Setup for a friend?

[TexmexVin590]

Can i get some info on a sw setup. My buddy wants to get a fishtank but he really likes the saltwater better than fresh. I need info like the best starter size tank, what easy equipment to use/maintain and what easy to maintain livestock there is out there.
thanks

[Darbex]

IMO the easiest and best is an AIO (All In One) like the JBJ cubes. Now easy level depends. FOWLR is probably the easiest all you have is fish. But its not necessarily the prettiest. For corals softies are easiest, like toadstools, zoas, shrooms. LPS would be on the moderate to hard level and SPS are the hardest. All depends on how much he wants to spend will dictate what the best approach. I had a JBJ nano, see my signature, I ran no skimmer and dosed alk, calc, and mg and kept SPS no problems but if params get off things can get out of control real quick as was demonstrated in my switch to my 34G tank.

[RocketSurgeon]

To some degree, the larger the better, for more stable parameters. I don't know that I would start with anything less than 30 or 40 gallons. My first saltwater tank was a 75 gallon.

Corals require more light than a fish ony or FOWLR. Something else to consider. Proper test kits and additives, refractometer, QT tanks...Everything adds up quick, and that's before we ever put water in the tank.

[TexmexVin590]

Cool...so i'm guessing that skimmers on a small tank are nice but not required?

[Darbex]

IMO As long as your bio load is low skimmers are never required. But if you want to make life easier and want a high bio load then skimmers become more of a necessity.