A big shout out to Peter from Watsonville for correcting some mistakes in this video! 1) It is totally okay to use distilled water. I was wrong. So, if you don't have an RO/DI filter and/or don't live near a local fish store that can sell you water, no problem, go to the grocery store and buy distilled water and make saltwater yourself. 2) 33-35 ppt, not ppm. I always say parts per million, but yes, when talking about salt, it is parts per thousand. A big thanks to everyone who has watched this video over 350,000 times!
While I understand it is better to use RO water I never had a problem using tap water with prime and then mixing salt. I think saying you have to use Ro water is misleading, I get some areas have better or worse tap, but it is definitely not necessary. it is better to use RO.
I can't disagree with you. It is a challenging hobby, but it can be done relatively simple. If you ever decide you want to give it a shot, please feel free to email me at myfirstfishtank@gmail.com, I'd be happy to help
Couple of things from mistakes I have made.. Location.. take into consideration floor around your tank is likely to get wet due to accidental spillage at some point. Aquascaping.. May want to consider not building too high, especially if adding corals later. Fish and corals... always research before purchase. Impulse buying often leads to problems. Some online retail stores actually have some really useful information available even if not purchasing from them. Example: the blue tang (Dory from nemo) can grow to a foot in length and is not suitable for a small tank. Some fish simply do not get on well with others. Some fish are venomous as are some corals. Don't rely on the local fish store (LFS) to pass on the information, although good ones will. Bit of research first can save you money and problems. Finally.. needs to be stated, starting with cycling and throughout the life of the tank, one of the hardest lessons you need to learn is patience. Be prepared for ugly phases when starting a new tank, don't expect those perfect tanks you see on youtube within a couple of months. Take pictures on a regular basis and you can compare with earlier ones to see your tank develop.
Price Christian I’m glad! They are a work in progress! This year will be making tons more. Checklists, glossary, maintenance videos, etc! Stay tuned and thanks for commenting!!!
I've been out of the hobby for about 10 -15 years raising my kids. I'm helping a friend now and I found your site. I wish something like this existed for me when I began. great work. new subscriber.
good video. an important part is missing. like to turn off the lights during cycle if you use live rock and or live sand. and why you cant cycle tank with live fish if you have live rock and sand. lots of people missing these parts and to understand how the aquarium works and ending up quiting their hobby because their tank became a sludge.
@@JL050 Alright, I'll get working on the next video "How To Setup A Saltwater Fish Tank In Two Steps" then! :-). Probably have to be 1) Add saltwater and 2) Add fish! Thanks for watching anyways and if you ever want to take the plunge, I'm here to help!
This setup video is way too overwhelming and discouraging for a beginner. There's no way a beginner will watch this video and still have an interest in salt water fish keeping. It could have been simplified like other helpful setup videos on the platform.
Love the video!!! I'm looking forward to getting back in the hobby. Lots has changed since the days of under-gravel filters & glass hydrometers! I'd love to do a 150 - 200 gallon unit... if the wife would stop talking about smaller tanks... lol...
Thanks Jeff! I remember my first freshwater tank in the 90's and I most definitely had an undergravel filter! So epic! Thanks for subbing and I'd love to see some pictures if you eventually get back into the hobby!
Yes, you are 100% right! For some reason when I filmed this I was under the impression that distilled water couldn't be used in the marine aquarium hobby. That was definitely wrong!
"with your helper, team lift the aquarium..." *shows video clip of single person lifting and moving aquarium into place* Lol Great video though. Seriously, very informative.
Im new to saltwater aquariums and you deserve a lot more subscribers to your channel, its really nice and educative. I know a bit of freshwater aquariums. I like the blue marine reef 60 for my first saltwater aquarium. Do you have any experience for this type?
Aw, that's super kind of you! I figure I'll just keep making videos that I'm proud of any eventually I'll get more subs! Or maybe not! You know I'm not very familiar with that company. I don't think they sell here in the states. Did a quick search for it and it looks like a pretty nice all in one system. Thanks again for watching and your kind words!
This is a very informative video. Surprisingly most methods are quite similar to freshwater fish. Saltwater fishkeeping is my aspiration... but right now still a noob, just set up my freshwater 15-gallon tank with low-tech plants and gravel-only substrate. Would appreciate if you could drop a tip or 2 to my freshwater tank channel. That would be awesome. I have subscribed to your channel. Thanks :)
Thanks for subscribing and commenting. And I agree, the methods are are quite similar. I remember how daunting it was trying to get started in the saltwater hobby. I dabbled with low maintenance freshwater tanks for years, and when I finally pulled the trigger it was overwhelming. But I think if you keep things simple you have a great chance at success. I'll head over and check out your channel right now! Thanks again for subscribing!
just sub to your channel, nice and informative video. My 120G system is about a year old now and I have spent about 6 months before starting the system to just do pure research, so many things to learn in this hobby, even more for reef automation.
I'm building 120 gallon sat tank its hard not too start working on it instantly lol but i wanna make sure I get everything and I do it right just afraid imma kill everything 😅
Thanks to everybody for getting this video to 100,000 views! Wow! If you've been to my website recently, www.myfirstfishtank.com, you'll immediately notice it is completely different than the video! I've done a total rework and it is much improved! So I'm sorry it looks different, but I think you'll find the upgraded website much, much better! Happy Reefing!
It there a link that show you the step by the step how to built your tank according to your budget ? THe new website only show the built list no instructions. It would be helpful . Thanks !
@@byenvag11 Hey Marc. Here is the closest thing I have.myfirstfishtank.com/watch-video/. It is the 30-steps written out. I will eventually make a guide and step by step video for each build list, but not quite there yet! You should be able to take the written guide and apply it to your build though! And you can reach out to me with any questions
Thanks CJ, you're always so supportive! You are appreciated! And your new build is coming along nicely! I know what a pain it was to spill 10 gallons of saltwater on my hardwood floor! I don't want to imagine your level of frustration!
12 gauge Yeah you are right. I’ve made it a lot better since his video. I think it’s time for me to just re-edit the video and take out that beginning section and then re-upload it! Did you like the video though? What would make it more helpful?
I have been researching saltwater tanks for my future peacock mantis shrimp and your video + website are by far the most detailed and helpful I have come across. I feel more excited and informed about saltwater tanks. Can't wait to get my tank up and running- will definitely be sending in pictures. It'll be a couple months from now, I'm still in the research + gather supplies stage :) Great video!
You just put the vacuum under the water and hold it horizontally under the water then shake it side to side so that water rushes in and out of the tube. Should work with abit of practice mate 👌👍🐟
Craig Conway that’s true. Those are not essential items for a beginner so to keep the learning curve as low as possible there are many omitted topics. I’m happy to answer any of your questions though. Please feel free to DM in Instagram @myfirstfishtank for a faster reply!
Glad to help. Be sure to check out www.myfirstfishtank.com for tons, I mean tons more! And we are currently doing a new beginner series for the entire year. So check out this playlist! ru-vid.com/group/PL_9XSWQZldtFtWUBO46ERfBRvBrmjvij0
I wanted a saltwater tank until I seen this. I just won’t have the time to do this. Now let me look into a fresh water tank. Sheesh 🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️🤦🏽♂️. But good content btw
It’s funny looking at all the comments saying I thought it would be easy but realized there wasn’t an easy way to set up a salty tank. Imo I think it’s super easy to set up a tank but the hard part, depending on equipment, is maintaining it from there forwards. I legit had a light, hob filter, and a couple of rocks when I set up my first 29 gallon tank. Over time I added sand, a skimmer, a wave maker, and a couple more pieces of rock. I ended up moving and decided that rather than keeping the same tank I’d move all my stuff into a 28 bow front and since then I have had zero problems. Pretty easy to maintain as long as you do the water changes and dose weekly and honestly I wish I’d poured more money into that tank rather than my big freshwater tank or swapped the tanks so the 75 was a salty instead of fresh
It is a bit more difficult, but in the year since making this video I've realized that I could have made it a lot easier! I think it's almost time for me to make an updated version!
@@CarmenxSullivan Alright, I'll add it to my list! Maybe use some old footage and some new footage, cut out the self-advertisement at the beginning, and shorten the step!
So, I would never recommend tap water. There are very few things that I'm adamant about in this hobby, and tap water is one of them. You are just introducing to many variables into your tank, especially depending on your area. Chlorine, chloramines, heavy metals, nitrates, phosphates, coloration, tds, etc... Long term I just think it's a bad idea. An inexpensive RO/DI filter costs around $200, but it's a great lifelong investment. You can also buy RO/DI water from your lfs, usually for around 50 cents a gallon. But that quickly. becomes a pain in the but! There are some hobbyists out there that probably use tap water, but I've never met one that had long term success doing so. HOpe that answered your question!
Great video my Brother. Thanks for the Game for free and stay healthy! Salute from Germany Edit: I will set up my first tank, the max e 170 with real reef rock, live sand pink from red sea, starter bacteria, some ati pre made see water and the fish method with 2 Clowns.. Hope I get it right 😬😬
Hey there, and a good question. So, most beginner corals aren't too picky. They don't need any sort of fancy light, but they do need a light that puts out enough PAR. PAR is light from the part of the spectrum that is needed for photosynthesis. The Blue part of the spectrum does contain a lot of PAR (depending on the color of blue), but it also helps bring out the colors in the corals for our eyes. There are many commercially available aquarium light options, and I would just choose one that is specifically made for saltwater aquariums. For a 20 gallon tank you could get a light for as little as $100, or spend upwards of $600! Hope that helps!
Ha, I hear you. Old fashioned... but not wrong. Here's a quote "Centigrade is the old fashioned name for Celsius. The name Centigrade was derived from the latin - meaning hundred degrees. When Anders Celsius created his original scale in 1742 he inexplicably chose 0° for the boiling point and 100° for the freezing point. ... He named it Centigrade."
Yeah you are right. The size of the tank definitely has an effect on the amount of livestock you can keep. But with smaller tanks, you can vary the type of livestock a bit to pack in a bit more. So while you may not be able to have a lot of fish, you could have some fish, a lot of different clean up crew members, shrimp, crab, and various corals. But you are right, smaller tanks mean less livestock.
Is there an updated website I could use to build my tank with links that work? I seems like the links on the website are no longer valid when choosing the gear
Great video my friend, I bought a 120L (31gal) tank and I thinking about how many fish I can fit in there, I was planning on 1 anemone and around 8-10 small fish, do you think that's OK? any advice is welcomed, thanks buddy!!
Hey there. Let's see. a 31 gallon tank is a good size. Not too big but big enough to make a statement. 8-10 small fish? It will really depend. ON the surface I would think 8-10 is on the high end. But if you overpower your filtration, have a protein skimmer, have a lot of flow that will pick up the detritus, and vary the types of fish based on where they will live in the water column, you could definitely make it work. For a 34 gallon tank, I would get peaceful community fish, although you you can definitely add some semi-aggressive fish like clowns and damsels, just watch them to make sure they don't pick on others too much!
@@MyFirstFishTank Thank you very much for your detailed answer buddy, I got a combo with the skimmer and all add ons, so will pay attention to your comments :)
Great video you should consider adding clean up crew and let everyone know most saltwater tanks will go thru an ugly phase at the end of cycle (diatom algae) bloom and it is natural and should go away over time and that's a great time to add a clean up crew also I understand doing 15% water changes during cycling with fish but should know this does slow the cycle somewhat but still the best step by step I've seen
As long is it's a tropical lobster, potentially yes. You would want to do a bit more research into the species requirements regarding size of tank, substrate, hiding places, etc. But there are definitely saltwater hobbyists who have lobsters!
I wish this was available back then, I have 8 fresh water tanks. Our extra room became a "fish room" I already tried twice and failed both times miserably I lost my interest in saltwater tanks already. Didn't get a thorough guide from the nearest pet stores as they always prioritize profit over quality (living in a 3rd world country) I still have the equipments I purchased. I will research for 3 months then try it again for one last time. Thank you for this guide sir!
You are most welcome and I appreciate the back story. What country do you live in? If you have any questions along the way, please feel free to email me at contact@myfirstfishtank.com. Also, be sure to check out my website, www.myfirstfishtank.com. It's got a ton of information just for beginners! Good luck and I'm sure you will find success this time around!
@@MyFirstFishTank I'm from the Philippines, I will certainly be contacting you for a lot of help lol. Hopefully I can pull it off this time, planning to do it on my 120 gallon tank. Wish me luck.
I purchased the fluval. What ATO unit would work best? I'm new to the hobby so my next question is silly. I was under the impression when doing water changes that you should only add new ro/di water, as the salinity would remain in the tank. It seems from the video you are suggesting to make a new batch of salt water. Could you provide a bit more insight. Do you mix a new batch of saltwater depending on the amount of water change done?
Hey JC and thanks for the question. Good question. since it is a small tank, I would go with this one from Reef Breeders www.reefbreeders.com/shop/reef-breeders-exo-ato/ref/9/. I own two of them, and they are quite small. And no worries about the silly question! It's a confusing hobby. So there is a difference between replacing evaporated water and doing a water change. You are correct that freshwater will evaporate everyday, and that needs to be replaced everyday. But a water change is the removal of saltwater and then replacing it with new saltwater. Does that make sense? The purpose of a water change is to remove nitrates, and replenish major, minor and trace elements! I can't wait to see what you build! Feel free to DM me some pictures on Instagram! I would love to see them! @myfirstfishtank
Question.... I just bought a 100 gallon system and I currently have a 5 year established 20 gallon tank. Can I add my live rock, substrate and the established water along with some new artificial rock and new live substrate with 80 gallons of fresh saltwater and all my fish and coral from my established tank to the new tank without it doing mini cycle? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hey, thanks for the question. Quick answer... Yes. You will inevitably see some small swings as the new rock and substrate get cycled, but then again, you may not. I wouldn't be surprised if you moved everything over, added the new rock and substrate, and then just had a fully cycled tank!
That totally depends on so many different factors. Each fish has its own lifespan, and each fish can do better or worse in captivity. But a well cared for saltwater fish can live for years, even decades!
Do you have any good online retailers I could look at in the UK? Red Sea makes some good cube options, but not sure what else you have across the pond. email me with a link. contact @ myfirstfishtank.com
This video saved me. Will be using it to make my first tank this weekend. Was able to get all of the equipment, especially the minor yet many things guides don’t tell you about because of this video. Feeling significantly more prepared. Thank you!
Do they make tanks with contoured bottoms yet? (Bowl shaped bottom) This would direct all waste to an opening at the bottom of the tank using gravity then sucked up to the filter system. Clean, Maintenance free reef tank
You know, they don't. But your idea sounds like the old under gravel filter. The problem was detritus always got trapped in the sandbed and caused more problems. I guess you could go with a bare bottom, but I'm still not sure all of that gunk would end up in one area. An interesting idea for sure!
It is the Arag Alive line from CaribSea. Here's the link. www.marinedepot.com/partners/idevaffiliate.php?id=102&url=2212. I use either the special grade or fiji pink
Now try to keep a marine tank stable. Believe it or not it is very difficult to maintain a saltwater fish tank. Fish in the ocean can shit all they want, but in a closed system like a fish tank, you better have deep pockets of lots of money!! It is a completely ball game than a fresh water fish aquarium.
@@mrbonanza3107 Actually, I think almost all countries use the metric system! Only a couple like the USA never made the shift! Metric is so much easier than our system!
True true! I know there are different laws in different areas, and a lot of people just don't live close enough! Do you get your saltwater from the ocean?
i live in saudi arabia, there used to be a couple of saltwater lfs but in the last year or so all have closed down :( i have a saltwater tank and everything is set up i just can’t get my hands on proper livestock like corals and even fish. the only saltwater fish available here are clarkii clowns and brackish water angels. any tips on where to get animals from?
Yeah, I look back at this video now and cringe. But it's such a popular video that I have to leave it up. If I was to do it again, and I'm sure I will, I would just jump right into the content. Thanks for commenting.
My First Fish Tank I personally don't find it that bad, don't worry. I'm having thoughts on constructing a fish tank once I move into the new house, I've recently moved to Rhode Island and I'm living in a temp home for now. Seems like complicated stuff but I'd be up for the challenge, seems like a wonderful hobby though. I love marine life, I find it fascinating, that's what pulled me into here. I might just adopt it as a new hobby!
I totally hear you. This video also over complicates it. It is definitely a challenging hobby, but you can do it much simpler than what I did. If you just get a glass box, and hang on the back filter, and a heater, you could easily keep a clown fish or two.
