10g Saltwater Tank Set Up

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I was always under the impression they did better alone. Either way a fire fish would work but your still very very limited to live stock. I wouldn't do all those crabs together, or pairs of certain ones. They will just kill each other.

I think a nice pistol shrimp goby pair and a nice purple fire fish or a red one would really make the tank. And really set it off with some amazing corals and just sit back and enjoy your piece of the ocean.

And of course add your inverts.
 
Beengirl said:
They do best with 1 or a mated pair. More than that an they'll fight.
Click to expand...

Ah I gotcha. My guy recommended to me getting just one and now I know why. Probably couldn't sex them.
 
Have no idea how they sex them. Lol. I'm lucky to tell a Firefish from a goby!! Lol
 
It looks like if I got that one then I don't need a heater for the tank, but how many would be a good idea? Like just one or maybe 2-3?

And for the other inhabitants, will the low temp be safe?
 
I was looking at those catalina gobies. REALLY beautiful fish!! I would need a chiller to keep them, and then my clownfish would turn to popsicles.

Just for the record, I thought I would start with a fish only set up to get the hang of saltwater. Man oh man do I regret not getting live rock at the minimum. My fault for listening to the LFS. REAL corals look so beautiful!!!

My two clowns are thriving in a 12 gallon. My water params are still perfect. However, I have no idea what will happen when the fish mature. That's why I am getting a larger tank soon.

My recommendations:

Go with live sand/rock, some quality lighting, a pair of fire fish, some cleaner shrimp, hermits, snails and corals/nems. It truly will be a wonder to behold!!

BTW... My wife just got an epidural an hour ago, and is now sleeping. The boy will be born within a couple hours!!! Glad the hospital has WIFI so I can check out AA and do some quality reading :)
 
Packohotdogs said:
I was looking at those catalina gobies. REALLY beautiful fish!! I would need a chiller to keep them, and then my clownfish would turn to popsicles.

Just for the record, I thought I would start with a fish only set up to get the hang of saltwater. Man oh man do I regret not getting live rock at the minimum. My fault for listening to the LFS. REAL corals look so beautiful!!!

My two clowns are thriving in a 12 gallon. My water params are still perfect. However, I have no idea what will happen when the fish mature. That's why I am getting a larger tank soon.

My recommendations:

Go with live sand/rock, some quality lighting, a pair of fire fish, some cleaner shrimp, hermits, snails and corals/nems. It truly will be a wonder to behold!!

BTW... My wife just got an epidural an hour ago, and is now sleeping. The boy will be born within a couple hours!!! Glad the hospital has WIFI so I can check out AA and do some quality reading :)
Click to expand...

Hey!! Congrats dude!! Your life is about to change for good!! (and for the better) :)
 
alia258 said:
It looks like if I got that one then I don't need a heater for the tank, but how many would be a good idea? Like just one or maybe 2-3?

And for the other inhabitants, will the low temp be safe?
Click to expand...

Catalina need 60-70*, Peppermint shrimp need 72-78* water- maybe set at 71 and split the difference?? I don't know if that would work. You could try one, see how they do.
 
Beengirl said:
Catalina need 60-70*, Peppermint shrimp need 72-78* water- maybe set at 71 and split the difference?? I don't know if that would work. You could try one, see how they do.
Click to expand...

I have split the water temp before safely with fish, at least in freshwater, and it's gone quite well. The idea is to add 1 degree of temp every day until you get high (or low) enough for the other inhabitants (within acceptable ranges, not like a 10-20 degree dif) then once the new inhabitants are safely acclimated hit for in between. But I can't really do that... I'm hoping that I can avoid any sort of heater or cooler in the tank, because the house sits at about 68-72 anyway. But you get the idea from before, and if it's very needed then I'll buy one, but I think a very slow acclimation may be all that's really needed. It honestly depends on how old the fish is and how large the difference in water params are.


I think I may have failed to mention this before, although I have the 10g tank, the rest of the set up I'm going to be takin my time with, so I don't plan on having the tank fully stocked until close to December.


On another note, converting the filter to a SW one, can anybody point me in the right direction?
 
Don't forget my question on the post just before this one guys!!!

I was looking at these polyp things, and on tanked (love that show, I want a big one like those guys make!) they had some very brightly colored guys like this:

image-1058286501.jpg

Except prettier and some mushroom guys like this:

image-184498655.jpg

Except neon purple and green.

Those look like they require a lower light, and although I still want the nems, can I put these guys in and then add the higher lights and nems later? My fluorescents look like they meet the WPG for these guys :) that way if I start with inverts and live rocks and sand, and then those guys, my tank will probly look even better in the end! I really like those flower lookin polyps :) imma try and see if my mom and I can start cycling the tank tomorrow, we're hoping to get some pre-mixed saltwater to start things off, and so it shall begin! I think if I can get her to let me get live sand and rocks and SW, I can get it cycled easily enough ;) according to the Internet, it's the same as a freshwater, sooooooo... Finally something I know how to do!!! Yay!!! :D







P. S. OMG guys! There are only two saltwater fish stores within 100 miles of this place! Stupid Arizona... But they're both actually within 25 miles, but there's nothing else with the 100 mile range :/ I hope at least one is good enough!
 
You could probably get a mated pair but as far as the shrimp and any other fish you listed they would be out.
 
Once you get the water rock and sand in the tank add a shrimp, the kind you eat from the grocery store, let it decay in the tank in a piece of panty hose for a week or so. This will start the nitrogen cycle for you. Make sure to test on a daily basis so that you can see the ammonia rise then fall and turn into nitrites and nitrates. Once the trates are gone you have cycled.

Start partial water changes, I do one once a week. During the cycle keep your lights off this will minimize the algae growth. As for the hang on the back turn it into a miny refugeium. Figure out how to keep some filter floss in it for mechanical filtration, and add small pieces of live rock rubble for biological filtration.

For you stock I think the mushrooms and zoos should be fine. They are some great corals to start with. For live stock don't go crazy saltwater is all about bioload and what the benifical bacteria can handle. I would say start with a small CUC 2-hermits and maybe 2-snails, don't do an emerald mine is going rouge on me now and has started to eat coral, just an FYI. Let these guys do there job and in a few more weeks add a fish. I didn't add fish untill about 50-60 days in. And as stated above no more then two fish. I have a 29 gallon and only 4 fish, might get one more but that's it. As for the shrimp again minimal is best get one that ya really like. Wow that's alot to type. I hope it helps and good luck with the tank.
 
You can run the filter the same. With the carbon. Or you might can make a refugium out of it depending on what size and type it is. Most of your filtration is gonna be from your live rock. You can't have enough of it. I would also get live sand or go bare bottom. Don't get crushed coral!
 
Crystal A said:
Once you get the water rock and sand in the tank add a shrimp, the kind you eat from the grocery store, let it decay in the tank in a piece of panty hose for a week or so. This will start the nitrogen cycle for you. Make sure to test on a daily basis so that you can see the ammonia rise then fall and turn into nitrites and nitrates. Once the trates are gone you have cycled.

Start partial water changes, I do one once a week. During the cycle keep your lights off this will minimize the algae growth. As for the hang on the back turn it into a miny refugeium. Figure out how to keep some filter floss in it for mechanical filtration, and add small pieces of live rock rubble for biological filtration.

For you stock I think the mushrooms and zoos should be fine. They are some great corals to start with. For live stock don't go crazy saltwater is all about bioload and what the benifical bacteria can handle. I would say start with a small CUC 2-hermits and maybe 2-snails, don't do an emerald mine is going rouge on me now and has started to eat coral, just an FYI. Let these guys do there job and in a few more weeks add a fish. I didn't add fish untill about 50-60 days in. And as stated above no more then two fish. I have a 29 gallon and only 4 fish, might get one more but that's it. As for the shrimp again minimal is best get one that ya really like. Wow that's alot to type. I hope it helps and good luck with the tank.
Click to expand...

By emerald in your last paragraph, what's that? The snail I wanted or something? Oh and I definitely know to take it slow adding the critters, I think I want the two fire fish mated pair :)
 
paul87 said:
You can run the filter the same. With the carbon. Or you might can make a refugium out of it depending on what size and type it is. Most of your filtration is gonna be from your live rock. You can't have enough of it. I would also get live sand or go bare bottom. Don't get crushed coral!
Click to expand...

I want some live sand, and I think I'll make a mini refugium, and how much live rock do you suppose I could fit in there? Do you think some live sand in panty hoes would be good to add?

Why no crushed coral? I didn't want it, just curious is all
 
Crushed ("cursed") coral is OK I you vacuum it alot. It's just so coarse that it hold poop and food and just collects detrius. I started off with it and made the swap to sand. It wad messy! What kind of HOB filter do you have? You can put a chaetomorpha algae ball in it and put a little light over it. Maybe add some LR rubble to it. Depends on the size of the filter really.
 
I would put the sand in it even in panty hose. It would just be wasting limited space that rock it algae could be in.
 
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