Hello 3Reef'ers!!!

Hey 3reff'ers :

so as a house... well apartment warming gift lol. my friends got me a 10 gal tank. I just wanted to say hey ya'll! and ask for some pointers, tips, tricks, and hints on how to keep it running smoothly.

what i have:

-10 gal. about 10x20x12 (this is a rough estimate)
-5 gal.(about) of my friends' already cycled salt water
-5 gal. of new salt water
-sand (not sure what kind of sand, wasn't pay attention, it just looked sweet at the time)
- live rock
- 1 black and white (i think) percula clown fish
-30 gal. MarineLand Penguin Power Filter Model 150

I know I still need a light. I am not sure kind of light I should get. I am open for options, but I'm not trying to spend to much around $50-$60 would be nice. If I do have to fish up some more cash I am willing to.

What cool things can I do with a 10 gal. tank? pics if possible.

Please feel free to ask any questions.

Thanks,
Führer B. Küpa

 

welcome to the forum! what would you like to do with the 10 gallon? are you interested in keeping corals or just fish?

 

Hi and Welcome to 3reef.

Test kits for Ammonia and Nitrate, do you have those? You'll need those or take water samples to the local fish store and have them test your water. You'll also need an instrument to measure salinity. You must add fresh water to make up for evaporation, salt doesn't evaporate (well enough to make a difference)

I'll be honest with you, this is an expensive hobby. You can get a simple fluorescent lighting fixture in the range your looking for but you will not be able to really grow any corals other than non-photosynthetic corals or perhaps some basic simple soft corals like colt corals.

Water chemistry is critical in SW, a 10 gallon tank is prone to swings and declines in water quality.

You can realistically only house one clownfish in 10 gallons. SW is not like freshwater in that respect.

The degree to which you stock this tank with corals will depend on lighting. For corals you need intense lighting (not cheap) and excellent water quality, providing both is not cheap.

Welcome to the hobby.

 

yup, got the test kit.

yup, figured it was expensive when I bought most of the equipment. I actually want to have a tank mainly with just coral and limit it to 3-4 fish. So, that being said, how much should i spend on lighting? Any suggestions?

any suggestion on instruments to measure salinity?

 

you can use a swing arm hydrometer to start - many will recommend a refractometer which is the best way

what type of coral are you wanting? that will help with the lighting suggestions.

 

You can buy a hydrometer at Petsmart or Petco for under $10 bucks or close to it. For a fish only tank a hydrometer will get you buy.
Both hydrometers and refractometers measure salinity, the refractometer is more expensive and much more accurate.

Marinedepot - Search Results for refractometer

If you want corals T5 or Powercompacts are going to be your cheapest. Both will grow most easy corals.

Fluorescent Aquarium Lighting | Marinedepot.com





This link takes you to fish appropriate for your size tank, you have what is considered a nano tank (over 6 gallons and under 30)

Nano Fish

 

^ Knows her stuff! If you only listen to one person, make sure it is her.

If you are on a budget, amazon will be your friend. Some equipment you can find on craigslist as well for pretty cheap.

If you are handy you can also check out DIY threads. You can sometimes make good equipment for cheap.

Water Changes are one of the very best things you can do for your tank. Make a routine of it.

Above all, Patience!

Welcome to 3Reef!

 

YUP! Already love you Corailline! ;D

well if I'm going to start this hobby I better do it right. Right?

Thanks and ill see ya'll around

 

Welcome to 3reef! There are plenty of folks here that will offer up a ton of helpful advice and mentor you along the way to get you going so you are in the right place! Congrats on the tank too! We all have to start somewhere and while a smaller tank will be a little more manageable in the means of money in reference to the amount and size of equipment it will be more susceptible to changes. It will take some learning but it is well worth it. A few fish in that tank and some soft corals and I think you will be more than happy to begin with.

Don't get in a rush though. It takes time and patience so take it slow and let the tank cycle when you do begin even though you will be anxious to stock it. Remember it isn't a sprint, it is a marathon.

As far as your equipment goes, I believe that filter will do just fine and will provide some extra flow that a filter sized for a 10g wouldn't. Don't forget an adequate heater for your setup too! Might possibly look into a small powerhead as well. As for lighting I would get a T5 light. If I remember right I had a 2 bulb T5 on one of my old 20g tanks and it was more than enough to keep my softies happy. Just have to remember that you will be replacing bulbs about every 6 months or so to avoid algae blooms. If you want to spend some more money you could probably find a decent LED light for the tank.

I will leave it at that for now so hopefully I didn't overload you on info. Just ask plenty of questions if you have any and we will be more than happy to answer them. Good luck and happy reefing! :thumb_up: