Eclipse 12 Saltwater Tank

[toninho]

Hello all, I want to transform my freshwater Eclipse 12 in a saltwater tank, sorry, I know it is small but that is all the space I have. I was always fascinated by saltwater tank and read a lot of literature on it, but again I don't have much space. My question is: Can it be done? I want to have a pair of Amphiprion Percula, an Anemona, and a few invertebrates. I already have a IceProbe chiller and controller on it the temperature never goes above 77*F, I also have dead corals, salt mix etc.

 

[drakken]

Yes, the Eclipse is a good set up for a nano tank. The pair of clowns should be OK but skip the anemone since they are very hard to keep.. Instead of an anemone you can keep some soft corals if you are willing to upgrade the lighting. The clowns may host some soft corals just like they would an anemone.
Keep in mind that a small tank isn't ideal for your first SW tank but it can be done successfully if you go slow and research a lot.
You will want the temp of the tank between 80 and 82. Use a sand or finely crushed aragonite for the substrate. You can use the dead coral rock you have now as a base rock or decoration but you will need to get live rock too. Do not get snails, shrimp, hermit crabs etc until the tank is fully cycled.
There is a lot of info here, in books and on the web. Check out the nano forum here for good ideas on setting up your tank. Ask questions!!
...and wecolme to SWF.com!!

 

[cprdnick]

First, the 12 gallon eclipse is pretty popular, this is considered a nano tank. Try going to the nano tanks forum, they're a big help.
I will spare you the pain and punishment of trying to put an anenome in you 12 gallon, or any gallon. If you do, I wouldnt let anyone on this board know that you did. First off, you don't and probably will never have the kind of lighting on an eclipse system to sustain an anenome for more than a couple of weeks, and if your anenome dies, everything in the tank probably will too because it lets off toxins during death. Find an alternative for your clowns if that is what you are after (ie. Frogspawn).
I personally would get the temp up to 80 if you can.

 

[yae4volcom]

Hey! I also have an Eclipse 12 gallon I think there very nice looking tanks. Since it is a nano, you will want to get live rock as your main source of filteration. Once you do get live rock you can take out the bio-wheel on the eclipse filter. In my tank I have 17 lb of fiji lr and 20 lb of sand. The pair of clowns would be a great choice for a 12 gallon. If you do want to keep corals, they make a retro-fit lighting kit that is easy to install into the eclipse hood right where the stock light is. Its 32 watts which will allow you to keep some different kinds of corals. The nano forum will be helpfull to you as well.

 

[cliffrouse11bas]

Post in the nano forum you might get better reply's....But I would personally go with a 7 gallon minibow. They allow for better upgrades...

 

[lesleybird]

Please don't put a pair of clowns in a 12 gallon. It is cruel to put them in anything less than a 25 or 30 gallon. I know that you say that you are cramped for space, but unless your live in a box you should be able to find room for a twenty-five gallon. A twenty-five gallon is only two feet long and one foot wide.
Lesley

 

[toninho]

Thank you very much guys, I went to the Nano forum and learned a lot. Where can I get the retrofit light for the Eclipse 12? and where is the best place to get live rocks in the internet?

 

[skirrby]

you can get live rock from this site.. from what i hear it is some nice rock too.

 

[cnlight]

Well the only problem with getting live rock from here is the amount of it. I know there are other sites that sell it by the pound. Do a search on yahoo for aquarium live rock and it will give you other sellers of it. Your local fish store might have it. Ask each one and make sure its cured live rock.

 

[j-cal]

I think a 12 is plenty of room for 2 percs, just dont add more than one more small goby-type fish if anything else. Id get about 10 lbs of live rock up to 50 lbs depending on density of what you get. 20 would be nice, btu ive tried doing that an it doesnt all fit