complete noob. want to start a 10 gallon beginner tank

[mr funktastic]

ok i have aan empty 10 gallon and an extra hob filter and i was need to know eevrything else that is need to start a saltwater tank. i have only done freshwater before and thought i should try salt. i know i will need a heater and possible a powerhead(not sure if it is needed for suck a small tank) and i dont know about the light requirements. i plan to put alot of live rock in there and if possible the thing that nemo lives in (lol it kills me to put that because u will all think i am completly mental) i dont know anything about saltwater at all so i need a complete breifing on the subject. i current have 4 freshwater tanks up and running so i do know basic fish care. but i dont know the difference in cycling or temperature or maintence or stocking. so please fill me in and please dont dumb it down to much i catch on very quickly. thanks in advance
ps please include links(preferably big als) and prices so i know what i am getting into. i also dont mind doing water changes.

 

[jaiden]

lots of people have started tanks this month. read a bit then ask some specific questions. my first recommendation would be to buy a bigger tank. SW doesn't work well in small tanks for a lot of reasons.

welcome. take your time learning first. SW is very different.

 

[InxayonFinland]

Welcome To Saltwater!


First off, i see you have a 10 gallon aquarium. In saltwater, the bigger is the better so if your just starting off i would buy something bigger like 30 or 55. BUT 10 gallon can do it'll just be more work.
You are correct on the heater part and I assume you know how much wattage you need for a 10 gallon. I would dump the H.O.B. Filter and use just Live Rock. You can get live rock and numerous places but i purchased mine from www.liveaquaria.com . They have a nano pack of live rock that comes in 16 pounds which will be good. I would also go with sand and the type of sand is up to you.
So, got that done. Now i'm going to list the parts you'll most likely need. I couldn't find all that I was searching for at Big Als so i'm doing it from www.drsfostersmith.com . Here we go:

Powerhead: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=4605&N=2004+113040
The 404 model

Lighting:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=11418&N=2004+113345
The 12"

Heater: http://www.drsfostersmith.com/Product/Prod_Display.cfm?pcatid=12060&N=2004+113767
50 watt

Other:
Live Rock, Sand, Aquarium


That is all i can think of now and I know there is more. Some of the other people on here can help you better than I can but I thought i'd give it a try.



Also, the thing that Nemo lives in is an Anenome.

 

[melosu58]

I`m also not a fan of the 10 gallon SW tank esp someone that is new. Like someone said it can be done but by someone who is experienced. There is no room for error in a tank that small. Hopefully you can go bigger. Sorry I just cant see it at that size for a new person to SW. Do yourself a favor and go larger because you will want to grow anyway once you get started. It`s addictive

 

[lando]

All great advice. honestly, I a 10gal tank can be done, but as others have mentioned, bigger is better. I think a 29gal is a nice starter size for a SW tank. They do not cost all that much and you will have far more options available in terms of livestock. It will also be a more stable tank, which is very important for someone new to the hobby.

 

[BrennanX]

From all of my reading, every author has made it a point, atleast for the beginner aquarist, to avoid small tanks. Your livestock in return will be more forgiving to a mistake made in almost every aspect simply because of the size difference. Temperature takes longer to increase/decrease at a constant rate in comparasson, waste is not as toxic when its spread in something 5.5x the size of a 10gal.

Fenner (The consciencious marine aquarist) has said he considers anything below 40gal a small tank.

On the same note, its not impossible to have a small tank thats SW, one of my LFS has a 5gal with an anemone and a true percula on the counter. However, i cant think of something ive taken up where i havnt screwed up in atleast a small amount, and when it comes to the safety and wellbeing of inhabitants - i think its worth it to start with something than can withstand mistakes with a little more ease than something thats practically unforgivable when it comes to maintenance and upkeep


a suggestion is you could use the 10gal for a QT, it doesnt need all the equipment a regular tank needs =D


And as a fellow beginner, let me just say that actually reading books upon books of all of this stuff has made me 10 fold more excited about starting mine, and anything i dont understand from the books (or more modern practices) i simply come to this forum and ask, there are PLENTY of knowledgable people here, and responces are on the good side of instant.

 

[mr funktastic]

alright so the 10 gallon is out. the only thing i am worried about is the cost. i know the lights are gonna be kinda pricy ut it is the filtration i am thinking about. i dont mind starting a 29 gallon tank but them i am probably going o need 2 powerheads to move the water and some kind of filtration other than the live rock. i will be buying almost everything from either big als the actual store or big als online. i might buy the lights online if i can find them cheaper on ebay. my biggest problem with online is that i live in canada and places like live aquaria dont ship to me and if they do it costs an arm and a leg. so from what i gather so for i will need
1. powerhead (i large one or 2 smaller)
2. 100-150 watt heater (for the 29 gallon option)
3. compact flourecent light hood in order to get the light needed for the corals
4.sand (probably going with either crushed coral or black sand)
5. live rock(easily obtained at the big als near me with many different selections)
6. fish

is that everything? also what are my stocking options for a tank this size? i like the clown fish but i would prefer a fish that was more multi coloured and maybe a red variety of fish(not very many red fish in freshwater lol) please let me know any of your ideas with this tank as i am very open to suggestions. this is your chance to build a tank that u wanted but i will be the one looking at it lol. thanks in advance

 

[melosu58]

Just make sure you put a pic on so I can see what I wanted. But seriously I would co with sand instead of CC. Lot of times stuff gets trapped under the CC and causes high nitrates. But it sounds like you`re on your way.

 

[mr funktastic]

ok what i need to know is the size of power heads i need as well as the type of filter ie. canister, hob, wet dry and size and also what brands u recomend. if i do want corals how much light and what kind will i need. there is a real nice 29 gallon bowfront i was looking at a while ago so i think i will go for that. i am on kinda limited funds so i dont know if i can actually afford corals. what about heat requirments? is it the same as freshwater becasue i keep all my tanks between 79-80 degrees.