Setting up a Nano!

[freshreef]

Hey all.... here in a few months (when I get the money) I am going to set up a 10gall nano.. I know its not the best size but my parents wont let me get another tank and I cant just "strip down" my 29 cause its a big work in progress but I REALLY want a salt so that was my only option.... so here is what I have planned so far
10gall tank (of course)
aragonite for substrate
about 10 pounds of live rock
undecided if I want to invest in a protein skimmer or not... cause its $30 for one for a nano....
and im not going to do live coral cause my lighting is like PATHETIC...
so ya... now im just thinking about what fish... I really like damsels and clowns but I know those are to small (well what about just one small clown..like false percula? I would add a fake anemone (sp) ) and ya.. im looking at the snails and shrimp and stuff.. and I like star fish but those would be to big... and I like goby's but I cant find any I like but maybe if you guy's told me a good kind that I like maybe they could get one in for me (them being the LFS) so ya.. I just need some advice!
Thanks

[flamingo]

Hi, welcome to the forums btw :P. Nice to see another person interested in saltwater. Btw thank you for not calling it a nemo, usually new comers to saltwater do this, and it bugs the heck out of most people..

If you'd like to do this read a few books, articles, etc. first. I started with a ten gallon, but I did also read up for like a year-two years also. Understanding how saltwater works is a must when entering the realm with a tinyish tank.

If you want fish you'll have to stick with 2 fish, 3 maybe depending on the species but since your just starting that'll make things all the easier for you. Personally, i'd go with a false percula clown like you said, and a smallish goby. I personally love watchman gobies, but I never owned one so I can't say whether or not they'd do okay in a ten gallon. Other gobies like clown gobies, neon gobies, etc. are small enough for that size tank. Make sure you add only one fish, and a few months later (2 at least) add your last fish. You really don't want to overload your size of a tank that quickly.

Star fish, hmm....you might want to stick with small serpent and brittle stars, most places sell micro stars for about 50-80 cents each. They're excellent cleaners, and multiply a lot in the future. Any other stars will really get tto big for your tank, and will eat most things. I can't think of any other smaler types, so hopefully someone else can chime in on this one.

Skimmer....the nano one..what kind? Liveaquaria and the like have a new type, think it's the fission nano skimmer, that you will definitely benefit from. I've heard of successes with them, and they're big enough to place in smaller tanks hence the nano tag. In a smaller tank, a skimmer will also greatly help you out.

Btw, what lighting do you have?

Well, I hope that helps, and luckily you'll have some others chiming in here later on. I need to calm down on the typing a bit..I have computer and typing class everyday..then typing this on top of it really hurts :0.

[freshreef]

Cool thanks! well I would NEVER call a clown a nemo that drives me crazey to... I have been reading up on it for a while and have kept fresh for about 3 years but have been reading about salt the entire time cause thats what I REALLY wanted....
ok I gota ask... what exactly does a protien skimmer do? I have tried to find an article for ages but cant find one so.......
well my lighting is pretty bad..LOL its a 15 watt flourecent...not good enough for coral thats why im not going to do real coral...
oh yes the typeing class..hahaha I have had that for 2 years and Aced the class.... oh well LOL
Thanks!

[Fishfirst]

Protien skimmers take out all the nasty dead things out of your water before they rott and create ammonia which then in turn, gets converted by bacteria to become nitrite and then nitrates. (they use tiny air bubbles as a charged membrane that dirt sticks to and these bubbles are pushed into a collection cup) All three of these compounds are enemies in saltwater.

I'm sure you've heard what I'm going to say already but... THINK bigger. Get your parents involved! Show them what they COULD keep if they got a little bigger tank. They will (or you will) be kicking themselves soon enough once they get to purchase there first fish and all of a sudden there is an array of creatures that are interesting and colorful, and they don't know which to choose.

[freshreef]

I know what your saying....I have my 29gall that I could set up BUT It is fully (or going to be fullyl) planted and is fully maintaind fresh everything and I dont want to just "dump it" for salt.. I would LOVE to get AT LEAST another 29 or BIGGER (better LOL) cause I LOVE the flame angel's and the grama's (even though they are aggressive) and everything else..but my dad REALLY HATES FISH so their is like no way... he is already having a fit that I want to set up a 10gall salt...much less...... *cry*
Thanks for the info on skimmers... I will look at them..ALSO.. I will need to get another heater cause the one I have is a peice of CRAP.... LOL thanks everyone...Im doing the math and everything and my feet are falling out from under me cause the live rock allone will cost around $100 oh well..........

[freshreef]

ok...well I got to thinking and I MIGHT... (very very VERY slim chance but hey...its worth a shot..) be able to get a 20 long (since the 10gall lighting thing will fit..) and so IF (BIG IF) I was able to get a 20 long what else could I do with it?like maybe a damsel fish or something? Thanks!

[Gourami Swami]

Just to help you out, my friend bought from this place and though it was a bit dried by the time it got to him he says its as good as LFS live rock. Maybe somebody else here has input on this? I have not tried it but if its as good I think I will, rather than paying 7$ a pound. http://cgi.ebay.com/FIJI-LIVE-ROCK-W...QQcmdZViewItem

Also, there are some coral than can be kept in NO (normal output) lightingthat were recommended to me like leathers, and gorgonians look alot like coral and have the same characteristics, but need no expensive light. Try to get the 20 long, a 10 gallon is going to be very hard to maintain.

[Fishfirst]

Also... rethink damsels... damsels are a lot more aggressive than your so called aggressive gramma and angel... infact, the royal gramma is a perfect citizen for a tank like that. Damsels on the other hand, can be down right nasty and may not let you put anything else in the tank with them.

[freshreef]

ok... I guess I was mislead by another reefer.... Thanks!

[Gourami Swami]

Oh yes, most damsels can be absolute monsters, and grammas are never very agressive. Also Angels like a flame angel would be less agressive than them (damsels).

[freshreef]

oh I LOVE flame angels...but I assumed they would be to big..? that is one fish ... that I absolutly LOVE.............

[Damon]

I wouldn't put the angel in a 10 gallon. And Damsels while not only agressive, are damn near impossible to get out of a tank once they are in. Spent 2 hrs trying to get 3 damsels out of a lfs tank. Gobies are so cute. True percula or ocellaris both stay small vs other clownfish species.

[Fishfirst]

Yeah you'd need at least a 30 gallon for an angel of any kind. However, some good fish for a 10-20 gallon would be firefish, royal gramma, neon goby, clown gobies, cardinalfish, and jawfish.

[Gourami Swami]

And purple firefish arre gorgious, Id recommend them as one of your fish. If all you can do is the 10 gallon I'd recommend one of those along with a yellow headed jawfish or a percula clown.

[Reefneck]

To "Thrive" Jawfish need at LEAST a 10" sand bed! They can live a while in less but will suffer and die sooner than they should. Don't take my word for it....Research it. 10 inches should be minimum.

[flamingo]

Everybody I know says 5 inches minimum............?

[Reefneck]

Nope, 10 inches Minimum if you want them to thrive and live long.

[Gourami Swami]

wow, I didnt know that, I thought it was 5" too! I guess you can disregard what I said before then.

[flamingo]

Reefneck, i'm really not trying to diss you or anything, so please don't get me wrong..it's just..I have never heard of anyone with a jawfish having a ten inch sand bed....Usually 7 at the most.

But all in all...I highly suggest never putting a jawfish in a ten gallon..regardless of sand bed

[Reefneck]

Originally Posted by flamingonhot

Reefneck, i'm really not trying to diss you or anything, so please don't get me wrong..it's just..I have never heard of anyone with a jawfish having a ten inch sand bed....Usually 7 at the most.

But all in all...I highly suggest never putting a jawfish in a ten gallon..regardless of sand bed

This is correct, 99% of the people that keep these fish do not have the proper enviroment for them to thrive. 10 inches is the recommended minimum for the fishes best interest. This does not mean that everyone provides such.

Unfortunately very few ever research the animals we keep enough to know what makes them do their best. They only read what they HAVE to have to make it live. If it lives a year or two most people call that success. It's not.