- Can a beginner have a salt water tank?
The answer is absolutely.
And I'll dive into what a beginner
saltwater aquarium looks like.
But first, let's explore
where this idea that salt water
aquariums are not for beginners
even came from. Wasn't me.
Was it you?
I don't think it was you.
It was a while ago.
Have you asked this question
20 or 30 years ago?
The answer would likely have been no,
a beginner should probably start
with a freshwater aquarium first,
and then explore salt water aquariums after they
become familiar with aquarium care.
But, that's because the technology and information that we
now have today wasn't available back then.
Pair that with how expensive the equipment was
for a salt water aquarium compared
to a simpler freshwater aquarium,
and any first time aquarium owner would quickly realize that
salt water aquariums were going to require a huge learning
curve and a hefty initial investment,
but, that's just not the case anymore.
Or at least it really doesn't have to be.
So let me explain.
The aquarium industry has come a really long way,
thanks to the leaps and bounds,
not just in popularity,
and the advancements in aquarium gear,
but also in how easy it is
to access and share information
on how to keep a successful aquarium,
whether it's a fresh water
or a salt water tank.
Special thanks to the internet,
you're the one that makes it all possible.
You keep doing you internet.
You can now join countless forums and social groups
dedicated to this fascinating hobby, and
watch hours and hours
of informative content on YouTube, Instagram,
and similar streaming platforms.
We now have a wealth of information right at our fingertips,
and that made all of the information
that the experts and the trailblazers of the hobby had,
much easier to share and distribute with everybody else.
And the hobby made leaps and bounds forward,
and more and more of us were having a
dramatically easier time being
successful with our salt water aquariums.
Another hurdle was that for a long time,
it was considered much more difficult
to keep a small salt water aquarium,
and the general recommendation was not to go below a
four foot tank,
or roughly around 50 gallons of water volume.
And even that tank size was considered to be quite small,
but now, nano reef tanks of 20 gallons,
or even less are much more common
and quite affordable to be honest.
So those who don't have the space to dedicate
to a larger aquarium,
or perhaps just don't want to spend
the extra moola on a larger tank,
simply don't have to do that nowadays
to enjoy the hobby.
So now that we've got a general understanding of
where this idea came from,
what does a beginner water salt water aquarium look like?
Most first-time saltwater aquarium owners
are just looking for a little slice of the ocean
in their home, And a small 20 gallon aquarium
with a pair of clownfish is a fantastic example
of an affordable and easy to maintain
setup for a beginner.
That simple clownfish tank
can be almost identical to a simple freshwater tank
sharing similar equipment,
like a hang on power filter, a heater,
and in most cases,
a basic led aquarium light.
There are only a few minor differences
instead of using typical aquarium gravel,
you'll want to use a calcium carbonate
or a aragonite substrate,
and you'll want to use a live rock or
dry rock marketed for use in saltwater aquariums,
since both play a large role in filtration,
as well as water chemistry, but beyond that,
the care and maintenance is going to be virtually identical.
Except of course, you'll be adding some
synthetic sea salt to the water
when you fill it up,
and when you do water changes.
And that step of mixing up salt water is so easy.
Like, literally anybody can do it.
All of the maintenance really on a basic saltwater aquarium
set up for a couple of clownfish is super easy.
In fact, there's a video right here where I go over,
what the maintenance for a basic saltwater water looks like.
So, have a watch.
You can see the maintenance schedule
I've got laid out in there.
It is...it's not a lot.
And again, anybody could do it.
I mean, if I can do it,
I have the attention span of a goldfish.
Check it out.
What are we doing?
(laughter)