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Is it necasary to have live rock and coral ina saltwater fish tank2007-11-24 23:11:34

live rock doesnt come to cheap and neither does the coral so i was wondering if you NEED any of it in a tank.

and what would be a good fish to use to cycle out a tank?

i also want to use crushed coral for the substrate..how much?

i have a 30 gallon fish tank.

Answers:

it is not a necessity. live rock and coral are additions to the artificial ecosystem you are creating.

use damsels to cycle your tank.

for the substrate, 1-2 inches thick across the entire tank should be ok.

30 gal is ok, but rather small for a saltwater tank. the larger the tank, the more stable. test often to make sure you stay within safe zone for nitrates/ammonia/etc, get a very good filter and do frequent water changes and you should be ok as long as you do not overpopulate the tank (for a 30g, no more than 5-6 fish for best results)

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It is not necessary to have live rock in a fish only Aquarium. A hang on back (HOB) filter will be sufficient. Also corals are not needed either. Make certain that the fish you purchase are ok to live without a reef. Many fish will feed off of the live rock that comes with a reef tank so make certain to stay away from those fish.

As for the crushed coral you should add 1lbs per gallon or in your case 30lbs. You can decided if that is too much or not enough for your taste, as in a fish only tank it is merely cosmetic.

Cycle the tank with a shrimp from the grocery store. That way you do not need to worry about your fish dying. If you feel you have to go the live fish route, try a Three Stripe Damsel as they are resiliant to water quality issues and may survive the cycle.