Freshwater expert to Saltwater begginner advice needed.

Best advice is to pick up a copy of a book like Bob Fenner's The Conscientious Marine Aquarist and ask as many questions as it will bring up.

And also read Grins "Advice to Newbies" post that is linked to in her sig. Helped me alot.

Welcome to the salty side Fish. I to took the plunge from FW to SW and nothing compares to SW. Its alot of fun. Oh and def checkout grins "Advice to newbies"

One of the first things you are going to hear about...is that a 10gal tank while possible...may not be the best starting size. If you could even go to a 20 or 29gal you'd have an easier time of it.

The reason for this is in SW, consistent water parameters are even more critical to the success of the tank, and with 10gal of water, things can go awry very quickly before you catch it. With a slightly bigger tank, you have a little more stability.

The books and FAQ Post mentioned are great ways to get going. As in FW patience will be your very best friend.

I'd second what Shaummy had to post and add that many SW goodies like protein skimmer aren't really designed with smaller tanks in mind, not the good ones anyways. If you want to go nano you should look into some of the specialty nano tanks, but these are pretty pricey and for the same amount you could easily upgrade to a much larger tank. SW is great and just take it step by step and enjoy.

I also meant to mention you should check out your local craig's list and papers. Somebody elses loss could be your gain. Most FW stuff can be used for SW like tanks, stands, filters, heaters, maybe even lighting depending on your plans. I've saved big time $$$ a couple of times like this.

shouck said:

I'd second what Shaummy had to post and add that many SW goodies like protein skimmer aren't really designed with smaller tanks in mind, not the good ones anyways. If you want to go nano you should look into some of the specialty nano tanks, but these are pretty pricey and for the same amount you could easily upgrade to a much larger tank. SW is great and just take it step by step and enjoy.

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Actually I have been reading lots of good things about the small Octopus skimmer for small tanks. It seems to pull out as good or better than some larger models and doesn't have the issues like some of the cheaper ones. There is a thread in the Marine Hardware section on this site about one of those skimmers.

clown-lover said:

Actually I have been reading lots of good things about the small Octopus skimmer for small tanks. It seems to pull out as good or better than some larger models and doesn't have the issues like some of the cheaper ones. There is a thread in the Marine Hardware section on this site about one of those skimmers.

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I have an Octopus NW150 skimmer and couldn't be happier. It's always pulling out dark skimmate and if you wanted you could mod it go gain more performance.

If you can I recommend setting up a tank with a sump. I started with a 56gal tank had a hang on tank skimmer, heater, etc in the tank and I didn't like the look.

Moved up to a 90gal with sump and its nice to be able to have everything out of site. Not to mention that the water surface doesn't develop that oily look. Everything just seems to be doing better now.

You're FW experience will stand you in good stead. You'll need to monitor the same paramaters (Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, Temp, Carbonate Hardness, pH) as you do in FW with the addition of a few others which include Salinity/Specific Gravity, Calcium and Magnesium for a basic fish only and several others if you want a reef tank.

The big difference with a SW tank is how in-tolerant most species are to fluctuations in these parameters. Most freshwater fish have a greater ability to adapt to sudden changes than Saltwater fish although there are exceptions in each case. I'd agree with all the people who've said go for a bigger tank, 30g minimum imho. This reduces the chance of any newbie mistakes becoming disasters!

I'd also reccomend you get a good book and absorb as much info as you can before doing anything. Patience is the key to Saltwater (and most things in life).