Tulip's Topic of Answeerss :)

[Deleted User 3]

Should be getting live rock 6/3

 

HAVE ..

10 gal aquarium with hood

Whisper Power Filter with carbon filter media & sponge thing.

Light full-spec for salt & fresh

Net

Thermometers (one on each side because i'm OCD)

Food (i got marine flakes)

Aragonite Sand 10 lbs

5gal bucket

gravel cleaner/water changer thing

Test kit

3 lbs instant ocean salt

Jager 75W heater

Algae Scrubber

 

DO NOT HAVE YET list

live rock/dry rock

hydrometer/refractometer-ordering floating from

 

Future tank inhabitants list

1 Clown Goby

1 False Clown Fish (or 2 instead of the clown goby)

1 Skunk/Striped Cleaner Shrimp

1 CUC

+ hitchhikers that may come with my LR.

 

 

 

 

 

Eventually (like a couple years down the line if everything goes good), i want to upgrade and move everything to a larger tank , build tank myself (im handy), maybe a 55G. & build a custom stand, sump with my 10 gal i have now etc. Then i'm going to get a blue tang, and some corals, and some more things.

[iball1804]

Below are the basic necessities of a reef tank.

 

- Tank (Glass or Acrylic)

- Water (There are many different salts and DO NOT USE TAP WATER. Distilled or RO/DI is best)

- Water Movement of some sort (via Powerhead, Filter, or other. I'd not recommend a bubbler or air pump because the amount of salt creep it creates is nuts!)

- Test Kits (to watch and keep the water parameters in check)

- Live Rock (LR- natural environment and filtration)

- Live Sand (LS- Optional)

- Heater (heats the water, wattage depends on tank size)

- Miscellaneous (thermometer, hydrometer - or even better, refractometer, etc.)

 

But like you said, the above equipment are even scraping the surface of the reefing world.

[Cnebo]

+1

 

You won't be needing the air pump or air stones, nor the plastic decorations. The power filter will be enough for aeration for that size tank. The only additional items you will need are some substrate, live rock, power head, salt mix, Test kit and some better lighting.

 

A protein skimmer will not be necessary for a 10 gallon since frequent water changes will be done.

[iball1804]

A protein skimmer will not be necessary for a 10 gallon since frequent water changes will be done.

Ahh I forgot to address this. +1

[Deleted User 3]

+1

 

You won't be needing the air pump or air stones, nor the plastic decorations. The power filter will be enough for aeration for that size tank. The only additional items you will need are some substrate, live rock, power head, salt mix, Test kit and some better lighting.

 

A protein skimmer will not be necessary for a 10 gallon since frequent water changes will be done.

 

 

Water changes? I thought that's what the filter was for? Also, so no bubbler, whats a power head? I need a heater i know, and live sand & rock, why don't i want to use the plastic decor?

[TeflonTomDosh]

Water changes? I thought that's what the filter was for? Also, so no bubbler, whats a power head? I need a heater i know, and live sand & rock, why don't i want to use the plastic decor?

Cause you're gonna have fish in the tank, not barbie dolls. Plus, it's ugly, and they tend to accumulate detritus, algae, and other undesirables.

[patback]

Read through the library on this site to get a feel. Since you have the heater, the minimal setup would cost you about somewhere In the ballpark of 250.

 

Cheap light or DIY led~100

Rock~100 ( shoot for 1.5-2 lbs of Rock per gallon if you have no sand or filter/skimmer)

Power head/s~ 40

Hydrometer~ 5

Thermometer~ 5

 

I highly, highly suggest a refractometer though, which you can get from premium aquatics for 45.

[jedimasterben]

Water changes? I thought that's what the filter was for?

This shows that you are not ready to set anything up. You need to start doing some research on setup, maintenance, etc.

[patback]

This shows that you are not ready to set anything up. You need to start doing some research on setup, maintenance, etc.

+1. Your supposed to do water changed in freshwater also. Just not as often.

[tennis20]

What filter media are you going to use

[jedimasterben]

+1. Your supposed to do water changed in freshwater also. Just not as often.

 

Water changes are just as frequently needed as in saltwater, even if you have a heavily planted tank. Although, since I added a couple of bits of floating salvinia to my planted tank about 8 months ago, I have never, ever seen a nitrate reading no matter how often I fed, how much I fed, how many fish were in the tank. Wish it were that easy in saltwater!

[Deleted User 3]

Cause you're gonna have fish in the tank, not barbie dolls. Plus, it's ugly, and they tend to accumulate detritus, algae, and other undesirables.

 

Makes sense, but then they wont have much to hide in/swim around.

 

What filter media are you going to use

 

It says in my post. A power filter is what im using, it should be good for flow, and filtration..

 

This shows that you are not ready to set anything up. You need to start doing some research on setup, maintenance, etc.

 

 

It does huh. I have been doing research, but I have a 10 gallon tank, so i keep getting different answers. I thought the filter would be the reason you don't have to dump the water out completely, as that would interrupt all of the setting up i would be doing. And I'm not setting one up right NOW. I am reading, researching, asking all before I even attempt, as i want to make sure I'm well prepared. Maybe you should have read my post better. Right now, I am concerned with what i need to set up with, not water changes, etc. That will come once i have all the information to set up, then i will write down step #2 #3, etc.

 

Read through the library on this site to get a feel. Since you have the heater, the minimal setup would cost you about somewhere In the ballpark of 250.

 

Cheap light or DIY led~100

Rock~100 ( shoot for 1.5-2 lbs of Rock per gallon if you have no sand or filter/skimmer)

Power head/s~ 40

Hydrometer~ 5

Thermometer~ 5

 

I highly, highly suggest a refractometer though, which you can get from premium aquatics for 45.

 

Please read my post. I don't (do not) have a heater, i have tons of other things. I listed them in my post for this reason

[patback]

No. YOU Reread your post. It is Written that you have a heater, and it as blatant as the fact that you did no research. I was trying to be helpful but it seems like you just want people to say " yeah, go ahead and set up what you have". You are going ass backwards when it comes to all this. A salt tank, ESPECIALLY with an anenome in it is ALOT of work, you should look up the maintenance BEFORE you worry about anything else.

 

 

 

 

Nice job fixing your mistakes in your edit also.

[MetaTank]

I agree, before you decide to set up a saltwater tank, you should do all the research into maintenance aqnd care...

 

It's a lot of work, and if you're not up to the task, it would be unfair of you to buy fish and let them live in a piss poor environment. We have a responsibility to the animals we decide to keep, since we are solely responsible for whether or not they survive and thrive, or suffer and die.

 

Yes, you need to change out some of the water every week...You do not need to "dump" the tank out, but rather siphon about 20-40% of the water into a bucket. You should also have a fresh bucket of mixed saltwater standing by to replace the water you remove, that has been heated to your tanks temperature and matches your tanks salinity.

 

Your "power filter" is just moving water around, it's not really filtering out much...Maybe some organics will be removed if you run carbon, but you should look into a produce called ChemiPure Elite...Basically carbon with a little GFO(Granulated ferric oxide) asdded to aid in some phosphate removal. The real "filtration" is being done by the live rock, which harbors the bacteria for the nitrogen cycle...

 

You DO know about the nitrogen cycle, right? How toxic ammonia is broken down into slightly less toxic nitrite, which in turn is broken down into nitrates(which are removed through water changes!!)...Important stuff for tank keepers...

 

Good Luck!

[jedimasterben]

Makes sense, but then they wont have much to hide in/swim around.

 

 

 

It says in my post. A power filter is what im using, it should be good for flow, and filtration..

 

 

 

 

It does huh. I have been doing research, but I have a 10 gallon tank, so i keep getting different answers. I thought the filter would be the reason you don't have to dump the water out completely, as that would interrupt all of the setting up i would be doing. And I'm not setting one up right NOW. I am reading, researching, asking all before I even attempt, as i want to make sure I'm well prepared. Maybe you should have read my post better. Right now, I am concerned with what i need to set up with, not water changes, etc. That will come once i have all the information to set up, then i will write down step #2 #3, etc.

 

 

 

Please read my post. I don't (do not) have a heater, i have tons of other things. I listed them in my post for this reason

Having a 10g tank and a "power filter" doesn't mean anything, and it definitely doesn't mean you won't need to do ater changes. Since you have a small tank, you will need to make sure you water changes weekly, and you will need to top off the tank to replace evaporated water daily to avoid sings in salinity. Something can go wrong in a 10g tank way faster than you think, and its something you need to plan for. Have water premixed and on hand will be necessary (or if you buy water from your LFS).

 

Stay away from gaudy plastic decorations, they are distracting from the inhabitants of the tank, which should be the focus. Your rockwork hardscape will give the fish plenty of room to swim around and through, and give them plenty of places to hide if need be. Now, I'm not saying that all decorations are off limits, I mean, I have a moai with an encrusting montipora placed on top so that it will eventually cover the whole thing, stuff like that is really cool.

 

HOB filters aren't enough circulation for corals, not in a 10g tank, which is why you will need at least one powerhead. In that size tank, something like Koralia Nanos would be good, and they are inexpensive. I would also ditch BOTH of the filters you listed and purchase an Aquaclear 50 or 70 filter and turn it into a refugium, adding macroalgaes such as chaeto will help keep your tank more stable and reduce excess organics in the water. Also do not use the air pumps, they are unnecessary in both freshwater and saltwater.

 

You can definitely use a protein skimmer, especially if you will want an anemone host for a clownfish eventually, which I would not recommend in a 10g tank. The anemones that host clownfish need awesome lighting (your entire budget and then some for lighting alone), just the right amount of flow, and grow larger than your tank, and they require stability and little nitrate above all things, or else they will deteriorate. For your tank size, I would recommend mini-maxi carpet anemones, but they do NOT host any species of clownfish.

 

This is just the beginning of recommendations, but I am glad you made a thread asking for advice rather than "omg I put a nemo in my tank I set up a few hours ago and he died!!" Thread.

[SyCo_VeNoM]

what do you consider an appropriate hood light? Also what power filter?

 

Trust me when I made mine 4-5 months ago I thought I had appropriate light from a CF bulb that was on the tank prior when it was Fresh water. Turns out I had no where near the proper lighting, and now after I've spent over $80 in experimentation with LED's(and many hours soldering) I now have a decent LED setup that seems to be doing well(and cost me only $20 in parts for the current setup). If you are good at soldering, have heatsinks laying around off computer processors(I'm talking P4 heatsinks), and making parts you can make your own light relatively cheap. My current (on a 5 gallon) is a 10W actinic LED I got for $9 shipped, and a $10 power supply (not counting the Pentium 4 heatsink I had laying around for the LED, and mounting equipment I had to build out of parts laying around). Sucker is so bright its not funny (almost blinded myself on the test) and my zoas, and mushrooms love it and their colors look vibrant now(they were quite dull prior).

 

I wouldn't go anemone if I were you I did a lot of research on them, and after reading some of the horror stories about when they go they can crash a tank literally in hours. Every place I read said starters should stick with Zoa's, and mushroom corals seeing they are both hearty corals that can take a bit of abuse before dying. They are also colorful, and can be had generally pretty cheap.

 

Decorations, after you add in the 10-12 lbs of live rock, and lay it out I doubt you would have much room for those cheesy plastic decorations

 

As for water changes yes weekly. Unlike freshwater which I find you can skip out on due to most things being pretty hearty, and do it every other week. Saltwater stuff is more temperamental to small changes in water parameters(specially anemones) in a tiny tank.

 

As they others said Saltwater is a lot of work, but with how it looks I find it worthwhile. If you are not willing to take the time to properly do it you might as well donate the cash to an animal shelter so it does some good instead of flushing it down the toilet you will do if you do it half ass.

 

BTW do yourself a favor, and get the gloves for SW tanks(specially if you go with zoa's) as a lot of things in SW are poisonous. One thing I read the prettier, and more vibrant something looks in the tank the more dangerous it is to touch. A few weeks back I was wondering why I felt sick daily. Turns out I was probably getting sick from putting my hand int he tank to put my zoa back right side up. After I stopped doing that for a few days my illness went away. Also get some forceps or BBQ grill tongs so if something falls over you don't have to put your hand in.

[Deleted User 3]

No. YOU Reread your post. It is Written that you have a heater, and it as blatant as the fact that you did no research. I was trying to be helpful but it seems like you just want people to say " yeah, go ahead and set up what you have". You are going ass backwards when it comes to all this. A salt tank, ESPECIALLY with an anenome in it is ALOT of work, you should look up the maintenance BEFORE you worry about anything else.

 

 

 

 

Nice job fixing your mistakes in your edit also.

 

No, i JUST started researching. I wanted to make SURE i have the things i need FIRST, and then ill write a checklist for setup. I am only at step one, im not going to set up the tank for atleast a year or more! Im gathering information, and yes I put the heater on the i do not have list as i looked in the thing recently and saw i dont have one. Also, you said it'll run me 250, since i ONLY have a heater, of which i do not only have a heater.. i dont have that turns out, but i have the rest of what i listed. I checked off what they said i dont need also..

 

 

I agree, before you decide to set up a saltwater tank, you should do all the research into maintenance aqnd care...

 

It's a lot of work, and if you're not up to the task, it would be unfair of you to buy fish and let them live in a piss poor environment. We have a responsibility to the animals we decide to keep, since we are solely responsible for whether or not they survive and thrive, or suffer and die.

 

Yes, you need to change out some of the water every week...You do not need to "dump" the tank out, but rather siphon about 20-40% of the water into a bucket. You should also have a fresh bucket of mixed saltwater standing by to replace the water you remove, that has been heated to your tanks temperature and matches your tanks salinity.

 

Your "power filter" is just moving water around, it's not really filtering out much...Maybe some organics will be removed if you run carbon, but you should look into a produce called ChemiPure Elite...Basically carbon with a little GFO(Granulated ferric oxide) asdded to aid in some phosphate removal. The real "filtration" is being done by the live rock, which harbors the bacteria for the nitrogen cycle...

 

You DO know about the nitrogen cycle, right? How toxic ammonia is broken down into slightly less toxic nitrite, which in turn is broken down into nitrates(which are removed through water changes!!)...Important stuff for tank keepers...

 

Good Luck!

 

Thank you, this is what i was asking for. I haven't researched much yet. I'm just trying to compile a list of the equipment & stuff i need, before i even think about setting it up. I have much much more research to look at, no where in my original post did i say i was setting up TODAY I just meant in the future. Thank you!

[Deleted User 3]

Having a 10g tank and a "power filter" doesn't mean anything, and it definitely doesn't mean you won't need to do ater changes. Since you have a small tank, you will need to make sure you water changes weekly, and you will need to top off the tank to replace evaporated water daily to avoid sings in salinity. Something can go wrong in a 10g tank way faster than you think, and its something you need to plan for. Have water premixed and on hand will be necessary (or if you buy water from your LFS).

 

Stay away from gaudy plastic decorations, they are distracting from the inhabitants of the tank, which should be the focus. Your rockwork hardscape will give the fish plenty of room to swim around and through, and give them plenty of places to hide if need be. Now, I'm not saying that all decorations are off limits, I mean, I have a moai with an encrusting montipora placed on top so that it will eventually cover the whole thing, stuff like that is really cool.

 

HOB filters aren't enough circulation for corals, not in a 10g tank, which is why you will need at least one powerhead. In that size tank, something like Koralia Nanos would be good, and they are inexpensive. I would also ditch BOTH of the filters you listed and purchase an Aquaclear 50 or 70 filter and turn it into a refugium, adding macroalgaes such as chaeto will help keep your tank more stable and reduce excess organics in the water. Also do not use the air pumps, they are unnecessary in both freshwater and saltwater.

 

You can definitely use a protein skimmer, especially if you will want an anemone host for a clownfish eventually, which I would not recommend in a 10g tank. The anemones that host clownfish need awesome lighting (your entire budget and then some for lighting alone), just the right amount of flow, and grow larger than your tank, and they require stability and little nitrate above all things, or else they will deteriorate. For your tank size, I would recommend mini-maxi carpet anemones, but they do NOT host any species of clownfish.

 

This is just the beginning of recommendations, but I am glad you made a thread asking for advice rather than "omg I put a nemo in my tank I set up a few hours ago and he died!!" Thread.

 

Yes i read that 10gals are hard to do because with a bigger water area the issues are less and easier to correct. Well reading a 'list' of what you need to start a saltwater aquarium they didn't mention a power head. They said for a little tank like mine, the power filter will move the water around and help filter, as well as the live rock will help. I'm getting the live sand to help keep it more balanced also, as it has that special bacteria that help. And oooh i see! I knew about the topping up for evap, but didn't know i needed to partial change, thank you I'm sure i'd find it out when i researched what to do after it's established, etc

 

I didn't think i was having any corals, maybe live rock is coral. Oh the names for things. I'm just having two fish, and base live rocks and live sand. Also i dont plan on doing an anemone as the lady i spoke to at the pet store says both of hers have died as they're tricky, and not good for my size (see i do research you know.. ) I just started thinking about this, and my grandma wanted to get rid of some of her stuff. Also, most of the forums ive read said some of the equipment i dont have is just fine, so i'm lost as to which is true.

 

Also, yes i wouldn't ever try something first without knowing everything. This is my step 1, the equipment and things to set up (but i wont set up, i just need the list), and then #2 running it until everytning is perfect #3 adding live rock and the cleaner shrimp for a month or so, and then adding fish, and then researching upkeet (All researched and well known about before i actually do anything).

I'm only getting a clown fish as they said they are hardy (the false clown) for beginners, and the shrimp so It can help clean.

 

Thank you!!

[MetaTank]

Thank you, this is what i was asking for. I haven't researched much yet. I'm just trying to compile a list of the equipment & stuff i need, before i even think about setting it up. I have much much more research to look at, no where in my original post did i say i was setting up TODAY I just meant in the future. Thank you!

No problem, don't let some people on here turn you off to the hobby, they're just used to seeing people post problems they have encountered that would have been solved or prevented with basic research. They're just jaded by all the newbs killing animals that deserved to live. There is a ton of great info on the sight, I suggest checking out the search feature, just click the box that says "search post title only"

 

Meta

[Deleted User 3]

what do you consider an appropriate hood light? Also what power filter?

 

Trust me when I made mine 4-5 months ago I thought I had appropriate light from a CF bulb that was on the tank prior when it was Fresh water. Turns out I had no where near the proper lighting, and now after I've spent over $80 in experimentation with LED's(and many hours soldering) I now have a decent LED setup that seems to be doing well(and cost me only $20 in parts for the current setup). If you are good at soldering, have heatsinks laying around off computer processors(I'm talking P4 heatsinks), and making parts you can make your own light relatively cheap. My current (on a 5 gallon) is a 10W actinic LED I got for $9 shipped, and a $10 power supply (not counting the Pentium 4 heatsink I had laying around for the LED, and mounting equipment I had to build out of parts laying around). Sucker is so bright its not funny (almost blinded myself on the test) and my zoas, and mushrooms love it and their colors look vibrant now(they were quite dull prior).

 

I wouldn't go anemone if I were you I did a lot of research on them, and after reading some of the horror stories about when they go they can crash a tank literally in hours. Every place I read said starters should stick with Zoa's, and mushroom corals seeing they are both hearty corals that can take a bit of abuse before dying. They are also colorful, and can be had generally pretty cheap.

 

Decorations, after you add in the 10-12 lbs of live rock, and lay it out I doubt you would have much room for those cheesy plastic decorations

 

As for water changes yes weekly. Unlike freshwater which I find you can skip out on due to most things being pretty hearty, and do it every other week. Saltwater stuff is more temperamental to small changes in water parameters(specially anemones) in a tiny tank.

 

As they others said Saltwater is a lot of work, but with how it looks I find it worthwhile. If you are not willing to take the time to properly do it you might as well donate the cash to an animal shelter so it does some good instead of flushing it down the toilet you will do if you do it half ass.

 

BTW do yourself a favor, and get the gloves for SW tanks(specially if you go with zoa's) as a lot of things in SW are poisonous. One thing I read the prettier, and more vibrant something looks in the tank the more dangerous it is to touch. A few weeks back I was wondering why I felt sick daily. Turns out I was probably getting sick from putting my hand int he tank to put my zoa back right side up. After I stopped doing that for a few days my illness went away. Also get some forceps or BBQ grill tongs so if something falls over you don't have to put your hand in.

 

The pet shop looked at my light and said it was fine for what im having. I dont have ANYTHING but clown fish, the cleaner shrimp and live rock (with no things added on). I'm not having mushrooms or anything like that. Just the fish, not a reef Also yes as i said on the last post im ditching the anemone! Thank you for your advice and the gloves good idea, but im sticking to a fish only type set up

 

 

No problem, don't let some people on here turn you off to the hobby, they're just used to seeing people post problems they have encountered that would have been solved or prevented with basic research. They're just jaded by all the newbs killing animals that deserved to live. There is a ton of great info on the sight, I suggest checking out the search feature, just click the box that says "search post title only"

 

Meta

 

Yep I understand that! I would never spend the money on an animal, with it just going to die, which is common, I want to make sure my set up is cheaper, but decent for the hardy false clown fish i am getting. Thank you for the tip again

[jedimasterben]

Yes i read that 10gals are hard to do because with a bigger water area the issues are less and easier to correct. Well reading a 'list' of what you need to start a saltwater aquarium they didn't mention a power head. They said for a little tank like mine, the power filter will move the water around and help filter, as well as the live rock will help. I'm getting the live sand to help keep it more balanced also, as it has that special bacteria that help. And oooh i see! I knew about the topping up for evap, but didn't know i needed to partial change, thank you I'm sure i'd find it out when i researched what to do after it's established, etc

 

I didn't think i was having any corals, maybe live rock is coral. Oh the names for things. I'm just having two fish, and base live rocks and live sand. Also i dont plan on doing an anemone as the lady i spoke to at the pet store says both of hers have died as they're tricky, and not good for my size (see i do research you know.. ) I just started thinking about this, and my grandma wanted to get rid of some of her stuff. Also, most of the forums ive read said some of the equipment i dont have is just fine, so i'm lost as to which is true.

 

Also, yes i wouldn't ever try something first without knowing everything. This is my step 1, the equipment and things to set up (but i wont set up, i just need the list), and then #2 running it until everytning is perfect #3 adding live rock and the cleaner shrimp for a month or so, and then adding fish, and then researching upkeet (All researched and well known about before i actually do anything).

I'm only getting a clown fish as they said they are hardy (the false clown) for beginners, and the shrimp so It can help clean.

 

Thank you!!

So you are not doing a reef, so what you are doing is called a FOWLR tank - Fish Only With Live Rock.

 

Live rock is, essentially, just rock that has your nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria living on it (these bacteria are what do the nitrogen cycle for you, converting ammonia from poo and wasted food into nitrite, and then into nitrate, and then that breaks down into O2 and N2), it's not technically a coral.

 

If you're doing a FOWLR tank, then your list is going to be much shorter, and tank requirements are much less than we have started on here.

 

You can use the HOB (hang on back) filters you have, but I would still recommend using an Aquaclear 50/70, as they are reliable filters and you can still convert them into a refugium to help lower nitrate levels (nitrate is not toxic to fish until it gets to ludicrous levels, 200ppm or more, but shrimp, crabs, snails and the like can only handle 40ppm or so before they start stressing out). You won't need a power head for circulation, and your lighting can be literally anything - you can use basic CFLs if you don't mind it looking more yellow, or you can get a 50/50 CFL from Petco or your LFS to make the tank look more blue than yellow. You can also use a flourescent strip light, and you'll have a seemingly unlimited amount of choices when it comes to color.

 

Step one for you should not be to purchase needed equipment - I would continue your research and figure out if this is really what you want to do.

 

The first thing you need to do if you do indeed set this up, make sure your filter is the one you want (again recommending the Aquaclear), fill with saltwater, either buying salt and RO water and mixing yourself, or purchasing from an LFS, add your sand and rock (you don't need live sand or live rock, no matter what anyone says. Will they make your cycle faster? Maybe, maybe not. If you do anything, get a very small amount of live rock, with the rest being base rock [same thing, just not "live"], and just regular sand [i like black sand, makes your fish and other inhabitants stand out more, but some say that it is harder to keep looking nice]), and then wait it out. Purchase a basic test kit (API makes an inexpensive one that would be great for what you need) and test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels every few days until you detect no ammonia or nitrite, and then you can slowly begin adding livestock, starting with your cleanup crew, which should consist of snails and hermit crabs. Cleaner shrimp are called such not because they clean your tank, but they pick parasites and such off of fish if the fish will allow it. They are also scavengers, but won't do near as good of a job as dwarf cerith snails, nassarius snails, and hermit crabs. I would not recommend getting one unless you are able to keep your nitrate level low, or else you'll have purchased a very expensive shrimp just to watch it wither away.

 

After your cleanup crew has been in the tank for a week or two, then you can add a fish. I would do a true percula clownfish instead of an occelaris ("false" percula"). They do not grow as large and are much sharper looking - darker blacks and more vibrant coloration. After it is in the tank, I would wait at least two weeks before adding another fish. If you pick another clownfish, make sure it is the same species as you already have, and make sure that it is smaller than your current clown, as this will possibly save you some hassle and maybe even save you from pulling a dead fish out later.

 

I think that's all for now, at least that I can think of. Just keep doing research.

[Deleted User 3]

So you are not doing a reef, so what you are doing is called a FOWLR tank - Fish Only With Live Rock.

 

Live rock is, essentially, just rock that has your nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria living on it (these bacteria are what do the nitrogen cycle for you, converting ammonia from poo and wasted food into nitrite, and then into nitrate, and then that breaks down into O2 and N2), it's not technically a coral.

 

If you're doing a FOWLR tank, then your list is going to be much shorter, and tank requirements are much less than we have started on here.

 

You can use the HOB (hang on back) filters you have, but I would still recommend using an Aquaclear 50/70, as they are reliable filters and you can still convert them into a refugium to help lower nitrate levels (nitrate is not toxic to fish until it gets to ludicrous levels, 200ppm or more, but shrimp, crabs, snails and the like can only handle 40ppm or so before they start stressing out). You won't need a power head for circulation, and your lighting can be literally anything - you can use basic CFLs if you don't mind it looking more yellow, or you can get a 50/50 CFL from Petco or your LFS to make the tank look more blue than yellow. You can also use a flourescent strip light, and you'll have a seemingly unlimited amount of choices when it comes to color.

 

Step one for you should not be to purchase needed equipment - I would continue your research and figure out if this is really what you want to do.

 

The first thing you need to do if you do indeed set this up, make sure your filter is the one you want (again recommending the Aquaclear), fill with saltwater, either buying salt and RO water and mixing yourself, or purchasing from an LFS, add your sand and rock (you don't need live sand or live rock, no matter what anyone says. Will they make your cycle faster? Maybe, maybe not. If you do anything, get a very small amount of live rock, with the rest being base rock [same thing, just not "live"], and just regular sand [i like black sand, makes your fish and other inhabitants stand out more, but some say that it is harder to keep looking nice]), and then wait it out. Purchase a basic test kit (API makes an inexpensive one that would be great for what you need) and test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels every few days until you detect no ammonia or nitrite, and then you can slowly begin adding livestock, starting with your cleanup crew, which should consist of snails and hermit crabs. Cleaner shrimp are called such not because they clean your tank, but they pick parasites and such off of fish if the fish will allow it. They are also scavengers, but won't do near as good of a job as dwarf cerith snails, nassarius snails, and hermit crabs. I would not recommend getting one unless you are able to keep your nitrate level low, or else you'll have purchased a very expensive shrimp just to watch it wither away.

 

After your cleanup crew has been in the tank for a week or two, then you can add a fish. I would do a true percula clownfish instead of an occelaris ("false" percula"). They do not grow as large and are much sharper looking - darker blacks and more vibrant coloration. After it is in the tank, I would wait at least two weeks before adding another fish. If you pick another clownfish, make sure it is the same species as you already have, and make sure that it is smaller than your current clown, as this will possibly save you some hassle and maybe even save you from pulling a dead fish out later.

 

I think that's all for now, at least that I can think of. Just keep doing research.

 

Thank you, very helpful!

Yes it is what i want to do, It will take a little while before i can get the live sand/rock so i have more time to research Even while my tank is just live sand & water & live rock i can research yet. & this is why i posted the original post, because it was sooo hard to find my exact setup I want, and things i need with my fish, my tank size, not a reef but a fish only live rock setup! So I don't necessarily need live rock you say?.. I'm going to do live sand because hopefully with a smaller tank it'll keep it more balanced, I think i'll do what you say though and do a couple peices of live rock and some base rock, the live rock will eventually turn the base rock live also, right? I heard the live sand does the same thing, so should I get all base rock and have the sand turn it over?.

 

Thanks! Good idea. Why the real clown fish as opposed to the occelaris? I was told for me as a beginner to do the false one as it's hardier.

 

Also, which type of snail should I use? & How will i be able to put a shrimp in eventually, just monitoring my nitrate level for a couple months and see what the average is and if its always under the 40?

 

Thanks so much! <3

[jedimasterben]

Thank you, very helpful!

Yes it is what i want to do, It will take a little while before i can get the live sand/rock so i have more time to research Even while my tank is just live sand & water & live rock i can research yet. & this is why i posted the original post, because it was sooo hard to find my exact setup I want, and things i need with my fish, my tank size, not a reef but a fish only live rock setup! So I don't necessarily need live rock you say?.. I'm going to do live sand because hopefully with a smaller tank it'll keep it more balanced, I think i'll do what you say though and do a couple peices of live rock and some base rock, the live rock will eventually turn the base rock live also, right? I heard the live sand does the same thing, so should I get all base rock and have the sand turn it over?.

 

Thanks! Good idea. Why the real clown fish as opposed to the occelaris? I was told for me as a beginner to do the false one as it's hardier.

 

Also, which type of snail should I use? & How will i be able to put a shrimp in eventually, just monitoring my nitrate level for a couple months and see what the average is and if its always under the 40?

 

Thanks so much! <3

Live sand is technically the same as live rock - it has some bacteria already living on it when you buy it. Your tank will be no more stable than if you bought regular sand and once your cycle is complete, you will have live sand. Your wallet will thank you, as well.

 

Live rock = $6-12 per pound

Live sand = $2-3 per pound

 

Dry rock = $1.50-2.50 per pound

Sand = $.25-1 per pound

 

You'll want to do a 1" layer of live sand in your tank (maybe 10-15 pounds or so, just try it and see), and you'll want 10 pounds of rock. I would recommend rock that looks like this:

 

It is porous all the way through it and will have lots of what are called anaerobic/anoxic areas, basically means without oxygen or low oxygen, that let bacteria colonate and convert nitrate into N2 and O2. Your LFS should have dry rock that looks like that, grab a few small pieces of that and maybe a small (like palm-sized) hunk of "live" rock (make sure they keep it submerged at all times or it will not be "live" rock anymore, have them put it into a little baggie with water in it like they do with fish), and then put them in the tank arranged how you like. The possibilities of scapes are endless, this is where most people spend hours of time, just figuring out where they want the rocks to go!

 

True percula clowns, like I mentioned above, are smaller than the ocellaris clowns (only slightly, though, a 1/2" smaller) and are more vibrantly colored, especially if they are wild caught. They are both very hardy - my pair survived a full cycle (I would NOT recommend that, though).

 

As for snails, you can order a quick crew from John at Reefcleaners.org . He is a nice guy, has amazing prices, and always gives extras (especially dwarf cerith snails, I was supposed to get 45x, I stopped counting at 315!). http://reefcleaners.org/index.php?page=sho...t&Itemid=34

 

I would put in the cleaner shrimp last - that way you already have your tank stocked with your clowns and you know your routine - feeding, water changes, parameters, etc. As long as your nitrate keeps on the lower side, a shrimpie should be fine.

[SyCo_VeNoM]

As for snails, you can order a quick crew from John at Reefcleaners.org . He is a nice guy, has amazing prices, and always gives extras (especially dwarf cerith snails, I was supposed to get 45x, I stopped counting at 315!). http://reefcleaners.org/index.php?page=sho...t&Itemid=34

yea you are not kidding I got an order the other week from them ordered 14 dwarf cerith snails I stopped counting at 50 and at least 3-6 more of every other type that was in the package.

[TeflonTomDosh]

This is like the perfect 10 gallon set up. Minus the anemone.

 

 

This is like the perfect 10 gallon set up. Minus the anemone.

 

I wonder how many back n forths in a 10gal make 25 miles in a day? :lol: :lol: