Switching to the darkside.

[Danyal]

c'mon, damsels can be pretty cool and remember that clowns are a damsels. there are plenty of small gobies that will do great, as well as smaller mantis shrimp(excellent for monster lovers) some smaller blennies
t5HO lights would be much better than PC(even though a PC bulb is just a t5 bent in half) however there are no t5HO fixtures made under 24" except for an 18" model made by nova, however there is just a single parabolic reflector so the whole t5 vs. PC issue is somewhat obsolete unless you want to go through the trouble of DIYing in a few individual parabolic reflectors. if you don't mind the expense then a 70w MH + pc supplements would be great for a small reef tank and you could keep just about any coral you want, although for most zoas your current 2x18w would work. most people who are selling their 96w quad lights do mention temp. issues.

 

[MarlboroMan]

Well I like clowns, but damsels (the blue ones) are not interesting to me.

I prefer not to get MH, but I hear they work great. I might if it means awesome corals...

Still waiting for my friend to setup his tank so I can move all the freshwater stuff to his tank, so I can begin mine.

 

[Danyal]

the MH is supposed to give some of the best colours but you'd probabably be just as happy with a decent pc fixture.

 

[MarlboroMan]

Ok I'm going to start ordering parts soon.

So far, my list includes 50 lb mix of salt for 20 bucks (bigalsonline), 36 watt double power tubes for 52 bucks (same place), and a Rio Protein Skimmer (110 gph) for 30 bucks (same place).

Found a store that sells live sand for 40 bucks for 20 lbs, is that normal rate? Should I keep looking?

Please let me know if I'm on the right track for my 10 gallon.

 

[sweeTang21]

Ok I'm going to start ordering parts soon.

So far, my list includes 50 lb mix of salt for 20 bucks (bigalsonline), 36 watt double power tubes for 52 bucks (same place), and a Rio Protein Skimmer (110 gph) for 30 bucks (same place).

Found a store that sells live sand for 40 bucks for 20 lbs, is that normal rate? Should I keep looking?

Please let me know if I'm on the right track for my 10 gallon.

Keep looking for sand, depending on the brand that sounds very high to me. I can get LS at 20lbs for about 19.95 with no discount! Aragalive is the common used brand

 

[MarlboroMan]

What about protein skimmer? Good price? I'll shop around on the sand, some guy offered me 30 bucks for 20 lbs.

 

[MarlboroMan]

Ok I saw some frogspawn coral, and looks really good. Price seems decent also, is this a good coral for a 10 gallon with the setup I mentioned? Does it mix with a single or pair of clowns?

 

[sweeTang21]

The protein skimmer is going to based on size. IMO for a tank that small skimmers are not all that efficient anyways. 30.00 for sand is average, again depending on brand and location. the lfs i go through sells dirt "dirt cheap" lol.

The frogspawn is all going to depend on your lighting. I would really recommend MH or a nice set of t-5 HO. They are going to be pricey depending on location. I dont see much for them around. They like moderate water flow and really only depend on moderate light. Of course the more the better as long as you dont burn them.

I would really figure out what kind of light your gunna get first and then get your stocking list together based around the lights. Remember, if you get the power compact they run very hot. about 97.38 degrees is what the light casing gets at on average and you have a very small body of water. agian my .02 on the subject but i stick with my guns lol.

 

[MarlboroMan]

Ok, interesting pick up on the lights. Frogspawn needs MH, but they didn't have any MH and I'd have to order one, plus over 200 price tag, seems large for a 10 gallon. They said I should go with polyps instead of the frogspawn.
I picked up a JEBO 36 watt box for 50 bucks, asked to make sure it was working. I noticed it had two 36 watt bulbs though, doesn't it make it 72 watt? Still nice for 50 bucks though, came with a neat stand. Also bought enough salt for a 50 gallon for 11 bucks. And a salt meter.

 

[sweeTang21]

Ok, interesting pick up on the lights. Frogspawn needs MH, but they didn't have any MH and I'd have to order one, plus over 200 price tag, seems large for a 10 gallon. They said I should go with polyps instead of the frogspawn.
I picked up a JEBO 36 watt box for 50 bucks, asked to make sure it was working. I noticed it had two 36 watt bulbs though, doesn't it make it 72 watt? Still nice for 50 bucks though, came with a neat stand. Also bought enough salt for a 50 gallon for 11 bucks. And a salt meter.

i had a feeling they were gunna cost an arm an a leg. Is the JEBO t-5 or compact?? the salt meter or "hydrometer" should have some lines on it, min and max in SG just add salt to RO water and raise it to the middle of that line. that seems to be the good spot. I would also consider getting a small bucket for mixing new saltwater in, once the tank is set up and you do water changes you cant add plain water and then more salt. That will kill the coral. you always want to pre mix everything for 24 hours before a water change. this gives it time to match your tank to prevent spikes.