salt water?

Question

my friend decided to start a salt water aquarium. he has a 10gallon and a heater for it right now (just a tank, no gravel, no filter, nothing). what should he get? I need details, what type of substrate, chemicals, test kits, what type of fish you recommend, anytihng you can think of. we're going to go buy the stuff soon, so answers soon please :) he does have freshwater fish in there now, so could he mix the stuff in to make it a saltwater tank (after removing the current fish) and add fish today? thanks so much!

yeah... salt water isn't my specialty, so this will be a learning experience, I'm excited. if you have any tips on

one more questions, I want a certain goby I saw at the pet store, i can't remember for the life of me exactly what kind it was but I know it was picking up rocks in it's mouth and spitting them out. would I be able to have this in a 10gallon?

lol stopped in mid sentence there...
*if you have any tips on anything email me

Answer 1

Hi Kylie!

A 10 gallon is a little small for a saltwater tank. It is doable, but will probably cause more frustration and more work than going with something a little larger. I would suggest at least a 29 (that was the size of my first, but in 6 months I upgraded to a 55 and kept the 29 as well - this is addictive once you get into it!).

What you need will depend on what you want to keep. Here's a quick checklist of the basics:

* a filter rated for a turnover of 5-10 times the volume of the tank

*substrate - I'd recommend getting an aragonite substrate (looks like small shells and broken coral fragments - not crushed coral)

* live rock - a couple of pieces that can be made into a "cave"

* sea salt mix - any of the synthetic mixes is fine

* hydrometer - used to mix the saltwater to the right concentration

* liquid reagent test kit - I'd use the API saltwater kit for a new tank

* good saltwater book - I like "The New Marine Aquarium" by Michael S. Paletta. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-52-1
or "The Conscientious Marine Aquarist" by Robert M. Fenner. Microcosm Ltd. ISBN 1-890087-02-5 - both of these helped a lot when I was first getting into salt.

** If you decide to go with a larger tank, look at protein skimmers (you don't need to get one just yet, but they're strongly recommended); you may also want to consider picking up a powerhead if you go for a 29 or larger. Also, if you go larger, get a properly sized heater - 5 watts per gallon of tank volume

The fish you saw may have been a species of jawfish or a shrimp goby - they look pretty similar and both pick up and sift through the substrate for food and to create burrows (why I suggested the substrate I did - these need something on the fine side for burrowing. There are a few small species (pearly jawfish, Randall's goby, red prawn goby, Catalina goby [needs cooler water], plus some others) that your friend might be able to keep.

Wait till you get the tank set up before you buy fish though - cycling and all, plus the saltwater should age a day or so, so you have time to check the pH, salinity, etc. and do the necessary fine-tuning of the chemistry.

I'll post more but want to submit this so far so you can go if you're still hanging around!


ADDITION: Okay, some other info for you. As I said, your friend may want to consider getting a protein skimmer at some point in the future. The better models of these use a venturi air injection to create small bubbles to which organic molecules adhere. The bubbles create a column pushing the organics up out of the water to where they're caught in a collection cup - this keeps them from contributing to the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in the tank (too bad they don't really work in freshwater!).

If your friend want to try corals or anemones, you might want to look at a better lighting system than what comes as a standard with most set-ups. Compact fluorescent or T-5 systems would be the smallest I'd go, if he gets a larger tank (55+) you might want to consider a metal halide system. These produce too much heat for a small tank, though.

As far as chemicals, the standard water conditioner, if the water to be used is tap water. If the tap water has nitrate or phosphate in your area, you might want to use reverse osmosis water, or mix these in the future, just to cut down on potential algae problems. The salt mix should have all the basic elements that your tank should have, but you may have trouble with pH levels. The aragonite substrate will help keep the pH up, but it is often difficult to get it above 7.8. If you have this problem, I would suggest getting kalkwasser to adjust it. This is a very caustic power, so be careful using it. Mix a teaspoon or so in a clean soda bottle of water and add by the spoonful until you get it at least above 8.2 (and it may take a good bit, depending on your water chemistry. Keep track of how much you had to use, so you can plan to add to water changes (if you have a 10 gallon tank, and mix the saltwater in a 5 gallon bucket, use 1/2 as much). You may have to add a little every few days if the pH drops (unlike freshwater, you do have to do a lot of pH tampering in saltwater).

You should also get a glass cover for the tank to reduce evaporation and keep the fish where they belong - most are jumpers if given half a chance.

As to fish. A smaller goby or a firefish would be your best choice for a 10 gallon. If you go up to a 20 or 30, you could keep a few more species. You'll also want to add a few snails, hermit crabs (blue legged or scarlet), maybe a shrimp as well. But as you know, hold off on these until the tank has cycled.

Some reading material for you and your friend:

Answer 2

10 gallons isn't much for saltwater fish. You should be able to have some nice plants and tiny fish, though. Set up the whole tank with substrate, heater, etc, first, and let it run for 2-3 days (put the salt stuff in, everything except the live things). Then put the plants in and let it run another few days. Finally, add one or two fish. Always a chance the first fish might die, so don't get the most expensive ones! Be careful to buy your fish from a reputable place, not just the pet store down the street. I used to work at a petstore, and the treatment of the fish was terrible! I think the goby you're talking about would be too large for your tank.

Answer 3

Kylie,
You know saltwater is much more labor intensive once it is set up than freshwater, right? Plus, a small tank like a 10 g is really hard to keep the water right. I have heard that a 55 is the smallest a beginner should start with. Anyway, here is a site that is very good with all kinds of info on salt start-ups:

http://saltaquarium.about.com/

On the left side of the page are the best links.

Answer 4

I basically agree with Copperhead, so I'm not going to get into this real deep, but you can do a very nice invert and coral tank, and certain "mini" gobies will be fine, but only get one or two, and don't get the same kind. The lights will be cheap, and it will be a good learning experience. Get the liverock first, make sure it is cured, and let it cycle your tank. Test your water frequently, and have fun. Tell him to start saving his money because he will be hunting for a 55 in about 3 months.

Answer 5

I have seen one 10 gal on Aquaria Central forums I think. It was some forum or another. The guy used crushed coral for the substrate. Live rock is a must. Expect to spend 30$ on an amount suitable for the 10 gal. A filter is pretty useless except for making a current. Live rock acts as a natural filter.

Couldn't find the right topic but here's a nice log of a 15 gall.

http://www.aquariacentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=114195

Good luck!

Azu

Answer 6

10 gallons is way to small for any saltwater fish you need at least a 50 gallon tank with a filter and salt made just for fish

Answer 7

Go to www.nanotank.com, i started saltwater earlier this year, and im completely addicted. this website helped me figure everything out!

cheers,

Kelly

Answer 8

do not get a fish because the fish will die in salt water the only way to get a fish is in salt water is if he gets a fish for the sea

Answer 9

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