New Need Answers....

The friendliest place on the web for anyone with an interest in aquariums or fish keeping!
If you have answers, please help by responding to the unanswered posts.

Addicted

Aquarium Advice Newbie
Joined
Sep 15, 2003
Messages
6
Location
Florida
Hello All I am new to the forum circuit, but not new to the aquatic hobby of mine. I currently have 2 FW tanks up and running and am looking forward to getting into the SW area of this hobby and was hoping if you could help me in my decisions. Thanks!

I current have a 10 Gallon I have aquired from a yard sale I attended yesterday. Unfortunately it is just the tank and lid/light. I was thinking about making it a nano-reef or a starter SW tank for a pair of Percula Clowns or Ocellaris Clowns.

This is the route I was planning on going and would like a little imput, thanks.

3"-4" DSB (Aragonite Sand)
10 lbs of HiRock
50 Watt Ebo- Jager Heater
Seaclone Protein Skimmer (thou I think this would be to much for a 10 Gallon)

I would also like to know what sort of lighting I would need?

All imputs would be appreciated.
 
If you want a reef in a 10 gallon I would go with PC lighting. Having had any experience with the Seaclone Protein skimmer so someone else will have to help with that question. IMO I would mix your aragonite with some crushed coral. You will need more LR for a reef. I would stick with 1 pair of clown fish at first. You may need a powerhead to get rid of dead spots in the tank where there is no current.

Hope this helps
 
youdont really need a protein skimmer at all in a tank this size. at least that is what i understand. i dont have one in mine and it doesnt seem like it needs one. for a reef i agree on getting some pc's. depending on the light fixture u aquired you could even go with those new screw in pc's. if it came with flourescent lighting, i would try to upgrade it. hth
 
okay so half sand half corals?

and PC lighting...If I were to go to a LFS and ask a employee for some PC lighting they would know what I am talking about?

so instead of the skimmer I would need a powerhead, what would I use for filtration?
 
If i was you I would go with a larger tank to start out with. I started with a 30 gallon and I want to go bigger. You will want to go larger eventually, everyone does! Plus with a larger tank it is more stable because there is more water. JMO
 
If your LFS is decent yes they will under stand Power Compact lighting. If your LFS is like mine they will look at you with a blank face like your speaking in some strange language.

www.hellolights.com is a good website for lighting products. Depending on what kind of corals you want to keep the amount of lighting will vary.

Be prepaired to do daily topoffs of the tank with freshwater to maintain salinity and I would advise weekly waterchanges of 2-3 gal to help maintain water quality. Two small clowns will be the max fishload I would put in a tank that size.
 
Well I have a 40 Gallon that I would moving to a 75 Gallon soon, thou I read somewhere that I could not use it cause the back is a mirror and it would disturb the fish? Am I wrong?
 
I think the mirrored background will be fine for fish who are not overly agressive toward those of their own species. Fish who are known to not coexist with their own species or fish of simular bodyshape/color might be stressed by a mirror but fish that are not overly agressive toward their own kind probably will end up ignoring it.

Of course thats just my opinion.
 
my 75 has a mirror on the back not that you can tell because the back is so covered in green and coralline algae.
 
So if I wanted to turn my 40 Gallon into a SW tank. What would I need....pretty much the same things I have mentioned above. With 2 powerheads?

So Roughly:
2 powerheads
A protein Skimmer
80 lbs of Rock
4" DSB (Why would I need corals on the bottom?)

What fish would do okay with a mirror on the back?
 
(Why would I need corals on the bottom?)

This comment has me thinking you might be confusing corals (live creatures) with crushed coral (ground up shells and coral skeletons).

Some people like crushed coral at the bottom of their tank because they like the look of it over sand.
 
i think almost any fish will be ok with the mirror back it will not stay a mirror long with alage growth my kole tang and bicolor blenny do not seem to mind the bicolor would swim up to the mirror and threaten himself and dart back into his rock before it became covered the kole was not in until after the algae so i do not know how she would have reacted.
 
Is crushed corals a must? Or is it just for looks? Could I add it later if I wanted?

So roughly this would work for my SW tank if I wanted to convert my 40 gallon to one? 2 Powerheads, a SeaClone Protein Skimmer, 80lbs of Rock, and a 4" DSB?

Would I have to have Live Rock? is that a must? If I wanted to get an Anemone later, is Live Rock a must to keep one?

Sorry about all the questions, just trying to learn as much now before I get the 75 Gallon I would moving the inhabitants of the 40 Gallon too.

TIA for all the help.
 
Is crushed corals a must? Or is it just for looks? Could I add it later if I wanted?

Crushed Coral is a substrate such as Sand is also.

So roughly this would work for my SW tank if I wanted to convert my 40 gallon to one? 2 Powerheads, a SeaClone Protein Skimmer, 80lbs of Rock, and a 4" DSB?

This sounds good, and I imagine you canceled out the Crushed Coral wanting a 4" DSB?

Would I have to have Live Rock? is that a must? If I wanted to get an Anemone later, is Live Rock a must to keep one?

You do not have to have LR, however, it is beneficial to do so.... Anemone should not be considered for at least a year IMO... LR is not a must to keep one though...

Sorry about all the questions, just trying to learn as much now before I get the 75 Gallon I would moving the inhabitants of the 40 Gallon too.

If you are getting a 75 gal tank, and do not have the 40 setup, I would read as much as you can, and get a good understanding of what you are getting into, and wait until you get the 75 to set anything up.....JMO and HTH...
 
Back
Top Bottom