been there, and am still a reef-a-holic.
Been keepinig reef tanks 15+ years.
Was a wholesaler / seller of Live Rock for a couple years.
started with a standard 55 after my Oscar croaked.
That grew into a 135 that I've kept for the last 12 years. Must have 250-300 pounds of live rock in that one. Yup.
A 180 is in the garage waiting to be plumbed with some major pumps and closed loop system, tear down the 135 and move everything into the 180. Should be fun
Sooooooooo, in a nutshell for a noobie salt tank person, for fish only, really, there is no real difference between a fresh tank and salt tank, than the salt. As a rule of thumb in the fresh world, you can run about an Inch of fish per gallon of tank water, in Salt, 1" to every 4-5 gallons of tank size.
Honestly I wouldn't run that 35 hex as a reef tank. or even a Fish only, "maybe" with a light bio-load, but they don't have enough surface area of water surface to really have good gas exchange and o2 levels. I used to have a 35 hex, and honestly I don't like the viewing angles and in a corner location they're a pain to care for with limited access.
You're on the cusp of a slippery slope, so buy the best NOT cheapest gear you can NOW, instead of doing it right the 3rd time and have that cheap powerhead / heater / skimmer collection dust in the garage........I have thrown out so much crap gear from over the years........do it once do it right. Don't buy three 30 dollar heaters over the years, but buy the $70 heater once.
So, my advice, is read read and read. Learn about the total package, filteration, skimmers, sandbeds, bio-load, lighting, and make the right investments in your time and gear.
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In a nutshell, there is no one magic bullet or equipment, no magic liquid in a bottle, no one answer.
You might check your local Craigslist and buy someones used reef tank for .25 cents on the dollar.
As a suggested solid fish only starter tank, with future reef potential, I'd go no smaller than a standard 4 foot long 55 glass tank, an over-flow box, going down to a ~30 gallon long sump, with the biggest baddest Skimmer you can afford, and don't skimp on cheap return pumps or powerheads. till you get corals, the lighting could even be a couple of 4 foot tube shop light fixtures with the right bulbs.
in your 55, put about an inch of Aragonite sand in the bottom, and get 2-3 Blue Damels to cycle the tank with. Join your local reef clubs, bum some live sand off of someone to get your tank cycled quicker by seeding your tank.
I'd get a Via-aqua titanium heater, digital display.
Indoor Ocean salt is rock solid and proven.
MagDrive pumps/powerheads.
I love my Beckett style skimmer from MyReef Creations.
Buy a refractometer for measuring salinity, not a swing-arm hydrometer.
bored reading my tips yet?
These guys have way too many $1000's of my dollars. One of the best mail order firms out there IMHO. MarineDepot:
Aquarium Supplies, Fish Aquarium Tanks, Fish Supplies, Aquarium Lighting and more!
Above all, don't listen to me, or the pet store guy, or even anyone else on the web. Form your own opinions from the whole brain-trust, not just one person saying "my way is the only way"
Patience is key, marine livestock isn't cheap. And not many fish are aquacultured so 95% of fish are wild caught. Don't kill things and just say I'll buy another if/when one dies.
You don't have to spend a ton of money, just spend it wisely and buy the best gear you can when you can.
For fish only, heck like I said a 55 tank, a couple of shop lights, a shallow sand bed, couple of powerheads, and a good quality non-glass heater. add salt to water, let it cycle slowly over the first month. Right now, you don't need a sump or skimmer for a couple of hearty damsels/tangs/angels. DON"T RUSH IT and fight the itch to buy too many fish too soon.. Maybe a couple of hunks of "base" quality live rock the first couple weeks. NO zoo's or soft corals for the first 4-5 months, and then you could step up to Power Compact Florescent bulbs for the corals. A single 250 watt metal halide bulb looks nice over a 55 too as long as your tank doesn't have a plastic center cross brace.
2-3 months after you've gone through your FULL Ammonia, Nitrite/Nitrate cycle, then you can start to add a couple more fish. READ up on how big those fish get, and their reef friendliness. Some tang/angels will grow up to 12-14" long. Some Butterflies will eat future soft corals, Some Trigger fish will make it an aggressive tank and are not reef friendly.
Soooooooo, make your long term plans now, then build towards them.
Did I mention to read read read and learn learn learn about the whole biological needs?
Honestly, I DON'T DO MANY WATER CHANGES on my heavily loaded 135 gallon reef tank. Why? Because after 12 years of it being set up and WELL established, and me leaving my mucking around hands out of it, and not yanking it's water chemistry up/down with chemicals, it's stable stable stable. I lose almost a gallon a day in evaporation alone, so I only keep it topped off, and maybe 5-10 gallons water change once a month, maybe every 2 months.
You are your own enemy, don't become a "tinkerer". Some gadgeteers always seem to want to change something. My tank is healthier the more I leave it alone.
Hope this novel helps, and motivates you. Cheers and Happy bubbles.!
'nough said............now go forth and read, and let us know how it's going months from now.
Here is a picture of my 135 gallon slice of the ocean: 6 foot long, 2 foot high.
