I am new to saltwater aquariums.. I have a normal 10 gallon tank I would like to turn into a saltwater aquarium but I know nothing about saltwater. What is the best filter to use? How much Sand? What kinda lighting?
NEW TO SALTWATER AQUARIUMS Please help...
- Thread starter immortality6000
- Start date
There is a saltwater forum here and tons of them on the web you can probably get much more responses in any of those.
For starters.... With a 10g tank your options are extremely limited for what you can put in there and it is going to be difficult to do anything well if it is your first saltwater. Not that it cant be done I have seen amazing 5g reef tanks, but usually I just see failed ones on Craigslist
Anyway ideally you will have a good filter and protien skimmer. They sell small HOB types that have filters and protien skimmers for small tanks (never tried them myself). Will need live sand and live rock. For the sand see if local saltwater store will sell a pound or two from a long established tank and mix with your own sand, crushed coral, or aragonite(I do 4-5 inch sand bed, but for 10g tank that is like half your space) For the rock again try to get 10 to 20 pounds of live rock preferrably something that has been established in a tank for awhile. That wont be the big tank at the store that says "live rock" but a piece or two from their established tanks. Most places wont sell it or will charge a fortune, but if you have a good relationship maybe so. Or Craigslist if the person still has the tank running (if they took it down and it sitting in a cooler then it is mostly going to be "dead" rock).
For lighting you can go all out and get a 150w metal halide (if you do that you will have to get a chiller though on that size tank). More reasonable you probably want to get T5HO one actinic and one 10000k or higher.
If you really are brand new and know nothing about saltwater though best bet is probably google "starting saltwater tank" and spend a few weeks reading. Most people I know really struggle initiallly with saltwater (I know I did even after a lot of research). Years later my 120g is beautiful, but my 20g saltwater is a constant struggle for me I cant seem to get it right.
For starters.... With a 10g tank your options are extremely limited for what you can put in there and it is going to be difficult to do anything well if it is your first saltwater. Not that it cant be done I have seen amazing 5g reef tanks, but usually I just see failed ones on Craigslist
Anyway ideally you will have a good filter and protien skimmer. They sell small HOB types that have filters and protien skimmers for small tanks (never tried them myself). Will need live sand and live rock. For the sand see if local saltwater store will sell a pound or two from a long established tank and mix with your own sand, crushed coral, or aragonite(I do 4-5 inch sand bed, but for 10g tank that is like half your space) For the rock again try to get 10 to 20 pounds of live rock preferrably something that has been established in a tank for awhile. That wont be the big tank at the store that says "live rock" but a piece or two from their established tanks. Most places wont sell it or will charge a fortune, but if you have a good relationship maybe so. Or Craigslist if the person still has the tank running (if they took it down and it sitting in a cooler then it is mostly going to be "dead" rock).
For lighting you can go all out and get a 150w metal halide (if you do that you will have to get a chiller though on that size tank). More reasonable you probably want to get T5HO one actinic and one 10000k or higher.
If you really are brand new and know nothing about saltwater though best bet is probably google "starting saltwater tank" and spend a few weeks reading. Most people I know really struggle initiallly with saltwater (I know I did even after a lot of research). Years later my 120g is beautiful, but my 20g saltwater is a constant struggle for me I cant seem to get it right.
I've Been keeping saltwater for years now. Anything less than a 55 and your parameters will be extremely difficult to maintain. Your salinity, PH, calcium, alk , etc will swing wildly due to small volume of water. I highly recommend at least 40 G to start. If you take all the rock, sands into account 40 G isn't 40. It's way less than that. Do you know anyone like a friend or coworker that's into SW? If so ask ton of questions before you start your own tank. SW fish are alot harder to take care of. Theyre extremely prone to saltwater ich (not the same FW ich) and its the leading cause of death along with cyanide poisoning. I suggest you steer clear of SW unless you have the time and dedication to take care of your fish. I dont mean to discourage you but that's the truth. There's a reason why there are more FW hobbyist than SW.
Forget it and stich with freshwater for at least a couple years. Read as much as you can and if you cant stop yourself try saltwater, but its very expensive and time consuming. It can be worth the effort if you have the time, dedication and money.