14 year old - what type of tank for first one?

[Scuba Diver Gal]

Hi everyone,

This is my very first post and we are BRAND NEW to aquariums. My son, who lives, eats, and breathes fish has been asking for a saltwater fish tank for the last 10 years! We are giving in...

The nano tanks (Red Sea Max 250, JBJ 30g, biocube 29) are all interesting to us because they are somewhat self contained and seem easy enough to set up, etc. Less intimidating for a beginner...

My son is extremely responsible and never loses anything and I honestly believe he will be great with this tank (as a back up we have an aquarium maintenance person to help us out, if needed).

What type of tank would you recommend. He likes the Red Sea Max 250 because he wants to get some fish that won't work in a 30g tank. I also see lots of talk about Concept Aquariums but wonder if they would do a set up similar to a nano tank?

All suggestions would be extremely helpful...

Thanks!

[BlueTang<3]

Talk to Dave or Denny at concept they can do absolutely anything you can dream up. The problem I find with the all in ones are you are paying for lights skimmer and pumps, and to me I find they are sub par and in the end limit what you can end up doing with the tank, or I you end up upgrading you can't reuse any equiptment and need to buy all new again and most often used tanks and equiptment are not worth half of what you initially invested.

[Scuba Diver Gal]

Thanks. I will see if they are available today. I am so confused about lighting, etc. Everyone you talk to has a different opinion...

[BlueTang<3]

Yeah it all comes down to budget and what your end plans are with corals you choose to keep.

[riceboy]

Talk to Dave or Denny at concept they can do absolutely anything you can dream up. The problem I find with the all in ones are you are paying for lights skimmer and pumps, and to me I find they are sub par and in the end limit what you can end up doing with the tank, or I you end up upgrading you can't reuse any equiptment and need to buy all new again and most often used tanks and equiptment are not worth half of what you initially invested.

Agreed once you have a sump tank and a really good skimmer, you'll be wondering why you wasted all your Time and money on an all in one.


Concepts is open today. And as for lighting they are all a good option weither it be led, t5, or mh. But since you are starting of and don't have to worry about the money you invested I the old lights I would look into LEDs. Ai sol blues are great, vertex led, ghl and sunbrites are all great. I myself am running sunbrites and I'm loving the lights. It gives me shimmer which I wasn't used to in with my t5 unit. But I have nothing bad to say about t5 except the cost per year to replace bulbs, but mind you they grow coral like no tomorrow lol

[abcha0s]

The difference between fresh water and salt water is the hardware and the chemistry.

The chemistry can be hard to perfect, but isn't all that difficult to understand. Essentially you need the right amount of good stuff and as little bad stuff as possible.

The hardware is a whole different story. A good deal of maintaining a healthly tank is dependent on the hardware. A good percentage of knowledge required to succeed is in selecting and maintaining the proper hardware.

The is an acedemic hobby and requires extensive research. That was one of the main appeals when I got started.

This hobby would be great for a self motivated 14 year old provided he knows what he is getting into. I would be very supportive of the initiative, but make him do some serious research before giving the final go ahead. Equate the costs to an extra curricular activity. The benefits are similar.

You might want to ask (on this forum) if anyone in your area would be willing to show their tanks and talk about the setup. I expect you will get some invitations. If your in the SE (or don't mind the drive) I would gladly volunteer.

You definitely started down the right path by posting here. Just keep in mind that these tanks are a journey, not a destination. People here can help keep you on the right path as wrong turns in this hobby tend to cost money.

One final note - keep an eye on these forums for used equipment. Whether new or used, never make an impulse purchase as you will always regret it (and likely pay way too much).

Have fun!

Brad

[Scuba Diver Gal]

Thanks Brad,

I feel he is ready for the commitment and he has been researching like crazy. He wants a reef tank with corals and some fish - and seems to want the fish that won't work in a 30g nano tank. He is a wealth of information about fish, corals, reefs, etc. He has been scuba diving (advanced open water, rescue diver, etc) since he was 8 years old and it is remarkable to me how he knows all the fish, how they live in their habitat, etc. He always amazes fellow divers on our dive trips, he carries all these fish encyclopedias strapped onto his arms etc... In fact, he spent some time last year in Little Cayman at the Marine Research Institute...he is a fishy guy :biggrin:

I think he is ready and we understand it is very complicated and takes patience...

I am going to Concept today and hopefully we will figure something out. It is going to be a xmas present so we have some time...Thanks for the offer of coming to see your tank and set up. I may take you up on that after we go to Concept today.

[Xadieu]

My suggestion before you start off with the whole set up is to plan a budget. Ask other experienced people regarding equipment and such. You may want to spend extra money on equipment such as lighting, pumps, filters, sumps...etc You want to be happy with the equipment you get at the end of the day because trust me you will always want something better. Fish and coral dies, equipment doesn't (eventually dies).

Cheers and Happy early Christmas present to your son :)

He will love it for sure!!

Tan