How to Setup a Simple, Easy and Inexpensive Reef / Saltwater Aquarium Tank - 55g Saltwater Tank
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- čas přidán 22. 09. 2016
- How to Setup a Simple, Easy and Inexpensive Reef / Saltwater Aquarium Tank - 55g Saltwater Aquarium - Jebao RW-8 Wavemaker. In this video we show you how easy and inexpensive a reef tank can be setup for. WIth a tank, light. heater, wavemaker and live or dry rock you can have your own reef tank in your home.
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 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
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.
thank god someone who has actually made it clear and simple, thank you
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🖒
Is there any way you could make a list of the equipment used in the tank?
Nice work!! I've always wanted a salt water aquarium, your video has inspired me to try it.
Thanks
+Ren Johnson Thank you.
This is so beautiful reef tank! Awesome video my friend. Big like from us! Have a fantastic weekend :-)
Thank you.
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.
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.
Good advice and information. Awesome tank. Thumbs up!
Thanks a lot guys!
It looks amazing! :-D thanks for the tips 💖💖💖
Thanks!
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!
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!
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
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.
*Love your video. That's so cool. Thumbs up!*
Amazing video, great work my friend !!!!
+ABCKinder Than you
You explained everything very well thanks
beautiful aquarium . very well presented. thanks for sharing it
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 !
Thanks to you I have now set up a 55 gallon fowlr with basic equipment!
Awesome!
Awesome! Thank you for sharing!
thank you for this video! very informative.
Nice tank man.. love the setup
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.
very nice fish tank!
Thanks
Informative and to the point!👍
Thanks, very helpful!
That's a really awesome tank. It looks very beautiful.
Thank you!
*Soooo cuuute! Great Channel. We likes and subscribed*
Finally someone who will let us know the basics. 👍
Great sharing!
Love your tank! :D * Would love to try this out! Have always wanted to have a saltwater aquarium!
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!
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.
Very interesting video no cap🤷🏽♂️
Thank you for the video. I'm thinking about staying my own tank
+fondoo No problem, good luck.
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.
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.
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
Very inspiring to an aspiring aquarium starter!
+MyNameIsBob3389 Thank you.
Excellent video!!
cool fish tank and good explanation on how to build one.
Thanks.
this is a great video I was wondering how to set up my 55 gallon take that really helped
+Mike Paulson Thank you
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!
Very good video! Loved it!! 🎅
Nice vid... Simple and easy..
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.
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!
I was wondering this also, i see it in the videos. Your tank looks so awesome
My parents thank it pretty intimidating. But me might try it one day. I have a small tank for one bata fish
+Drina Dayz Thank you! You can't get easier then my setup which is what I wanted to show people. There are tanks out there that look like it was built by NASA, but you can also have a great reef tank that looks like it was built by a caveman. LOL
Great video. Thanks for the info 👏🏻
Really like ur tank man. Thinkin bout going salt myself.
+emori wright Thank you!
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!
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.
Great video and information
+Stanley Jacob Thank you.
Great tank! Awesome video
Thanks
Great Video
Love your fish tank!
Thanks
Awesome video love it hope you and your tank are well
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!
such a motivation i got from you thanks alot sir
Very cool fish tank!
+Annalisa's Awesome Adventures!!! Thank you.
Your setup is awesome man! Funny you mentioned it but I had been intimidated any time i heard "salt water tank" before this. Currently have two tanks .. one for 2 turtles and another for a Bearded Dragon. .. doubt i have room for another tank but would definitely consider this for the future if i have more space. :)
Thanks. I actually had 3 bearded dragons a little while back. My oldest one lived to about 11 years old. They are pretty cool.
Thank you for an awesome video
👍
Very nice your decoration rocks reef tank
+awalludin ismail Thank you.
Nice video my Friend!!! Thumb up!! Nemo is so cute
Great video! :) This is so cool!
Thank you so much
Great video, what was the protein skimmer called ? I have been using a Tunse internal skimmer, but I don’t find it much good !
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!
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.
I love your video
He is the most helpful person on CZcams 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
Awensome video!!!TXS))
very beautiful aquarium !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
+Hi Toys Thank you
Very cool! It is really nice looking!
+Color Smiles Thank you
What's up man! Barely making time to come over to your channel! Been meaning to! Glad we are here now, I know Mason will love it here too! With the toy unboxings you do!! Ahhh also this might have come into effect if our fish had not just died lol! ahhh!! 😭
+OURtogether Awesome seeing you guys here, definitely appreciate it! Love your guys channel! Oh no, poor fishy!
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.
Love your Vid!!
I've been in the hobby for over 10 years and currently running 2 off 150Gal, 1 55gal and 1 33gal. between your vid and a mate of mine, I've been convinced to convert my 55Gal into a salty! How is your tank going now? have you made any equipment changes since the vid? Do you mix your own Saltwater with Tap water or just use ROD or saltwater purchased from LFS. Any help is appreciated. Thanks
+George Franulovic Thanks. My tank is doing the same. Haven't changed any equipment. It just maintains itself now. Just make sure to do regular water changes and blow out your rocks with a turkey baster.
Do not use tap water. Use RO/DI or distilled. For top offs I use distilled water and for my saltwater I buy it pre-mixed from my LFS. RO/DI would be cheaper from my LFS but buying distilled from Target is just more convenient.
Good luck with your tank!
Good info. I have subbed to your channel.
+Jeff Gilbreath Thank you very much, appreciate that.
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.
most informative video on how to setup a saltwater tank unlike the other ones that do nothing but blabbering
+knottykid Thank you!
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.
Beautiful video :)
+Happy Kids FunTV Thanks
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!? 😂
Love the Videos 🔥 can you put all the supplies it would be a lot easier and how do I know how much salt my aquarium needs?
Like your clear explanation... btw you need chiller and how often you change water?
Superb! like#92
Great video. Why do you need a wave make? Or is it just for the soft corral
+Lets Get It Fitness A.K.A Bigjayinga Thanks, you need something to move the water around in the tank. Your biological filtration is in the rocks. You also need to have something break up the water at the top. It also keeps junk in the water moving around so your skimmer can get and you don't have stuff just building up.
It looks so nice.
+Charlie the Cat Thank you.
So Rad looking ! Like from Nixon and Toys !
+Nixon and Toys Thanks
Very nice, super awesome!
We subscribe!
Thanks
awesome video! still pretty intimidating though! lol how often do you do water changes? our apartment is tiny and we have an empty 24 gallon bow front that i was going to try salt water with. but i know bigger is better i dont want to fail miserably the first time around lol
You definitely don't need to fail. My tank started as a 20 long, then upgraded to a 29g and then upgraded to the 55g.
I actually have my water changes all the way out to once a month. For a 24 gallon you could do like 5 gallons a week or 8-10 every 2 weeks. It is not as important to how much water you change but you just want to suck out all the junk in your water change. That is more important then how much water you actually change.
For water, don't use tap water. Buy distilled water from your grocery store or but RO/DI water from your fish store. The fish store is usually the cheapest. Could be 50 cents a gallon. They also usually sell pre-mixed salt water for $1 gallon. I buy my saltwater from my fish store. You get 5 gallon containers and they fill it up.
Also, you can get around 20-24lbs of dry rock. Even a little less will be fine.
For fish, you would probably be around 3 small fish in that size tank. Maybe a pair of clowns and another small fish. The. you could add some crabs, snails, a shrimp and stuff like that.
If you have more questions let me know. The biggest mistake people make are always at the beginning with the cycle of a tank or when first stocking it.
Coool! Thanks for info. on saltwater fish tank!
+TigerBox HD Thanks guys. Loving your new videos!
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!
nice job and subbed your channel.
+Scott021467 Thank you very much.
nice set up!
did you not run a filter pad or sponge on your acuaclear?
+jsfreediver I will sometimes put a Poly-Filter pad in.
I really like the way you setup your rock, and when I go online to look at dry rock I just see a single rock. My question is how do you make the the bridges and make it all one rock structure? Also where did you get your rock?
+John Pollard You can buy dry rock from all different places online. They sell it by the pound so you get a bunch of different pieces that you use to to create your aquascapes with.
Here are some examples.
www.marinedepot.com/Dry_Rock_for_Saltwater_Reef_Aquariums-FISSLR-ct.html
www.bulkreefsupply.com/bulk-dry-live-rock-live-sand.html