new to salt water

[mkurgan]

i have kept freshwater tanks my whole life. I now want to set up my 30 gallon tank into saltwater, but i have NO CLUE how to. What do i need to do/buy? how much is everything?

[wanareef]

Read, Read ,Read - go s l o w. For your size tank, the most $$ put out (all depending what kind of corals you want) will be lights - weather PC's, VHO and/or Metal Halides. Then the other pieces of equipment.

But first of all you said saltwater- is that FOWLR or a reef tank Because depending on what you want will determine the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ you will spend. This is not a CHEAP hobby by any means, but if you are handy and can diy, as I have made a lot of the equipment you can save some $$. And like all things that start off as a hobby can be addicting and wanting to get a bigger tank to house all the animals that you have bought and traded for.
More $$$$$$$$.

I started off with a 100 aga from my freshwater days added a sump and fug and now I'm planing for a bigger tank. In wall plywood 350+. Some of the pieces of equipment I can take from my current setup and use them for the new tank. But everything I will have to make, bigger.

Back to the orginal question; is your tank going to be Fish Only With Live Rock (FOWLR) or a reef tank?

[thefatman]

also, has your tank EVER been treated for ich in the past? even if it was five years ago.. if so, you really should buy a new tank. and at 30 gallons the tank is the smallest of your payments.otherwise you may not ever be able to keep corals or inverts alive in the tank.

reason: ich medications contain copper. and copper is poisoness to corals/inverts. if you ever treated the tank, the copper will still be in the silicone seals and will leach back into the water. killing the livestock.