Converting the 10 Gallon

[mashadar]

I am thinking of converting my 10 Gallon Aquarium to a salt water aquarium. I know there isn't much room so I would probably like just two clowns & that's probably it. I don't want to overcrowd the tank as it would be a nano. And yes, it would be my first attempt.
To have a couple clowns what should I put in it? Live rock? STart a cycle? Please help.

 

[reef_magic]

u can start the cycle with uncured LR, or throw in a cocktail shrimp.
10gallons are pretty hard to keep up w/ due to their size. u have to keep up with evaporation and it is very hard to keep stable

 

[chris17]

Since the tank is soo small all the water parameters swing much faster, it will be difficult to keep up with but it is do-able. I would suggest about 1.5-2 lbs of Live Rock for every gallon. I also recomend using sand over crushed coral, cc tends to trap alot of junk in which you will have to siphon out more often. If you like the cc then get it, its your tank......this is JMO.......I would also just use a raw cocktail shrimp to start your cycle.....

 

[mashadar]

so, do you think i should start with a minimum of maybe a 20 gallon? I just don't want to screw it up. Should I try a 20 gallon first and just keep the 10 as a freshwater?

 

[mashadar]

also, in a 20 gallon - wouuld a blue tank be comfy there? I know that they are timid. I just wondered if it would be too small for it?

 

[krowleey]

a blue tang? a blue tang will not be happy in a 20 gallon no

 

[mashadar]

so for a 20 gallon, what is suggested?
maybe a clown and puffer and that's it?

 

[nudibranch]

I wouldn't recommend a puffer in the 20, also I wouldn't recommend a clown/puffer combo, the puffer will more than likely kill the Clown

 

[mashadar]

ok. then how about this.
can i do a couple of clowns and that's it? I know i have a lot of reading to do but maybe put in the anenomoe or a reef or whatever it's called that clowns dwell in? :notsure:
Please excuse my ignorance.
:help:

 

[nudibranch]

a pair of most clowns would be ok in a 20g. I would leave the anemone alone for a while until you built up a bit of experiance with salt water, esp a reef tank. The anemone is going to require a lot of light over the tank. 2X75W VHOs (24" long) would be really nice.

 

[debbie]

Hi, I currenlty have a 10 gal going. It is 6 months old now and my advice to you what ever size you decided on is to go slow. It is an expensive hobby and less forgiving than freshwater.
I have had no problems with my tank so far, only a mushroom doing something weird at the moment. I have mushrooms and ricordea in my 10 gal. I am only going to get corals that are beginner friendly and easy to keep in this 10 gal. You cannot go wrong with these two corals, i now there are others that are easy too.
My tank consits of:
1 tomato clown
1 hi fin red banded goby
1 green chromis
1 camel shrimp
1 snail
All these tank mates were not added all at one. I do weekly water changes of 10% using distilled water. I also have crushed coral as I like the look of it and vacum it every other water change. No problems for me. I have about 5 pounds of live rock and will be getting more.
I have the time to watch this tank closley and do top ups sometimes every other day depending on the weather. We do have centeral air conditioning in the house and that is one thing to keep in mind. If you live in a very hot area with no air a 10 gal tank can heat up pretty fast in a hot house.
My tank is my pride and joy and because I pay dearly for fish, rock, corals I baby it and watch it closley.
So it can be done if you have the time to spend on it.
Good Luck :cheer:

 

[mashadar]

@Debbie
Wow you have those 5 fish in the ten gallon?? Very cool.
So you say you change out the water once a week. Is that entirely?? Or just a portion?
Please email me more info :notsure:

 

[diddley]

i have a ten gallon as well. partial waterchanges of one to two gallons per week is my practice. i top off the water with plain filtered RO/DI water (to maintain salt level stability) every other day. i have a glass top on the tank to cut down on evaporation and a filter that hangs on the back to help with surface agitation and and gas exchange. it sounds to me like you need to buy or borrow a book or two. good luck.

 

[debbie]

No, you don't drain all the water. Only 10%, so 1 gallon of water. I then replace it with 1 gal of distilled water, some people use RO water also. Straight tap water is not recommended for marine so I have been using distilled with great results.
You would also need to add more salt to maintain your desired reading. But when topping off you don't add salt. Salt does not evaporate only the water that is why it is very important to make sure your evaporation rate does not get to low before topping off. Your salinity will sky rocket on you causing a whole lot of problems.
If you have a 20 gal tank, I would strongly recommend that you use that instead of the 10 gal. Don't want to discourage you from the 10 but you would be able to put a bit more into a 20 gal. I have a 25 gal but not ready to part with my freshwater setup and all the live plants I have. Maybe oneday.
With my 10 gal I would slowly like to have more coral than fish. So as my fish die off I won't replace them but still love my clown fish very much and would always have one of those in there.
Everything is fine in my tank, but if I had to do another one I would probably put in one clown and one firefish or two of the perc clowns.
Do lots of reading on this forum and ask alot of questions also.
Good Luck
Debbie

 

[mashadar]

Yeah I may bust out two 20s at Barns & Noble and pick up something to get more educated. However, I've been getting alot of info here - thank you all so much for your patience.
I'm so lost on the filters..."skimmer" thing, lighting - what's appropriate, what's not, etc.

 

[moraym]

One quick word about evaporation, if there is little water exposed to the air then evaporation is dramatically slowed. I sealed the entire top of my 55g to keep the eel in, but it also had an enormous affect on my evaporation. With the top of the tank sealed up tight, I have literally no evaporation at all. I went back to all of my tanks, put on very tight-fitting tops with little/no exposure to air, and the water just evaporates onto the canopy, and drips back into the water, eradicating the need for top-offs for weeks on end, even in dead summer.

 

[norway]

ive had a 10gal for 6 months now......also my first attempt at any aquarium other than a fresh when i was 10 years old, ha. the trick to a 10 gal is RELIGIOUSLY doing 10 to 15 % water changes every week. and at prices of under a dollar for a gallon there is no reason to not just buy two 5 gallon jugs and get reverse osmosis premixed saltwater and freshwater from your local fish store. it come out to $7.00 every 5 weeks. like i said i do a 10% water change every sunday.....i siphon out water into an old 1 gal(10% of 10gal) milk jug and then fill the aquarium back up to a marked spot on the back glass. that way my salinity stays the same. for top offs i just never let the water level get below the black trim at the top of my aquarium......USE FRESHWATER FOR THIS.....for a week or two i was using saltwater like an idiot, but it was simply because no one told me that when water evaporates it leaves the salt in the tank so essentially all that is evaporating is the freshwater. not ever letting the water get below that plastice trim at the top of your tank does two things.....it looks better and it keeps your salt levels safe ( as the freshwater evaporates, the salt per gallon of water levels adjust. ) you want it to stay between 1.023 and 1.026....a realistic goal in a 10gallon. be patient with everything you do....we all know how it feels to be excited about the next step or critter in your tank but part of that next step is the future and the fact that your tank didnt crash and ruin everything you just paid bucks for. my last bit of advice is do not get an anemone untill you really know what your doing with the saltwater world and dont hold back on quality equipment...YOU WILL END UP BUYING THE BEST LATER SO DO IT AT FIRST!

 

[mashadar]

the bad thing about the only place that i'm aware of in this town that is salt-water aquattics based, is that they discourage 10 gallons and aren't helpful unless interested in buying a 55 gal + (of course - more cash for them). So I need to go and ask for 5 gallons of freshwater and 5 gallons of saltwater? right? about 8lbs of live rock? Water testing kit. A new top to seal off the tank as best as possible? Is there anything else that I need to buy that would get my tank started on it's cycle prior to critter purchasing?

 

[mashadar]

honestly - i may go buy a 55 gal tank. I don't want to mess up anything and it'll be easier to maintain...after reading through several boards - there is MUCH room for error with 10-20 gals unless you're an expereinced soul...

 

[flounder]

Hi! I have been bugging everyone on the clownfish boards and now I am going to come over here and see if you guys can help me out.
I know next to nothing about aquariums and I am trying to make sure that I have happy healthy fish. I got a 10 gal. for Christmas and I have just set it up and started the cycling over the past week.
I really want clownfish. Ideally two, but at least one. If I get two, can I get a bottom feeder and some little fish? Or can I only do that if I get one?
And recommendations on other fish to put with clowns would be appreciated. I am a really broke college student and I am willing to pay for the clowns but I would like something compatible for them that I can pick up at the local pet store.
My tank is just gravel...no fancy stuff. (Even my plants are plastic. I tell you that I have little money and really no experience.)
I know all you guys are into the big stuff and I'm just a pathetic little newbie, but I would love it if someone helped me out.
Kimmie