FishProfiles.com Message Forums

I got another 10 gallon and I want to try saltwater fish for the first time. I already have the 10 pounds of crushed coral that are necessary, and I will be letting the pH stabilize for a little while.

I would like to have maybe 1 clownfish (captive bred perculas or ocelaris (sp?)) if possible.

1 Clown would be the absolute max you could put in there. And honestly I would suggest sand and not Crushed coral for your substrate.

Sorry! Too pessimistic, plus I don't know much about saltwater anyways...

[span class="edited"][Edited by sirbooks 2004-08-25 21:29][/span]

---

And when he gets to Heaven, to Saint Peter he will tell: "One more Marine reporting, Sir! I've served my time in Hell."

Damsels, Clowns, Dottybacks, Basslets, and Gobies are all great candidates for a small saltwater tank. I would limit my selection to 1 fish, unless you get gobies. Then you can most likely have 2 (Gobies).

See what you like and what is available to you.

If you are using NO liverock, I would suggest a filter with a Bio-Wheel. Also, FO tanks do better with crushed coral substrate b/c it can be vacuumed (so you're ok there).

Other things I suggest if you don't have them yet are a 50w Heater and possibly a small powerhead (Maxi-Jet 400 is a great choice). Another thing to consider is Bio Spira to get some bacteria goin. It would be a good idea to add some decorations for hiding, perching, etc. too.

Welcome to the not so wide worls of nanos.

-Justin

[span class="edited"][Edited by jmt1somr 2004-08-25 21:21][/span]

1 Clown would be the absolute max you could put in there

Excellent. That's exactly what I wanted to hear!

I only want 1 blue damsel or something to cycle the tank.

Why don't you use a little LR to cycle the tank? It will go much quicker, and you don't have to torcher a fish.

You can also use Bio SPira or a peice of raw shrimp.

I strongly reccomend against the "Damsel Cycle"

I'm thinking live rock, but it's so expensive. I wouldn't be able to afford more than 2 pounds of it.

Also, Bio-Spira is so incredibly expensive too. Hopefully I won't torture the damsel too much.

Why are people more concerned about fish cycling in SW than FW?

because SW fish are alot more sensitive to elevated levels. They usually end up dying, where FW fish usually survive.

Not to mention the cycling alternatives in SW are much better. My 75 gallon cycled completely in about 5 days. Thats hard to match in the FW world, at least not using everything completely fresh.