Are 10-12 gal saltwater tanks sustainable?

[nwsharksfan]

Background: had a 30 gal reef tank in CA that I got rid of when I moved to WA. Have 92 gal fw now. Have a 12 gal acrylic tank in the garage and was thinking about getting a saltwater tank going. Is a 12 gal sw tank manageable?

Equipment I have hanging around: RODI unit, heaters, powerheads that are likely way too much for a 12 gal, hood for 12 gal with weak florescent light that I supplemented with a submersible LED light strip, Fluval 106. I have a hydrometer but have read that for small tanks a refractometer is a must (?) Do I need anything else other thank rock and sand? Is the Fluval 106 (rated for 25 gal) going to cut it?

While I'd love to eventually convert the 92, I don't have the funds for the live rock/sand and my 7 year old Oscar should have another 5 years in him.

Thanks for any input.

[nwsharksfan]

... and just to be clear, I'm not aspiring to have anything elaborate. Live rock, shrimp or two, mushroom coral, hermits, and maybe a small fish or two. I always found the sand critters and the feather dusters etc coming out of the live rock to be the most entertaining part of a sw tank.

[Sniperhank]

Small tanks are doable if you keep up with them. You can easily do large water changes if things get out of hand on you too.

[ImACoolguy]

Very easily doable if you keep up with those weekly water changes. My only SW tank is a 10g reef. I cycled it and haven't had any major problems other than my own mistakes.


Caleb

[alyxandria]

Yes doable. Just make sure you keep an eye on your parameters and your evaporation levels! Good luck.