10 gallon saltwater tank

[TRC14]

Ok, I have had fish pretty much since i was about 8, I have been pretty seriouse about it since i was probably 11. Well all my fish thus far have been freshwater. Now i want a saltwater tank. I dont have that much room however and was wondering what a good setup for a 10 gallon tank would be. what fish, rock, hardware, etc. do u suggest. I want as many different setups as possible. I know 10 gallons are a lot harder to maintain than large tanks but i would like to put in the effort and care for a small tank. i have a whole lot of time on my hands and i need something to occupy me anyway :-D

also, as i am a starter, could u suggest tips on setting up and maintaining your suggested layouts

[Condiman]

What I would do is start off simple. Get a 10 gallon tank, 70 watt MH light setup, LiveRock, Sand and a good skimmer. I would suggest a Aqua C skimmer. Also I would do weekly 2 gallon water changes with a ten gallon tank to keep the water as clean as possible.

[TRC14]

im kinda confused about water changes. do i keep like a seperate tank or container of prepared saltwater or do i add fresh water into the tank and add the necessary solutions, and how long should i keep the tank like that and cycle it. also, could you suggest an online retailer for lighting and hardware as well as a suitable lighting fixture. im lost with all the brands and such. same with the skimmer, i know u suggested the brand but is there a certain model i should look at. all i see is huge skimmers for large tanks, and all i'm going to have is a 10 gallon tank. any suggestions?

[Condiman]

What I do is have a seperate container of RODI water and then take out what I need and mix it seperatly. Some people have two containers to hold water in. One of salt and one FW. As for the containers to use you can use rubbermade 30 gallon trash cans. They must be new and rinced out before you can use them.
Now as for the cycling of the tank some people use prawns or even put one hardy fish into the tank and let nature take its course. But I would say at least 6 to 8 weeks. If you want more information about it check out the Knowledgebase at the top or click on this link http://coralforum.com/kb.php there are several articles there that can help you out.

[Sugar Magnolia]

Hi TRC14! Brad has started you in the right direction with some advice. He also linked you to our knowledge base, which will give you some idea about setting up and maintaining a tank. Once you've read through those articles, you'll have more specific questions.

A 10 gallon tank is a good choice for a nano. One thing you'll have to keep in mind that is that keeping a salt tank requires a solid commitment to doing weekly water changes and daily top-offs. In nano, if this isn't done, the water quality will go downhill fast.

You asked about the things you'll need for a 10 gallon tank. I'll give you some suggestions and ideas. For water movement, you'll need a couple of powerheads. 2 micro-jet 450's will give you plenty of flow. You're looking to move 10-20 gph of water, so with the two MJ's you'll have about 230 gph flowing in the tank. The microjet's are adjustable so you can decrease the flow if you find it's too much. Micro-jets are very small, reliable powerheads. I have one that's been running since Jan '02.

I also recommend runnning a HOB filter (hang on back). Aqua Clear filters are an excellent choice. For a 10, an AC 70 would be great. A HOB is a great place to run carbon, and can also be converted into a mini refugium. http://www.coralforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=6754

For lighting, I"d recommend a Coralife 96W PC Powerquad. I've seen some outstanding 10 gallon tanks with that light fixture. Be sure to get the mounting legs for it as well. JMO on this, of course. There are many, many choices for lighting.

You'll also need a heater, and I advise you to steer clear of Visa-therm heaters. Pieces of junk. I had two that malfunctioned, and I've read other accounts of this happening.

Test kits: ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, and pH to start with, and a hydrometer to test salinity. A refractometer would be even better as it is much more accurate than a hydrometer.

LR, about 1 1/2 pounds per gallon, so around 12-15 pounds for your tank. You don't necessarily have to use LS for the tank. The LR will seed the sandbed for you. About 1 1/2-2" of sand is plenty in a nano. Don't use crushed coral - detritus gets trapped in and underneath it over time and can lead to elevated nitrates.

I'm sure I've forgotten a few things, but hopefully I was some help. ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v505/icereef/tosugar.png

[TRC14]

thanks a lot for the advice, i'll look into it.

oh almost forgot, do u know of any good online retailers that i can look at for pricing information

ok, heres another random question. I dont intend on doing this, but im curious. Can u go to the beach and just take some seawater and put it in ur aquarium? or would that be horribly unhealthy

[Sugar Magnolia]

Cruise through our sponsors forum - http://www.coralforum.com/index.php?c=14. Personally, I like www.marindepot.com , www.premiumaquatics.com and www.petsolutions.com for drygoods. Best prices IMO.

Taking water/sand/rocks from the shore is a bad idea. Way too much pollution. It would have to be taken from very deep water to be sure that it's free from nasty stuff. Also, each state has laws stating what can and can't be taken from the ocean.

[TRC14]

ive been continueing my research and several resources have talked about all natural filtration (using no skimmers, etc., just letting the live rock and livestock do the work) as well as doing frequent water changes to replenish and deplenish (is that a word?) resources in the water. Does this work well? is it recommended?

[Ocean Singer]

it would work but it helps to have a waterflow, if you want natural filtration, I'd recogmend a airstone or waterpump for water movement; and IMO a hob filter would be best, you could do the mini-refugium thing too, that would be really fun to show off ;) whatever you do, have fun with it and make it your own creation, no two tanks are the same