Jump to content
Cultivated Reef

I am new and need some help deciding


Osha

Recommended Posts

I have a 55 gallon freshwater and a few years of experience with freshwater. 
 

I have an extra 10 gallon tank (and a 5.5 if that would be better) that I was looking to turn to saltwater. I have found most of the stuff I need and am looking for a good light under $50 (if possible), what corals to use (preferably ones for beginners), and what fish should I get? Is a dwarf Pygmy coral beauty angelfish good for beginners? I see that it is used a lot in nano-reefs.

 

I have also seen that you should not use tap water to fill a saltwater tank, is this true?

  • Like 1
Link to comment
CollegeReefer

Hey,


Glad to hear you are showing interest in saltwater! I would say the 10 gallon is definitely better than the 5.5g. A lot of people will tell you that the larger the size the easier it is to take care of the tank. I would maybe look into going for something a bit larger than the 10g if possible, especially for your first time. 

 

Easy corals that are good for beginners are: Green Star Polyps (GSP), xenia, zoanthids, and perhaps a candy cane coral. I would not get any fish in a 10 gallon tank though. Use LiveAquaria's website to research about what fish you could get, they show the minimum tank size for every fish. Pygmy coral beauty angelfish will suffer in a tank that small. 


I am not sure about a light fixture that is under $50, maybe someone else can comment on that. But you could get into buying a used Kessel light perhaps?

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment

I did a 5 gallon my first time and it wasn't that hard you just have to do lots of lots of research take time let yourself think about it for a couple months before divining into it and get really informed about all aspects of running a reef tank. With such small volumes of water 10 or 5 gallon know you have to be diligent with weekly (biweekly down the line when it is well established and depending on your bioload) large volume water changes and consistent top off to keep salinity stable (get an ATO if you can).

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
Chadicus Meridius

I recommend the 10 gallon (bigger tank )because evaporation causes your salinity to rise very quickly if you don’t have an ATO . Salt does not evaporate so therefore the salinity rises when water evaporates.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
2 hours ago, Osha said:

Many on here including myself have used that light an small tanks with decent success. You may be pushing it on a 10 gallon, but I say go for it. That manufacturer sells a larger one (Pixie 30) for not too much more 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment

The autoaqua smart ATO micro and XP Aqua duetto are two of the most popular from my research.   I have the smart ATO and have only been using it a short time, but it has worked well so far.  It has a very small pump so you can drop it right into the reservoir even if it has cap in most cases.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
1 hour ago, RedCrow said:

Many on here including myself have used that light an small tanks with decent success. You may be pushing it on a 10 gallon, but I say go for it. That manufacturer sells a larger one (Pixie 30) for not too much more 

I have the pixie and have not started growing coral but it seems well built and has different channel control.  Seems like a good buy for what it is.

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment

10g would definitely be better, gives you more room for corals, more options for fish, easier. 

 

A coral beauty can't go into a 10g. 

 

The light you linked, it's not the greatest. The largest I would put it on is a 5g. I used it on a 2.5g and the spread of light wasn't great and neither was growth.

 

An abi tuna blue par 38 would be a better choice. It's a great light. 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment

I agree with the suggestions to use the 10g. 
 

 

 

For an ATO I like the Smart Micro ATO and I use one of these 2 gallon jugs for my ATO reservoir (and use the others for storing water/water changes):

 

AutoAqua Smart ATO Micro Automatic Top Off System (SATO-120P) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0195D3LC6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_Xb-NEbW3EC3AX

2 Gallon Plastic F-Style Jugs With 63mm Caps, Pack of 4 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01A7TCQGY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_Kc-NEbCR18ASJ

95C71D0F-A528-4922-A3FF-428A188789AF.thumb.jpeg.adef5223c18151a9c4b1235dfd745e68.jpeg

 

 

 

You definitely want to avoid using tap water for a saltwater tank. There are several good options for water though, such as making your own using an RODI filter and mixing in the salt, buying RODI or premixed saltwater from your LFS, buying some prepackaged like the Imagitarium seawater from Petco. 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment

You can also use distilled water. 

 

Tap is definitely not good for the majority, a few lucky ppl live where their water isn't a significant problem. 

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
24 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

You can also use distilled water. 

 

Tap is definitely not good for the majority, a few lucky ppl live where their water isn't a significant problem. 

Right! How did I forget to include that on my list - that’s what I use - distilled!! 😬😊

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment

Welcome to NR. I agree the 10 gallon is what I would recommend. You can have fish just not a coral beauty as stated. Goby’s are a great choice but there are many. There is a thread about what fish and recommend tank size. Go to forums and pick the Beginners Discussion it is the first thread called Igreen's Ultimate Guide to Nano Fish. Do you know what type of rock you will start with? Live or dry? Do you have a lid for the tank. All fish can jump. There will be many choices for lighting. It is always best to research that item a considerable amount before deciding. You do not need a light to cycle your tank. The micro ATO is a great piece of equipment. I have no experience with any of the others. Do you have a good local fish store near you? There will be a lot of decisions to make so try and take your time before buying. Keep asking for help. 

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
1 hour ago, banasophia said:

Right! How did I forget to include that on my list - that’s what I use - distilled!! 😬😊

I used distilled for a long time until it became to much work for the tanks I have.

 

If I had 1 tank that was small, I'd still use it

  • Like 2
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment

Hmmm I ordinarily wouldn’t consider a damsel as my first fish in such a small tank unless I was only planning to have one fish, because I’d be worried about them being aggressive toward another fish added later on? Personally I like my fish to have a fish companion, so I would plan to get two compatible fish that can thrive together in a small tank. 

  • Thanks 1
Link to comment
6 minutes ago, Osha said:

I also like the firefish goby, and the bicolor pseudochromis, would they work together?

Dottybacks can be semi aggressive, and need a 30 gallon tank... keep researching, you’ll find a fish you love that you can keep in a small tank. 🤗 I adore my yellow clown goby and my neon goby pair.

 

C1770D5E-D7BD-45A3-AC02-4CD0BC779162.thumb.jpeg.dab777cae0cf582035bfc76654f0bbc9.jpeg
 

9B8F7D39-C0DE-45D9-AFF2-047D2972FEDF.thumb.jpeg.25cf60aa9d42611a3bd0acc345f2b592.jpeg

  • Like 1
Link to comment
On 4/21/2020 at 6:39 PM, Osha said:

I have a 55 gallon freshwater and a few years of experience with freshwater. 
 

I have an extra 10 gallon tank (and a 5.5 if that would be better) that I was looking to turn to saltwater. I have found most of the stuff I need and am looking for a good light under $50 (if possible), what corals to use (preferably ones for beginners), and what fish should I get? Is a dwarf Pygmy coral beauty angelfish good for beginners? I see that it is used a lot in nano-reefs.

 

I have also seen that you should not use tap water to fill a saltwater tank, is this true?

I would suggest not starting without at least one good book so you have some knowledge on all the appropriate topics.

 

I strongly recommend this as a starter,  but there are lots of great options out there:  Marine Aquarium Handbook Beginner to Breeder by Martin A Moe. Easy to find new, used, or get on eBook if you want.

  • Like 1
  • Thanks 1
Link to comment

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recommended Discussions

×
×
  • Create New...