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Nano Saltwater Tank on a Budget!
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items Saltwater Tanks such an awesome addition to any home, but they can get pricey! Your startup cost will be the biggest chunk of change but once you get your set up going and find a care schedule that works for you they aren’t any more work then a fresh...
Sections
3
Needed Supplies
Add Ons
Livestock Recomendations
Needed Supplies
These are all the necessary items you will need to get your saltwater tank set up! Under each item I explain why and any more needed info!
Great tank for a great price- currently on sale!! This is a good tank size to start at or a 29 gallon. If you go smaller it will just be more work because your buffer system will be smaller. I personally would choose the 20 long over the 20 high to g...
Aqueon Standard Glass Rectangle Aquarium
Substrate! This is the exact substrate I have in my saltwater tank but there are different coarse sands available you can choose if you prefer something different. The depth of sand is up to your preference (general rule of thumb is 1 pound per gallo...
CARIBSEA Arag-Alive! Fiji Pink Aquarium Sand, 10-lb bag, 10-lb bag
The perfect light! This light is amazing, and a great price for how much some coral lights cost… This light is only necessary if you plan to add corals to your tank- since they live off of light. If you plan to only do fish and invertebrates you can ...
Hipargero 3rd Gen A029 30W LED Aquarium Light
Food I feed- I have a tank with fish, invertebrates and corals so this is a well balanced food for all of them! This 4oz bag will also last you a very long time. Must be kept frozen and I usually just break off a small chunk let it defrost in a small...
Reef Frenzy Nano 4oz Pack
The savior of starting a saltwater tank! This turbo start is a life saver, it speeds up your cycle which is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for saltwater. If you do not cycle your tank you WILL lose livestock. There are 4 different size container based on the s...
Fritz-Zyme TurboStart 900 - Fritz
Saltwater test kit is a must! This is not the same as a freshwater test kit. This kit comes with the basic things you’ll test the water for. Nitrate, ammonia, nitrite, and PH.
SALTWATER MASTER TEST KIT
Another essential product is a refractometer. You need this to check what you salinity is of your tank. People keep their salinity at different specific gravity or PPM but the general salinity is 0.025 specific gravity or 25 ppm. I check my tank regu...
Salinity Refractometer 0-100 PPT w/ ATC
Another essential additive is live rock, you will need 1 pound per gallon- so in a 20 gallon set up this 20 pound box will do the trick. I personally would always purchase it as dry rock (which is what I have attached). Some people go to their local ...
Dry Base Live Rock Box (20 lbs) South Seas - Caribsea
Filters are a personal preference! There are hundreds of different kinds of filtration systems.. hang on the back, internal filters, sumps, canisters.. for the purpose of this list which is a saltwater tank on a budget I highly recommend this interna...
AquaMiracle 3-Stage In-Tank Aquarium Filter
A MUST in any saltwater tank, you can absolutely not cut corners with your heater. A 50 watt heater is needed for a 20 gallon tank, this one is important because it is an adjustable heater. A preset heater will not work because most of them are prese...
Lifegard Aquatics Adjustable Quartz Glass Aquarium Heater, 50 Watts | Petco
The flow in a saltwater tank is very important, these powerhead are my favorite. They don’t clog or jam easily and they are super easy to clean. They are also affordable. You want your water circulated without any dead spots, corals need certain type...
Fluval CP1 Circulation Pump | Petco
This is a must if you want a successful reef tank! When buying coral you never know what microscopic eggs or pests will come along with it. Whether it’s a coral eating crab, vermetid snails, asterina starfish or bristle worms this coral dip will kill...
Red Sea 250ML Coral Induction Bath Dipx
Add Ons
These are add ons you can choose to buy but there are many alternatives or do it yourself which may involved more work.
A hack you didn’t know you needed! These Home depot buckets are perfect for mixing your saltwater, buying water at the fish store and doing water changes. The HOME DEPOT bucket is important because their lids are much better then Loews buckets- they ...
The Home Depot 5 Gallon Orange Homer Bucket 05GLHD2
Home depot orange lids attached for the buckets!
The Home Depot 5 gal. Orange Paint Bucket Lid 5GLD ORANGE LID for 5GL HOMER PAIL
This is the filter media I placed inside the internal power filter. This is not a necesssry purchase, the filter sponges will do the trick. I just felt like this helped me from hanging to clean less sponges and these hold less dirt then a sponge.
No...
Imagitarium Ceramic Filter Media, 10.6 oz
Salt if you choose to mix your own saltwater. This is what the majority of fish stores use in their tanks and what they sell by the gallon. I do not mix my own water. I highly recommend going to your local fish store and buying water by the gallon. Y...
Instant Ocean Reef Crystals Reef Salt for Reef Aquariums, Treats 50 Gallons
I have added this if you choose to make your own RODI water, this is a great one, it’s affordable and is more then enough for the intended purpose. But my overall recommendation, especially in a budget is to go buy your RODI water at your local fish ...
Aquatic Life RO Buddie 4-Stage RO/DI Filter
Protein skimmer, this is not NEEDED but is a good investment and a great recommendation. A protein skimmer remove dissolved compounds in your water will keep it cleaner and less nitrogen waste. If you don’t have one of these you may need to do more w...
Fluval® Sea Mini Protein Skimmer
Affordable auto top off system! This is not necessary as you can choose to add freshwater into your tank as needed but this will do it for you! These are very nice if you’re don’t want to mess with the tank every day or two.
JEBAO JEBATO-150 Smart Aquarium Auto Top off Water Refill System, Black
If you live in an area with frequent power outages or really cold winters I highly recommend getting a battery back up in case of emergency. Saltwater tanks don’t do well with no heat or water movement. This isn’t a necessary purchase I get your tank...
APC UPS 450VA Battery Backup Surge Protector, BN450M Backup Battery Power Supply, 6 Outlets
Livestock Recomendations
This is a great beginner coral at a great price from a great website! These corals grow quicker then most and will add some cool awesome colors to your tank!
Please note- you need a coral light to
house corals as they live off of certain light. I ha...
WWC Sunbeam Shuriken Zoanthids
Green star polyp is a GREAT beginner coral, they are hardy, affordable, fast growing, and look awesome in any tank. This is from a great website as well!
Please note- you need a coral light to house corals as they live off the light. I have attached ...
Neon Green Star Polyps Coral
Blue Death Palys are hardy, affordable (this one is currently on sale!) fast growing and look awesome! These guys like to be towards the bottom of your tank and can tolerate lower light.
Please note- you need a coral light to house corals as they li...
WWC Blue Death Palythoa
An awesome zoanthid that will add a burst of color in your tank. Zoanthids are hardy, grow faster than most corals and are affordable.
Please note- corals need a coral light to survive because they live off of light. I have attached a coral light I ...
WWC Oxides Zoanthids
Clownfish are a perfect addition to a 20 gallon tank. They typically live in pairs but can live signally as well. It is important to get fish that will not eat your corals or invertebrates so you can have a full functioning ecosystem (if you choose t...
Captive-Bred Ocellaris Clownfish
My best advice for clean up crew is this invert pack! You get a great variety of all the inverters I would recommend. Your clean up crew is important inna reef tank and to complete your nitrogen cycle, stir your sand and scavenge the bottom for any u...
General Clean Up Crew Invert Pack
Six line wrasses are great! They serve a purpose, are reef safe, add a pop of color and so much personality to your tank! They are known for eating bristle worms if they are in your tank (which most consider to be a nuisance). They are semi aggressiv...
Six Line Wrasse