So this fish store is having a sale on Aquapods

[GodOSoot]

I am thinking of picking up a 12g for $129.95...smoking deal I think.

I would almost be willing to pick more for others if people really wanted, that is a whole 'nother thread though.

So stocking ideas and being my first venture in SW territory I don't want to make a potential costly mistake. I have been a longtime FW person so this isn't 100% new at least in terms of care.

I already know I'll need LR & LS plus the neccessary equipment but besides Clownfish whatelse really strikes as colorful fun addition to a nano?

[Sadielynn]

Hi welcome,
what kind of tank is it ? If it is an all in one there will be mods done to make it to its full potential ... Such as lighting . Remove any bio products that come with it they will just trap ditrus ,and raise nitrAtes and Phosphates
You will want a heater , and replace the PH with something like a MJ as the ones that come with the AIO have heat issues , but you can use that one to mix salt water You will want roughly 10 LBS of lr if you plan on corals as the other will be made up when you get them as they are usually attached to peices of LR .....If you are going FOWLR you will want at minimium of the 12 lbs of LR .10-12 LBs LS I go to about 2-2.5 inches deep in ours .
I have a purple pseudochromis in our nano. So far he has behaved I use to have a clown goby as well ....In our nano we have a pair of clowns (one has funny strips LOL ) and a purple pseudochromis , just research as some pseudos are nasty and will eat shrimp the all purple one with the black stripe in the eye is usually ok and less mean than the all purple one (There are 2 same family but the one with the black stripe is the less agressive) Mine does not have the stripe but I had already added him when I realized that there were 2 diffrent ones so far he has been a good boy and has not been banished to the frag tank... You will need to keep the lid closed or a top on it as they are jumpers
You will have a blast doing this just go slow . Welcome to the addction of SW you will be broke from here in LOL

[melosu58]

Here are a few fish that would be OK.

[GodOSoot]

Yes Sadie you reiterated what the fish store wrote down for me, she even suggested upsizing to a Maxijet 900 if the future for better coral and fish health but said to start out the standard pump is fine.

They have a special on Damsels buy one get one free and a very nice $10 frag tank. It is amazing I never found this place before. Something Fishy in Northampton, PA if you are in the area.

They actually have a 12 gal. by their register and she said about 10-15 lbs. is what she had good luck with, she also just upsized to a 70w MH and the tank looks great!.

I will snag some pics of the place when I go pick-up the tank.

One question I wondered and I'll ask the store too is about calcium, do corals really deplete it as fast as I have read. It seems almost neccessary to dose calcium to keep them happy in any SW setup or do the softies not really care?

[Sadielynn]

It really depends and requires weekly/monthly testing , at that point you can adjust your H20 changes accordingly or even dosage if need be . The only corals that will really suck CA will be your LPS corals