Questions of a 10 gallon noob

[M. Tournesol]

1 minute ago, Jai'galaar said:

I'm originally a metric system user

I am French. I am the metric 😆. 

 

And the "equivalence" pound/gallon to Kg/10L is not obvious. 1 pound = 0.453592 kg and 1 gallon = 3.78541 liter 🤪

 

[Jai'galaar]

16 minutes ago, M. Tournesol said:

A 0,5 - 5 gallon tank already give you access to a small fun fish like a Clown Gobies.

Actually I've been thinking about something like some corals + a clown goby + let's say a sexy shrimp as cleaning crew but I dunno if it wouldn't be too much bioload. 
Btw are there any differences between the care requirements of the Gobiodon histrio, okinawae and quinquestrigatus? They seem to be pretty similar... but usually this is where I fail miserably, guessing the requirements of fish. 

[M. Tournesol]

Never had one 🤷‍♂️, I have to much love for my small sps frag .... 

 

I think Gobiodon okinawae is reputed easier. It is also not cryptic like histrio and quinquestrigatus.

[M. Tournesol]

Juste find this video for you 

 

 

[Jai'galaar]

9 minutes ago, M. Tournesol said:

Never had one 🤷‍♂️, I have to much love for my small sps frag .... 

What da... I thought clown gobies are reef safe. 

[M. Tournesol]

Reef safe in big sps colonies. On frag ... they could decimate them.

Their natural behavior is to remove polypes of sps to prepare an egg-laying zone. 

[Jai'galaar]

6 minutes ago, M. Tournesol said:

Their natural behavior is to remove polypes of sps to prepare an egg-laying zone. 

It sounds strangely cute tbh 🤣
What about soft corals and lps? I don't think that I'll give a look to sps corals anytime soon. 

[M. Tournesol]

2 minutes ago, Jai'galaar said:

What about soft corals and lps? I don't think that I'll give a look to sps corals anytime soon. 

Shouldn't be a problem. "Butter", the yellow clown goby of aqua splendor (go look at is YouTube Channel) only eat is pocillopora.  

 

[Aqua Splendor]

The green Pocillopora is his least favorite SPS, basically like brocoli for 6 years old kid.

Small aquarium + Frag = Danger with Giobodon they will decimate everything.

I got lucky one time, wasn't super agressive but I can tell the behavior change with a different environment.

And the one I have is a serial killer, he almost killed my sps in my other aquarium in 2 week. (the small frag first)

 

If I had 600L, 120g, size aquarium with colony, it could work. ("could")

[Jai'galaar]

2 minutes ago, Aqua Splendor said:

The green Pocillopora is his least favorite SPS, basically like brocoli for 6 years old kid.

Small aquarium + Frag = Danger with Giobodon they will decimate everything.

I got lucky one time, wasn't super agressive but I can tell the behavior change with a different environment.

And the one I have is a serial killer, he almost killed my sps in my other aquarium in 2 week. (the small frag first)

 

If I had 600L, 120g, size aquarium with colony, it could work. ("could")

Then what do you recommend as a hardy, reef safe fish for a 5g? 

It seems that it's damn hard to find such a thing. 

[Aqua Splendor]

Yeah it's really hard at this size, nothing comes in mind for 5g honestly 😞

But Copepods/Amphipods would be happy................................. I mean they swim... sometimes...

[PeterU]

Go with a Clown goby and soft corals, skip the SPS.

 

 

[Clown79]

15 hours ago, Jai'galaar said:

Then what do you recommend as a hardy, reef safe fish for a 5g? 

It seems that it's damn hard to find such a thing. 

Tailspot blenny. Awesome fish that stays small

[Jakesaw]

I've had a 10 gal since January ( first saltwater tank )

 

I used dead " Marco rock " and man made live rock and added bio-spira for bacterial diversity when I started tank.  

 

I'm going to be upgrading to a 20 L in the near future.  Unless space was a limiting factor, I wouldn't do a 5 gallon.  IMHO - Too limited on stocking options for a newbie.  Nutrient swings could be more significant on 5 gal too.

 

A 10 gallon is limiting enough as a small tank.  I've largely been a hands off slow stocking with a few coral frags and a clown, but there is always a learning experience in the process.  

 

It's been very cheap to run.  My only big spends was a RO/DI filter and used reef light.  Haven't lost any livestock yet, but my frogspawn has never really looked good from the tank I purchased it ( for 10 bucks ) to my current tank. 

 

I'm hoping my slow increasing of nutrients has a positive effect on it. Time will tell.

[M. Tournesol]

38 minutes ago, Jakesaw said:

A 10 gallon is limiting enough as a small tank.  I've largely been a hands off slow stocking with a few coral frags and a clown, but there is always a learning experience in the process.  

The problem is more cost than size (less than 300$).

The tank must also be transportable be cause Jai'galaar will go back to is parent house in summer. 

[Jai'galaar]

23 minutes ago, M. Tournesol said:

The problem is more cost than size (less than 300$).

The tank must also be transportable be cause Jai'galaar will go back to is parent house in summer. 

Well, actually I have an empty ten gallon tank... I have no idea about the costs tho. But maybe it'd be less expensive in long term since it's a bit less likely for me to make some fatal mistakes. 
But yeah, transportation is still a problem. 

[M. Tournesol]

A 1-2 gallon jar tank would just be perfect for you. Cheap and easily transportable. If something is wrong, do a 100% water change.
But you would need to forget having a fish. Some do have fish in a 1 gallon but such a person generally has more experience.

 

You could with a stocking of 2~3 sexy shrimp or a pom pom crab. 

 

but, its your money and your desire 🤷‍♂️

 

 

 

[Clown79]

On 7/25/2021 at 3:32 PM, M. Tournesol said:

can you get a Lumini asta 20 (reef version)? it seems to be a good light.

 

 

Not for a 10g. The spread sucks. Used it on my 2.5g and wasn't thrilled with the results.

 

My abi tuna blue par 38, 10 x better results.

[Clown79]

On 7/25/2021 at 3:55 PM, Jai'galaar said:

That's why I think I'm gonna go with a 5g at max. 
Speaking of rock, how many pounds will I need for a 5 gallon? I read seomewhere that it's 1 pound/gallon, but other sites say it's 1 kg/10l (sorry for the metric, I'm more used to that). 
 

That rule is old. 4lbs is enough.

 

You can easily do a 5g with a hang on filter. Use a bit of carbon you bag yourself(buying in bulk is cheaper and allows you to control quantity used.)

 

Buy filter floss, cut it to size. 2 times a week change it.

 

Get a good heater. Don't cheap out, heaters are the one piece of equipment that malfunctions the most. 

If you can get an aqueon pro, they are good.

 

Any powerhead is good but you should be able to get hydor or tunze in Europe without issue.

[Clown79]

On 7/25/2021 at 4:23 PM, Jai'galaar said:

Actually I've been thinking about something like some corals + a clown goby + let's say a sexy shrimp as cleaning crew but I dunno if it wouldn't be too much bioload. 
Btw are there any differences between the care requirements of the Gobiodon histrio, okinawae and quinquestrigatus? They seem to be pretty similar... but usually this is where I fail miserably, guessing the requirements of fish. 

In a 5g you could do a blenny, corals, shrimp, and clean up crew.

 

 Clown gobies are cute but many hide and have issues with feeding. 

 

On 7/25/2021 at 7:02 PM, Jai'galaar said:

Then what do you recommend as a hardy, reef safe fish for a 5g? 

It seems that it's damn hard to find such a thing. 

Tailspot blenny. Amazing fish that is entertaining and also eats algae.

[Jakesaw]

7 hours ago, M. Tournesol said:

The problem is more cost than size (less than 300$).

The tank must also be transportable be cause Jai'galaar will go back to is parent house in summer. 

Cost between 5 and 10 gallon will be nominal.  It's your tank size is up to you.  Are you going Reef or just sticking with Fish only + Rock.    

 

re: Transportable, it'll all probably transport in bucket or 2 or a cooler with fish anyway.  5 gallon or 10.  You'd be re-assembling tank when you got home from summer ( I presume )

 

I've never moved a S/W tank so take it with a grain of salt.  Others can chime in here.

[Seadragon]

The more I think about it, a 5 gallon pico AIO tank would be pretty cool in a remote location.  Just big enough to give me the enjoyment I desire and small enough that it wouldn’t be too big of a deal transporting it every now and then. (I’d put 1 fish in it and a few of the easy corals I have now, but enough about me. 😉)

 

I don’t have the circumstance where I’d want one currently, but if I did, I’d get it.  I think in your situation, it may also depend on availability and budget.  If all you can easily get is your already-owned 10 gallon, just add a bucket with a lid, some elbow grease and the knowledge you’ll find on here and online, anything can work really.  Some methods require more manual labor and work while others are more automated and easier, but as long as the fish and corals are healthy & happy and nothing dies in the end, and you enjoy the journey and the display, that’s all that matters really.