How much would a basic saltwater tank setup cost?
Hello; The initial cost of a saltwater tank is the same as a freshwater tank. The only added cost is the salt and the higher cost of marine fish as very few are grown on farms and most all come from the sea. Filters are the same and only when you get into reefs or a lot of livestock do you need extras like a protein skimmer ($75.00) and maybe a sump or refugium to hold things that help clean your water. A fish only tank (FO) or a fish only with live rock (FOWLR) is a good starting point. Live rock will cost you $3.00 to $5.00 a pound and can get expensive. A little at a time is fine. I see 1-gallon Micro-Reefs and 500-gallon fish only tanks. Size makes no difference. Filtering and heating a small tank — less than 10-gallons takes some creativity. Start slow and have some patience — let the tank cycle and then add livestock slowly — only 1/2 inch of fish per gallon in a salt tank. Remember some marine fish grow large and this must be taken into consideration when adding livestock.
