New to the Saltwater World

[kolina27]

So, I am new to the saltwater world...brand spankin new, as in I don't own a saltwater tank yet but I am interested in setting up a Nano tank. I have experience with tropical tanks so I am not completely new to the idea of owning a tank. The tank I have is a 5g Hex tank. It has a bio wheel and filtration system in it. I am curious if there are any good sites you could point me to that will help me better understand what I am to look for while trying to create my first saltwater tank? I don't want to jump into this project blind as I know how heartbreaking it can be to have fish and other aquatic life die on you due to lack of knowledge. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[jenglish]

If you have any specific questions ask away.

I will warn you that the smaller of a tank you have the more challenging it is to keep it stable. SW critters overall have less tolerance for fluctuations that their FW cousins. SOme of the intertidal critters are a bit heartier. DO you know what kind of critter you would like to keep?

Most reef setups are better simply using a bit of liverock than a biowheel but once you know more about what you want it would be easier to make suggestions.

And welcome to TRT

[kolina27]

I am definitly interested in keeping a fish in the tank. I am not exactly sure what kind of fish since I am not at all familiar with saltwater fish. I don't want to over crowd the tank so I figured a fish and maybe a shrimp of some sort to help with the cleaning.

I am not sure how much live rock I should look into getting and I am not positive I understand what EXACTLY a cycle is. (like I said. I am in the research stage of this project.) I realize I will need to find a new bulb for the tank as it uses incandescent. I am gonna look into a florescent for better lighting.

Now, for my first SW tank should I bother debating on coral? Should I wait awhile?

Is there other equipment I should look into besides the filtration system that the tank came with and the heater?

Also, how much work would this take per week? I realize that I'll need to do a 10-20% water change a week and keep an eye on the filtration system. Anything else I should consider time wise?

[chrisd]

one fish would be fine a shrimp or a hermit and a snail thats about all i would put in there. as for corals stick with soft corals maybe a mushroom. you will only need a few pounds of live rock try 4lbs. and see if you like how it looks. try to buy small pieces it will make it alot easier to place it how you like it. i would remove any filter pads or sponges they will just trap detrius. do 1gal. water change every week and feed every third day and you should be fine.

are you going to have a sand bed?

[kolina27]

I was debating on getting sand. I figured it would look nicer as well as help the whole little 5g ecosystem. I am intending to go to 'That Fish Place' this weekend which is a HUGE fish store that's about an hour from my place. I am gonna look at prices of things and get a general gist of how much this little project of mine would cost.

Any suggestions to the type of fish I should get for in it?

[jenglish]

I would look into gobies. Some of them stay quite small and are pretty tolerant.

[Loverotties]

I'd start out the biggest you can it will make it easier for you(less problems).That's a good LFS.Ask alot of questions.I would start out with some kind of Damsel(because if you start out with 5 gallons) Your probably kill a couple till you get a hang of it.

[chrisd]

Originally Posted by kolina27

I was debating on getting sand. I figured it would look nicer as well as help the whole little 5g ecosystem. I am intending to go to 'That Fish Place' this weekend which is a HUGE fish store that's about an hour from my place. I am gonna look at prices of things and get a general gist of how much this little project of mine would cost.

Any suggestions to the type of fish I should get for in it?

i drove out there a couple of months ago that place is big. everything you need under one roof. just remember that if you keep sand it will have to be cleaned every week. check out the six line wrasse or flasher wrasse they stay small and alot of movement and color

[chrisd]

oh and your not going to be able to keep shrimp with the six line. maybe you should check out the flasher wrasse

[kolina27]

If I don't do sand what would you suggest? Regular gravel? Is he sand better? Will it make a difference which I use?

Also what other equipment will I need besides the basic filtration that the tank has and a heater? Will I need a pump of some sort to help circulate the water more? Will an air stone work for that or is an air stone a no-no?

[jenglish]

Originally Posted by kolina27

If I don't do sand what would you suggest? Regular gravel? Is he sand better? Will it make a difference which I use?

Also what other equipment will I need besides the basic filtration that the tank has and a heater? Will I need a pump of some sort to help circulate the water more? Will an air stone work for that or is an air stone a no-no?

I would use sand or nothing for substrate. Gravel will be difficult to keep clean. A small powerhead for movement is a good idea. I have used airstones to circulate water in tubs, but in a tank they can be a problem. The issue with them is every little bubble that bursts sends up a little splash and can get salt on everything around the tank or all over you light.

I am not sure a wrasse is going to have enough room in a 5. You may want to look at liveaquaria.com marine fish section. They have a list of fish specifically for nanos with pictures for you to get an idea about what you may keep in there.

[kolina27]

Alright. Thanks for all the answers to my questions. This helps a lot.

I looked at that page for nano tank fish. I am most interested in a Ocellaris Clownfish but I am not sure if my 5g would be big enough for one. Any thoughts on that?

[AquaMan91]

tghe occellaris would get way to big...lol sorry...u should get damsels at first till u get used to reefkeeping... then when ur a lil more experienced u can bring the damsel to ur LFS and maybe purchase a nice lil goby or somethin.... if u want a shrimp i would do a sexy shrimp or a blood shrimp(theyre nice and pretty!).. for a goby u should definetly do maybe a clown goby or a yellow watchmen.... good luck! u should post some pics! i love lil tanks! im plannin on doin a super small reef soon