10 gallon nano tank

[Flower1982]

I'm thinking of setting up a 10 gallon nano tank sometime in the future (hopefully in the near future )
Anyway, I just have a few questions. I know you need about 1lb of live rock per gallon of water. Is there a specific type of live rock that should be used?

I was also wondering what to keep in a 10 gallon nano tank. I've heard you can keep some species of clown fish in a 10 gallon. But I always thought they needed at least a 20 gallon tank or larger.
The fish I was thinking of keeping in the 10 gallon nano tank is:
one yellowhead jawfish
one clown goby
maybe a few shrimps or a snail or two.
Does this sound like it would be too much?

Do you nessacarily need a protein skimmer for a 10 gallon? Why do you need powerheads for saltwater tanks? Also how do you guys mix up salt for your saltwater tanks and do you store it to use it later? Would it be a good idea to have a small container to mix up the saltwater (say like a 5 gallon rubbermaid container) to keep on hand? Do you need to let it sit for any particular time before using it? Any special lighting required for the live rock? Is there a certain kind of sand to use? I've seen live sand in pet stores. Would think work? Okay sorry for all the questions.

 

[TropicalNorth]

Is there a specific type of live rock that should be used?

There are lots of different types of LR, usually named after where it is collected fiji rock etc, and there are different opinions / preferences on what is better. Basically just go into your LFS, look at the rock and and find pieces that have got some colour, interesting shapes, just generally look 'alive' and doesn't stink bad (should smell like the ocean). That's the best way to choose.

I was also wondering what to keep in a 10 gallon nano tank. I've heard you can keep some species of clown fish in a 10 gallon. But I always thought they needed at least a 20 gallon tank or larger.
The fish I was thinking of keeping in the 10 gallon nano tank is:
one yellowhead jawfish
one clown goby
maybe a few shrimps or a snail or two.
Does this sound like it would be too much?

Some say a clown can be kept in a 10g, some say no. Personally I would go with a Clown Goby (they stay real tiny) and some inverts (shrimp, snails, hermits). Don't know anything about the jawfish.

Do you nessacarily need a protein skimmer for a 10 gallon? Why do you need powerheads for saltwater tanks? Also how do you guys mix up salt for your saltwater tanks and do you store it to use it later? Would it be a good idea to have a small container to mix up the saltwater (say like a 5 gallon rubbermaid container) to keep on hand? Do you need to let it sit for any particular time before using it? Any special lighting required for the live rock? Is there a certain kind of sand to use? I've seen live sand in pet stores. Would think work? Okay sorry for all the questions.

You don't need a protein skimmer on a 10g, since the tank is small it is easy to do 20% weekly water changes to keep water quality in check. Since the Live Rock is doing all the biological filtration powerheads are needed for water movement, plus you generally need a higher turnover in a marine tank. If you have a filter (for mechanical filtration) then that might be sufficient to provide enough flow. Aim for a turnover around 10x (on a 10g, a total turnover 100gph - 150gph is a rough guide).

Having a special container set aside for mixing salt is a good idea. Its usually recommended to mix the salt up 24hrs before adding it to the tank, so parameters (ph etc) have time to level out. No special lighting required for live rock, just a light for viewing and to make the tank look good . Standard fluorescents are fine. Can't comment on how good live sand is, never used it.

 

[Grins]

I'm thinking of setting up a 10 gallon nano tank sometime in the future (hopefully in the near future )
Anyway, I just have a few questions. I know you need about 1lb of live rock per gallon of water. Is there a specific type of live rock that should be used?

Not really, although some prefer rock from certain locations such as Marshall Island you are basically looking for rocks that are lighter than they look (means they are porous), has lots of nooks and crannies, and is irregular in shape to make stacking easier.

I was also wondering what to keep in a 10 gallon nano tank. I've heard you can keep some species of clown fish in a 10 gallon. But I always thought they needed at least a 20 gallon tank or larger.
The fish I was thinking of keeping in the 10 gallon nano tank is:
one yellowhead jawfish
one clown goby
maybe a few shrimps or a snail or two.
Does this sound like it would be too much?

Personally I'd stick with the smallest nano sized fish. Some of the smaller gobies, assessors, etc. Shrimp are great as are snails.

Do you nessacarily need a protein skimmer for a 10 gallon?

no

Why do you need powerheads for saltwater tanks?

to help add oxygen to the water, to move food around for filter feeders, to keep debris off the surfaces, etc.

Also how do you guys mix up salt for your saltwater tanks and do you store it to use it later? Would it be a good idea to have a small container to mix up the saltwater (say like a 5 gallon rubbermaid container) to keep on hand? Do you need to let it sit for any particular time before using it?

I mix mine in a Rubbermaid Brute container (it doens't leach out chemicals) and have a heater and a pump in it to keep it circulating and mixed. You should do something similiar for 24+ hours, I do mine a week in advance just because it is easier for me to do it when I do the weekly water changes.

Any special lighting required for the live rock?

No, although different types of coraline will do better in different intensities of light.

Is there a certain kind of sand to use? I've seen live sand in pet stores. Would think work?

Use a good dry agragonite sand. Avoid the bagged sand claiming to be live...I mean sincerely what are they trying to tell us stays alive in a sealed plastic bag on a store shelf indefinitely?

 

[Flower1982]

Thanks for the info guys. I really appreciate it. I'm still going to do research on nano tanks before setting one up. Thanks again for the advice.

 

[Grins]

You might look into the The Nano-Reef Handbood: The Ultimate Guide to Reef Systems Under 15 Gallons by Chris Brightwell, it is in my club library and browsing through it, it appears to be fairly throrough and includes shopping lists, etc.