im starting my first saltwatertank and i want to know what the best kind of filteration
fish
chemicals
food
aquarium salt
would be for a 10gallon swtank
fish
chemicals
food
aquarium salt
would be for a 10gallon swtank
10gallon starter tank
- Thread starter stingray25
- Start date
Fish: Possible Fish
Chem: What kind of chemicals are you talking about?
Food: I use Tetra-Min flakes, and occasionally feed bloodworms.
Salt: The only kind I've seen is Dr. Wellfishes'
Chem: What kind of chemicals are you talking about?
Food: I use Tetra-Min flakes, and occasionally feed bloodworms.
Salt: The only kind I've seen is Dr. Wellfishes'
sorry but i dont really understand your post (might just be me as i`m new to the site and to marine fishkeeping).After a good fews years of keeping FW i``ve decided to turn to SW and i`m just in the process of starting up my fist SW tank which is 47gallons.10 gallons seems awfully small to be setting up your first SW tank i`ve been told by a few people the bigger the tank the better.you should really find a good local fish shop,a one you can trust and will give u good advice and support.i`m pretty sure they would advise you not to start with a 10 gallon tank.
10 Gallons
A 10 gallon SW is possible but not recommended. I was able to get a 10 gallon SW system to live quite well for a year before I finally transfered the fish to a larger tank. The main problem is that it takes a lot of aeration in such a small aquarium. This causes a lot of water to build up outside the tank, which can cause electricution problems later on (salt is an excellent conductor of electricity). As far as fish that could survive in a 10 gallon tank, I'd start with converting some molly's into SW first. This would be because it will probably be 3 to 4 months of cycling the tank before even a damsel will survive well in such a small tank. You will also want a lot of live rock once you do get actual SW fish. This is because SW fish are very territorial and are overly stressed when too close to other fish. They will need plenty of places to hide to feel secure and to keep them from attacking each other. As far as what fish could survive, I had a damsel,a clown, a bunch of live rock,and some snails and hermit crabs. IT worked and was healthy but I still wouldn't recomment it. IT takes tons of maintainance and does not necessarily provide an ideal living space for your fish.
A 10 gallon SW is possible but not recommended. I was able to get a 10 gallon SW system to live quite well for a year before I finally transfered the fish to a larger tank. The main problem is that it takes a lot of aeration in such a small aquarium. This causes a lot of water to build up outside the tank, which can cause electricution problems later on (salt is an excellent conductor of electricity). As far as fish that could survive in a 10 gallon tank, I'd start with converting some molly's into SW first. This would be because it will probably be 3 to 4 months of cycling the tank before even a damsel will survive well in such a small tank. You will also want a lot of live rock once you do get actual SW fish. This is because SW fish are very territorial and are overly stressed when too close to other fish. They will need plenty of places to hide to feel secure and to keep them from attacking each other. As far as what fish could survive, I had a damsel,a clown, a bunch of live rock,and some snails and hermit crabs. IT worked and was healthy but I still wouldn't recomment it. IT takes tons of maintainance and does not necessarily provide an ideal living space for your fish.
A 30 gallon would be much better. The first thing you have to decide on is the end result. Fish only, fish only with live rock, reef? Live rock is definatley the best way to go. It is essentially the filter for the tank, you just add powerheads for movement and possibly a skimmer for removing excess oils etc from the water. With fish only it is essentially the same as freshwater but with added salt. The reason you don't usually add a filter in a live rock tank is that filters generally produce high levels of nitrates and if you plan on keeping any inverts then nitrates are way more toxic to them than to fish.
As for chemicals well you would just use a dechlorinator to remove chlorine and then add the right amount of salt mixture (there are many kinds). Some fish stores sell salt water premixed. Most people now like to use pure r/o water as tapwater often contains phosphates etc... that can easily lead to algae blooms in saltwater tanks.
Finding a fish store that deals only in salt water is a great idea as well. The satff will probably be better informed on saltwater species.
There are many threads in this forum already on starting a saltwater tank. I would use the search engine to locate some, readup a bit and then pop back with more specific questions. The more knowledge you have the easier it is to help.
As for chemicals well you would just use a dechlorinator to remove chlorine and then add the right amount of salt mixture (there are many kinds). Some fish stores sell salt water premixed. Most people now like to use pure r/o water as tapwater often contains phosphates etc... that can easily lead to algae blooms in saltwater tanks.
Finding a fish store that deals only in salt water is a great idea as well. The satff will probably be better informed on saltwater species.
There are many threads in this forum already on starting a saltwater tank. I would use the search engine to locate some, readup a bit and then pop back with more specific questions. The more knowledge you have the easier it is to help.
My Ten Gallon SW
I have a three month old 10g setup that has been cycled with semi-cured live rock. The tank has about 15 lbs of live rock and a live sand base. I have seen all sorts of life on the rocks and in the water column and the water quality has been stable and perfect for over two months.
I went to the new Petco store in town and saw that they had Fridmani Pseudo's labeled as Purple pseudo's. I couldn't help but get one, since they were selling them for $13. I now have a Fridmani in my ten gallon.
This will be the only fish in the aquarium, but I also have 5 hermits working on the hair algae (which I kind of like). I may add some sort of shrimp, but don't know if the fridmani will kill it.
In short: Ten gallons is good for live rock and 1, maybe 2 small fish. Use live rock to keep it balanced. Go to www.liveaquaria.com and look at nano fish. Good luck!
I have a three month old 10g setup that has been cycled with semi-cured live rock. The tank has about 15 lbs of live rock and a live sand base. I have seen all sorts of life on the rocks and in the water column and the water quality has been stable and perfect for over two months.
I went to the new Petco store in town and saw that they had Fridmani Pseudo's labeled as Purple pseudo's. I couldn't help but get one, since they were selling them for $13. I now have a Fridmani in my ten gallon.
This will be the only fish in the aquarium, but I also have 5 hermits working on the hair algae (which I kind of like). I may add some sort of shrimp, but don't know if the fridmani will kill it.
In short: Ten gallons is good for live rock and 1, maybe 2 small fish. Use live rock to keep it balanced. Go to www.liveaquaria.com and look at nano fish. Good luck!
