.
i like all that coraline you have there and good idea with bare bottomed. 1 question what brand of led light unit are using? thanks in advance
+Delkim Dan I actually upgraded my tank to a 75g and got the Current Orbit Marine LED for it. It's not the strongest LED in the bunch but it will handle less demanding corals which I am okay with.
On my 55g tank I was using a programmable 3W (per bulb) led that I picked up from eBay a few years back.
sir your tank is truly amazing! I absolutely love it!
just a couple of questions though. why the need for a heater? do the fishes thrive better at a particular range of temperature? please advise!
+Kelvin Lim Thank you. Yes, a saltwater aquarium should be kept somewhere between 77 and 79 degrees F. These are tropical fish that come from warm climates. If you live somewhere really, really hot a cooler might be needed to keep the temps from getting to warm.
Fun With The Bugs do you need ro/di water
vaden wasfaret would recommend it
Awesome video. What brand lighting are you using? Im putting together a 55 gal myself and need some LEDs. Thanks!
+blank3d Thank you. I use a programmable LED light that can be programmed to change every 30 minutes but that's not really necessary. You can buy two of the 165 watt LEDs they have on eBay for less then $200. Just make sure they say for Reefs so it's the correct spectrum.