Tiny saltwater tank???

[rvdklok]

Anyone ever tried running a small saltwater tank??? I have a 15 gal tall, which I'm thinking of trying out. I've had it running for 4 weeks (no fish or corals in it yet), and levels are all stable. SG is 1.024 and stable for 4 weeks. I was just wondering if anything would survive in a tank like this. Here's what I've done.....
Put 2 gallons of pre-cycled fresh water in tank.
Filled tank to 75% capacity with tap water (chemically de-chlorinated)
Boiled aquarium salt in de-chlorinated water, and added to tank until SG was around 1.020. Let tank run for 48 hrs. Topped up tank with more boiled aguari-salt water until SG read 1.024.
Tank was natually cloudy for about 4 days then cleared up on it's own.
For a pump, I'm running a large waterfall style pump/filter as well as and aerator with 12" airstone uner the gravel. (fine gravel, almost like a coarse sand).
I don't want a major setup or anything, but the wife saw a clownfish living harmoniously with a type of coral, and she wants them.
Anyways, what are the chances of survival? I've ran brackish tanks this way before and NEVER had a problem. However, I realise this is not a brackish tank.
Also, I have a freshwater spring down the street. Would it be better to use that for water changes? (that's what I use for my freshwater tanks).

 

[Fishboy-from-NY]

I have set up small tanks like that, but I would only do small frags, fish like cardinals, clowns that don't grow that big and only inverts. and you should be fine.

 

[Salttanker]

It will be more difficult IMO to manage the water quality with a tank that small.
I wouldn't use an airstone either in SW. Just my opinion.
I'm not sure if an Anemone would work in a 15 gal. Other's may have experience though. Good luck.

Mike

 

[malkore]

Well, you need to cycle your tank first. Adding pre-cycled freshwater was useless, because adding salt changes the osmotic pressure in the water, causing all the nitrafying bacteria to explode and die.
So, start by fishless cycling. Then ditch the airstone, as it's not necessary and will actually harm corals and inverts like anemone's if they get hit by the bubbles.

you can run a 15g salt tank, but it's harder than running a 55gallon salt tank. You'll have to watch it daily, because a little evaporation will have a bigger impact on a 15 than on a 55, and the fluctuating salinity changes would kill something like an anemone.

you need a tank at least 6 months old, preferably 9-12 months, before you add anything as delicate as an anemone.

I would not use water from a spring down the road. You'll want pure RO/DI water, so it accepts all the buffering and trace minerals your salt mix provides. And speaking of salt, do NOT use aquarium salt. It's not the same as marine salt.

I think you'll be best off draining the tank completely and starting from scratch.

 

[seaham358]

Why are you BOILING the salt water???

 

[malkore]

Why are you BOILING the salt water???

I believe he boiled a small amount of water, added the aquarium salt (wrong kind of salt) and made a very concentrated salt solution that he used to increase salinity in the main tank.

People will do interesting things when they haven't done research into correct methods.