little salt tank

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sharkfan13

Feeder Fish
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Feb 1, 2011
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So I have to run most of my tank ideas by my roommate haha because I no longer have room in my bedroom for my tanks, so they've migrated to the living room too. She now wants a salt tank with just a clown in it (I know, this is so cliche haha but I need to keep her happy so my bigger tanks can have a home lol). I've only kept freshwater tanks before, so salt is completely new to me. What is the smallest tank that a single clown could be housed happily in? What's the smallest species of clown? What would I need to do to make a successful fish only tank? Is live rock necessary if there's no corals? Any newbie information would be really helpful :) Do I need a protein skimmer as well? I have all of the equipment for a FW tank, but is there anything I would need to get to have a SW tank for her? I would be the one doing all the maintenance.
 
10 gallon tank for a clown, id go ahead and get a pair - ocellaris or 'false perc' are the smallest - live rock is necessary as its your biologic filtration on a salt tank. protein skimmer is unnecessary on a tank that small.

all you really need:

tank, basic lights, sand, about 10lbs of LR, bout a 400 gph powerhead, heater - at that point you're good its a lot easier than people think

other thing is a clean up crew, in that size tank id probably get 1 emerald crab and 10 hermits and you're gold
 
10 is small for a clown. Go for a 20, that leaves room for another fish or two if (read, when) she wants more fish. "Oh, he's so lonely in there, we should get him a friend!"
Occelaris and percula are the smallest (and often cheapest) clowns commonly available. males only getting about 2-2.5" and females about 3-3.5".

Aside from monitoring salinity (a $10 hydrometer, or $40 refractometer [I highly recommend the latter]) it's the same as a freshwater tank.
You don't NEED live rock, but it speeds up the tank's cycle and makes for a more natural looking tank.

With as small a tank as you'll have, a once weekly water change would eliminate the need for a skimmer.
 
Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't clowns really aggressive and territorial? That's what websites have been saying anyway. So would I even need to leave room for another fish? I think all I would need to buy is the actual tank, the sand, and the LR. I pretty much have everything else haha I have so many random tank parts lying around.
 
some clowns can be aggesive, tomatos and maroons are the worst i think. most tank raised ocellaris clowns are fairly peaceful. i still think u should have a decent skimmer for any salt tank.
 
I know what a protein skimmer does, but can you tell me what's its benefit is if I already do water changes? I'm kind of confused on that. My roomie's funding this venture lol but I get to do the buying. I'd rather save her cash if I can.
 
some people are all about skimmers and wont possibly accept anything otherwise but honestly on a 10-20 gallon tank with frequent WC's and just a single (or pair) of clowns it isnt necessary, especially since you aren't bothering with corals
 
Yeah corals are beyond me at this point. At some point when I actually have money (I'm in grad school, so I am pretty broke haha) I would love to have a reef tank. I just don't have the money to get the special lights and stuff. I thought if I run my roommate's potential tank, it will give me a good basis for a reef in the future.

To hijack my own thread now......On my college's "craigslist," I found this ad:

24 Gallon Nano Cube Deluxe Reef Aquarium
The self-contained 24G Nano Cube Deluxe offers the easiest solution for the hobbyist that demands high-tech performance in a miniature environment. This elegant system offers panoramic viewing with smooth rounded glass corners, built-in 3 stage filtration system, and a powercompact lighting system. The 24 gallon system has a heavy duty ABS top that can be flipped back and held in place for tank cleaning and feeding. Measures 18" (L) x 19.6" (W) x 19.7" (H). A perfect aquarium setup for a mini-reef or planted aquarium. The 24G Nano Cube Deluxe comes standard with two 60 x 60 mm cooling fans, (2) 36 watt combo bulbs and remote ballast that have recently been changed, 290 GPH submersible pump. Also includes a Hydor Koralia Nano powerhead and all testing an maintenance equipment. Livestock: 35lbs Tonga live rock 1 Ocellaris Clownfish 1 Serpent Star 5 Misc. Hermit Crabs 10 Misc. Snails 1 12" Toadstool 1 12" Frogspawn 1 6" Open brain coral 1 12" Green Finger Leather 500+ polyps Zoanthids 500+ Yellow Polyps 50+ Blue mushrooms 20+ Red mushrooms 20 stalks Zenia This system has been running for over three years, is very well established, and one of the nicest reefs I have seen in the area. I am moving and unable to transport my corals safely, so my loss is your gain. Serious and experienced reefkeepers only!

She's asking $750 for the whole setup. Is this overpriced or a good deal? The ad has been up forever lol but I was just curious if the price was decent.
 
with the amount of coral in it, its really not terrible - but its just not realistic to expect somebody to buy in that quantity when those are all fairly common corals that grow pretty quickly
 
In a small tank the cost of salt isn't that terrible in relation to weekly water changes. The larger the tank the more costly water changes become so the main benefit of a skimmer IMO is the removal of dissloved protiens in the water which helps keep down the levels of harmful gases such as Nitrates in conjunction with regular maintence.
The larger skimmer units also help to replenish oxygen - not sure about the smaller models like the HOB skimmer/filter combos or the air pump/ air stone driven lifts.

Although the start up cost of live rock can be intimidating, the good news is afterwards, take it slow, and you have plenty of time to buy what you need or want. Reefs are an ongoing project it just doesn't happen overnite. Even when buying a whole set up like the Nano, you'll need to immediiately get your head around - Salinity, Temperature, Feeding schedules, Media schedules, PH, P04, N03, Calcium, Mag, Alk, and slow acclimations to name a few. If you read the bottomline of the add the poster says " I'm unable to transport the Corals safely." Seller realizes it's not that simple, although I'm sure for experienced reefers it's do-able. Hence his last statement - "Serious and experienced reefkeepers only".

Best bet is pick your tank - add sand if you want, get your salt, mix it and test it in a 5 gal bucket. Line the sand with cardboard if doing sand, fill the tank with saltwater, turn on your heater, add pump, add a small maxi jet - one that doesn't turn your tank into a sand storm. Wait a day or 2 for the sand to calm down and the temp to be at least 77 degrees. Then add Liverock - let it run for a week and start testing for ammonia and nitrite. When ammonia is zero start testing for Nitrate aswell as Nitrite. When Nitrate is present turn on the lights for 8 hours daily and start testing PH. After 6-8 weeks when Nitrites are zero and Nitrates are 20ppm or less add your fish - then repeat testing - from this point your on your way and you'll have a healthy tank when the right steps are taken. Don't be discouraged when the color leaves the LR, a few months later it will return.
 
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