Setting Up My FIRST EVER Saltwater Aquarium! Part 1: Equipment & Startup
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- Опубликовано: 2 окт 2024
- This is really happening! After many many years of keeping freshwater tanks only, we are now going to explore the saltwater side of things! I'm so excited 😎
Everything I've used so far
Tank
US: bit.ly/3PSPho5
EU: bit.ly/3CDEQBJ
Light
US: bit.ly/40HoNeR
EU: bit.ly/3JxJQJs
Background foil
US: amzn.to/40E0iza
EU: amzn.to/3lO9WR8
Sand
US: amzn.to/3ZtDlOe (similar)
EU: amzn.to/3TTFphf
Filter
US: amzn.to/3LUglF8
EU: bit.ly/3eoYxUn
Lily pipes
US: amzn.to/40nchBv
EU: amzn.to/42RkiQQ
Refractometer
US: amzn.to/3JPFKgB
EU: amzn.to/42Pa7fF
Equipment I like to use (affiliate links)
Tank
US: bit.ly/3EbkdxH
EU: bit.ly/3S3y9ht
Light
US: bit.ly/3S2WxjC
EU: bit.ly/3z6R16F
Filter
US: bit.ly/3yxFttR
EU: bit.ly/3eoYxUn
Clear Filter Pipes
US: bit.ly/3RsFJkT
EU: bit.ly/3AL5oyv
Substrate
US: bit.ly/3bux8yR
EU: bit.ly/3qhHDt4
Wood (similar)
US: bit.ly/3VmDUJ0
EU: bit.ly/3MwgKfm
Rocks (similar)
US: bit.ly/3yAO7Yk
EU: bit.ly/3Tn0tLX
Dwarf Hairgrass (Eleocharis parvula)
US: bit.ly/3VsJIR5
Umbrella Hair Grass (Eleocharis Vivipara)
US: bit.ly/3MpO9br
Riccardia moss
US: bit.ly/3SR3Zy9
Juncus repens
US: bit.ly/3yyJjmo
Crypt parva
US: bit.ly/3Cs0APn
Crypt lutea
US: bit.ly/3yBGDo7
Crypt walkeri
US: bit.ly/3rSxBzu
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#plantedtank #aquascape #mjaquascaping
This is really happening! After many many years of keeping freshwater tanks only, we are now going to explore the saltwater side of things! I'm so excited 😎
Everything I've used so far
Tank
US: bit.ly/3PSPho5
EU: bit.ly/3CDEQBJ
Light
US: bit.ly/40HoNeR
EU: bit.ly/3JxJQJs
Background foil
US: amzn.to/40E0iza
EU: amzn.to/3lO9WR8
Sand
US: amzn.to/3ZtDlOe (similar)
EU: amzn.to/3TTFphf
Filter
US: amzn.to/3LUglF8
EU: bit.ly/3eoYxUn
Lily pipes
US: amzn.to/40nchBv
EU: amzn.to/42RkiQQ
Refractometer
US: amzn.to/3JPFKgB
EU: amzn.to/42Pa7fF
This going to be fun,I started a month ago saltwater after great freshwater succes and tones of your videos and much appreciated help,good luck mate
I recommend brightwell aquatics for the required nutrients you will need to dose! Its perfect that you have RO water system that lets you support this new aquarium keeping adventure. I do recommend getting more water test kits, its so invaluable even if its a macroalgae tank. Testing for Nitrate, phosphates, and Alk I think will be the most important for macroalgae tank.
I'm gonna watch your experiment closely. I'm also interested to switch to saltwater and never had the idea to start with an algae tank. Great!
Maybe AquaOwner can be some support for you, because he also started with an algae cube before his reef tank 😊
A German youtuber did. the same „aquaowner“ . I think it would make sence to place a extra pump in the tank for a better waterflow because of the dead zone at the cave.
Poor😅😊😊
As a saltwater reef keeper, several things to consider - with your tank in it's current location, watch for salt creep on your stand. A good practice will be to wipe your stand daily, or at a minimum, when you start seeing salt forming on the surface. This is due to the evaporation taking place. Also, consider getting an auto top off reservoir w/pump to help keep your salinity levels balanced. They make smaller ones (5 gallon size) that you can sit on the floor next to your stand. Also, with using a canister filter, if you find yourself needing to add supplemental filtration, you can add a filter reactor inline where you can insert your media without having to give up your existing filter. Two Little Fishies makes a very well known one that works just as well as it's more expensive counterparts. If you plan to add fish in the future, maybe consider adding a single firefish with either a banded coral shrimp or a fire shrimp for a tank of this size. Good luck and i'm excited to see where your journey takes you.
lol, one thing i cant stand about reef is the salt creep or spray , annoying
Lmao what saltwater so easy my guy i have a 20 gallon only casualty cuss he jump out for me is easier than fresh
@@andricksonrodriguez1905 I mean, more power to you if you find it easy but the fact is that saltwater is far more complicated than fresh on a fundamental level.
Macro algae is a great idea, I’ll be really interested to see how this project progresses. I came from marine hobby and coralline algae is the sign of a healthy saltwater setup but really takes time to establish so will be interesting to see how you get on stocking macro algae. Good luck!
@@REALOsmiumm no it’s literally not. People like you are damaging to the saltwater hobby. When I was 15 in Florida I literally had a garage sale 20gal tank with a hang on back filter and no heater, w a cheap fluorescent light hood. Tank was fine for years, just topped it up once in a while, barely did water changes and the fish did great. Every 3-4 months I would do a 50% or so water change and vacuum the sand. No different than my freshwater tanks. You make it as complicated as you want but don’t go spouting off disinformation as if it is some fact.
quick note - mix water outside of the aquarium overnight to get through some precipitation then put it into the aquarium
Maybe a pistol shrimp with a watchman goby?
@Everyday Aquarist also have cool macro algae setup with mollies in it
I kept reef tank many years, I kept discus many years. IMO it's harder to keep discus, once it's cycled u will b fine. Just a pain mixing salt water but your tank is small so np good luck!
I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw the title lol
Super excited for this. So glad you switched out the reef rock for lava rock, it looks so much better than that artificial stuff. I love the composition with the contrasting sand and central island design including cave spaces.
I really want to see some plants in there though. You could try:
- Red Ogo
- Scinaia complanata
- Halymenia dilatata
- Halymenia maculata
- Pink lace macroalgae
- Nemastoma spp
- Scinaia complanata
- Rose Petal Macroalgae
- Blue Hypnea
- Blue Scroll
- Grape Caulerpa
- Neomeris annulata
- Thalassia testudinum
- Green Finger
- Caulerpa prolifera
- Halimeda
- Cymopolia barbata
Not sure if they're all macroalgae plants but there is clearly scope for an amazing saltwater, white light planted aquarium.
Can't wait to see what you come up with. 👏
I have only heard about macro algae a few days ago, this is really interesting though.
speaking from experience, you're going to want an automatic top off system for a nano tank that small. I tried to manage it by hand on a 10gal during the pandemic and it was very difficult and annoying and my corals ultimately suffered and failed to establish because of it. I kept it up for about 8 months before deciding that it wasn't worth saving the $100-200 USD for a basic ATO
This is literally the video I was hoping to find on your channel the other day :D
If a saltwater aquarium can be kept with low maintenance, sign me up!
Show me how and then sign me up!
For the future when you eventually do a waterchange: always mix the water and salt in a seperate container and not directly in the tank.
That's the plan! Even bought a new and bigger bucket 😆
@@MJAquascaping I was recomended to use in that bucket small power head to do mixing for you.
Also important: water first, then add the salt. If you do it the opposite way, the exothermic dissolving reaction produces a lot of heat in microscale, which can damage some salt components or form new compounds.
I am super cuirous about this project! Good luck:)
I loveee your content!!!! i'm still scared to manage a salt water tank 😭
Corals really aren't difficult depending on what kind you keep. Macro can be a challenge specially in a nano. Salinity and temp are your biggest things to keep an eye on. Either one of these items, if they sway, can cause your macro to go sexual which will require water changes to avoid losses. IMO the harder the challenge the greater the reward so I'm excited to see this build.
The hardscape really has a Marine feel to it...a bit different than the planted tank arrangement. Looks great. Excited to learn about macroalgae through your videos and understanding...
Waiting for thr next part soon.
Excited to see this tank's journey! Especially since you are applying some freshwater techniques.
I've kept saltwater aquaria for over 25 years, including a successful (and several failed) macroalgae setups. I wish you the best of luck!
Two things if I may suggest: Purchase a bit of small live rock rubble or limestone. This will act as a buffer for your water and allow for better coraline algae growth.
For best macroalgae growth you'll probably need to supplement with trace elements. The only real long term success I've had with a macroalgae tank was when I used a mud-like substrate instead of sand. You'll know something is lacking when your algae starts to lighten in color and eventually turn white and dissolve into a sort of slimy mush.
I'm subscribing and look forward to seeing how you progress and tackle any issues that come up.
very interested: the learning curve on saltwater is what is keeping me away from it, and now can see how it is done :-)
WOAH
Not trying to be negative but tank sizes that small are very hard to do. And eventually your rocks will also turn quite purple but it looks very good so.
I appreciate your honesty! If I'm struggling to keep the parameters stable I will upgrade to something bigger!
Yes! Amazing idea.
I've often wondered about scaping a saltwater aquarium in the style of a fresh water. No blue light or coral, just salty plants and colour popping fish. I love that you've decided to get salty but not in the traditional way. I've not seem anyone else really take the planted tank hobby in this direction yet but it feels like a natural progression. So exciting, just stay away from those blue lights. Good luck 🐠
I have a daylight spectrum in my reef tank. 10,000K looks like im snorkeling in person.
Check my channel or most recent video
ruclips.net/video/hlCHli_DzH0/видео.html
That hardscape rock choice was perfect!
Awesome! I’m also cycling my first saltwater tank. It’s a lot of fun to create any shape you want with dry Marco rock and using the crushed rock as the cement with just superglue. Looking forward to what you do with the tank! I’m sure it will be awesome!
Way to go man! It's an exciting journey :)
SO excited you were doing this!! I’ve always wanted to do saltwater but always been too scared so I’ll just live vicariously thru you lol! Can’t wait to see the rest of the journey!
WHAT .....Wait...MJ and salt .....NO...But yes its true...Like i have said before you never know where this hobby will lead you. this is going to be an interesting one to follow.😊😊
Hi man ,,,🙏 wish you all the best,,,,give as good news🤗 waiting for good result.Roshan
Welcome to the salty side 🙂
You need to control the temperature in this nano reef. Tap water is not a good ideia....you will find out soon 🙂
You can also always ask advice from Danny's Aquarium on youtube :) he's also from The Netherlands...
Also, check biota for aquacultured and captive bred nano fish for that tank. There are several goby species that would do well in a tank that size
Subscribed to follow your journey into salt, i really like different ideas to do salt, ive done both, currently fresh keeper but getting that itch...lol, thanks for sharing your journey...
Nano tank, salt water, low tech and good results. Are things that exist only on some RUclips channel… maybe you will succeed on this journey. I didn’t.😂 Keep us updated ✌🏿
Welcome to reef keeping. I strongly recommend you read Kieth Berkelhamers book and look up Reef Bum on RUclips.
I’ve used his advice alongside running the Triton Method which uses algae too. I also don’t really need to do water changes.
The thing I will say is STABILITY is key. You will need an auto top of to maintain salinity for a start.
Keeping a salt water aqua is proportionally hard and expensive to what kind of animals you wanto to keep. Having said that, R.O. water plus salt are way more expensive than fresh water plus conditioner. Evaporation plays big role as, you said correctly , it changes salinity. Some people have succes without skimmer and auto top off...it really requires more work and care.
Anyway, it may become an addiction as you aim for more challenging set ups.
I used to keep a 120 l salt water aqua using Oase filter instead of a skimmer / sump. In my humble opinion it just not bring the same results.
Anyway I am curious to see how your new project will develop over time. Goos luck MJ.
I actually did a macro algae tank myself. Everything was great at the start but things went downhill. Spend like $200 on macro algae that didn't make it. I look forward to seeing your journey. My tank's running with some macro still but I can't seem to get it
heck Yeah! I am excited for you my man. as a reefer my self on and off for 20ish years I keep wanting to set up a planted FW.
you got this. just go slow nothing happens fast in the SW world. I had a 20L macro tank years ago enjoyable for sure. also setting up a seahorse tanks with lots of macros currently.
here are my thoughts.
~If you can lower the lily pipe a bit that will cut down on salt creep. you do want some surface agitation but not spraying.
~get an ATO trust us. they do have some nano ones (I even use them on large tanks) like the auto aqua smart ATO you will be surprised how much you will evaporate.
~most SW folks dont use glass lids and it stops the gas exchange I would make sure you have some space so that can happen. also be prepared to clean that glass alot I would just run an ATO and leave off the lids.
~I am curious to see how the lava rocks for out for you. generally not used in reef tanks but in a macro alage display I think* it could work.
~I think a good planted FW tank is just as hard as a reef tank. just know some macros will grow like crazy most of the greens and others not so much. basically if it looks cool its a slow or slower grower than the greens in most cases but not all.
~ I think some sexy shrimp would be great in there. maybe even some rock flower nems down the road.
anyway i'll end my rant here. just excited for you to try the salty side of the hobby.
BTW watch BRS 52 weeks of reefing great guides also join reef 2 reef you will find SW people very welcoming more so the FW people maybe that's just my experience.
Guess doing the same thing all over with fresh water tanks got boring.. I'm totally into freshwater tanks though. So I guess for a while I can skip your videos.. 😐
Honestly the lava rock is not gonna help it may hurt more but for your next tank get live rock and at least a couple centimeters of sand this will help beneficial bacteria grow more. Also I don’t know any shrimp or fish you could but it I think a pair of clown fish will contrast well ( Get Designer clownfish more expensive but are nicer) also buy copepods they help with basically everything
Whats is the name of cup for pouring sand...? Like regular plastic cup but slanted
Ayeee I’m excited for you too! I just started my tank and it’s still cycling because exactly like you said I want to take my time. Also I’ve been in the freshwater hobby for a year and just now starting my first saltwater super excited.
I’ve been more and more interested in a small saltwater setup. I have a 20g all-in-one aquarium built for saltwater that is currently setup for freshwater. I’ve been thinking of trying to convert it over…
Really looking forward to watching how this works out. A couple of things… having added bacteria so early will it not just die off if it has nothing (waste) to feed off? If your glasswork had a skimmer on the inlet wouldn’t that act in a similar way to a protein skimmer by taking the lighter organics out of the tank and into the filter? Have you seen ‘Mikeymikemike’s’ videos? He is keeping a large saltwater reef tank using a canister filter. ruclips.net/video/5_PQZfrH2eE/видео.html All the best.
Dropping a second comment- careful with the glass in flow/outflow, they will probably get covered in ugly brown Diatoms in the early phases and may be hard to clean
Im a saltwater reefer as well, you just killed the beneficial bacteria in your media by not mixing your salt water first. I made the same mistake as well. But anyhow, welcome to reefing journey! Good luck and more power.
Can't see it working out as well as you think bro. That rock will end up covered in coralline algae and turn pink. If not green hair algae due to using a fresh water light. You don't need a blue light but you would be better with a marine light of around 10k to get white look.
I used to have a glass lid over my first aquarium, but I found that for stony coral grow that air movement over the aquarium is key. So much so I also pull air in from outside and use that in the protein skimmer. It helps keep CO2 levels down and alkalinity up which is key.
Also another thought, why not have a remotsump like I do? I have a hugely busy sump room and then just a few pipes going to a nice standalone reef tank. It looks awesome and allows for easier maintenance and better water quality so I can keep advanced corals.
Funny you made this video. A few days ago I thought of starting a macro algae aquarium myself. But I think I'll go for the soft coral instead.
Great video, following your method it's something ide be happy to step into from fresh water. you make it far less daunting! Thanks
You come from the freshwater area and want to do in seawater. It's not bad, but reinventing the wheel is a bold move. You make the most mistakes in the first 10 seconds. Forget it!!!
Ik ben echt heel benieuwd hoe dit uitpakt! 😄 Leuk om te zien hoe je dit allemaal aanpak. 👍
Hi just wondering how lava rock in Marine a special so much, I add before just small bids. They have metals in. Wait for your updates
Ngl I'm super excited for this. I'd never considered a saltwater aquarium till I saw this. Now I legit am.
Just don’t skip posting freshwater tank video please 😅
I'm by no mean a saltwater guy, never had one but as far as I know you don't want mechanical filtration in four filter other than protein skimmer or, for such a small tank, a filter floss that you ought to change every day (not "every few weeks"). This is because you dont want decaying matter in your system, and to keep nitrate and phosphate levels as low as possible. And to that reason you rather want hang on back filter instead of a canister filter. You're not going to keep corals in there so this should not be such big of a deal but a thing to consider. Also you should always prepare your salt water a few days earlier and not add salt into the tank directly. It's not like mineralisation in fresh water tanks where your throw a spoon of salt in there and it's ok.
Good for you…. That gadget you use to check salinity looks like you could use it to go star gazing in the solar system……lol lol
Have fun buddy!
Use this time to experiment with one or two corals along with your macro algae! Mushrooms and gorgonians are very forgiving, you can grow them easily under white light!
Macro algae aquascape woohh!!! Excited to see you taking on a new challenge.
Auto top up system will make your life so much easier in saltwater for sure .you defo need stability with macro algae . Good luck you will enjoy the journey for sure .
VERY EXCITING! I LOVE the idea of starting slow and using micro algae. Looking forward to the rest of this series. 🎉
Was going to wait until the weekend to watch but cudnt wait yes this is brilliant idea bring the freshwater and saltwater together if this works I’ll be defo trying 👏👏👏👏
i was recently considering saltwater tank with a school of bangai cardinals and shrimps. never kept saltwater tank before, but the cardinal makes me want to keep saltwater tank.
make little Zoa Garden
coral - zoanthid
and some green star polyp...
clean up crew is a must.
you forget to add protein skimmer
Chemistry is very important, Saltwater Macro algae will melt.
Allways wanted to start a salt water aquarium but i know its not that easy...im gona keep watching your update videos and maybe ill give it a shot :)
Keep an eye on the lava rock. Lava rock reacts differently in salt water and can leech unwanted heavy metals. Good luck and enjoy the new experience!
Is it really lavarock though? I was wondering what he was using :)
I'm excited for a non-blue light salt water setup!
Great video! those mudskippers are very cool!
Same as plants tank. But it requires better equipments. Water change it's a must to keep up with elements for the animals. Specially, there is no sump.
Carbon and purigen are your best friends now! You dont need that much bio in filter..
This is great! I went the other way (reef to planted tank). I think it’s helpful to think about the unique needs and similarities of both.
Good for you. im impressed as a fellow saltwater hobbiest.
Heeeere we go!
Excited for you mate! The tank is looking great already. Let me know if you need any help or macros!
Thank's for sharing going to be a interesting project.
Ha 🤣🤣🤣 u need to add salt to ur aqu aquarium but I have more salt that u can imagine so that y Im not planting any plant in my aquarium
See the main reason is cleaning is too much risk
I've always wanted to go salty. You go first!
Highly recommend a tight fitting glass lid, or your salinity is going to be all over the place with that small tank.
Will be joining you shortly! So excited
This is exciting! I can’t wait to see what happens next! Although I’m really impatient so it seems like it’s going to be a long wait😂
Apart from salinity, ph is also important since the oceans are around 8.2? Saltwater is quite alkaline, but i think reef salt should settle it. Stocking would be abit hard, since its quite a small tank, small gobies, clownfish, small damsels, dottybacks or cardinalfish should be fine. Hawkfish will also be good. Of course, shrimp will be nice but they are generally 3x bigger than freshwater shrimp.
Good luck!! 🤞
P.S, if you see any seahorse, pipefish or mandarinfish, try to avoid, since they can be rather picky eaters. 🫠
Oh and some corals can do just fine w/o blue light like sps corals
Macro tanks are very complex. Daily dosing will be your best friend. Think of macros as a sponge that obsorbs everything rapidly, and non-stop.
A tank that size will have massive salinity swings without an auto top off system.
There is no need to wait for cycle before adding microalgae.
What are you feeding the bacteria that you added to cycle the tank?
Please do a video on how to clean that filter without getting water everywhere.
Definitely get yourself an auto top off (ATO). Adding fresh RO everyday will get so old. Can't wait to see it planted!
Fantastic quality video, like you usually put out. Your English is absolutely incredible, I at first thought perhaps you were living in the US and had just been born in a western European country. I spent two years in Italy and spoke mainly Italian while there. I also studied German for three years at university level and am semi-fluent. One thing that I wish people had done for me is correct me when I made little mistakes after I became fluent, and most people didn't because they didn't want to be rude. In light of my own wishes, I'll offer you one small correction. The sand Bio would be pronounced Bye-oh, rather than Bee-oh. The latter sounds like B.O., e.g. body odor, so out of context it could be misunderstood. Bio for biology.
After watching dozens of your videos, this is the first time I've ever heard you mispronounce something. I don't even think you've ever used incorrect grammar. Your grasp of the English language, like your video creation skills, is phenomenal.
Hey Daniel! Thanks a lot hahaha! Yeah Bee-oh is the dutch way of saying it 😅
@@MJAquascaping that makes sense :) I'm very looking forward to the next in this series. Thanks again Mark!
Huge fan here from the USA!! I’m going to really enjoy watching the updates on this project. Always wanted to go salt but like you never wanted to mess with all the extra thing needed to have one. Keep up the great work!!
Welcome to the club. It's nicer over here.
Looks great! I also have a high tech planted tank and a reef tank. No reason not to enjoy both worlds.
Je voegt nitrificerende bacteriën toe, maar die moeten wel eten hebben willen ze gaan groeien. Ze zijn normaal in evenwicht met het voedselaanbod. Waar moeten ze van leven? 😅
No wayyyyyyyyyy I wanna start a sea tank too but I’m scared lowks
I do plan on trying my hand at salt water. Starting small 😊
POUR SAND INTO WATER, NEVER WATER ON SAND
TMC barrel pump is a game changer.
Great minds think alike! I've been keeping planted aquariums for over 20 years but prior to that I had a 55g reef. I didn't really enjoy it very much because of the complexity. But recent techniques that are much more simple have been intriguing me. Especially an algae scrubber and macroalgae. Looking forward to following your journey.
Can't wait to follow your journey.
Icelandic lavastone MJ?
Can you fix the resolution?