Help With New Reef

[crazyforcordoras]

Hello, I am starting a 10 gallon nano reef. What should I stock it with? I would like to have a coral beauty angel. Is this okay? Maybe a Bangii cardinal.
I want easy corals. I dont like mushroom corals. Any suggestions?

 

[lljdma06]

Hello, I am starting a 10 gallon nano reef. What should I stock it with? I would like to have a coral beauty angel. Is this okay? Maybe a Bangii cardinal.
I want easy corals. I dont like mushroom corals. Any suggestions?

Have you checked out our resource center?

So you want a SW tank?

I'll tell you right now though, a coral beauty isn't going to happen and not a banggaii either. Think smaller.

L

 

[jeasko]

Size of tank aside the coral beauty is not always considered reef safe, if you look it up on the net you'll see a mixed response from others, some say they have had no problems and some the other way, one of those fish that's just luck if the draw by all accounts

 

[crazyforcordoras]

Do you have any suggestions? Will a clownfish and a royal gramma work? Also, how many fish, 3?

 

[lljdma06]

Do you have any suggestions? Will a clownfish and a royal gramma work? Also, how many fish, 3?

Think more along the lines of two, small fish, that max out at like 2-3".

Also, fish that don't spend a lot of time swimming. These kinds of fish need more room. Goby/shrimp pairs are very nice for a 10g, and then maybe one other fish.

L

 

[MBOU]

Sailfin Blennies, Trimma Gobies, Neon Gobies, Clown Goby... Shrimp/Goby Pairs (though Yasha goby sized, not Yellow Watchman or Pink Spot etc).

 

[crazyforcordoras]

Is there any non gobies I can keep?

 

[MBOU]

A single Dottyback on its own? Couldnt really put other fish with it in that siz tank, it would kill them...

You can always put corals, shrimps, crabs and snails in th tank too to fill up space and they are fun to watch!

 

[crazyforcordoras]

Since this is my first approach to saltwater, I want a community tank. Would a clown fish pair and a goby work? I want a clownfish bad.

 

[GrayScale]

As your name suggsests, I'm assuming your coming from the freshwater side of things. Stocking in a marine tank is entirely different so throw what you know about stocking a freshwater completely out the window.

A 10g tank would not be suitable for a pair of clowns I'm afraid, even for the smallest clown species. Most would recommend a tank of at least 25g or larger. Larger being preferred for beginners on the salty side.

 

[lljdma06]

As your name suggsests, I'm assuming your coming from the freshwater side of things. Stocking in a marine tank is entirely different so throw what you know about stocking a freshwater completely out the window.

A 10g tank would not be suitable for a pair of clowns I'm afraid, even for the smallest clown species. Most would recommend a tank of at least 25g or larger. Larger being preferred for beginners on the salty side.

Agreed, start off bigger, unless you already have extended experience with freshwater picos or freshwater planted. And not low-tech planted, but high-tech with dosing, and large weekly water changes. Right now, that's the system in FW that's most like a typical Marine system with regard to maintenance. The most frustrating thing I see is people starting off 8 or 10g journals and they get to the LR stage and the invert stage, and then I never hear from them again. The maintenance, unless you're really nutty like I am, is just too demanding. Many creatures require daily feedings, you have to have a supply of SW... It goes on...

Again, I'm not trying to discourage you, but a smaller system, as cute as it can be, is really much harder to maintain in the long term. Go bigger, like Grayscale says, even nano-sized, but on the larger end. Get what you want, don't settle. You'll just be disappointed and either give up or want to upgrade later. If you really want a pair of clowns, go for a tank size that can really house them well. I've got a 36g too. I love that tank, it's WAY easier than my picos and it's still on the smaller end of a reef. And it's busting with activity. 4 chalk bass and a mater pair of pearly jawfish! A pair of clowns and a goby/shrimp pair are wonderful for a 25-36g tank size range & you may even have room for a fish or two more. Now, that's a real community. Plus your inverts, plus your corals. These tanks are also small enough still that you won't need to necessarily skim or have a sump if you don't want to. There are tricks around that sort of thing and you can still maintain excellent water quality to make fish & inverts happy.

L