want to start a marine aquarium but need help

A 10 gallon tank is really not a good starter saltwater tank. The small volume of water is hard to keep stable--basically it needs daily attention. Water evaporates off, and this increases the salinity of the water, making it quickly unsuitable for fish.

The smallest tank I would recommend is a 30. This size will require more work than a larger tank, but not so much that it will be overwhelming.

For a tank with a clown--no anenome, just a clown, a few shrimp/snails/crabs, and maybe 2 other fish, you will need the tank (and for this load, a 30 will be the minimum), a strip light with Normal Output flourescent lighting, 2 powerheads, about 3 inches of sand, 30-45 pounds of live rock, a heater, a hydrometer, a protien skimmer and a test kit for ammonia, nitrites, nitrates, and pH--and of course, marine mix salt. Pretty bare bones minimum, still about $500. You can reduce that in a few ways, but I'd plan on having at least that much at a minimum.

For fish--in addition to the clown fish, you could have a trio of shrimp (fire shrimp, camels, peppermints, any of the peaceful shrimp), a herd of 10 dwarf hermit crabs, 10-15 snails for clean up, and then either a pair of fire shrimp, another clown (same kind as the first), or a trio of clown or gumdrop gobies.

knowhowboi- I cannot stress enough the need to read and research this hobby before buying any piece of equipment. Read books, websites, forums, email lists- read any and everything marine related that you can get your hands on. I researched for over six months before I felt confident enough to make any purchase decisions.

The hobby is unique in that there are 100 ways to do anything- and they can all work. The only way to choose the right way for your circumstances is to be familiar with all of your options and they are many.

I wholeheartedly recommend books- the best IMO The Conscientious Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner. It will give you a broad overview of the hobby and get your mind pointed in the right direction. Around $30- a drop in the bucket marine tank-wise, and may still be the single most valuable purchase if it gets you off to a proper start.

Happy reading!

This forum is a great way to learn about this hobby. I can't believe how much knowledge I've gained from this forum! Lots of great people with great information. I've read a couple of the books that they suggested here, and have read a lot of the threads here for about 5-6 months before even buying one piece of equipment.

I would start out with at least a 30 gallon tank. If you are going to get Clownfish, try getting tank-raised Clownfish. They are a bit hardier and are already adapted to tank life. If your local fish store doesn't have any, I'm sure they can order some for you. If not, you could always order them online. I believe the minimum size a tank can be for a Clownfish is 30 gallons. Other fishes that you might consider are some Gobies, such as the Firefish Goby. I also like the Royal Gramma Basslet and the Bangaii Cardinalfish. All of these fishes are easy to maintain and don't grow too large ( I think 3-4 inches is the max, but some types of Clownfish grow a bit larger). Make sure you don't overstock your tank.

By the way, what part of California do you live in? If you live in or near the Bay Area, I can point you to some good local fish stores. If I were you, I would read a bit before I purchased anything. But at least you could take a look at some setups, fishes, etc. and get an idea of what you want to set up in the future.

All good advice up above. And I can't stress enough that it is all accurate. Don't know if you have the resources/room for a larger tank, but I wouldn't go small on a SW setup unless I had a LOT more experience/knowledge and time to invest in it. A larger setup would help you in maintanence/stability. If you can't, I'd hold off for a while until you can. I have been in the hobby 16 years, and I just now am feeling comfortable enough to venture into SW. I've been researching it for a while too. Do take the time to check out the books, ask questions, and make informed decisions. It will make your experience a lot more fun, sucessful, and you will have a deeper appreciation for it as well as satisfaction. Good luck!

fresh water is easy depending on what you get but on a whole is less difficult and easier to start with than saltwater. If you want some fairly pretty brite fish for a freshwater tank I would suggest either going with some of the barbs. or livebearers like plattys or swordtails both groups are bright and lively. I am currently raising tiger barbs in a 20 gallon long tank. Its nice I am raising a species tank as in all I am going to raise are about 9 tiger barbs with a few catfish and an algaie eater to keep the bottom alive also. I think they are all very pretty fish and a lot of fun to watch the tigers come in 3 varities that I know about regular tigers, albinos, and green.