Minimum Saltwater Tank Requirements?

[shuhu]

Hi

I have been involved with freshwater tanks for almost 2 years, and I'm considering starting a marine setup in a 10 Gallon tank, BTW, I do not want to keep corals or anything that requires expensive lighting.

I know that this size is not recommended for newbies but I just can't afford to get a bigger tank at the moment as I would need a new stand and the one I have fits only for my 10Gal.

So what would be the minimum equipment requirements to keep a saltwater tank of this size, I'm willing to make weekly water changes if I have to


Also, which (and how many) fish could I have?


And, can I use the same Power Head that I used with a freshwater setup?

 

[Mr.September15]

I started with a 10gallon which later cracked and spilled on my bedroom floor . But um, the equipment are the following:

-10Pounds of L.R & L.S (Live rock and live sand isnt necessary...Argronite sand or however its spelled is best)
-New filter media that wasnt used with any other tank.
-Hydrometer
-Sea Salt (Instant Ocean, red sea etc.)
-Powerhead 20x your tank size which would be at 200gph
-Algae scrubber (incase you get an algae build up on glass)


I would get 2 clownfish for that size tank.But you can check http/www.liveaquaria.com and check under nano tanks. The rule of tumb is an inch of fish per 5gallons so 2 fish max would be good in a 10gallon Also you would need to think of a clean up crew (snails,hermits,shrimp,etc.)

 

[SkiFletch]

To add to that list, make sure you have a source of RO or other 99.9% purified water for the longterm success of your tank. Usually LFS' will sell RO water which is a good option for a tank as small as 10g. And dont forget a quality heater. You dont have to spend a ton of money, but dont buy the cheapest one on the block cause saltwater is more corrosive and more prone to making cheap heaters fail

 

[Mr.September15]

Oh yeahh I forgot

 

[Chac]

Copied & cut this from an earlier post I replied to - I know its lazy but ...

For a start lots of Research

Tank
Refractometer or Hydrometer
Test Kits (Ammonia, Nitrate, Nirtite, pH, Phos- Salifert are generally considered the best)
Thermometer (Digital are better)
Powerheads/Streams (20x tank volume)
Lighting (Dependant on what coral species you keep)
Liverock
RO Water/Unit (DO NOT USE TAP WATER)
Mixture of Foods
Books
Nets
Salt
5g RO Containers
Water Change Equipment (Buckets, Hose, Spare Powerhead & Heater)
& a lot more Research

-10Pounds of L.R & L.S (Live rock and live sand isnt necessary...Argronite sand or however its spelled is best)

Live Sand would be best but Argonite is cheaper & becomes live quickly (If used in conjunction with Live Rock)

 

[shuhu]

Great !! Thanks !!

So, I will probably only have to get a Refractometer/Hydrometer, Sea Salt, L.R & L.S and the fish.


A few more questions:

- Is Live sand the same as the "beach sand" or at least looks like it?? Do I buy this at a LFS or some other specialized place? is it expensive?

- Will 1 power head that moves about 200 gallons per hour work for this 10Gal setup?? or do I need something more powerfull?

 

[Mr.September15]

Great !! Thanks !!

So, I will probably only have to get a Refractometer/Hydrometer, Sea Salt, L.R & L.S and the fish.


A few more questions:

- Is Live sand the same as the "beach sand" or at least looks like it?? Do I buy this at a LFS or some other specialized place? is it expensive?

- Will 1 power head that moves about 200 gallons per hour work for this 10Gal setup?? or do I need something more powerfull?

Beach sand is um well its just beach sand. Live sand has living organisms on it so it will give good bacteria to your tank same with Live Rock. I havent read too much about Live Sand as I never did use it. But a good 20pound bag in California costs about 15-30bucks...Yeah you only need it to move against the live rock. 200 GPH sounds good to me.