Freshwater Guy Needs Some Help

[ncguppy830]

how do you make a pico reef, whats the supply list of all the things you need. i have never done anything with saltwater before but i have a 10 gallon for a sump and an empty 2.5 gallon tank so i thought i would do this. id also want to know if anyone has done a diy sump here and how they did it. also what coral is best for beginners?

 

[ncguppy830]

bump

 

[Paradise3]

Things you need... 
 
Protein Skimmer
Coral Sand
Live Rock
Heater
Marine Spec LED or T5 Lighting
Chemical Media(Phostphate Removers, Carbon, etc)
Marine Test Kit(liquid)
Hydrometre - For measuring salinity
RO Water as Tap Water is no good for marine
 
As for the best corals - Mushrooms, Zoas, Pulsing Xenia(Be careful! Takes over quickly!) and Button Polyps They are the ones I know of but there are probably loads more
 
Read up carefully on each one though as you need to know where to place them in the aquarium as some like lots of light, some don't like lots of light.
 
That is all I can say on this unfortunately. I don't own marine and this is what my partner has told me sat next to me while I type so if he comes on and reads this he may add to it

 

[ncguppy830]

ok thanks for the list and advice, i guess its a long road of researching coral for me.

 

[Donya]

Three relevant stickies if you haven't already looked at them:
Marine FAQ
Common marine equipment - although no sump in general on a pico due to space limitations and it just being easier to do water changes regularly.
Nano resource center
 
Picos are VERY hard to keep stable. If you have a 10gal, I would recommend either doing the 10gal sumpless or, preferably, go bigger - since even the 10gal will be a struggle. As stated in the FAQ, more like 50gal is considered the best beginner size from the standpoint of stability and avoiding tank crashes. It has become common to start with 20gal, but that's still considered a difficult way to start.

 

[ncguppy830]

okay so what about a 30 gallon should that dso and how large should my sump be too?

 

[Donya]

30gal is better, but bear in mind that stocking will still be somewhat limited if you are more of a fish person than an invert person. Sumps are best done as big as you can fit (or as your floor can support on larger tanks sumped underneath). 

 

[ncguppy830]

ok and what are some begginer fish that i could put in it