A general Question

alisha

alisha

New Member
Within the next month or so, I would like to start up a Saltwater tank at home.
I recently saw a beautiful 12 gallon Octagon tank at a local store that would look great in my home (which by the way, I have had mixed responses to as far as 12 gallons being 'too small' for a saltwater tank, petshop says its fine)
At any rate, I really want to make sure I do it right, SO:
Does anyone suggest a book or maybe a website (e-how?) that might tell me exactly what the best way to go about getting started?
Also, I wanted to know if anyone knows of any listing of pics of saltwater fish and what fish theyre compatible with..I know I want some really bright, vivid fish, but I want to pick the right ones.
Any help is appreciated!!
Thank you.
:)
Alisha
 
tcoco

tcoco

Member
A 12 gal is not to small for a more experianced person (don't get me wrong you can do it) A 55gal or bigger is better for a beginner. Unless you want to do a fowlr you might be able to get a way with a 12. The reason is the small the tank it dosen't take much to wipe the whole enviorment with lets say one snail death. You would have to be on top of your level alot more then with a larger tank. As for pics if you go to the left and click the fish and Inverts links these guys have a pretty good selection with pics and requirements. I pretty new to this hobby and I have a 55 and I still run into problems I did all my research right here on this board useing the search these guys here really know what they are talking about (alot of mixed opinions but thats good this isn't and exact science) If you do go with a smaller tank because you don't have the room for a larger tank do your reasearch. Good luck and weclome ( don't be afraid to ask questions) :)
 
reeftanknewbie

reeftanknewbie

Member
The Consiqensist Marine Aquarist by Robert Fenner is a great book. I would also have to agree a smaller tank is harder to take care of and limits you on the type of fish you can have. Alot of the more colorful fish get big and need a big tank. On average it is one inch of fish for every three gallons of water. so you can see how that is going with a 12 gal tank. Good luck and welcome aboard.
 
brooklyn johnny

brooklyn johnny

Active Member
A good website to look at is www.nano-reef.com
I am an experienced reefer that got into nanoreefing while my wife and I wait to buy a house. My 180 is sitting in Dad's garage right now, and a few months ago I set up a 10 gallon nano with a 6 gallon refugium. as you will see on the nanoreef sight, there is no limit to what you can do in small tanks, but you really need to know what you are doing.
With small tanks, just about every parameter changes faster (pH, temperature, alkalinity, etc.). What may be a general trend in a larger aquarium over a few days or weeks, can be devastation in a tank of around 10 gallons. If you wish to set-up a reef it is even tougher, IF you are unfamiliar with what to do. After running many successful larger aquariums, I had to study hard (nano-reef.com helped out) on the added dynamics of smaller aquaria. WITH ALL OF THAT SAID, I sometimes enjoy my nano more than larger tanks. They are just, for lack of a better word, neat! Check out the website I listed. Saltwaterfish.com is a great resource, but that other site has more experienced "nanoreefers" if that's what you would like to try.
 
alisha

alisha

New Member
Thanks so much for the nano-reef site..wow..the tanks over there are really beautiful....
Would you mind much if I threw a few questions here and there from time to time at ya?
Thanks.
Alisha
 
brooklyn johnny

brooklyn johnny

Active Member
No problem... I'll help where I can... so i assume you're taking the plunge? Using the search function on either of the message boards will yield a lot of answers. Remember... patience and research ;) Things can go downhill in NY minute.
 
alisha

alisha

New Member
Those member tanks are really serious stuff..LOLOL
The only thing is is that I dont want the coral/live rock all that good stuff to take over the whole tank..maybe more fish than anything u know?
I definitely like the coral and hermit crabs and stuff..but I want alot of fish in there...
Im right now just reading up on everything thats on the boards..trying to take it all in...
Very excited!!
:)
Alisha
 
brooklyn johnny

brooklyn johnny

Active Member
As you will see, there are different levels of nanoreefing, ranging from "shotglass" reefs to 2.5 gallons up to about 20 gallons.
Be careful with what you say about the fish only set-up. The interesting thing about small tanks is that the number of fish you can put in is just about the same whether or not it is fish only or reef IMO. In larger aquaria, with fish only systems you can add more, letting your nitrates accumulate to a certain degree, with still healthy fish, yet at a higher nitrate level than corals would generally allow. In a small tank it is not really the same, because the difference between near perfect water condition with 0 nitrates and deadly nitrates in the hundreds is not as great as in larger tanks if you follow me. In the 10 gallon range, most people go with 2 fish, regardless of whether it is reef or FO. The wastes the corals produce is a minute percentage of what fish do. Stocking levels are not only determined by the gallons of the system, but also the efficiency of the filtration you provide. On my 10 gallon, I have a 6-7 gallon refugium with 4 different types of macroalgae harvested on a regular basis for nutrient export. I use carbon once a month, and have quite a bit of current in the tank. I have mo mechanical filtration as I feed plankton to the corals and clams I have. The system I use works and my nitrates have been consistently at 0 with calcium levels of 400-450 and I keep my alkalinity as close to 3 meq/l as I can. Any other questions just ask.
Trust me, you will eventually desire corals and other critters in the tank. Be careful... "a lot of fish in there" scares me. You may want about a 300 gallon if you want that. Any more questions just ask...
 
alisha

alisha

New Member
but I noticed on the other tanks , there didnt seem to be much more than that...
"Alot of fish" maybe I shouldnt have said that..LOLOL :eek:
Is like 4 or 5 asking too much? LOLOLOL
A girl can wish cant she?
:)
A
 
moraymike

moraymike

Member
Alisha:
"Marine Fishes" by Scott Mitchell is great guide to salter water fish. Also, "The Complete Idiot's Guide to Saltwater Aquariums" isn't bad for beginners (no offense). :)
 
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