How To Set Up A Saltwater Tank For Beginners (...for £182)
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- čas přidán 8. 07. 2024
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Would you like to set up a Simple Saltwater Tank cheaply, but don't know how or where to start? In this video, I show you how to setup a saltwater aquarium for beginners! I've designed a beautiful and affordable beginner setup that you can upgrade easily and cheaply as you progress in the hobby.
This video is part 1 of 2, when I show you how to setup a saltwater tank for beginners, for less than £200, using all brand new equipment that's available all around the world. And in part 2 i'll show you what equipment you can add to take this beginner saltwater tank to the next level!
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Here's my full, step by step guide on how to setup your first saltwater aquarium:
• How To Set Up A Saltwa...
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0:00 How to set up a saltwater tank for beginners
0:48 The tank
2:40 Filtration
6:15 Lighting
7:29 Cycling the tank
8:18 Total cost
9:24 Limitations
10:45 Watch next
Here's part 2 - czcams.com/video/75Ozh5q8WyQ/video.html
There's not enough videos like this to encourage newcomers to dip their toes in the water ( not literally ) and try the hobby without fear of having to sell the kids to fund it. A cheap homemade T5 unit could upgrade you to house a few corals for not much more expense on a tank that size. Anyway, great video as always. Looking forward to part 2 👍
Really though, I’ve been wanting to do this for a while but all the other videos had me scared and because of this guy tomorrow I’m thinking about getting the stuff I need to get a clown fish and a hermit crab to put in my 2 gallon tank for a couple weeks and upgrading them to my extra 10 gallon tank
I’ve been so scared but here I am learning
watched this video about 4 months ago on my honey moon now 3 1/2 months into my 30 gallon tank and it’s going amazing have 2 lightning maroon clowns , royal gramma, striped blenny , and a dwarf hawk fish and just got a nem have a few corals too that are all thriving thanks for helping me get into the hobby ! i notice a lot of people on youtube along with forums seem to over complicate things and make people interested in the hobby either decide not to go forward or end up going fresh water “because it’s not as complicated”
I feel the same way right now, my young daughter loves fish, and i thought it would be a way for me and her to bond as she grows up sharing this hobby, but it seems so complex that i have no idea where to begin
I am glad you are doing this series..because this is the reality of the current reefing scene. You've got the side that promotes all of the high end gear and expensive equipment that is a must for success, but there definitely is a big audience who want to jump onboard the reefing scene and gradually move up as their knowledge and skills improve. Not everyone wants an automated system with SPS corals living with LPS corals from day 30.
This should be a popular series!
Your videos are one of a kind, You are one of the reasons I have switched to Marine Tank from freshwater 8 months back, Thank you for what you do.
Finally I've been researching reef tanks for 2 years and I'm finally going to try it. Thanks
I have recently set up one of these tanks for a freshwater aquarium and am just about to dip my toes in to try salt water. I was so happy when I saw you are using the same tank as I bought another one for my salt water. Thanks for the vids. I have subscribed and will be waiting with interest and a total newbie :D
Thank you so much for this, I didn’t really think I’d be able to afford doing this but now I feel empowered & excited all over again!
This is fantastic, I just got this exact tank for my freshwater set up and I'm excited to get a second to dip my toes into saltwater in the coming months.
Awesome video!! This is what's needed to show people that this hobby is not just for wealthy people, which is the impression you get from most on CZcams. I would have never started this hobby 30 years ago, if that's what I was led to believe.
This is great I used to have a 100 galon but but had to get rid of it when I moved house and I have had that itch to get back in to the hobby so this video is excellent I think I will try and replicate what you have done here. I am from the UK and there are not many shops in my area who stock salt water anymore but I will try thanks you earned a subscriber :)
Omg I can’t wait for part 2 this is amazing
What a great video. I would recommend any newb to go down this route to see if they are up for the discipline required to maintain a saltwater tank. Also I am sure you can get 80% of the pleasure from 20% of the cost. (maybe 90/10)
I decided to buy a nearly new complete 75g set up off eBay and have upgraded a fair few bits since - it very quickly adds up as everything costs at least twice what you think it should. If I was starting again, I would either go smaller or bigger. The cabinet / sump under a 900 tank is not big enough for all the gear you need (want!) in a full fat set up!
My favourite tips from RD - make your own water, be patient but don't be afraid to try things
Things I am neglecting - testing, not because I can't' be bothered but reading the results is almost guesswork.
For my budget build I used seachem Matrix in a bag as my media filter and then threw a chemipure elite and cheap filter floss on top. That was it..the key was ensuring I rinsed the matrix bags along with the water I removed weekly so it got rid of more bad stuff without killing off the bacteria - similar to how you clean the sponge in a fresh water tank. This helped keep my nitrates and phosphates low. Then I only fed every 2 days.. that was it.
The only other expense was a tunze skimmer and ato..ATO was a game changer as it brought stability in a small tank that evaporated high. I was so nervous about mixing salt in the beginning, but once I did it..it was easy. Recommend it!
Finally a great budget non judgey U.K. cheaper marine way. Everyone on every forum complain about set ups and sumps. I did this sort of set up but with a cabinet and a 140l more than this. But I went similar route nice and slow and steady. LFS unfortunately recommended ramming with loads of fish when adding the colony and obviously that’s when I had issues. But a year on had trouble with hair algae but since a overhaul of scrubbing and it’s going great a year abit on. Love to show you how I started and how I am now though I don’t think people believe me 😂
Again great vids as usual!
fair play mate, definitely done well on such a small budget, look forward to part 2
Excellent work fella. The hobby needs more budget end of the hobby videos. Really looking forward to part 2.
Thank you so much for this! Your channel is incredibly helpful 😊
Nice video! Looking forward to seeing the tank come on!
I started a 20 Gallon last year, with 2 heaters for redundancy and a budget controller, 2 hang on back filters and a black box reef light, all the rock, sand, bacteria, refractometer, simple bottle ATO, even replacement floss and salifert test kits, basically everything a new reefer would need for the first 12 months (without losing sleep) aimed for £500 but ended up about £600 in the end, was pretty happy with that!
Looking forward to see what you do in part two 👍
Worth thinking about a poly-filter pad to reduce the organic load, useful as it changes colour when used up. It could be cut to size and placed in the vacant filter slot or even behind the rocks with a minimum of jury-rigging, e,g plastic egg crate with elastic bands to secure.
Very fine work, a class act indeed. Would've loved to have taken this route my first go round.
Love that you're doing this mini-series! It's really a great way to get new people into the hobby since it can be extremely expensive! I've turned into a gear and aesthetic junky so I've spent thousands on my setup, but this aquarium is beautiful and so inexpensive! Good on you for helping people with a more restricted budget!
Tanktastic , keep up the good work .
Thank you for this awesome video. Lots of useful information mate!!
This is also a cool setup to get your kids into the hobby and have more responsibilities.
Great video idea! Love this channel btw
Awesome video Dork - good work.
I would do everything the way you set out, but the addition of a piece of real live rock is a bit of a double edge sword. On the plus side it helps cycle, plus seeds Coralline Algae, plus introduce (maybe) free clean up crew, bristleworms etc, but the big risk is adding the dreaded Aiptasia.
In my humble opinion I’d leave the Iive rock out and add Coralline Algae shavings to seed (free from your LFS) and cycle in other ways.
I only mention this because I recently added a piece of live rock when I bought a BTA attached to it and now have an Aiptasia outbreak.
All The Best.
Reef
This so the most helpful video I've seen thank you so much
Nice, got a 80l freshgwater tank, triving. After watching this i would love a 100l saltwater tank next to it!
those good old £1 b and q buckets lol . i have 5 for my tanks love them , i thought i was the only one using them aha , great video , going to start my first reef tank soon after having tropical for years , great video
I love how you recommend black background on budget build but still have that bird wallpaper on your main tank background. :D
Great job mate
Wow never knew about the metal in cheap sand! Crazy!
Best Video i have seen from a reefer that is long in the Hobby. Dont need a lot of money, but nobody Shows that:D always wondered why
Here is an idea! Adding two blue Aqua Ray flexi strips to the lid would give the spectrum needed for soft corals and would cost £40 :)!
Very good..🖐🏽🖐🏽🖐🏽not complicated over exspensive euipement
Thank U
You’ve inspired me to consider getting a reef tank in my Rio 125 instead of tropical. Hmmm onto part 2
Great vid as always, love from Poland mate
Top top top video - just beware this tank is a gateway drug!
Thank you for this video I get so fed up with US based stuff where they talk about tanks that are huge, a 4 foot tank to breed a few guppy's , that sort of thing. so thank you from us with less space a resource's, I may finally venture into the marine environment. Oh, and just to add they also talk about gallons with no mention of surface area.
Awesome video
Could make this a macro algae tank too! The spectrum is perfect for that
Great to see more uk versions of these budget reef video's. On the American ones my interest always goes directly after the mention of 'dollar a gallon'. Looking forward to the seeing the mods!
Cool!!! I’m a fresh water guy but I might adopt a pair of clowns for my daughter (deffo not for me 😂😂😂) and this looks like an awesome set up to get that started. I was thinking of just doing a fish only set up but a mini reef would be awesome!!!
Brilliant
More of this pls.
Best easy salt water tank setup video i have seen on youtube and i have seen a lot of them.
Can't wait for part 2. I want to try saltwater but without spending a fortune in case I don't like it.
Easier to get by the mrs too!
I said the same thing, and 10 grand later I have meh looking tanks. Set aside 25k before starting in this hobby.
I have a bunch of freshwater tanks I’ve been wanting to add a salt water for a while now
Fluval evo 13.5 with an intank media chamber 1
Nice
Excellent vid Alex. 👍 though I'd be surprised if a nooby watching this doesn't ask where they can get a background like yours. 😅
I'm setting up my own nano (12L) tank with a budget but am planning on keeping LPS and NPS corals in it.
I got an Ai prime Hd so keeping corals with it wont be of an issue. Now my question is, I have bought 3kg marcorock. the shop where i bought it from claims this rock isn't taken from any marine enviorment so doesn't contain any spores of organic compounds (wich means no NH3; NO2 or NO3 spike)
how long whould this tank need to cycle?
I'm planning on daily 10% water change and weekly 50%
I'm also planning on using some live sand from my 250L tank in the filtration for some bacteria to start off with.
Thank you so much. I have this exact tank and have been trying to figure out how I can use it as a marine tank as my daughter wants to keep clowns.
Can you put a decent filter upgrade in part 2? My included one packed in a while ago and I don’t know what to go with.
I won't be adding a filter for part 2 but if I did, it'd be the Fluval U2 🙂
2:11 you hear that reef dork? Lol
Also on the premise of 28 quid for 100l you’d be spending (after the first month and assuming you do a 25% water change once a week) £28 a month on water. Because of this I think you should include an RODI unit and the salt in the budget build.
This video really simplifies setting up a beginner saltwater tank. I appreciate that, as saltwater tanks usually are HUGELY daunting with all the expensive equipment and such they "require", per other videos I've seen (including on earlier today). I do planted freshwater tanks and love them, but even those I do LOW tech. I don't have any interest in high tech anything, much less super expensive high tech anything, so I'd pretty much dismissed ever having a saltwater tank of any sort or size. With the info you present in this video, I'm rethinking that.
That is how you get a subscriber! :)
Id take that asterina star of the live rock right away (little s**ts ) great video as always
I’m setting up a similar tank bought an internal filter for it but now Iv bought a bubble magnus mini q skimmer should I just sell the internal filter and use the skimmer?
Amazing video after watching this its made me want to get into the hobby. Now am planning on making my own do you think with the 1-2 clownfish in there like u did I would be able to add a yang tail. Thank you keep it up!
Cool. Yang? Do you mean tang? Far too small for any tangs though I'm afraid. Even short term :(
As you measured the spectrum the black line showed the current spectrum the device has measured. But what spectrum was displayed in the background?
Exactly the same - it was just a screen recording of what was on the laptop
2:10 what's your dt glass background Alex 😉
Cool video, I was just wondering for the weekly changes of water, do you add tap water or if not what kind of water do you add?
Ro/di only
Just wondering if anyone has done this set up or similar size what live stock did you put in?
Great video mate, I can't help but think the Fluval Evo would have been better suited though. It has a light that is more suited to a saltwater aquarium and comes with the media and pump. Chuck in some rock, sand and a heater and it's good to go for the same budget. Either way a fantastic video and a great topic. I'm looking forward to this tanks progression 🙂
I considered that tank, but I prefer the larger water volume of this one. The reef specific light will be going on in next week's vid 🤓
@@ReefDork that's a point, I also found the small peninsula style of the Evo a little tricky to aquascape and get it looking 👌
@@ReefDork would macroalgae work instead of corals for this tank light
@@apss5736 yep
@@ReefDork yay. just found a new tank idea if i have space for another fish rack
Awesome and informative video !
Got one question though.
Did you left the filter empty now ?
Why not putting Eheim Substrate pro in the filter compartment for extra living space for Beneficial Bacteria?
And some filterfloss for polishing the water ?
Its in there, so why not making the most of it ?
It currently has a sponge with carbon in it which I think is valuable but that'll be changing in part II...
@@ReefDork allright you kept the standard cardridge missed that 🙂
Looking forward to part II
Pre mixed saltwater in my local store is expensive any other ways to make it because you can't mix if tap water quality is crap like mine I've heard stuff about rodi systems but it seems complicated
Hi.. thank you so much for such informational video.. in fact i started my first 15gal (arnd 13.5gal actual) with your information.. my tank is running now 5 days already with 2 pcs of an inch size clownfish, with live rock and added bacteria when i started it. Hopefully my fish would be ok.. btw, when should i do the first water change and how much.. thanks again.. cheers!
I'd wait until you have a nitrate reading then do 10% a week.
@@ReefDork wow very rapid response.. thank you so much!!!
Nice vid. What PAR meter do you use?
Seneye Reef
Hello mate,just a quick question got the existing tank running one year with lots of your help :-),recently I bought lots of dried rocks and have to cure them,CAN I START USING WATER FROM OLD TANK DURING WC and fill it up bucket with new dry rocks to start curing and making alive cheers and Merry Christmas
You can do but I'd personally just put them straight in
Hey @reefdork do you think I could use Black Diamond Blasting Sand in my saltwater tank? I used it for freshwater and it worked great but I’m new to saltwater and I’m not sure if it will work
Don't know if you can use it, but i'm not sure black sand would look great in a reef tank...
@@ReefDork thank you man I appreciate the feedback and I love your channel. You’re my favorite saltwater guy
Hi Alex, can you apply this build to a larger tank (250L), or is there a size at which a sump is imperative to the filtration of the fish tank?
Yes especially with soft and lps corals. But you'll need a decent water change regime and filtration of some kind makes life much easier
For the hang on the back filter, can that be the same kind you use in freshwater tanks? Or do they sell salt water ones as well? I’m thinking of setting up a 30 or 40 gallon long, would the hang on the back be suitable for that size? What kind of fish can you keep in those sizes?
Yep, you can use a freshwater one. In terms of fish, go slow and try to resist adding too many - less is more.
Awesome video! Getting a 45 gallon tank tomorrow started to feel a little over whelmed and this video made me feel loads better! I am doing a budget build as well and am trying to do my first cycle with two clown fish. With that being said I’d like to do what you did and do the cycle with the clown fish in I just don’t want to kill them. Before you put in the booster and fish what perimeters was the water at and how long did you wait after the booster to put the clown fish in?
Check this out for a full explanation czcams.com/video/hTvJavxO0LE/video.html
Thanks!
I just bought this tank only to realise it will overlap my stand by 1.5 centimeters either side. I'll have to return the tank. Would anyone recommend still doing this using the 80 liter one (amazon does a size down from the 125 liter) over the fluval evo? Would the extra twenty liters still be a good benefit as the fluval evo is only 57 liters, thanks all.
I’ve got a 34L flex. If I converted that to marine then what sort of micro livestock could I have?
One or two fish but loads of choice for inverts
Been watching this video since September of 22 out of wanting to start a tank for clownfish.
Thanks for your videos, 1 question could I add a peacock mantis shrimp in a tank like that?
Maybe, never looked into it to be honest
@@ReefDork ok thanks for responding 👍🏽💪🏽
@@ReefDork I saw that mantis shrimp and I want to start the hobby never done salt water tank before just fresh water so am learning before I start the tank up✌️😉
Where can you buy the rock???
I'm building a 60 gallon tank no live coral..being near a mangrove creek doni really need a skimmer? Whatvis a must have ?
No skimmer needed, regular water changes will be good enough
Quick question, so if you want to schedule your water changes for once a month, it's better to put a skimmer?
Yh lowers nitrate
Hey man love the content! I’m looking at getting into the hobby and have been for a while. I have a fluval edge 46L tank, is this acceptable for 2 clowns, that’s all I want just two clowns! Also is it possible to keep them and for them to be happy without live rock? Is it a necessity? Also could I use artificial coral? I don’t plan on keeping coral it seems too much maintenance. Love the vids it helps me so much!
You'll absolutely need saltwater specific rock of some kind but 2 clowns will be fine. I have no experience with artifical coral but I'd guess they'll get covered in bio film/algae etc quite quickly and wouldn't look very good.
@@ReefDork thanks for the reply! Salt water specific rock it is! Once I get into the hobby I will transfer to corals just as a start up (similar to this vid) I’ll use rock :) thanks dude keep up the great work
Would anemones be suitable for this tank or would you need to add lighting like most corals. Could you instead feed it coral food as a supplementation?
Maybe with an upgraded light. They're tricky to keep though and best avoided for at least 6 months from what I understand
Hey Alex, in your great video you recommend to cycle the tank for several months. Is this the standard way in the UK to start a tank like it is in the States or Australia?
I ask this because it is becoming more and more uncommon in Germany. Here more and more reefers (like me) start immediately with good stocking within days.
Which video is that? I don't think I'd ever recommend taking so long - the cycling method in this video is what I always use and it's instant 🙂
@@ReefDork Sorry for my English, it’s not he best… I didn‘t mean to sound unkind. ☺️ I meant this video under which I wrote this comment.
At 7:20 you say that you should wait at least a few months before putting the first corals.
My first corals went into the tank only an hour after I salted the water, the first fish a few days later because I was recommended from all sides - also by renowned reefers - to do it that way. Running in would also work, but would no longer be done today. And I notice more and more that this type of quick start is still totally unpopular outside of Germany.
@@germanytraveller2419 oh I see. Corals just don't like new tanks and don't do well in my experience 🙂
Hello reef dork, I’ve only just come across your video! Great btw - am thinking about starting a salt water tank, in the video you say the filter sponge is not good for the tank, what sponge do your replace instead? 😊
It's not that it's not good, it's just that it's job is to polish water not host bacteria. Filter media is better than a sponge for that purpose.
@@ReefDork thank you I will look into that, I also have another question, if I didn’t choose to buy the pre salt water and make my own like you do, how do I measure how much to salt to put into the tank?
@@dedo1459 There are instructions on the box but it's usually around 38g per litre. Just start lower and add more if you need to - it's easier that way round. You'll need a refractometer to test the salinity.
I’ve had many tropical fish tanks. If I had a set up similar to yours without live rock wouid I still get coralline in the tank?
At some point, yes - it won't appear out of nowhere like bacteria does, but you're bound to introduce it when you add corals at some point.
@@ReefDork many thanks
Great video BUT why not go for a fluval evo? It has great filter section plus the light ain’t bad and cost less than £185
Thought about that tank, but I think double the water volume is a big benefit 🙂
@@ReefDork agreed pal better to have the volume of water as a beginner. Looking forward to seeing how this one plays out enjoy your banter you has better not tell the Mrs the true cost of your aquarium or she’ll be looking for a divorce 😂 also any of that left over black backing you could apply to your main aquarium 😂 gotta love that wallpaper. God luck pal keep the content coming 👍
Great Video. Can you put a link for the filter? Can't find it online. Thanks!
I'm not sure it's available separately but I'd go for a Fluval U4 or similar personally - they're still small but have a bit more capacity for filter media.
@@ReefDork Thanks, i like the filter in video because it incorporates heater and is HOB into one seamless, clean package. Know of a similar one?
@@danielsantos531 yeah I thought that after I typed the message! I'm not aware of any but ask your lfs to see.
Is 60ltr ok for 2 clown fish 2ft long I have a canister filter with 1lg of bio home ultimate also how can 10% be enough unless the rock grows anaerobic bacteria?
Yep, should be fine
Alex, can you advise please? I had a Dinoflagellate outbreak after my phosphates/ nitrates hit zero. Part of my "solution" was to dose them with Seachem Flourish (not the best choice), and now have Phosphate at 0.4ppm and Nitrates at 25ppm. Despite trying a chemical nitrate remover, the Nitrate still remains at 25ppm. Now I have not used NoPox for fear of "feeding" any remaining Dinos, nor have I undertaken any large water changes, as have read many times these can fuel Dino? Unfortunately the Dino is making a comeback, and in your opinion, is the "imbalance" between the Phosphate & Nitrate levels ALONE, enough to trigger Dinoflagellate? Or is it more likely that something else is "wrong" with the water chemistry, despite all normal levels being reasonably consistent over time? Would you recommend water changes to attempt to bring the Phosphate & Nitrate level back to balance, before or after trying to outcompete Dino's, using Dr Tim's bacteria and a blackout? Also in your experience, in a relatively stable tank, are there any OTHER common causes for Dinoflagellates, that I might be missing and making an error on? For example are high nutrients more or less likely to trigger Dinoflagellates? If I need to raise nutrients in general terms, what is a simple method ? BTW there is no livestock in this tank, I am considering a total reboot. Thanks, I appreciate your Channel!
It's not really possible to properly advise on here - get yourself on a good Facebook group like Mack's dino support group 👍
@@ReefDork Thanks, will look into that group.
Is that filter and live rock enough to do the job or do you need to upgrade it?
It's basic but fine
@@ReefDork thanks for the reply im looking between this and the waterbox 25 aio, waterbox being about 60 more expensive currently as they have a bf sale, is the waterbox worth it over this?
Would you still recommend this tank if you are looking to start on a budget? Great videos by the way so helpful
Yeah, it's a great budget tank because it's still a reasonable size. I've since bought a Fluval Evo 13.5 which is great and looks nice, but it's half the size of this so much less forgiving.
@@ReefDork Amazing thank you so much. I have just ordered one.
Im just starting and only have space for a micro saltwater tank (3.5gallons) any suggestions on inverts for it? And any difficulties I might run into?
Keeping salinity and temperature stable will be a real challenge - try to find someone who's run a similar tank long-term and ask them...
@@ReefDork thank you, I figured salinity would be a challenge😅
How much rock would you need for 110l tank
Hello! I plan to do this.. if I top up with IO (I think?) water and test the salinity how do you work out if you need to add more salt and how much etc?
Do you mean top up with ro? You only replace evaporated water with freshwater as the salt stays behind. If your tank salinity is low you can just too off with saltwater for a few days and that will increase your salinity. If your tank salinity is too high, just replace a litre or less of saltwater with freshwater each day until it's back to where it should be. But you rarely have to correct salinity - an auto top off keeps it stable.
@@ReefDork sorry if this is a stupid question, but when you say freshwater.. do you mean from a tap or something else?
@@AmyLouiseee12345 not a stupid question at all - you can't use tap water, it has to be ro/di water which you can filter yourself or buy from your local fish shop.
@@ReefDork me again! Haha, where did you get the lid for the tank (that isn’t the OG lid)? And where could I get the auto top off from?
How much rock and sand do you need in the filter
I bet someone is going to fuss over the copper pipes running behind the tank. Also that asterina on the live rock piece. haha
can u use tap water or do you need RO water for saltwater?
Ro/di only - water quality is everything in this hobby so there are no shortcuts...
How about water movement? Im a beginner