5g Nano?

[Pandapop]

So I've been thinking -- sometime in the future I'd like to try my hand at a saltwater tank. Something small, and easy to manage. I've heard of people setting up small 'nano' tanks. Is a 5g much too small to really have anything other than invertebrates in? I may even go larger, but nothing bigger than a 10g... this would be my absolute first time ever setting up, let alone caring for, a saltwater tank.

I saw some clown fish (I can't be anymore specific than that, I didn't read the label) at a place called Pet Advantage. They were TINY. I realize most clowns get to be around 3.5" in length when fully mature, right?

Wait, let me get back on track.

So I want to set up a small 5-10g saltwater tank.

What types of fish/invertebrates can I keep together that won't go all psychotic on each other? How about corals or anemones?

I'd like to have a mini reef, so anything reef-safe would be awesome. I just seriously don't even know where to begin. I don't know what special equipment I need, how much this is all going to cost, etcetc.

But I figured instead of searching the net for mixed information, I'd ask you guys here at the fish-forums, since a lot of you are pretty well-informed with saltwater establishments.

Any tips or information I could use?

[outnumbered]

First, small and easy to manage are contradictory when it comes to saltwater...the smaller the tank, the harder it is to maintain because there is no room for error. Clowns would not work long term in a 5-10 gallon, and if you are adding corals to the mix, good luck catching them when they've outgrown their stay. Inverts for that size tank...snails, crabs, shrimp...pom pom crabs (aka boxing crabs and I've heard them called other names) are pretty cool, and I'm partial to sexy shrimp myself (very cool little guys). Corals you will have several options but it will all depend on what type of lighting you plan to use. To start with I would try zoas, palys and ricordeas until you get the hang of caring for/feeding them. No anemones in that size tank.

[TheOldSalt]

Clowns can get even bigger than that, and they WON'T be okay in a tank that small. Anemones are right out, so don't even think about it.

Look into LED lighting. Small tanks get really hot, and that's bad. Very bad. LED helps keep things cool.

[Betta man]

Yeah, from what funlad and TOS have lectured me on , I think a 20 gal would be best.