I am new and need some help deciding

[Osha]

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?

[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?

[Osha]

I saw this light on a YouTube video about starting a 10 gallon reef tank: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075H8QN4R/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ref=idea_lv_dp_ov_d&ascsub&linkCode=sl1&tag=thfitagu-20&linkId=65894c45f67bcba307d7850b0650770d&language=en_US

 

is it a good light?

[Fryguy0201]

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).

[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.

[Osha]

What ATO would you guys recommend for my 10 gallon and should I get a 2.5 reservoir or use my 5.5 as a reservoir?

[RedCrow]

2 hours ago, Osha said:

I saw this light on a YouTube video about starting a 10 gallon reef tank: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075H8QN4R/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ref=idea_lv_dp_ov_d&ascsub&linkCode=sl1&tag=thfitagu-20&linkId=65894c45f67bcba307d7850b0650770d&language=en_US

 

is it a good light?

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 

[Osha]

Thanks but do I need a different size ATO for tank size? No ATOs I see have a size they are made for, do they just work with anything?

[dnadrifter]

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.

[dnadrifter]

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.

[Clown79]

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. 

[banasophia]

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

 

 

 

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. 

[Clown79]

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. 

[banasophia]

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!! 😬😊

[debbeach13]

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. 

[Clown79]

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

[Osha]

I saw that thread and I like the three spot damsel. I do have a good fish store near me. I will use dry rock with maybe a few live rock pieces

[Clown79]

A really cool fish is the starkii damsel. Beautiful, peaceful, constant swimmer

[banasophia]

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. 

[Osha]

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

[banasophia]

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.

 

 

[banasophia]

Check out the Live Aquaria website... it has great fish info and you can search by tank size and then see info on care level and aggressiveness. 
 

https://www.liveaquaria.com/category/15/marine-fish

 

[banasophia]

This is also a really nice book I use when choosing fish:

 

The 101 Best Nano-Reef Species: How to Choose & Keep Hardy, Brilliant, Fascinating Species Perfect for Small Aquariums (Adventurous Aquarist Guide) https://www.amazon.com/dp/0982026242/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_aGlOEbTW7SW7M

 

[Osha]

Yes I have seen live aquaria and the thread about compatibility and I do like the look of the clown gobys they look cool

[mcarroll]

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.